EARLY PEOPLE OF THE AEGEAN:
Minoan Civilization – Greatest
success 1750-1500 BCE (named
after King Minos)
__Crete__: Mediterranean Island –
Cultural diffusion (Egypt,
Mesopotamia)
Used __Aegean___ Sea – trade not
conquest
The Palace at __Knossos__: Shrines
to gods and goddesses, colorful
__Frescoes__
By 1400 BCE, Minoan civilization
had __vanished__: Invaders
RULERS OF MYCENAE:
Conquered the __Greek__ mainland and overran
Crete
1400 –1200 BCE
Like the Aryans who swept into __India__, the
Mycenaean’s were Indo-European
Lived in separate, independent, walled
___City-States___. Led by warrior kings the
Mycenaean’s became wealthy __Sea__ traders.
The Mycenaean’s are best remembered for
their part in the __Trojan__ War (1250 BCE)
The Age of Homer:
Not long after the fall of __Troy__ (burned), the
Mycenaean civilization fell under the attacks of
sea raiders – Greek speaking people invading
from the north - ___Dorians___
We learn about life during this period from
two epic poems: Iliad (Trojan War, Achilles) and
___Odyssey__ (750 BCE). The poems are
credited to the blind poet, ___Homer___.
“Every man wake up his mind to fight… As
strong as I am, it’s hard for me to face so many
men and fight with all at once… And yet I will! “
– Homer, Iliad
What do we learn from the poems of Homer?
THE RISE OF GREEK CITY-STATES:
“WE LIVE AROUND THE SEA LIKE FROGS AROUND A POND” – PLATO
Greece is part of the __Balkans__ peninsula, while the mountains divide the Greeks – the __Seas__ were a vital link to the world outside. Geography: rugged mountains, fertile valleys by 750 BCE independent city- states will rise. (Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Olympus…)
The Greeks evolved a unique version of the city- state with two parts:
1. Acropolis – The city on the ___Hill___ 2. Polis: The lower city
Early Governments:
Between 750-500 BCE, Greeks will evolve different forms of government.
__Monarchy__: Rule by king or queen
Aristocracy: Rule by land holding elite
Oligarchy: Rule by small, powerful elite, usually from the business class
SPARTA: A NATION OF SOLDIERS
The Spartans, who were Dorians,
conquered the ___Peloponnesus___ which
lies in the southern part of Greece and
turned the conquered people into
__Helots__ or state owned slaves.
The Spartan government: 2 kings and a
council of ___Elders___, who advise the
monarchs.
An assembly made up of all
___Citizens___ approved major decisions
Citizens: Male, native born, over the age
of ___30___.
Military State: “Soldiers from birth” Age
7 (barracks)
Age 20 (marriage)
Age
30 (assembly)
Greek women: Produce healthy
ATHENS:
Athenian government, like other city states,
evolved from monarchy to aristocracy (700 BCE)
Under Aristocracy, Athenian wealth and power
grew – but discontent spread and moved slowly
toward ___Democracy___ or government by the
people.
In 594 BCE, Athenians gave ___Solon___, a wise
and trusted leader (Archon: chief official), a
free hand to make needed reforms: outlawed
debt slavery, opened high offices, and granted
citizenship to some foreigners.
Unrest lead to ___Tyrants__: people who gain
power by force.
In 507, Athenian tyrant – Cleisthenes made a
genuine ___Legislature___ - law making body, of
500 citizens (over the age of 30, some were not
native born)
FORCES FOR UNITY:
Despite geographic barriers, an
independent spirit, and fighting among
the Greek city-states – the Greeks
shared a common culture:
Same language
Religion – Same polytheistic gods and
goddesses
__Olympic__ Games – festivals, heroes,
Honor Zeus
VICTORY AND DEFEAT IN THE GREEK WORLD
Persian Wars: King Darius I – I demand gifts of “Earth and ____Water___”
By 500 BCE, Athens had emerged as the wealthiest Greek city-state – as the entire Greek world soon faced a fearsome threat: __Persian___ Empire.
In 499 BCE, Ionian Greeks (Asia Minor) rebelled against Persian rule - __Athens__ sent ships to help them. Greek historian Herodotus “ these ships were the beginning of mischief…”
The __Persians___ soon crushed the rebellion – yet, Darius I was furious at Athens’ role in the uprising. Darius I had his servants whisper daily: “ Master, remember the Athenians.”
In time (490 BCE), Darius I sent a huge force across the Aegean to punish __Athens___ - Battle of Marathon – Pheidippides “Rejoice – we conquered” - Athens won.
