1. ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL GREECE
CIVILIZATION COMES TO EUROPE

2. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY The Land The Sea Economy
Mountains dominate land; cross land travel difficult
Fertile river valleys were center of settlement
River valleys formed basis of polis
No place more than a few miles from sea
Outdoor life common due to temperate climate
The Sea
Greece is a series of peninsulas, islands
Sea travel easier than land communication
Most Greeks took to the sea
Economy
Agriculture: Grains, honey, olives, grapes
Herding: Goats, sheep, cattle
Trade: Necessary to make up for lack of resources

3. PHYSICAL MAP OF AREA

4. MINOAN SOCIETY Knossos Island of Crete Society
Minoan society arose on Crete, late 3rd millennium B.C.E.
Takes name from legendary king of Knossos, Minos
Lavish palaces at Knossos, between 2000 and 1700 B.C.E.
Linear A, a kind of written language, is found
Island of Crete
From 2200 to 1450 B.C.E., center of Mediterranean commerce
Received early influences from Phoenicia and Egypt
Established colonies on Cyprus and islands in the Aegean Sea
Society
Much evidence of egalitarian society; women had rights
Agriculture was important: grapes, olives, fishing, wheat
Trade was very important: marble, artifacts, cloth
Decline of Minoan Society
After 1700 B.C.E., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis
After 1450 B.C.E., wealth attracted a number of invaders
By 1100 B.C.E., Crete fell under foreign (Hellenic) domination

5. THE ISLAND OF CRETE

6. MYCENAEAN GREECE Mycenaean society
Indo-European immigrants settled in area, 2000 B.C.E.
Adapted Minoan Linear A into their script Linear B
Fortified agricultural settlements in Peloponnesus
Most important settlement was Mycenae
Society resembled Aryan: emphasis on war, trade
Kingdoms ruled by strongest of nobles; constant strife
Chaos in the eastern Mediterranean 1100 to 800 BCE
Mycenaeans engaged in Trojan war, about 1200 B.C.E.
Troy may have been a Hittite city-state and trade rival
Tomb of Agamemnon, Troy excavated by von Schliemann
Recorded by Homer in the Illiad and the Odyssey
More invasions by Hellenic tribes
“Sea Peoples”
Later Hellenic invaders moved by sea along coasts
Seemed to have raided into Palestine, Egypt as Philistines

7. ANCIENT GREECE

8. THE GREEK DARK AGES 800 TO 500 BCE The Hellenes
Called Dark Ages due to loss of writing
Age remembered through oral traditions
A period of migration and warfare
Hellenes spread to Italy, Sicily, Asia Minor, Cyprus
The Hellenes
Indo-Europeans who settled in area
Tribes include Dorians, Attics, Achaeans
Originally aristocratic societies
Warfare, slavery, and trade common

9. GREEK TRIBES

10. THE POLIS Greek City-State Most important
Polis = city-state; Poleis = city-states
Metropolis = city of polis
Acropolis = fortified center of city
Boundaries shaped by geography
Terms of politics come from POLIS
Politics, politic, politician, polite, polity
Police, metropolis, metroplex
Most important
Athens
Sparta

11. POLIS OF ATTICA

12. POLITICAL FORMS Archon: Greek for “ruler” – English “archy”
Kratien: Greek for “to rule” – English “cracy”
Demos: People – Democracy (direct election)
Aristos: The Best – Aristocracy (nobles)
Oligos: The Few – Oligarchy (rule by select few)
Monos: One – Monarchy (rule by a king)
Di: Two – Diarchy (Sparta’s state had 2 kings)
An: None – Anarchy (No government)
Theos: God – Theocracy (Rule by priests, religion)
Geron: Old Man – Gerontocracy (rule by elderly)
Pater: Father – Patriarchy (rule by males)
Mater: Mother – Matriarchy (rule by women)
Auto: Self – Autocracy (dictatorial rule)
Tyrannos: Tyrant – Tyranny (rule by a dictator)
Ethnos: Ethnic or locals – Ethnarchy (rule by the local people)

13. SPARTA Sparta Spartan society
Situated in a fertile region of the Peloponnesus
Began to extend control during the 8th and 7th centuries B.C.E.
Reduced neighboring peoples to the status of helots, or servants
By 6th century B.C.E., helots outnumbered Spartans by 10 to 1
Maintained domination by a powerful military machine
Spartan society
Discouraged social distinction, observed austere lifestyle
Distinction was drawn by prowess, discipline, and military talent
Commitment to military values was strong
Society was a military aristocracy; state ruled by two kings
Young boys, girls educated in military barracks
After marriage, men still lived at barracks; women ran homes
Women: surprisingly free in comparison to other Greek women
All merchants were foreigners licensed by state

