Classical Greece 1750 BCE –133 BCE

1. Kalen Kattestad Southmoore High School World History Classical Greece1750 BCE –133 BCE

2. How did it shape Greek culture? Physical Geography

3. Physical Geography Physical Map of the Area What features do you notice?

4. Physical Geography • Part of the Balkan Peninsula and surrounding islands. • Dominated by mountains and valleys. • Difficult to cross the land • Led to development of small city-states instead of a unified empire. • Fertile land in the valleys became scarce and the Greeks began to colonize other areas in the Mediterranean. What effect do you think the colonization would have on the cultures of those areas?

5. Physical Geography • Most settlements were within a few miles of either the Aegean or Mediterranean sea. • Easier to travel by sea than over land. • The coastline offered safe harbor for ships. Port cities developed. The Greeks began to rely on trade to meet their needs. Greece Aegean Sea Asia Minor As the Greeks traded with other places, they borrowed ideas from those places. One notable development was the alphabet which the Greeks adapted from the Phoenicians. Athens Sparta Mediterranean Sea

6. Physical Geography • Temperate climate allowed people to spend more time outdoors. • Outdoor marketplaces were common. • As men congregated outdoors, they debated ideas and joined in festivals. • Because so much of Greek daily life was public, structures were built in the cities to accommodate this lifestyle.

7. Economics of Greece • Greece was an agricultural and pastoral economy. The climate of Greece is particularly good for growing olives, grapes and figs, in addition to grains. The Greeks also herded goats and sheep. • Classical Greece depended on slave labor • They developed a stratified social system • Because they were seafaring people, the Greeks developed a robust economy based on trade and consumer goods. • Colonization throughout the Mediterranean allowed a diverse economy to develop.

8. Where did these Greek people come from? History of the Greeks

9. Minoans • The earliest known people in this region are known as the Minoans • Archeologists named them after Minos, a legendary king. We do not know what they called themselves. • 2000BCE—1400BCE • Lived on the island of Crete • Crete was the center of Mediterranean commerce • Minoans were influenced by both Phoenicia and Egypt • Wealthy trading society emerged

10. Minoans

11. Minoans • Palace was established at Knossos • Lavishly decorated with frescoes (watercolor paintings done on wet plaster) • Included religious shrines dedicated to gods and goddesses • A major source of our knowledge of the Minoans • Decline of Minoan Society • Minoan Civilization vanished by 1400 BCE • We don’t know why but several theories exist • Possible volcano (like in Pompeii) • Earthquake/tsunami • Invaders

12. Minoan Artifacts Artifacts found give us an idea of what Minoan society was like but they did not leave translatable written records so we cannot know for certain. The Bull seems to have been important.

13. Minoan Artifacts As does the sea

14. Mycenaeans • First Greek-speaking people to leave a written record • Adapted Minoan writing (Linear A) into their own alphabet (Linear B) • 1500 BCE—1100 BCE • Indo-European • Sea Traders • Also adopted customs from Egypt, Phoenicia and other Mesopotamian settlements. • Very wealthy • Lived in city states • Strongest was Mycenae • These were the people that fought Troy in the Trojan War.

15. Minoans

16. Minoan and Mycenaean Writing Minoan—Linear A Mycenaean—Linear B

17. Mycenaean Archeology • Lion’s Gate Aerial View of Mycenae

18. The “Dark Ages” and the Hellenes • Called the “Dark Ages” because people forgot many of their advancements such as writing. • 1100 BCE—750 BCE • Remembered their history through oral traditions • Hellenes, an Indo-European people began settling in the Greek peninsula. • Also spread to Italy, Sicily, Asia Minor and Cyprus • Adopted the Minoan and Mycenaean history as their own. • Aristocratic, warlike, trading economy. • Eventually became the Greek people that we are more familiar with

19. Where Democracy Began Rise of the city-states750 BCE—338 BCE

20. The Polis • The Greeks developed a unique type of city-state governance centered around the polis, which means “city-state”. • Many terms derived from polis: • Political, polite, police, Metropolis, • Cities were designed around the acropolis (the highest point in a city, which was generally fortified and housed a temple to the patron god of that city). • Operating independently, they still shared a common language, heritage, religion and mistrust of foreigners • Called them barbaroi which is where the term “barbarian” comes from.

21. The Polis Athens—Athena (wisdom) Sparta—Ares (war) Evolves into Oligarchy (rule by a few) Aggressive toward neighbors. Enslaved those conquered (helots). Tried to maintain a ratio of one Spartan to every 5 Helots. Warlike, militaristic More freedom for women Educated boys in barracks away from family • Evolves from Monarchy (rule by one) to Democracy (rule by the people) • Increase in citizen influence • Tyrants often governed well. • Were supported by merchants and poor • Women’s roles mainly in religion • Wealthy women rarely seen outside the home • Education for boys was not limited to military knowledge