Darius died before he could attack again, but his son, __Xerxes__ (480 BCE) sent a much larger force to conquer Greece. “Battle of 300” After defeating the Spartans, the
Persians marched south and burned ___Athens__. (emptied)
By 479 BCE, The Greeks defeated Persia – unifying and increasing the Greeks’ sense of their own uniqueness – the gods had protected them.
Athens had persuaded ___Sparta__ and other city states to join in a formal ___Alliance____ called the Deli an League to cooperate and come to one another’s defense. (rebuild
Athens in the Age of
Pericles:
The years after the Persian Wars
were the golden age for Athens
__Direct__ Democracy: citizens
take direct part in day to day
government
Pericles believed that all male
citizens, regardless of wealth or
social class, should take part in
government.
Stipend: fixed
__salary___ for government office
__jury___: panel of citizens
“ In Athens, power rests in the
hands not of a minority but of the
whole people.” “ We alone regard
a man who takes no interest in
public affairs, not as a harmless
but as a useless character.” –
Pericles
The Peloponnesian War
“Athens vs. Sparta”:
The power of Athens contained a seed of disaster. Many Greeks outside of Athens resented Athenian domination and
leadership as the ___Cultural___ center.
In 431 BCE, warfare broke out between Athens and Sparta. As Sparta marched north to invade Athens, Pericles
allowed people from the surrounding countryside to move inside the city walls.
Over crowded Plague (1/3 of population – Pericles himself)
Finally in 404 BCE (27 years), with help from the __Persian___ navy, the
Spartans captured Athens – the victors will strip the empire of riches but will reject the calls to _Destroy/Burn_
Athens.
The Peloponnesian War ended
Athenian domination of the ___Greek__ world.
GREEK PHILOSOPHERS
ARCHITECTURE, ART, AND
DRAMA
Despite war and political turmoil, Greeks had confidence in the power of the human _Mind_.
Philosophers – “Lovers of Wisdom” – Through reason and __Observation___, they believed they could discover laws that governed the universe. __Logic__ or rational thinking.
__Sophists__: Questioned accepted ideas and developed skills in ___Rhetoric__, the art of skillful speaking.
Socrates: Athenian who posed questions – seek truth and self-knowledge.
“The unexamined life…is a life not worth living” – Socrates
Plato: Socrates student – established a school called the __Academy___. Distrusted democracy. Wrote “The Republic” – 3 classes (workers, soldiers, and the wisest of them – a philosopher king with ultimate authority)
___Aristotle___: Plato’s most famous student - _Reason_ as the guiding force for learning.
Greek architects sought to convey a
sense of perfect ___Balance___and to
reflect the harmony and order of the
__ Universe__. Most famous :
_Parthenon__ (Temple – Athena)
Greek sculptors carved gods,
goddesses, ___Athletes__, and
famous men in a way that showed
individuals in their most perfect,
graceful form. The only Greek
paintings to survive are on vases
and other ___Pottery___.
The most important literature
contributions were Greek Drama
(Gods and people)
Tragedies – human suffering (pity, fear)
Comedy – humorous plays that mock
LOOKING AHEAD: DURING THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD - ___ROME__ WILL EMERGE AS A POWERFUL NEW STATE. BY 133 BCE, IT WOULD REPLACE GREECE AS THE DOMINANT POWER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN WORLD.
ALEXANDER AND THE HELLENISTIC
AGE
Alexander the Great – saw himself as the second “Achilles.”
When ___Philip___ gained the throne in 359 BCE, he dreamed of conquering the city-states of the south. By 338 BCE, he had brought all of Greece under his control and dreamed of conquering the ____Persian____ Empire.
Before he could achieve his dreams – Philip was ___Assassinated____ at his daughter’s wedding.
Philip’s son, Alexander took the throne at the age of 20 – by 334 BCE, Alexander set out to conquer Persia – by 331, Alexander had conquered an empire which included, Greece, Egypt, Asia Minor, to India.
Alexander the Greats most lasting achievement was the “Spread of Greek ___Culture___”
Dying of a sudden fever – his commanders asked to whom he left his immense empire:
“ To the ___Strongest____,” he whispered.
Hellenistic___ culture – blending of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian.
Alexandria (Egypt) was the center of the Hellenistic culture
Euclid – wrote “The Elements” – became the basis of modern __Geometry___
Pythagoras (formula) - ________________
Heliocentric – sun centered solar system (used math and observation) - not accepted by most for 2000 years
Archimedes – mastered the pulley and lever - “Give me a lever long enough and I will move the ___World___”
