Lesson 2: The Greek City-States

Topic 5: Ancient Greece

BELLWORKBy Mountains or the Sea:

Think about where you live. How would your community be affected by living near mountains or the sea, or both?

The ancient Greeks adapted to both conditions. The mountains of Greece divided the population, and settlements grew in the valleys. The seas provided the means for trade, and Greeks both spread and received new ideas, trade goods, and ways of doing things.

Consider how such geographic factors might affect everyday life. Then write brief answers to the questions below.

QUESTIONS:

1.How could access to the sea influence a country’s trade, economy, and travel in relation to other countries?

2.How might mountains impact overland trade and political unity?

Geography Shapes Greek City-States-The Mediterranean and Aegean seas were central to the development of Greek civilization

-Ancient Greeks absorbed many ideas and beliefs from the older civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt

-Yet they developed new ideas about how best to govern a society

-The geography of Greece was unique and helped shape these new ideas as well

Landscape Forms Political Borders-Greece is part of the Balkan Peninsula, which extends southward into the eastern Mediterranean Sea

-Mountains divide the peninsula into isolated valleys

-Hundreds of rocky islands spread into the Mediterranean and Aegean seas

--The Greeks farmed the valleys or settled on the scattered islands

-Did not create a large empires

-They built many small city-states, and were cut off from one another by mountains or water

Loyalty to the City-State-Greeks felt strong loyalty to their city-states

-Fiercely defended their independence from other city-states

-Endless rivalries led to frequent wars between the city-states

-At times the city-states were conquered by outsiders, Non-Greeks

Living by the Sea-The Mediterranean and Aegean seas were central to the Greek world

-Provided a link to the world outside of Greece

-With its hundreds of bays, the Greek coastline offered safe harbors for ships

-The Greeks became skilled sailors

-Cargoes of olive oil, wine, and marble, sailed to Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia Minor

-Grains, metals, and ideas came back on those ships

-Greeks adapted these ideas to their own needs

The Most Important Changes -One of the most important ideas was the expanding of the Phoenician alphabet

-The Greek alphabet became the basis for all later Western alphabets

-By 750 B.C.E., rapid population growth forced many Greeks to leave their own overcrowded valleys for islands overseas

-Greek colonies took root on islands all around the Mediterranean

-Wherever they traveled, Greek settlers and traders carried their ideas and culture

Rise of Greek City-States-After 750 B.C.E., the Greek city-states change in structure and are called a polis

-The polis was built on two levels

-On a hilltop stood the acropolis, with temples dedicated to the gods and goddesses

-On flatter ground below was the walled main city

-The population was fairly small, which helped the citizens share a sense of responsibility for its triumphs and defeats

-The whole community joined in festivals honoring the city’s special god or goddess

Types of Government Evolve-Between 750 B.C.E. and 500 B.C.E. Greeks developed different forms of government

-At first, the ruler of the polis was a king, a monarchy

-Slowly power shifted to a class of noble landowners who were the defenders of the city-states

-These nobles defended the king, until they started winning power for themselves, creating an aristocracy, or rule by a landholding elite

Types of Government Evolve-Trade expanded, creating a new middle class of wealthy merchants, farmers, and artisans

-They challenged the landowning nobles for power and came to dominate some city-states

-The result was a form of government called an oligarchy, with power in the hands of a small, wealthy elite

New Ways of War Shape Greece-Changes in military technology increased the power of the middle class

-650 B.C.E. iron replaced bronze for weapons

- Cheaper and allowed ordinary citizens to afford iron helmets, shields, and swords

-A new method of fighting, the phalanx, a massive tactical formation of heavily armed foot soldiers

-It required long hours of drill to master

-The shared training created a strong sense of unity among the citizen-soldiers

Influence on Society-Having the defense of the city-state in the hands of ordinary citizens, the phalanx reduced class differences

-It led the two most influential city-states—Athens and Sparta—to develop very different ways of life

Discipline and Warfare in Sparta-Were Dorian invaders from the north who conquered Laconia, in the southern part of Greece

-Built the city-state of Sparta

-They turned the conquered people into slaves called helots, and made them work the land

-Helots greatly outnumbered the Spartans so they set up a brutal system of strict control

