1. Ancient Greece

2. Greek Legacy The Greeks started almost every field of study
Mindset – curiosity, love of learning, personal involvement in politics, heroism, love of beauty
Invented the field of philosophy – Greek philosophers are still read today, and were the basis of all education for 2000 years ([Socrates],Plato, Aristotle)
Democracy! Completely different from the rest of the world.
Their bravery and the values they fought for in the Persian Wars changed the course of human history

3. Greek Legacy Started Olympic games
Started modern theater (tragedy & comedy masks); playwrights still read today (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides)
Arts – sculpture
Architecture – Greek columns – basis for many of our public buildings

4. Greek Legacy
Math & science – Pythagoras, Hippocrates (“Father of Medicine,”) Archimedes
Literature – Iliad (Trojan War), Odyssey, mythology, poetry
History – Herodotus considered the “Father of History”
Inspiring individuals! Greek statesmen, military heroes, philosophers, playwrights, artists
The 50 years of the “Golden Age of Athens” inspired people for the rest of human history

5. Geography Like a hand sticking into the Mediterranean. Many islands.
Mountainous terrain.
Little farmland.

6. Effects of Geography Isolated city-states.
Raising crops and animals that did not require much land: olives & grapes, sheep.
Colonies established in areas with more farmland: Sicily, Ionia, shores of Black Sea.

7. Greek Democracy

8. Draco – First Lawgiver First written constitution of Athens, 621 BCE.
Very harsh laws; almost all offences (including idleness) punishable by death.
Persons in debt to someone of a higher class were sold into slavery.
Draco said that lesser crimes deserved punishment by death, and he knew of no greater punishment for greater crimes.
Laws described as “written in blood rather than ink.”
Word “draconian” (extremely severe, harsh) comes from Draco.
Written laws meant they were not known only to the literate, and were not applied arbitrarily.
Laws written on wooden tablets attached to triangular stone steles; lasted almost 200 years.
Distinguished between murder and involuntary homicide.
All free men who could furnish a set of military equipment could vote.

9. Solon – “Father of Athens”
Known as “The Lawgiver,” “Father of Athens,” one of the “Seven Sages” of Ancient Greece.
Elected archon in 594 BCE (25 years after Draco).
There was conflict between classes (rich and poor) and regions (hills, city and coast).
Chosen, because of his wisdom, to rewrite Athenian laws.
Solon was a poet, and much of his poetry explained and defended his laws.

10. Solon – government reform
Repealed all of Draco’s laws except homicide laws.
Created four classes, based on wealth, rather than birth or land ownership. This was an important advance.
Extended citizenship and voting to lower classes (free males only).
Made Assembly (ecclesia) open to all citizens.

11. Solon – Economic Reforms
Rescinded laws that allowed debtors to be sold into slavery.
Cancelled all debts, freed those enslaved due to debts, tried to recall those sold into slavery abroad.
Limited the amount landlords could charge tenant farmers.
Did NOT redistribute land.
Fathers were required to train sons in a trade.
Encouraged trade – invited

12. Four Classes
Pentacosiomedimni – highest class. Made at least 500 measures annually. Aristocrats and landowners. Expected to contribute financially to public works, religious festivals, ship building and provide leaders for the armed forces. Could hold all offices
Hippeis – cavalrymen. Made at least 300 measures annually. Merchants, ship owners. Had to be able to equip and maintain a horse for battle. Could hold all offices except treasurer.
Laws written on wooden tablets attached to triangular stone steles; lasted almost 200 years.
Distinguished between murder and involuntary homicide.
All free men who could furnish a set of military equipment could vote.

13. Four Classes (cont’d)
Zeugitae – middle class. Made at least 200 measures annually, and had at least a yoke of oxen; artisans. Paid tax at lowest rate, eligible for minor offices. Provided body armor and fought as hoplites.
Thetes – lowest class. Made less than 200 measures; poor city dwellers or farmers. Paid no tax, provided no military equipment, not eligible for any office. Served as oarsmen and archers.
Slaves
Laws written on wooden tablets attached to triangular stone steles; lasted almost 200 years.
Distinguished between murder and involuntary homicide.
All free men who could furnish a set of military equipment could vote.

14. Government under Solon
Archons – nine who served one year terms.
Areopagus – council of former archons – served for life.
Council of 400 – Boule – chosen from three highest classes. Allowed to debate but not vote.
Assembly – Ecclesia – open to all citizens – about about 6,000 men. Voted on issues brought to it by the Council of Thetes could attend but not address the Assembly. Thetes could also serve as jurors, which was an important new right.
Laws written on wooden tablets attached to triangular stone steles; lasted almost 200 years.
Distinguished between murder and involuntary homicide.
All free men who could furnish a set of military equipment could vote.

