The Bronze Age Mediterranean Region Bronze Age Greece

The “Bronze” Age Mediterranean Region

Bronze Age Greece

The Minoan World: mid-2 M B. C. E.

Early Development of Greek Society • Minoan Society – Island of Crete – Major city: Knossos • C. 2200 BCE center of maritime trade • Scholars unable to decipher Linear A script 7

Artist’s Recreation of Knossos

Aerial View of Knossos

Palace of King Minos – North Entrance

Palace of King Minos – Throne Room

Minoan Ladies

Early Greek Geometrics

Palace of King Minos - Interiors

Knossos : Minoan Civilization

Minoan Civilization

Decline of Minoan Society • Series of natural disasters after 1700 BCE – Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves • Foreign invasions • Foreign domination by 1100 BCE 17

The Mycenaean World: mid-2 M B. C. E.

Mycenaean Society • Indo-European invaders descend through Balkans into Peloponnesus, c. 2200 BCE • Influenced by Minoan culture • Major settlement: Mycenae • Military expansion throughout region 20

Aerial View of Mycenae

Mycenae Citadel & Reconstuction

Lion’s Gate Entrance to Mycenae

Approach to the Lion’s Gate

Mycenaean Writing System Gained From the Minoans

Bronze Age Enemies: The Trojan War

Homer, the Blind Poet

Homer’s Great Epics

Chaos in the Eastern Mediterranean • Trojan war, c. 1200 BCE – Homer’s The Iliad – Sequel: The Odyssey • Political turmoil, chaos from 1100 to 800 BCE • Mycenaean civilization disappears 30

Plan of the City of Troy

The Mask of Agamemnon In 1870, German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann excavated a site in this area which he identified as Troy; this claim is nowadays accepted by most scholars as evidence for the battle.

Original Wall of the City of Troy

Triumphant Achilles dragging Hector's lifeless body in front of the Gates of Troy, 1892

Migrations in the Aegean Region (DORIANS}

Greek & Phoenician Colonization: 750 -500 BCE

The Polis • City-state • Urban center, dominating surrounding rural areas • Highly independent character – Monarchies – “Tyrannies”, not necessarily oppressive – Early Democracies 39

The Rise of the Greek Polis Athens Naxos Eboea Larissa Syracuse Corinth

The Athens Acropolis Today

The Parthenon

The Agora

Greek Commonalities • One’s polis gave a sense of identity and each individual believed they owed loyalty to their polis. • Greeks shared: – A common language. – The belief that all non-Greek speakers are barbarians. – Religion. – The Olympics. – Common non-Greek enemies.

Greek Government • Until the 8 th century BCE, the government of Greece was a monarchy, with each polis having its own kings. • The kings were overthrown by aristocrats, or “best men”, who held power due to their economic supremacy due to owning most of the land.

Greek Government • By the 7 th century BCE, tyrants, or ones who seize power illegally with the people’s support, overthrew the aristocracy. They formed an oligarchy, which is government run by a small powerful business class elite. • In 621 BCE, archon (Greek for ruler) Draco created Athens first written laws. The laws were harsh and severe with the death penalty given for even minor offences. • In 594 BCE, archon Solon outlawed slavery for debt and freed people who had become slaves to pay debts were freed. He began a foundation of equality that would soon bring democracy.

Sparta • Highly militarized society • Subjugated peoples: helots – Serfs, tied to land – Outnumbered Spartans 10: 1 by 6 th c. BCE • Military society developed to control threat of rebellion • Austerity the norm 48

Spartan Hierarchy Equals Free Non-Citizens Helots

Spartan Government • Two hereditary kings. • A Council of Elders: 28 male wealthy aristocratic citizens over the age of 60. Proposed laws and headed criminal court. • Assembly of all men over 30. Accepted or rejected proposed laws. • The five ephors: oversaw kings and Spartan education.

Building the perfect soldiers… • Ages 7 -18, military barracks. Reading, writing, music training & military training • Ages 18 -20, focus on military training only • Marriage, but no home life until age 30 • Ages 20 -60 served as Spartan soldiers • Girls received strict physical training, basic education and musical training • Some relaxation of discipline by 4 th c. CE

Athens & Sparta

Athens • Development of early democracy – Free, adult males only – Women, slaves excluded • Athenian style of government differed significantly with Spartan militarism 53

Athenian Social Hierarchy Citizens (Athenian born, male) Metics (non-citizens) Slaves

Athenian Society • Maritime trade brings increasing prosperity beginning 7 th c. BCE • Aristocrats dominate smaller landholders • Increasing socio-economic tensions – Class conflict 55

Solon and Athenian Democracy • Aristocrat Solon mediates crisis – Aristocrats to keep large landholdings – But forgive debts, ban debt slavery • Removed family restrictions against participating in public life • Instituted paid civil service 56

Athenian Government • In 507 BCE, Cleisthenes introduced democracy. Called direct democracy because all citizens directly participated in the decision making process. • 10 Tribes > 50 men each > Council of 500 > served one year, could not serve twice. Proposed laws to the assembly. • Introduction of juries in court.

