Greek and Hellenistic Civilization: From Bronze Age to Hellenistic Culture

1. 3 Greek and Hellenistic Civilization

2. Greek and Hellenistic Civilization • The Bronze Age on Crete and on the Mainland to ca. 1150 B.C.E. • Greek “Middle Age” to ca. 750 B.C.E. • The Polis • Expansion of the Greek World • Life in Archaic Greece

3. Greek and Hellenistic Civilization (continued) • Major City-States • The Persian Wars • Classical Greece • Emergence of the Hellenistic World • Hellenistic Culture

4. Bronze Statue

5. The Bronze Age on Crete and on the Mainland to ca. 1150 B.C.E.

6. Introduction • About 2000 B.C.E., Greek speaking people settled the lands surrounding the Aegean Sea • Contact with Egypt, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor • Greeks forged their own unique ideas, values • Polis – city-state – foundation of Greek life • Conflict with the Persian empire

7. Introduction (cont’d) • Extraordinary cultural achievements • Eventual fall to Macedonians • Expansion in Hellenistic age

8. Minoans - 3rd and 2nd Millennia • Minoan Bronze Age civilization on island of Crete • Major influence on early Greeks • Named after Minos, legendary founder • Early, Middle, and Late Minoan • Cnossus - extraordinary remains

9. Minoans - 3rd and 2nd Millennia (cont’d) • Early forms of writing • Evidence of early form of Greek • Trade with the Mycenaeans • Eventually fall to Mycenaeans

10. A Minoan Fresco

11. Mycenaeans (2000-1100 B.C.E.) • Earliest Greek-speaking society • Influenced by Minoans, but very different • Mycenaeans were warriors • Independent, well-organized monarchies • Tholos tombs • Wanax - title of Mycenaean king • Height of power – 1400-1200 B.C.E. • Sacked Troy around 1250 B.C.E. • Inspiration for Homer’s Iliad, Odyssey

12. Fall of Mycenaean Power • Palaces destroyed, cities abandoned,1100 B.C.E. • Art, way of life, and writing system buried and forgotten • Possible invasion of Greece by the Dorians • Resulted in dispersion of Greeks and Greek dark “Middle Age,” lasting to 750 B.C.E.

13. Global Perspective: The Achievement of Greek and Hellenistic Civilization • Why are the achievements of Greek culture so fundamental to the development of Western civilization? • In what ways was Greece influenced by neighboring civilizations? Which civilizations had the most influence on Greek culture, and why?

14. Global Perspective: The Achievement of Greek and Hellenistic Civilization (cont'd) • How did the Hellenistic era differ from the Hellenic? What made Hellenistic culture more cosmopolitan than Hellenic culture?

15. Greek “Middle Age” to ca. 750 B.C.E.

16. Age of Homer (1100-750 B.C.E.) • Greek “Middle Age” • Homer wrote of Mycenaeans • But reflected age he lived in – 700s • Kings less powerful than Mycenaean rulers • Limited, constitutional government

17. Age of Homer (1100-750 B.C.E.) (cont’d) • Sharp class divisions - society was aristocratic • Values - physical prowess, courage, protection of one’s friends, property, honor and reputation • Arete - courage, manliness • The agon – contest – was the best test of arete

18. Map 3–1. The Aegean Area in the Bronze Age

19. The Trojan Horse

20. Attic Wine Cup

21. The Polis

22. The Polis and the Hoplite Phalanx • City-state • Characteristic Greek institution • Thought of as a community of relatives • Agora - marketplace and civic center • Heart of Greek social life

23. The Polis and the Hoplite Phalanx (cont’d) • Hoplite phalanx • Dominant military force in Mediterranean • Phalanx and polis heralded the decline of kings • Bond between aristocrats and farmers

24. Husband and Wife in Homer’s Troy

25. The Polis (cont’d) • Agora • hoplite phalanx

26. Expansion of the Greek World

27. Expansion of the Greek World • Tremendous expansion from 750 B.C.E. • Fringe of Mediterranean • Magna Graecia • Relieved pressure and land-hunger • Safety valve for poleis to escape civil wars • Panhellenic (“all-Greek”) spirit • Common religious festivals - Olympia, Delphi • Encouraged trade and industry

28. The Tyrants (ca. 700-500 B.C.E.) • Economic expansion brought social pressures • Tyrant - monarch who had gained power in unorthodox way • Strong one-man rule - might be popular • Expelled aristocratic opponents • Public works projects, land division

29. The Tyrants (ca. 700-500 B.C.E.) (cont’d) • Tyrants disappeared - some outrages • Concept of tyranny was inimical to ideal of polis

30. Map 3–2. Phoenician and Greek Colonization

31. Attic Jar

32. Chronology: Rise of Greece

33. Life in Archaic Greece

34. Life in Archaic Greece • Features of Greek life coming into focus • Increasing role of merchants, artisans • Farmers - simple, hard life, Hesiod’s Works and Days,700 B.C.E • Aristocrats - rich enough to employ • Hired laborers, sharecroppers, slaves • Symposion • Athletic contests • Running, long jump, discus, javelin, pentathlon, boxing, wrestling, chariot race

35. Religion • Worship did not involve great emotion • No hope for immortality • Justice lay in paying one’s debts • Cult of Apollo at Delphi very important • Priests preached moderation • “Know thyself” and “Nothing in excess” • Sophrosyne - self-control • Hubris - arrogance • Leads to divine vengeance

36. Gods - Pantheon • Zeus - father of the gods • Hera - Zeus’ wife • Zeus’s siblings • Poseidon - god of the seas and earthquakes • Hestia - goddess of the hearth • Demeter - goddess of agriculture and marriage

37. Gods – Pantheon (cont’d) • Zeus’s Children • Aphrodite - goddess of love and beauty • Apollo - god of the sun, music, poetry, prophecy • Ares - god of war • Athena - goddess of wisdom and the arts • Hephaestus- god of fire and metallurgy • Hermes- messenger of the gods

38. Hesiod’s Farmer’s Almanac

39. Hesiod’s Farmer’s Almanac

40. The God Dionysus Dances with Two Female Followers

41. Major City-States

42. The City-States • Great variety • Commonalities • Sparta and Athens notable • Powerful, influential • Sharp contrasts

43. Sparta • Second Messenian War, 650 B.C.E. • Fear of Helots • Transformation of society • Control exerted over each Spartan from birth • Powerful commitment to polis • Ambition - glory and respect by glory in war

44. Sparta (cont’d) • Spartan girls had greater freedom • Mixture of monarchy, oligarchy, democracy • Leadership of Peloponnesian League

45. Spartan Warrior

46. Athens - Early Tensions • Initially an aristocratic polis • No written law code • Areopagus - council of nobles • Elected magistrates, archons • Agrarian crisis • Economic and social pressures • Many debtors pledged family as surety • Many defaulted and enslaved • Solon elected archon, 594 B.C.E.

47. Map 3–3. The Peloponnesus

48. Solon (ca. 639-559 B.C.E.) • Shaking off of burdens” • Canceled current debts • Forbade future debts secured by one’s person • Freed Athenians enslaved for debt • Expanded citizenship • Included immigrant artisans and merchants

49. Solon (ca. 639-559 B.C.E.) (cont’d) • Divided citizenry into four classes • Third class - serve in council of 400 • Thetes - fourth class - voted in assembly

50. Pisistratus (605?-527 B.C.E.) • Seizes power as tyrant in 546 B.C.E. • Increased power of central government • At expense of nobles • Public works projects • Supported poets and artists