15. Pisistratus – the “Good Tyrant”
Aristocrat who seized control in 561 BCE.
Kept almost all of Solon’s laws.
Redistributed some land (from his rivals) to the poor.
Created public works projects.
Promoted economic development – Athenian pottery, silver mines.
Secured steady grain shipments from the Black Sea area.
Died peacefully.
Son Hippias at first ruled successfully; then became paranoid and tyrannical when his brother Hipparchus was murdered. Was thrown out.

16. Cleisthenes – “Father of Democracy”
Overthrew Hippias, the “bad tyrant” son of Pisistratus.
Athens had been organized by its four traditional “clans”; however they fought each other.
To end this violence, Cleisthenes reorganized Athens into ten tribes, by region rather than clan.

17. Roots of Persian Wars
Cleisthenes had established democracy in Athens, which other Greek city-states admired and wanted
Persian empire was expanding and had conquered Ionia (coast of Asia Minor plus islands)
Ionians revolted, led by Miletus,and were helped by Athenians (Miletus had been founded by Athenians)
They were beaten by the Persians, who burned down Sardis

18. Hugeness of Persian Empire (red) compared to Greeks (green)

22. Battle of Marathon
Persia had a huge advantage due to numbers and cavalry
Sparta would not come for ten days due to a religious festival
Athenians had about 9,000 hoplites and Pleateans sent 1,000 hoplites
Armies kept drawing closer and closer
Miltiades ordered a surprise attack
He ordered the phalanx to be 4 deep in the center and 8 deep on the sides; this led to the center falling back, and double envelopment

23. Results of Battle of Marathon
Greece won a stunning victory over an enemy considered invincible
Preserved democracy
Proved Persians could be beaten
Value of Greek phalanx was proven
Greek victory gave confidence and led to “Golden Age” of Greece
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

24. Results of Battle of Marathon
Playwright Aeschylus had only his participation in the Battle of Marathon mentioned on his gravestone – not his plays
John Stuart Mill: “The Battle of Marathon, even as an event in British History, is more important than the Battle of Hastings”
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

26. Battle of Thermopylae
Persians under Xerxes returned 10 years after Battle of Marathon, to try again to punish the Athenians.
This time the force was much larger …
Xerxes did not listen to those who counseled him against this …
Xerxes had the waves “whipped” at the Hellespont after his first bridge as wrecked.
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

27. Battle of Thermopylae
Greeks decided to meet the Persians at the tiny pass of Thermopylae, where the huge numbers of Persians would have no advantage, as there would be no room for them.
The Greeks held off the Persians until a traitor told the Persians about a way through the mountains around the pass.
The Persians were now also able to attack the Greeks from behind …
Most Greeks left. Only the Spartan general Leonidas remained with his “300,” to fight to their deaths.
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

28. Battle of Thermopylae
Most Greeks left. Only the Spartan general Leonidas remained with 300 men, to fight to their deaths.
The 300 were carefully picked. Each had a son who would carry on the family name.
The Spartans fought valiantly but were eventually all killed.
The Persians marched through Thermopylae toward Athens, (3 days?) away.
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

29. Battle of Salamis
The Athenians, knowing the Persians were coming, consulted the Oracle at Delphi about what to do in their hopeless situation.
The oracle said, “Athens is lost, but save yourselves through the wooden walls.”
The Athenians debated the meaning of “wooden walls,” some thinking they might be the ruins of ancient city walls.
Themistocles convinced the Athenians that “wooden walls” referred to their ships.
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

30. Battle of Salamis
The Athenians left Athens, except for a few old people and priests, and boarded their ships.
The Persians reached Athens, killed everyone, and burned the beautiful city to the ground.
Xerxes sat on a throne on a high hill to watch his huge navy wipe out the small Athenian navy.
Themistocles talked the Athenians into fighting …
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

31. The Genius of Themistocles
“Poor boy” who became archon
One of the few who foresaw that the Persians would return
Plotted to have his highly esteemed political rival, Aristides, ostracized
Convinced the Athenians to use proceeds from more efficient mining of silver to build their first fleet, rather than split the silver among themselves
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

32. The Genius of Themistocles
Convinced the Greeks to band together to fight the Persians
Convinced the Greeks to attack the Persian fleet at the Battle of Artemesium (the Persian fleet had been on the open seas during a violent storm, while the Greek fleet was in a safe harbor), which they won.
Ordered “scorched earth” policy of burning all animals and food before leaving Artemesium.
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

33. The Genius of Themistocles
Convinced Athenians that the “walls of wood” referred to by the Delphic Oracle were the Athenian ships
Relinquished command of the navy to the Spartans, who had no naval experience, knowing they would not stay to fight with the Athenians unless they were in command, and realizing the Spartans would ultimately defer to him.
Argued with the Athenians to fight, and when he could not convince them, convinced Eurybiadis, the Spartan commander
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

