ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL GREECE

1. ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL GREECE CIVILIZATION COMES TO EUROPE

2. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY The Land • Mountains dominate land; cross land travel difficult • Fertile river valleys were center of settlement • River valleys formed basis of polis • No place more than a few miles from sea • Outdoor life common due to temperate climate • The Sea • Greece is a series of peninsulas, islands • Sea travel easier than land communication • Most Greeks took to the sea • Economy • Agriculture: Grains, honey, olives, grapes • Herding: Goats, sheep, cattle • Trade: Necessary to make up for lack of resources

3. PHYSICAL MAP OF AREA

4. MINOAN SOCIETY • Island of Crete • From 2200 to 1450 B.C.E., center of Mediterranean commerce • Received early influences from Phoenicia and Egypt • Established colonies on Cyprus and islands in the Aegean Sea Society • Evidenceof egalitariansociety; women had rights • Agriculturewas important: grapes, olives, fishing, wheat • Tradewas very important: marble, artifacts, cloth • Knossos • Minoan society arose on Crete • Arose late 3rd millennium B.C.E. • Palaces at Knossos between 2000, 1700 B.C.E. • Linear A, a kind of written language, is found • Decline of Minoan Society • After 1700 B.C.E., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis • After 1450 B.C.E., wealth attracted a number of invaders • By 1100 B.C.E., Crete fell under foreign (Hellenic) domination

5. THE ISLAND OF CRETE

6. MYCENAEAN GREECE Mycenaean society • Indo-Europeans settled in area, 2000 B.C.E. • Settled in Peloponnesus around Mycenae • Adapted Minoan Linear A into Linear B • Fortified agricultural settlements • Society resembled Aryan: emphasis on war, trade • Kingdoms ruled by strongest of nobles; constant strife • Chaos in the eastern Mediterranean 1100 to 800 BCE • Mycenaeans engaged in Trojan war, about 1200 B.C.E. • Troy may have been a Hittite city-state and trade rival • Tomb of Agamemnon, Troy excavated by von Schliemann in late 1700s • Recorded by Homer in the Illiad and the Odyssey • More invasions by Hellenic tribes • “Sea Peoples” • Later Hellenic invaders moved by sea along coasts • Seemed to have raided into Palestine, Egypt as Philistines

7. ANCIENT GREECE

8. THE GREEK DARK AGES 800 TO 500 BCE • Called Dark Ages due to loss of writing • Age remembered through oral traditions • Likely the Age of Homer • Oral traditions of Illiad and the Odyssey • A period of migration and warfare • Hellenes spread to Italy, Sicily, Asia Minor, Cyprus • The Hellenes • Indo-Europeans who settled in area • Tribes include Dorians, Attics, Achaeans • Originally aristocratic societies • Warfare, slavery, and trade common

9. GREEK TRIBES

10. THE POLIS • Greek City-State • Polis = city-state; Poleis = city-states • Metropolis = city of polis • Acropolis = fortified center of city • Boundaries shaped by geography • Terms of politics come from POLIS • Politics, politic, politician, polite, polity • Police, metropolis, metroplex • Most important • Athens • Sparta

11. MAP OF GREEK POLEIS

12. POLITICAL FORMS • Archon: Greek for “ruler” – English “archy” • Kratien: Greek for “to rule” – English “cracy” • Demos: People – Democracy (direct election) • Aristos: The Best – Aristocracy (nobles) • Oligos: The Few – Oligarchy (rule by select few) • Monos: One – Monarchy (rule by a king) • Di: Two – Diarchy (Sparta’s state had 2 kings) • An: None – Anarchy (No government) • Theos: God – Theocracy (Rule by priests, religion) • Geron: Old Man – Gerontocracy (rule by elderly) • Pater: Father – Patriarchy (rule by males) • Mater: Mother – Matriarchy (rule by women) • Auto: Self – Autocracy (dictatorial rule) • Tyrannos: Tyrant – Tyranny (rule by an usurper with supreme power) • Ethnos: Ethnic or locals – Ethnarchy (rule by the local people)