14. LACONIA: SPARTA

15. ATHENS Athens Athenian society Solon and Athenian democracy
Population growth, economic development caused political strain
Sought to negotiate order by democratic principles
Citizenship was open to free adult males
Foreigners, slaves, and women had no rights
Athenian society
Maritime trade brought about prosperity
Aristocratic landowners were principal beneficiaries
Owners of small plots began to sell lands, some became slaves
Class tension became intensified, the 6th century B.C.E.
Solon and Athenian democracy
Solon forged a compromise between the classes
Opened polis councils for any male citizen
Pericles (ca B.C.E.)
The most popular democratic leader of Athens
Ruled Athens during its Golden Age

16. GREECE & THE LARGER WORLD
Greeks founded more than 400 colonies
Controlled Black, Aegean, Adriatic, Ionian Seas
Settled Sicily, S. Italy, Corsica, France, Spain, Africa
Settled Coasts of Yugoslavia, Albania, Turkey, Cyprus
Effects of Greek colonization
Facilitated trade among Mediterranean lands
Facilitate exchanges between peoples, cultures
Spread of Greek language and cultural traditions
Stimulated development of surrounding areas
Spread civilization to ancient, Neolithic areas
Warfare increased
Technology stimulated: naval, navigation, astronomy

17. THE GREEK WORLD

18. GREEK MILITARY Based on citizen soldiers Greek navy
Lightly armed, armored foot soldiers (Hoplites)
Carry shields, long spear
All citizens had to furnish own arms, armor
All citizens expected to fight in army, navy
All citizens had military training in school
Fought in massed formations called Phalanx
Very useful in rugged terrain; used 10’ long pikes
Easily defeats massed cavalry favored by others
Greek navy
Rowed vessels called galleys
Most famous was the trireme or three oar banked
Rowed by free citizens
Fought by ramming other vessels; than hand to hand
Greek fleets included larger vessels
Equites or mounted troops were aristocrats

19. THE PERSIAN WARS The Persian War (500-479 B.C.E.) The Delian League
Cyrus and Darius controlled Anatolia
Greek cities on Ionian coast revolted, 500 B.C.E.
Darius’ Invasion
The battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.E.
Greeks led by Spartans and Athens battled Persia to a draw
Xerxes Invasion
To fight Persians, Athenians build a wall of wood, or a navy
Xerxes seized, burned Athens
Athenian navy destroys Persian in the battle of Salamis, 480 B.C.E.
Persian army retreated back to Anatolia, 479 B.C.E.
The Delian League
Alliance among Greek poleis against Persian threat
Military force from Athens, finance from other poleis
As Persian threat subsided, poleis no longer wanted to participate
Athens uses navy to turn Delian League into Athenian Empire

20. PELOPONNESIAN WAR Pericles Rebuilds Athens
Athens experiences a Golden Age
Pericles turns Delian states into Athenian colonies
30 Year Civil War ( B.C.E.)
Athens and Allies vs. Sparta and Allies
Costly victories/defeats and plague wreck city
Unconditional surrender of Athens, 404 B.C.E.
Hegemony first by Sparta and then by Thebes
Constant warfare between leagues, allies
Spartan hegemony replaced by Theban
Greece horribly weakened
Athens remained intellectual center of Greece

21. RISE OF MACEDONIA The kingdom of Macedon
A frontier state north of peninsular Greece
Partially Hellenized society
Philip of Macedon (re B.C.E.)
Built a powerful army, overcame the power of clan leaders
Began to offend Greece from 350 B.C.E.
Brought Greece under control by 338 B.C.E.
Murdered possibly by wife and son
Alexander of Macedon and his conquests
Educated by Aristotle; gifted in many areas
At age 20, Alexander succeeded Philip
Invaded Persia, controlled Ionia and Anatolia, 333 B.C.E.
By 331 B.C.E., controlled Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia
Invaded Persian homeland and burned Persepolis
Crossed Indus River by 327 B.C.E.
Died in 323 B.C.E. at age of 33

