1. Chapter 8 The Ancient Greeks

2. Chapter 8-1 - The Rise of City-States
The largest Greek peninsula is the Peloponnesian Peninsula.
Peninsula – a piece of land surrounded by water on 3 sides.

3. A Rugged Land
Mainland Greece is divided by mountain ranges. In between the ranges are narrow valleys and small plains.
Good for sheep and goats but too rocky for farming.
Mountains created lowland
communities. They were very
independent Greeks, never uniting
under one government.
The Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea, & Ionian Sea
helped Greeks become skillful sailors and merchants.

4. Early Greek History Minoans were highly advanced.
Writing system & built huge stone palaces with running water
- palaces and towns mysteriously disappeared in
1450 B.C. Historians believe mainland Greeks had
something to do with the destruction.
- The Mycennaean civilization developed in 1600 B.C.

5. Early Greek History (continued)
Mycenaean towns were ruled by a
monarchy – government headed by a king.
Lived in stone fortresses on hilltops overlooking
their towns.
Created bronze weapons and pottery
Traded those goods for copper, ivory, and luxury goods from other lands.
Mycenaean kingdoms eventually became weak and in 1100 B.C. they were destroyed by newcomers from the north known as Dorians

6. The Dark Ages – 1100BC to 750BC
Greek culture declined after the fall of the Mycenaeans and people lost the ability to read and write.
Mainland Greeks migrated across the Aegean Sea settling on the islands and west coast of Asia Minor. (eventually became known as Ionia).
People still spoke Greek and passed stories down orally.
Geometric designs on pottery
Becomes more elaborate over time
Eventually incorporates living creatures (birds, horses)
Human figures appear around 750

7. The Trojan War Legend of the Trojan War
Mycenaean kingdoms sailed across the Aegean Sea to Troy, a city in Asia Minor.
The 10 year conflict ended when the Greeks tricked the Trojans into accepting a gift of a large wooden horse.
Greeks hiding the horse crept out and opened the city gate.
The Greek army entered and burned the city of Troy down.
For hundreds of years the war was sung about and stories were told.
700BC. – Greeks develop an alphabet based on the Pheonician alphabet.

8. Homer
Homer was a poet that shaped the stories of the Trojan War into a long epic poem, the Iliad, which was eventually written down.
The Iliad tells of events during the war but stops between the Greek’s victory.
The Odyssey shaped Greek culture.
Students learned verses by heart
Values like courage, bravery, strength, and honor were ideals that all Greek’s tried to live up to…. Like those described in Homer’s stories.

9. Emergence of City-States
Greek communities began to organize into a polis – a city-state
Created everywhere Greeks settled
Government of a Polis
Ruled over a wide area (its city and surrounding villages and countryside)
Marketplace and government center was in each polis
Citizens – members of a city-state that had legal rights
Population of a polis was typically small
All citizens of the polis would gather together to make decisions

10. The High City Typical polis was built on two levels
Acropolis – “high city”
Public buildings and temples were located in the acropolis
Lower ground – homes, shops, farms

11. Government and Politics
Politics – the art and practice of government
Each city-state had a different kind of government
In early times a polis was governed by an aristocracy – a hereditary class of rules
However, in some city-states, people began to govern themselves.
Self-government
Citizens ruled instead of priests and kings

12. Social Class System Citizens – could vote
Women and foreigners – could not vote
Slaves – few rights
The polis was the framework of a Greek’s life.
Greek’s believed that a good citizen should
always be willing to sacrifice for his city.

13. Chapter 8-2 – Greek Economy and Society
Women in Ancient Greece
Role:
worked outdoors on farms or sold goods in markets
Athenian women – women from rich families stayed home while men were a part of public life.
Women also supervised the household, raised the children, kept track of money and spending, and managed the slaves.
Made the meals and clothing for the family.
Status:
lower than men
Rights:
Athenian women had very little rights
Spartan women could sell property, were educated and trained in sports.