13. The Development of Democracy in Ancient Greece

14. The Development of Democracy

15. SPARTA Sparta • Situated in a fertile region of the Peloponnesus • Began to extend control during the 8th and 7th centuries B.C.E. • Reduced neighboring peoples to the status of helots, or servants • By 6th century B.C.E., helots outnumbered Spartans by 10 to 1 • Maintained domination by a powerful military machine • Spartan society • Discouraged social distinction, observed austere lifestyle • Distinction was drawn by prowess, discipline, and military talent • Commitment to military values was strong • Society was a military aristocracy; state ruled by two kings • Young boys, girls educated in military barracks • After marriage, men still lived at barracks; women ran homes • Women: surprisingly free in comparison to other Greek women • All merchants were foreigners licensed by the state

16. LACONIA’s administrative capital was Sparta

17. LACONIA: SPARTA

18. ATHENS • Athens • Population growth, economic development caused political strain • Sought to negotiate order by democratic principles • Citizenship was open to free adult males • Foreigners, slaves, and women had no rights • Athenian society • Maritime trade brought about prosperity • Aristocratic landowners were principal beneficiaries _ Society valued education, philosophy and beauty. • Class Conflict • Owners of small plots began to sell lands • Many debtors sold themselves into slavery • Class conflict intensified, 6th century B.C.E. • Solon and Athenian democracy • Solon forged a compromise between the classes • Opened polis councils for any male citizen • Pericles (ca. 443-429 B.C.E.) • The most popular democratic leader of Athens • Ruled Athens during its Golden Age

19. ATHENIAN THASSALOCRACY

20. GREECE & THE LARGER WORLD Greeks founded more than 400 colonies • Controlled Black, Aegean, Adriatic, Ionian Seas • Settled Sicily, S. Italy, Corsica, France, Spain, Africa • Settled Coasts of Yugoslavia, Albania, Turkey, Cyprus • Effects of Greek colonization • Facilitated trade among Mediterranean lands • Facilitate exchanges between peoples, cultures • Spread of Greek language and cultural traditions • Stimulated development of surrounding areas • Spread civilization to ancient, Neolithic areas • Warfare increased • Technology stimulated: naval, navigation, astronomy

21. THE GREEK WORLD

22. GREEK MILITARY • Based on citizen soldiers • Lightly armed, armored foot soldiers (Hoplites) • Carry shields, long spear • All citizens had to furnish own arms, armor • All citizens expected to fight in army, navy • All citizens had military training in school • Fought in massed formations called Phalanx • Very useful in rugged terrain; used 10’ long pikes • Easily defeats massed cavalry favored by others • Greek navy • Rowed vessels called galleys • Most famous was the trireme or three oar banked • Rowed by free citizens • Fought by ramming other vessels; than hand to hand • Greek fleets included larger vessels • Equites or mounted troops were aristocrats

23. THE PERSIAN WARS (300) • The Persian War (500-479 B.C.E.) • Cyrus and Darius controlled Anatolia • Greek cities on Ionian coast revolted, 500 B.C.E. • Darius’ Invasion • The battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.E. • Greeks led by Spartans and Athens battled Persia to a draw • Xerxes Invasion • To fight Persians, Athenians build a wall of wood, or a navy • Xerxes seized, burned Athens • Athenian navy destroys Persian in the battle of Salamis, 480 B.C.E. • Persian army retreated back to Anatolia, 479 B.C.E. • The Delian League • Alliance among Greek poleis against Persian threat • Military force from Athens, finance from other poleis • As Persian threat subsided, poleis no longer wanted to participate • Athens uses navy to turn Delian League into Athenian Empire

24. MAPPING THE PERSIAN WARS

25. PELOPONNESIAN WAR • Pericles Rebuilds Athens • Athens experiences a Golden Age • Pericles turns Delian states into Athenian colonies • 30 Year Civil War (431-404 B.C.E.) • Athens and Allies vs. Sparta and Allies • Costly victories/defeats and plague wreck city • Unconditional surrender of Athens, 404 B.C.E. • Hegemony first by Sparta and then by Thebes • Constant warfare between leagues, allies • Spartan hegemony replaced by Theban • Greece horribly weakened • Athens remained intellectual center of Greece

26. THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR