Greek Government & Mythology

Greek Government & Mythology Chapter 8 Sections 2 & 3

Government in ancient Greece • What is government? • How a country, city, state, is run • The rules • The people in charge of a country, city, and state • What is our government like in the United States of America? • Is just one person in charge or does everyone get a say in what happens? • Our government comes from something the ancient Greeks started a long time ago

Government in ancient Greece • Greece is the birthplace of democracy-a type of government where people rule themselves • How can people rule themselves??? • Vote! • But Greece wasn’t always a democracy….

Other types of government • At first, kings ruled city-states in Greece • Later, a group of rich people who owned land (they are called aristocrats) ruled the city-states • The type of government where only a few people have power is called oligarchy. • Regular common people didn’t have a say in how things were done

Government in Greece • Later, Greece was ruled by a tyrant-a leader who has power through force • What does this mean? • He forced people to listen to him, there was no choice! • Finally, a man named Cleisthenes started a completely new kind of government in Greece called democracy, where all citizens had a right to participate in government

How did democracy work??? • The citizens would meet on a hillside and speak about their opinions on how the government should be run • For example: • What should the laws be? • Who should be in charge? • What should the punishments be for breaking the law?

How did democracy work??? • They voted on decisions that needed to be made • Later, they selected people to be on city councils • People were selected to be on juries to decide court cases • Most juries had around 500 people! • We still use juries in the USA today

How is Greek democracy different from our democracy? • Greece had a direct democracy where each person’s vote counted directly toward the outcome • Example: Everyone in the sixth grade will vote for their fave lunch, and whatever gets the most votes will be served for lunch. • Also, in ancient Greece only free (not slave) males could vote. Women and slaves could not vote

How is Greek democracy different from our democracy? • The USA has a representative democracy or republic where people vote on officials to make decisions for them • Example: All sixth grade girls will vote on two girls to represent them and all sixth grade boys will vote on two boys to represent them. The two boys and two girls will vote on a meal to be served at lunch. • The USA has senators and representatives to Congress that vote on the laws for our country • Also in the USA, men and women who are 18 and older can vote.

Greek Mythology and Literature The Greeks lived in a time long before science and technology that we have now. To the ancient Greeks, things like thunderstorms and the changing of seasons were mysterious, and they couldn’t explain why or how they happened. Today, we know the scientific reasons why these things happen, but the ancient Greeks had to make up their own reasons….that’s why they made up myths about Gods and Goddesses.

The Changing of the Seasons Myth STORYTIME! PAY ATTENTION, IT’S A GOOD STORY!!! 

Greek gods and goddesses • The Greeks were polytheistic. They believed in many different gods and goddesses. • The gods and goddesses were in the myths the Greeks made up. • Myths are stories about gods and goddesses that try to explain how the world works.

The Greek Gods and Goddesses • The Greeks believed that the gods and goddesses lived on a mountain called Mount Olympus • The major 14 gods that lived on Mt. Olympus were called the Olympian Gods

The Olympian Gods • Zeus-the king of the gods • Hera-the queen of the gods • Poseidon-god of the sea • Hades-god of the underworld • Demeter-goddess of agriculture (farming) • Hestia-goddess of the hearth • Athena-goddess of wisdom • Apollo-god of the sun • Artemis-goddess of the moon • Ares-god of war • Aphrodite-goddess of love • Hephaestus-god of metalworking • Dionysus-god of celebration • Hermes-the messenger god

Greek heroes • The Greeks also have myths about heroes like: • Hercules • Perseus (who killed Medusa) • The heroes in these stories do amazing, superhuman things, like killing monsters and rescuing people

Greek Literature • Homer was a famous Greek poet • He wrote The Iliad (about the Trojan War) and Odyssey (about a man’s journey back home from the Trojan War) • Aesop wrote fables, stories that teach lessons about life or give advice on how to live • Most fables are about animals • “The Tortoise and the Hare” & “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” are two famous fables

Greek Government & Mythology