Ancient Greece Balkan Peninsula Ancient Greece The Geography

Ancient Greece

Balkan Peninsula Ancient Greece

The Geography of Greece • Mainland is a peninsula. • Mainland is surrounded by dozens of islands. • Trading and fishing • Farming – wheat, barley, olives, and grapes • Fiercely independent due to being divided by mountains and seas

The Minoans • Island of Crete • Earned living by shipbuilding and trade • Collapsed about 1450 B. C. • Theories— destroyed by either tsunami or Mycenaens

Palace at Knossos

Wall painting from Knossos

The First Greek Kingdoms • Built by the Mycenaeans who were originally from central Asia • Warriors became nobles who ruled the people they conquered. • Gained power from trade and war.

Mycenaean Kingdoms and Lifestyle • Palace on a hill (Greece is very “hilly”) • Large farms (estates) belonged to nobles—slaves and farmers lived on the estates • Copied Minoans bronze work, astronomy for navigation, and worshipped their chief goddess, Mother Earth

What was the Dark Age? • 1200 B. C. – earthquakes and fighting among the kingdoms destroyed hilltop forts • 1100 B. C. – Mycenaean civilization collapsed. • 1100 – 750 B. C. were difficult for Greeks • Trade slowed and poverty took hold

What was the Dark Age? (Continued) • Stopped teaching how to write and craftwork • Positive – population shift • Dorians • Peloponnesus • Increase in trade brought new way of writing • Greek alphabet

English words that came from Greek: geometry, physics, astronomy, star, galaxy, atom, music, melody, chorus, drama, comedy, poet, character, history, metropolis, athlete, and stadium

A Move to Colonize • Couldn’t grow enough food to feed everyone • Colonies traded grains, metals, fish, timber, and enslaved people with the mainland in exchange for pottery, wine, and olive oil • 600 B. C. – mint coins • No more barter

The Polis • • • City-states known as polis Hill Acropolis Agora Varied in size and population Athens – nearly 300, 000 people (500 B. C. )

Athens

What was Greek Citizenship? • They ran the city-state. • 1 st to develop this idea. • Only free native-born men who owned land • Women and children might qualify but were limited in their rights. • Rights: vote, hold office, own property, and defend themselves in court

Citizens as Soldiers • Hoplites – Took pride in their fighting for their citystate • Foot and armed: – Round shield (help to create a protective wall) – Short sword – 9 foot spear • Rows

Review 1. What made the Minoans wealthy? 2. How was a Greek city-state different from a city? 3. What changes occurred in Greece during the Dark Age? 4. Name 3 rights granted to Greek citizens that Americans have today. 5. Why did the use of money help trade grow?

Minoans Mycenaeans

Minoans • Lived on Crete • Built first civilization in Greece • Worked in bronze Mycenaeans Earned wealth from trade • Lived on Greek mainland • First Greek kings • Built fortified palaces on hills • Borrowed ideas from Minoans

Sparta and Athens

Tyranny in the City-States • Nobles seized power from kings • Tyrants – take power by force and rules with total authority – Building new marketplaces, temples, and walls • Oligarchy – Sparta • Democracy - Athens

Sparta

Sparta • Founded by Dorians • Instead of settling colonies, they conquered and enslaved their neighbors. • Helots—Sparta’s captive workers. Helots comes from a Greek work that means “capture. ”

Why was the Military So Important? • Fear of being taken over led to firm control and training for war • 7 years old live in barracks • 20 years – enter regular army • 30 years – returned home • Girls were trained in sports. • Women were freer

Sparta’s Government • • • Oligarchy 2 kings headed a council of elders All men over 30 Ephors Discouraged foreign visitors

Athens

Life in Athens • School • Citizen at 18 • Girls

Building Democracy • Early Athens – landowning nobles – oligarchy • Solon • Peisistratus • Cleisthenes

Cleisthenes • All male citizens • New powers • Council of 500 – – Proposed laws Dealt with foreign countries Oversaw treasury Members were chosen by lottery every year. • Non-citizens were excluded. • Credited with making Athens a democracy

Riddle • Men in Athens liked to go to fancy dinner parties where they told riddles. • “When you look at me, I look at you. When you speak, I open my mouth and move my lips, but you cannot hear me and I cannot see you. What am I? ” • A Mirror

Review 1. Who were the helots? 2. Why did tyrants fall out favor with the Greeks? 3. Why did Athenians choose officials by lottery? Would there be drawbacks to this method? 4. How did the Greek nobles gain power?

Review 5. Why was Solon popular among farmers and unpopular among others? 6. How did Athenian democracy keep one person from gaining too much power?

Persia Attacks the Greeks

The Persian Wars Both Sparta and Athens played roles in defeating the Persians.

The Battle of Marathon • 490 B. C. – Persians landed on Marathon • 20, 000 soldiers – 10, 000 Athenian soldiers • Athenian victory

Statute of Pheidippiedes along Marathon Road

Another Persian Strike • Darius’ son, Xerxes • 480 B. C. – revenge • Greece unites

Thermopylae • Narrow pass through the mts that was easy to defend • 7, 000 Greek soldiers held them off for 2 days • Traitor • Persian victory

Salamis • Strait • Greek ships - smaller, faster, and easier to steer • Greeks destroyed almost the entire Persian fleet

Plataea • Greeks crushed the Persian army here. • Turning point • Saved Greece from invasion

Ancient Greek warships --triremes

Scythians • Grassland north of the Black Sea • Hit-and-run tactics

Fall of Persian Empire • • Greek defeat weakened it. Internal problems Remained intact for 150 more yrs Alexander the Great – 334 B. C.

Review 1. Why was Cyrus considered a fair ruler? 2. The Persians wanted revenge against the Greeks. Describe an event in your own life or on the news where revenge was involved. What was the outcome?

Battle Marathon Thermopylae Salamis Plataea Action

Battle Action Marathon Greeks overwhelmed Persians. Thermopylae Greeks were betrayed. Persians won. Salamis Greek ships defeated Persians in the strait. Plataea Greeks crushed Persians.

The Age of Pericles

Athenian Empire • Under Pericles, Athens became very powerful and more democratic. • Delian League – Defend members from Persians – Drive Persia out of Greek territories (Asia Minor) – Freed almost all of Greek cities under Persia’s control • Delos

Democracy in Athens • Direct democracy – Athenian Assembly – passed all laws, elected officials, and made decisions on war and foreign affairs – 10 officials (generals) carried out the assembly’s laws and policies. • Representative democracy

Ancient Athenian Agora

The Achievements of Pericles • Helped Athens dominate the Delian League • Made Athens more democratic • Allowed lower-class male citizens to run for office • Paid officeholders • Culture blossomed • Period of tremendous creativity and learning • Rebuilt Athens after Persian Wars • Supported artists, architects, writers, and philosophers

Daily Life in Athens • Population – 285, 000 residents in all – 150, 000 were citizens – 43, 000 of the 150, 000 were men with political rights – ~35, 000 were foreigners – ~100, 000 enslaved people • Slavery

Athenian Economy • Farming – Raised sheep and goats for wool, milk, and cheese – Grew grains, veggies, fruit (local use) – Grew grapes, and olives to make wine and olive oil to sell abroad • Imported grain • Trading center of the Greek empire (400 s B. C. ) • Merchants

Roles of Men and Women Men • Worked in morning • Exercised or attended mtgs of assembly • Evenings: enjoyed all male gatherings Women • Life revolved around home and family • Married at 14/15 yrs – Expected to have children and take care of household duties • Poor women • Upper-class: stayed home and supervised household chores • Rarely went out (except to funerals or festivals) • Could not attend school

Women • Compare to present day as well as early American women • An Athenian woman’s childhood ended when she married. The day before the wedding, she took her toys to the Temple of Artemis (goddess of the hunt, protector of women in childbirth). After the wedding, the husband would carry her over the threshold.

Aspasia • Moved more freely in society • Not a native Athenian (gave her special status) • Well-educated • Taught public speaking to many Athenians • Her writings did not survive • Plato • Pericles often consulted her • Became influential in politics even though she could not vote

The Peloponnesian War

Difference in the Greek city-states • Athenian empire – grew richer and powerful • Suspicious – other city-states joined with Sparta against Athens. • Sparta and Athens – built 2 different kinds of societies (neither understood or trusted the other) • War broke out in 431 B. C.

Pericles’ Funeral Oration • 1 st winter of war – public funeral • Pericles’ speech

Athens’ Defeat • • Both – confident Spartan’s ability in open battles 2 nd year – deadly disease Pericles dies. Standoff continues for 25 years Spartan deal with Persians Spartan navy defeats Athens surrenders.

Results: • Weakened all major Greek citystates • Many died in fighting • Farms were destroyed. • 1000 s left jobless • Impossible for unity in Greece

Aftermath • Sparta tried ruling all of Greece for 30 yrs. • City-states rebelled • Sparta fought Persia • Failing to notice that Macedonia (to the North) was growing in power and cost them their freedom

Review 1. What caused the Peloponnesian War? 2. According to Pericles, what duties did the Athenian citizens have? 3. What caused the lack of trust between Sparta and Athens? 4. How did the direct democracy of Athens differ from the democracy we have in the United States?

Government Economy Culture Wars

Government democracy Economy Farming and trade Culture Wars Great creativity, major rebuilding program Peloponnesian War, Athens defeated