34. The Genius of Themistocles
Tricked Xerxes into sending part of his navy to attack the Greeks from the North, and keeping the rest of his navy awake all night, waiting for a Greek attack that was not to come.
This encirclement forced the Greeks to fight, as he had intended.
After winning the Battle of Salamis, he tricked Xerxes into quickly returning to Persia, sending a message that the Greeks intended to destroy his bridge of ships at the Hellespont, and he should get there first.
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

35. Battle of Salamis
Themistocles sent a man to Xerxes to pose as a spy. Since Xerxes had achieved victory due to a spy only a few days before at Thermopylae, he took the advice of the “spy,” who told him:
The Athenians would be trying to “escape” the strait at night
Send part of his fleet around the island to cut off their escape from the north
Leave the rest of his fleet in the open waters to wait for a night escape attempt by the Athenians
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

36. Battle of Salamis
The next morning the Greek ships left the strait, as if to escape.
When the Persian navy started to pursue them, they returned to the strait, to lure the Persians there.
Knowing their king was watching, and they might look like cowards if they did nothing, the Persians pursued the Greeks into the narrow strait.
The large Persians ships could not maneuver in the strait, and could not compete with the smaller, faster Greek triremes. The Persian ships rammed each other and 2/3 of them were destroyed.
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

37. Factors in Greek Victory
The Egyptian part (second best, after the Phoenecians) of the Persian navy had been tricked into sailing away to block the Greeks from escaping the strait to the north
The rest of the Persian navy had been tricked into staying up all night, waiting for a made-up Greek attack, and were exhausted.
The Persians were lured into the narrow straits of Salamis to fight, where their large ships could not navigate, and were destroyed.
Value of phalanx was proven (had only previously been used between Greeks, who all used it)

39. Pericles From rich family Outstanding orator Impeccable character
Elected general 29 times; only public office he actually held
Promoted the arts and literature
Oversaw rebuilding of Athens with money from Delian League
Convinced Athens that war with Sparta was inevitable

40. Pericles as Populist
Citizens were paid for public service (jury duty, holding office) for the first time, so the poor could participate in government
Public offices were filled by lot; people served for one year
Poor admitted to the theater for no charge; state paid

41. Questions about Pericles
Did his populist policies lead the Athenians into sloth, rather than their being frugal (as Socrates said)?
Was Pericles the unofficial “king” of Athens?
Did Pericles lead the people or was he led by them?
Were Pericles’ orations examples of leading by moral example, or demagoguery?
Did he enrage the other Greeks by suggesting that they should be proud to pay tribute to Athens, plus his quote that Athens was the world’s teacher?

42. Questions about Pericles
Was it wrong for him to turns Athens into an empire, and divert money from the Delian League to the rebuilding of Athens?
Did he lead Athens into the Peloponnesian War to divert attention from his impending trial?
Would his strategy for the Peloponnesian War have worked, had he lived?

43. Timeline 3000 BCE Bronze Age, Age of Greek Kings
2600 BCE Minoan (advanced) civilization in Crete; Theseus frees Athens from Minoan subjugation
1450 BCE Mycenaean civilization flourishes, conquers Crete; Perseus founds Mycenae, Heracles performs his twelve labors and rules Mycenae, Age of Heroes: Menelaus, Agamemnon, Achilles
1300 BCE Oedipus kills his father, marries his mother, rules in Thebes
1250 BCE Trojan Wars

44. 1150 BCE Dorian invasions, Greek “dark ages” – cities burned & abandoned, writing lost, trade stopped; many Greeks flee and start colonies
1000 BCE Greek colonization begins, rise of early Greek city-states (Thebes, Athens),
1000 BCE Codrus, the last Athenian king, sacrifices himself to save the city
800 BCE Lycurgis founds Sparta
800 BCE No more kings, Age of Aristocrats
776 BCE Greek Olympics began
600’s BCE Age of Tyrants
500’s BCE Age of Democracies

45. 593 BCE Solon, “Lawmaker of Athens”
508 BCE Cleisthenes starts Athenian democracy
490 BCE Persian Wars
461 BCE Golden Age of Athens – Classical Period – Age of Pericles – only 50 Years
Athens went from city-state to empire; got greedy
431 BCE Peloponnesian Wars – 27 years
Athens stared war with Sparta
404 BCE Sparta beat Athens badly
Athenian soldiers were killed or worked to death in quarries of Syracuse (Sicily)
Sparta was kind to citizens in Athens
“30 tyrants” took over Athens, murdered hundreds; eventually deposed and democracy restored

