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ANCIENT GREECE. Geography. Located in the southern part of Europe’s Balkan Peninsula; very mountainous, and many islands. (Island of Crete; Peloponnesus peninsula; Mt. Olympus). Mountains protected and isolated the Greeks on the mainland. Greek people never united under one government.
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Geography • Located in the southern part of Europe’s Balkan Peninsula; very mountainous, and many islands. (Island of Crete; Peloponnesus peninsula; Mt. Olympus). • Mountains protected and isolated the Greeks on the mainland. • Greek people never united under one government. • People depended on the sea-trade for their living. (Aegean, Mediterranean, Ionian, Black)
Climate was mild; conducive to outdoor public meetings. (theater, schools, government)
Aegean Civilizations • Minoans (2500 to 1450 B.C.) • concentrated on the island of Crete. • Wealthy people with palaces (indoor bathrooms, fireboxes) who decorated with brigthly colored murals and enjoyed dancing and sports. • Destroyed by a tidal wave caused by earthquake.
Mycenaens (2000 to 1100 B.C.) • also lived on Crete; combined with Minoans to form ancient Greece. • Married with local people (Hellenes) after extending boundary to the Balkan Sea. • Built stone walls for protection. • Government kept detailed records of taxes, crops, and livestock.
Overran by the Dorians, which started the “Dark Age” where written language disappeared with no records kept, trade stopped, and poverty. • Many fled to the mainland. • They restored both cultures into the Hellenic Civilization, the original inhabitants of Greece. Hellenic Civilization taught love for nature, importance of the husband-wife relationship, and loyalty between friends.
Hellenic Poets & Heroes • Homer (700 B.C.)-wrote the epics Illiad & The Odyssey • Illiad-a Trojan prince falls in love with Helen (wife of Mycenaean prince). Helen is captured and taken to Troy, on which the Mycenaean's lay siege for 10 years. The Greeks build a huge horse and hide soldiers inside. The Trojans believe they have won and take the horse into the city. That night, the Greeks sneak out of the horse, capturing and burning Troy to the ground. The “Trojan Horse” destroyed from within.
Odyssey-a homeward adventure of a Mycenaean king after the Trojan War taking 10 years to return home. An odyssey is a long journey.
Heroes-teachers used the Illiad to teach pride in Greek civilization and heritage.
Greek Deities • Activities of gods & goddesses explained why people behaved as they did. They believed deities caused physical storms to happen.
Athena-wisdom & art; • Demeter-goddess of agriculture; • Aphrodite-goddess of love & beauty; • Zeus-king of the gods; ruled the sky (weather). • Dionysus-god of wine & fertility. (play about this one) • Apollo-god of light (sun) and prophecy. • Hades-ruled the underworld.
Greeks humanized their gods; they were total human forms. They believed gods behaved like humans (married & had children).
Deities possessed super human powers (physical & mental). • Humans tried to be like deities in every way possible. • 12 most important deities lived on Mount Olympus; each one controlling a specific part of the natural world. • Religious festivals were important part of Greek life; Olympic Games honored Zeus.
The Polis (city-state) • This was the basic political unit of Hellenic civilization comprised of the city and the surrounding villages and fields (measured about 3 days walking distance). The center of the city stood on a fortified hill (acropolis) with a temple for the local deity. At the foot of the acropolis was the agora-public square.
Classical Architecture Balance Symmetry Pediment Frieze Columns
The polis was small enough that all citizens could take part in business with 5,000-10,000 male citizens who voted, owned property, and held office. Women, slaves, and foreigners had no part. • The polis was famous for trading of wine and olive oil with a monetary system.
Political and Social Change • Kings lost power to landholding aristocrats (wealthy nobles). • Farmers had to obtain loans from aristocrats. When they were unable to pay them back, they lost their land, becoming peasants and sharecroppers. • farmers were foot soldiers in the Greek army, more valuable than a wealthy cavalry.
Other middle class working people (artisans) joined forces with the farmers wanting a voice in government and citizenship. • tyrants seized power making promises to the farmers (low & middle classes) and wanting citizenship.
harshness of a few tyrants caused “tyranny” to mean rule by a cruel and unjust person. • citizens restructured their government into either an oligarchy (small group of rulers) or democracy (rule by the people). • -there were 2 democracies: • 1. Sparta • 2. Athens
Sparta • descendants of Dorian invaders founded in southern Greece. Land was invaded and farming people were taken as slaves (Helots) and assigned to farm the land. Artisans and merchants were hired, but were considered free individuals, called Periocci. Together, they outnumbered the Spartans. To maintain power, they established a military society.
Spartan Military • life revolved around the military. Men were the soldiers. Women breeded more soldiers. Newborns were examined and the sickly left on a hillside. Young boys would go to military school, learning to read, write, use weapons, and steal. (If caught stealing, they were whipped publicly. They would go barefoot and have one garment to wear and having little to eat.) After 20 years as a soldier, they would marry at age 30, but continued to live and serve in the military until 60, then they would retire.
Women in Sparta • Involved in gymnastics, wrestling, and boxing. They were to be as healthy and strong as possible. They married at 19. If younger, they were less likely to have a healthy child. They had no rights in government.
Government in Sparta • 2 kings ruled jointly, leading the army and religious services. • Legislative body had 2 houses • The Assembly had most power, making laws and decisions concerning war and peace. Male citizens over 20 served. There were five overseers (ephors) elected to administer public affairs, and could veto legislation. • The Council of Elders were comprised of 28 men over 60 who proposed legislation.
Spartan Culture • people were exceptional athletes, always winning the Olympic Games. • they lagged behind intellectually, and in trade and manufacturing.
Athens • located in the central part of Greece. • descendants of Mycenaean's. • named after the goddess Athena. • included more citizens; all free men regardless of class or ownership of land
Athenian Tyrants (brought changes) • Draco-extremely harsh penalties for breaking laws. For minor offenses, such as stealing, the penalty was death. “Draconian” means cruel and severe. Laws were written down, and aristocrats could not dictate.
Solon-improved economic conditions. He canceled all debts and freed debtors from slavery in Draco’s rule. Anyone could own a limited amount of land. He promoted trade. Cash crops were grown rather than grain. He ordered fathers to teach their sons a skill. He set up a 2 house legislature: • 1. Council of 400 (aristocrats); • 2. Council of Assembly (commoners).
Peisistratus-divided land among the landless; extended citizenship to the poor; gave poor loans; and provided jobs for the poor by providing work projects. • Cleisthenes-created laws that established a democracy for Athens. A tyrant was no longer needed.
Athenian Democracy-lasted almost 200 years until the Macedonians overthrew them. This was more of a direct democracy. • The Assembly was the major political institution. All citizens were equal and guaranteed freedoms and could belong to the Assembly. The Assembly passed laws and acted as the Supreme Court. They chose 10 generals to run a navy and army.
The Council of 500 administered everyday government business. They were chosen by a lottery drawing because they thought elections unfair. Good speakers had the advantage in an election. • Jury System-majority vote needed for a verdict and the jury was very large (200+). The large size would keep jurors from the influence of threats and bribes.
Ostracism-each year, citizens would write the name of an undesirable politician on a piece of baked clay (ostracon). If the name appeared on 6,000 ostracas, the person was exiled for 10 years.
Education in Athens • fathers were required to educate their sons. All citizens were expected to hold public office. Girls did not receive a formal education, learning to weave and bake. Boys went to school from age 7 through 18. They learned The Illiad and the Odyssey by heart. They studied math, drawing, music, and gymnastics. They also studied rhetoric-public speaking. After school, they spend 2 years in the military.
