Ancient Greece

Ancient Ancient GreeceGreece

Balkan Peninsula

The Geography of GreeceThe Geography of Greece

• Mainland is a peninsula.

• Trading and fishing

• Farming – wheat, barley, olives, and grapes

• Fiercely independent due to being divided by mts and seas

The MinoansThe Minoans

• Island of Crete

• Earned living by shipbuilding and trade

• Arthur Evans

• Knossos

• Collapsed about

1450 B.C.

• Theories

Palace at KnossosPalace at Knossos

Wall painting from KnossosWall painting from Knossos

The First Greek KingdomsThe First Greek Kingdoms

• Built by the Mycenaeans who were originally from central Asia

• Warriors became nobles who ruled the people they conquered.

What were Mycenaean What were Mycenaean Kingdoms like?Kingdoms like?

• Fortified palace on a hill --- centerpiece of each kingdom

• Large farms (estates) belonged to nobles

• Slaves and farmers lived on the estates

Power from Trade and WarPower from Trade and War

• Copied the ways Minoans– Work with bronze and shipbuilding– Learned how to use sun and stars at

sea– Started worshipping Mother Earth

(Minoans’ chief goddess)

• Replaced Minoans as a major power

• King Agamemnon --- Trojan War

What was the Dark Age?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?What was the Dark Age?(Continued)(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 English words that came that came

from Greek:from Greek:

geometry, physics,

astronomy, star, galaxy, atom,

music, melody, chorus, drama, comedy, poet,

character, history,

metropolis, athlete, and

stadium

A Move to ColonizeA 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 PolisThe Polis

• City-states known as polis

• Hill

• Acropolis

• Agora

• Varied in size and population

• Athens – nearly 300,000 people (500 B.C.)

AthensAthens

What was Greek What was Greek Citizenship?Citizenship?

• They ran the city-state.• 1st 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 SoldiersCitizens as Soldiers

• Hoplites– Took pride in their fighting for their

city-state

• Foot and armed: – Round shield (help to create a

protective wall)– Short sword– 9 foot spear

• Rows

ReviewReview

1. What made the Minoans wealthy?

2. How was a Greek city-state different form 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 Mycenaeans

•Lived on Crete•Built first civilization in Greece•Worked in bronze

•Lived on Greek mainland•First Greek kings•Built fortified palaces on hills•Borrowed ideas from Minoans

Earned wealth from trade

Sparta and Sparta and AthensAthens

Tyranny in the City-StatesTyranny 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

SpartaSparta

SpartaSparta

• Founded by Dorians

• Instead of setting colonies, they conquered and enslaved their neighbors.

• Helots

Why was the Military So Why was the Military So Important?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 GovernmentSparta’s Government

• Oligarchy

• 2 kings headed a council of elders

• All men over 30

• Ephors

• Discouraged foreign visitors

AthensAthens

Life in AthensLife in Athens

• School

• Citizen at 18

• Girls

Building DemocracyBuilding Democracy

• Early Athens – landowning nobles – oligarchy

• Solon

• Peisistratus

• Cleisthenes

CleisthenesCleisthenes

• 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

RiddleRiddle

• 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

ReviewReview

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?

5. Why was Solon popular among farmers and unpopular among others?

6. How did Athenian democracy keep one person from gaining too much power?

ReviewReview

Persia Persia Attacks the Attacks the

GreeksGreeks

The Persian WarsThe Persian Wars

Both Sparta and Athens played roles in defeating the Persians.

The Battle of MarathonThe 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 StrikeAnother Persian Strike

• Darius’ son, Xerxes

• 480 B.C. – revenge

• Greece unites

ThermopylaeThermopylae

• Narrow pass through the mts that was easy to defend

• 7,000 Greek soldiers held them off for 2 days

• Traitor

• Persian victory

SalamisSalamis

• Strait

• Greek ships - smaller, faster, and easier to steer

• Greeks destroyed almost the entire Persian fleet

PlataeaPlataea

• Greeks crushed the Persian army here.

• Turning point

• Saved Greece from invasion

Ancient Greek warships --- Ancient Greek warships --- triremestriremes

ScythiansScythians

• Grassland north of the Black Sea

• Hit-and-run tactics

Fall of Persian EmpireFall of Persian Empire

• Greek defeat weakened it.

• Internal problems

• Remained intact for 150 more yrs

• Alexander the Great – 334 B.C.

ReviewReview

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?

BattleBattle ActionAction

Marathon

Thermopylae

Salamis

Plataea

BattleBattle ActionAction

Marathon

Thermopylae

Salamis

Plataea

Greeks overwhelmed Persians.

Greeks were betrayed. Persians won.

Greek ships defeated Persians in the strait.

Greeks crushed Persians.

The Age of The Age of PericlesPericles

Athenian EmpireAthenian 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 AthensDemocracy 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 Ancient Athenian Athenian

AgoraAgora

The Achievements The Achievements of Periclesof 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 AthensDaily 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 EconomyAthenian 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 (400s B.C.)

• Merchants

Roles of Men and Roles of Men and WomenWomen

Men• Worked in

morning• Exercised or

attended mtgs of assembly

• Evenings: enjoyed all male gatherings

Women• Life revolved around home

and family• Married at 14/15yrs

– 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

WomenWomen

• 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.

AspasiaAspasia• 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 The Peloponnesian Peloponnesian

War War

Difference in the Difference in the Greek city-statesGreek 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’ Pericles’ Funeral OrationFuneral Oration

• 1st winter of war – public funeral

• Pericles’

speech

Athens’ DefeatAthens’ Defeat

• Both – confident

• Spartan’s ability in open battles

• 2nd year – deadly disease

• Pericles dies.

• Standoff continues for 25 years

• Spartan deal with Persians

• Spartan navy defeats Athens

• Athens surrenders.

Results:Results:

• Weakened all major Greek city-states

• Many died in fighting

• Farms were destroyed.

• 1000s left jobless

• Impossible for unity

in Greece

AftermathAftermath

• 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

ReviewReview

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

Economy

Culture

Wars

democracy

Farming and trade

Great creativity, major rebuilding program

Peloponnesian War, Athens defeated