22. ALEXANDER’S EMPIRE

23. HELLENISTIC EMPIRES
The Hellenistic Era: Age of Alexander and his successors
Saw a blending of Hellenic (Greek) and Asian, Egyptian traditions
A Greek layer of upper class ruled over an Asians, Egyptians
The Antigonid empire in Greece, Macedonia and Thrace
Continuous tension between the Antigonid rulers and Greek cities
The economy of Athens flourished again through trade
Overpopulation, many moved to the Seleucid empire
The Ptolemaic empire ruled Egypt, Cyprus, often Holy Land
The wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires
Greek rulers did not interfere in Egyptian society
Efficient organization of agriculture, industry, and taxation
Royal monopolies over textiles, salt, and beer
Alexandria
The capital of Ptolemaic empire, at the mouth of the Nile
Cultural center: the famous Alexandria Museum and Alexandria Library
The Seleucid empire Mesopotamia, Persia, India
More Greek influence than in Egypt
Greek, Macedonian colonists flocked to new Greek
Colonists created a Mediterranean-style urban society
Parthians, Bactrians, Mauryans, Romans were all Hellenistic

24. HELLENISTIC WORLD

25. INTEGRATION OF MEDITERRANEAN
Trade
Olive oil, wine, in exchange for grain and other items
Trade brought prosperity, population growth, colonization
Merchant ships with 400 tons capacity were common
Some cities relied more on commerce than on agriculture
Controlled slave markets of Eastern Mediterranean
Trade rivalry with Carthage in North Africa
Athenian silver drachma was common currency
Panhellenic festivals
Sense of being Greek prevailed among all Greeks
Romans later admitted to Panhellenic, Olympic games
Colonists shared the same religion and language
Periodic panhellenic festivals reinforced their common bonds
Olympic games, the best known panhellenic festival

26. FAMILY AND SOCIETY Greek society in Homer's works
Heroic warriors and outspoken wives in Homer's world
Strong-willed human beings clashed constantly
Highest achieve was arete
Aristocracy (landed elites) vs. common
Over years, aristocracy gradually came to control most states
Held most of the social, political power
Patriarchal society
Male family heads ruled households, could abandon newborns
Upper-class women wore veils in public, accompanied by servants
Women could not own land but could operate small business
Priestess was the only public position for women
Spartan women enjoyed higher status than women of other poleis
Common occupation of women was cloth making
Slavery
By law, slaves were private chattel property of their owners
Worked as agricultural laborers, domestic servants
Educated or skilled slaves worked as craftsmen, business managers
Slaves were commonly prisoners of war

27. RATIONITY AND PHILOSOPHY
The formation of Greek cultural traditions
From the 8th century, drew inspirations from Mesopotamia and Egypt
About 800 B.C.E., adapted the Phoenicians' alphabet to their own language
The Greek cultural feature: a philosophy based on human reason, rationality
Socrates ( B.C.E.)
An Athenian philosopher, determined to understand human beings
Encouraged reflection on ethics and morality
Integrity was more important than wealth and fame
"The unexamined life is not worth living"
Critical scrutiny to traditional ethical teachings
Was condemned to death on charge of corrupting Athenian youths
Plato ( B.C.E.)
A zealous disciple of Socrates
The theory of Forms or Ideas
His Republic expressed the ideal of philosophical kings
Aristotle ( B.C.E.)
Plato's disciple, but distrusted theory of Forms or Ideas
Devised rules of logic to construct arguments; father of western science
His Nicomedian Ethics became later basis in Christianity
Legacy of Greek philosophy
Intellectual authorities for European philosophers until 17th century
Intellectual inspiration for Christian and Islamic theologians.
Provided a powerful intellectual framework for future generations

28. GREEK RELIGION & FINE ARTS
Greek Polytheism
Atheism considered treason, illogical
Deities: Zeus, Athena, Apollo and many others
Worship tied to patriotism and civics of the polis
Public worship and house gods
Various types of religious cults
Dionysian Rites
Oracle of Delphi
The Theatre
Tragic drama (Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides)
Dramas performed at annual theatrical festivals
Tragedians explored possibilities, limitations of human action
Comic drama (Aristophanes)
Lampooned public and political figures
Art and Architecture
Both were for public consumption and public enjoyment
Balance, proportion and rationality part of design

29. HELLENISTIC WORLD VIEWS
Hellenistic philosophers
Epicureans
Identified pleasure as greatest good; freedom from turmoil, pressure
Skeptics
Doubted certainty of knowledge, sought equanimity
Stoics
Taught individuals duty to aid others, lead virtuous lives
Emphasized inner moral independence and tranquillity
Cultivated by strict discipline of the body and mind.
Religions of salvation
Many people felt no allegiance to old gods, beliefs
Syncretism: Mixing of Greek, foreign beliefs
Mystery religions
Promised eternal bliss for true believers
Foreign Cults
Egyptian cult of Osiris became very popular
Worship of Isis favored by women
Speculation about a single, universal god emerged