Golden “Age of Pericles”: 460 BCE – 429 BCE

Pericles • • • Ruled 461 -429 BCE High point of Athenian democracy Aristocratic but popular Massive public works Encouraged cultural development 60

Greek Golden Age of the 5 th Century BCE • • • Artists & Teachers Architecture – Parthenon Painting – Vases Sculpture – Phidias & Myron Philosophy – – Socrates – Plato – Aristotle

Greek Golden Age of the 5 th Century BCE • • Pythagoras Hippocrates Herodotus Theater – – Dramas – Tragedies – Comedies

Greek Colonization • Population expansion and Greek geography drives colonization – Coastal Mediterranean, Black sea • • Sicily (Naples: “neapolis, ” new city) Southern France (Massalia: Marseilles) Anatolia Southern Ukraine 63

Greek Colonies (in red)

Classical Greece and the Mediterranean basin 800 -500 BCE 65

Effects of Greek Colonization • Trade throughout region • Communication of ideas – Language, culture • Political and social effects 66

Persian Wars: 490 BCE – 470 BCE

Persian Wars (500 -479 BCE) • • • Revolt against Persian Empire 500 BCE in Ionia Athens supports with ships Greek rebellion crushed by Darius 493 BCE; routed in 490 In 480 BCE, the second wave of the Persian War begins as Xerxes arrives with his army at Thermopylae. After succeeding, he then burns Athens, only to be defeated at the Battle of Salamis weeks later. In 479 BCE, at the Battle of Plataea, the final land battle ended with the Greeks driving Xerxes back to Persia permanently. 68

The Delian League • Poleis create Delian League to forestall more Persian attacks • Led by Athens – Massive payments to Athens fuels Periclean expansion – Resented by other poleis 69

Peloponnesian Wars

The Peloponnesian War • • Civil war in Greece, 431 -404 BCE Poleis allied with either Athens or Sparta Athens forced to surrender But conflict continued between Sparta and other poleis 72

Macedonia Under Philip II

Kingdom of Macedon • Frontier region to north of Peloponnesus • King Philip II (r. 359 -336 BCE) builds massive military • 350 BCE encroaches on Greek poleis to the south, controls region by 338 BCE 74

Alexander of Macedon • “the Great, ” son of Philip II • Rapid expansion throughout Mediterranean basin • Invasion of Persia successful • Turned back in India when exhausted troops mutinied 76

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great’s Empire

Alexander the Great in Persia

The Hellenization of Asia

The Economy of the Hellenistic World

Library at Alexandria (333 B. C. E. )

Cultural Advancement in the Age of Hellenism • Euclid – “The Elements” • Archimedes – Pi, the Archimedes Screw • Herophilus – Value of the human brain • Aristarchus – Heliocentric Theory • Eratosthenes – Circumference of the Earth

The Hellenistic Empires • After Alexander’s death, competition for empire • Divided by generals – – – Antigonus: Greece and Macedon Ptolemy: Egypt Seleucus: Persian Achaemenid Empire • Economic integration, Intellectual crossfertilization 84

The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire

The Antigonid Empire • • • Smallest of Hellenistic Empires Local dissent Issue of land distribution – Heavy colonizing activity 86

The Ptolemaic Empire • Wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires • Established state monopolies – Textiles – Salt – Beer • Capital: Alexandria – – Important port city Major museum, library 87

The Seleucid Empire • Massive colonization of Greeks • Export of Greek culture, values as far east as India – Bactria – Ashoka legislates in Greek and Aramaic 88

Trade and Integration of the Mediterranean Basin • Greece: little grain, but rich in olives and grapes • Colonies further trade • Commerce rather than agriculture as basis of much of economy 89

Panhellenic Festivals • • • Useful for integrating far-flung colonies Olympic Games begin 776 BCE Sense of collective identity 90

The Ancient Olympics • The Olympic Games were held in four year intervals and they began in 776 BCE in Olympia. They were celebrated until 393 AD. The prizes were olive wreaths, palm branches and woolen ribbons. • They were in honor of Zeus, but were a way of showing bravery and strength to the gods.

Olympia

The Ancient Olympics: Athletes & Trainers

Trophy Vases

The Classical Greek “Ideal”

Patriarchal Society • • • Women as goddesses, wives, prostitutes Limited exposure in public sphere Sparta partial exception Sappho Role of infanticide in Greek society and culture 96

Slavery • • • Scythians (Ukraine) Nubians (Africa) Chattel Sometimes used in business Opportunity to buy freedom 97

The Greek Language • • Borrowed Phoenician alphabet Added vowels Complex language Allowed for communication of abstract ideas – Philosophy 98

Socrates (470 -399 BCE) • • • The Socratic Method Student: Plato Public gadfly, condemned on charges of immorality • Forced to drink hemlock 100

Socrates: Louvre Museum, Paris, France Greek Bust

Socrates (rubbing chin) and Plato (standing left): Mosaic from Pompeii

• The Death of Socrates, by Jacques-Louis David (1787)

Plato (430 -347 BCE) • Systematized Socratic thought • The Republic – Parable of the Cave – Theory of Forms/Ideas 104

Aristotle (389 -322 BCE) • • Student of Plato Broke with Theory of Forms/Ideas Emphasis on empirical findings, reason Massive impact on western thought 106

Greek Theology • • • Polytheism Zeus principal god Religious cults – Eleusinian mysteries – The Bacchae – Rituals eventually domesticated 107

Greek Religion • The Greek gods were created to – – – explain nature. explain emotions. Bring the benefits of a long life/good luck and/or good harvests. • The afterlife consisted of everyone going to the underworld ruled by Hades. • To explain their world, Greeks created myths, which are traditional stories about gods, goddesses and heroes.

The Twelve Olympian Gods In Greek mythology, were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. The classical scheme of the Twelve Olympians comprises the following gods: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hestia.

Tragic Drama • Evolution from public presentations of cultic rituals • Major playwrights (5 th c. BCE) – – – Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides • Comedy: Aristophanes 110

Hellenistic Philosophies • Epicureans – Pleasure, distinct from Hedonists • Skeptics – Doubted possibility of certainty in anything • Stoics – Duty, virtue – Emphasis on inner peace 111

The Incursion of Rome into the Hellenistic World