46. 371 BCE Thebes conquered Sparta
400 BCE “March of the 10,000”
Many Greeks hired themselves out as mercenary soldiers
Greek mercenaries aided a Persian prince who rebelled against the king; they lost, and got stuck behind enemy lines. Xenophon took the lead in miraculously getting soldiers to safety; became famous through his writings
371 BCE Thebes conquered Sparta
338 BCE Alexander the Great completely destroyed Thebes and sold survivors into slavery
323 BCE Alexander’s empire broke up and was eventually conquered by Rome
197 BCE Rome conquers Macedonia
146 BCE Rome conquers Greece

47. Timeline of “Ages”
Bronze Age - Age of Kings. Minoan & Mycenaean civilizations, Greek dark ages. Courage, honor and civic virtue are developed through real and legendary battles, Olympic games and other events.
Archaic Age - Age of Aristocracy, Tyrants, and finally Democracy.
Classical Age - Age of Empire. Arts and Sciences flower – philosophy, drama, literature, architecture
Hellenic Age - Greek learning and values are spread by Alexander the Great – Alexandria becomes a center for learning

48. Greek Philosophy Presocratic Philosophers
Thales
Pythagoras
BCE Life, Trial and Execution of Socrates
What we know of Socrates is from Plato and Xenophon
444 BCE Antisthenes founds Cynic school of philosophy. Teaches in gymnasium.
Pupil of Socrates
Cynics rebelled against contemporary customs, believed in a simple and austere lifestyle, and admired “dog-like” behavior.

49. Greek Philosophy 385 BCE Plato founds his academy in Athens
Student of Socrates
“All of philosophy is a footnote to Plato.”
Wrote “dialogues” featuring Socrates and his thought
The Republic is about his political ideal of philosopher-kings running governments (not democracy).
341 BCE Epicurus founds Epicurean school of philosophy and teaches in his “Garden.”
Promoted hedonism, that the only good in life is pleasure.
However only calm and moderate pleasures are good; extreme pleasures can lead to pain.
The highest pleasures are physical health and peace of mind.

50. Greek Philosophy 335 BCE Aristotle opens his school – the Lyceum
Student of Plato for 20 years
Tutor of Alexander the great.
Studied every field of the time; founded the fields of logic, biology and psychology; considered by many to be the greatest thinker of all time.
Many of his writings were used as textbooks for the next 2,000 years.

51. Rationalism
Philosophy that man is capable of discovering the truth through logical reasoning.
We take rationalism so much for granted these days that it is best understood in terms of what it is not.
The opposite of rationalism is myth, magic, tradition, authority, or religion.

52. Rationalism Examples of rationalism or logical thinking:
Proposing theories and testing them to see if they are true.
Drawing conclusions based on true premises.
Examples of non-rationalism:
Blaming events on “the will of God.”
Explaining events through myths.
Believing in magic.
Believing things must be done the way they always have been done.

53. Inscriptions Inscriptions at temple in Delphi:
“Know thyself”
“All things in moderation”
“Let no man ignorant of geometry enter here”
Inscription above door of Plato’s academy

54. “The unexamined life is not worth living” - Socrates at his trial
Quotations
“The unexamined life is not worth living”
- Socrates at his trial
I’m sure you’ve read this quote before: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates said that at his trial for heresy. He was on trial for encouraging his students to challenge the accepted beliefs of the time and think for themselves. The sentence was death but Socrates had the option of suggesting an alternative punishment. He could have chosen life in prison or exile, and would likely have avoided death. But Socrates believed that these alternatives would rob him of the only thing that made life useful: Examining the world around him and discussing how to make the world a better place. Without his “examined life” there was no point in living. So he suggested that Athens reward him for his service to society. The result, of course, is that they had no alternative and were forced to vote for a punishment of death.

55. Sparta
Only about 10% of Spartans were citizens (?), and they were rapidly running out of soldiers …

56. Alexander the Great - questions
Why was he considered such a brilliant general?
How was he kind and generous?
How did he spread culture?
Did he become corrupted? How?
Was his character flawed to begin with? How?

57. Alexander the Great – good qualities
Lived simply (at first)
Well educated and intelligent
Loved the Iliad – imitated heroic qualities of Achilles
Brave in battle, inspired great loyalty in his soldiers
Brilliant military strategist; never lost a battle
Generous to his soldiers and others
Treated the mother and wife of Darius with respect
Appreciated Greek culture and spread it
Respected the culture of those he conquered – let local leaders continue to lead

58. Alexander the Great – misdeeds
Frequent drunken binges
Destroyed famous palace of Persia while in a drunken state
Killed his best friend in a drunken rage; then became suicidal
Became corrupted (?) – adopted Persian dress and required subjects to prostrate themselves before him
Marched his army through a desert on the way home to Greece, and three quarters of them died
Couldn’t do much besides fight and conquer
No plans for succession – after his death, his empire quickly broke up