Government of Sparta-Two kings and a council of elders who advised the monarchs

-An assembly made up of all citizens approved major decisions

-Citizens were male, native-born Spartans over the age of 30

-The assembly also elected five ephors, or officials, who ran day-to-day affairs

Discipline Rules Daily Life-From childhood, a Spartan prepared to be part of a military state

-Officials examined every newborn, and sickly children were abandoned to die

-Spartans wanted future soldiers and the future mothers of soldiers to be healthy

-At the age of seven, boys began training by moving into barracks, where they were toughened by a coarse diet, hard exercise, and rigid discipline

-This strict and harsh discipline made Spartan youths excellent soldiers

Discipline Rules Daily Life-At the age of 20, a man could marry

-Continued to live in the barracks until he was 30

-Took his meals in the barracks until he was 40

-At the age of 30, after further training, he took his place in the assembly

Spartan Women-Girls, too, had a rigorous upbringing -As part of a warrior society, they were expected to produce healthy sons for the army

-They were required to exercise and strengthen their bodies

-Like other Greek women, Spartan women had to obey their fathers or husbands

-Under Spartan law, they had the right to inherit property

-Because men were occupied with war, some women took on responsibilities such as running the family’s estate

Citizen and Noncitizen-To be a citizen of Sparta, a person had to be descended from the Dorians who invaded the land

-Spartan citizens owned land, but did not farm it since that was the job of the helots

-Foreigners in Sparta were unwelcome guests and could be expelled

-Noncitizens outnumbered citizens

-They had few rights

-Were strictly controlled by the government

Sparta Stands Alone-The Spartans isolated themselves from other Greeks

-They looked down on trade and wealth, forbade their own citizens to travel

-Had little use for new ideas or the arts

-While other Greeks admired the Spartans’ military skills, no other city-state imitated their rigorous way of life

-In the long run, Sparta suffered from its rigid ways and inability to change

-Over time, its warrior class shrank, and its power declined

Democracy Evolves in AthensLocated in Attica, just north of the Peloponnesus

-Government evolved from a monarchy into an aristocracy

-Noble landowners held power and chose the chief officials and dominated the assembly

Discontent Drives Change-Discontent spread among ordinary people

-Merchants and soldiers resented the power of the nobles

-Foreign artisans resented laws barring them from becoming citizens

-Farmers were forced to sell their land to nobles or go into slavery to pay their debts

-As discontent spread, Athens moved slowly toward democracy

-The term had a different meaning for the ancient Greeks than it has for us today

Solon Makes Reforms-Solon was appointed chief official, in 594 B.C.E. allowing needed reforms

-He outlawed debt slavery and freed those who had already been sold into slavery

-Opened high offices to more citizens

-Granted citizenship to some foreigners

-Gave the Athenian assembly more say in important decisions

-Encouraged the export of wine and olive oil, which helped merchants and farmers by increasing demand for their products

Not Enough Reform-Citizenship remained limited

-Many government positions were open only to the wealthy landowners

-Continued and widespread unrest led to the rise of tyrants who often won support from the merchant class and the poor

-Many imposed reforms to help these groups

-Often governed well, yet the word tyrant has come to mean a vicious and brutal rulerants, or people who gained power by force

Citizens Share Power and Wealth-The tyrant Pisistratus seized power in 546 B.C.E

-Helped farmers by giving them loans and land taken from nobles

-New building projects gave jobs to the poor

-Giving poor citizens a voice, he weakened the aristocracy

-In 507 B.C.E Cleisthenes broadened the role of ordinary citizens in government

-He set up the Council of 500

The Council of 500-Members were chosen by lot from among all citizens over the age of 30

-Prepared laws considered by the assembly

-Supervised the day-to-day work of government

-A genuine legislature that debated laws before deciding to approve or reject them

-All male citizens were members of the assembly and were expected to participate

-These reforms advanced some of the basic principles of Athenian democracy

-The idea of equal participation, which had only been for the aristocracy, was presented

-All citizens who met certain qualifications were the voting population

-Equal participation was very different from the idea of democracy we hold today, but it was the beginning of a new system for Athens

Democracy Within Limits-Only citizens could participate in government, voting to choose officials, pass laws or holding offices

-Citizenship was restricted to landowning men oover 30 years of age

-Citizenship meant a responsibility to serve in government and fight for their polis as soldiers when needed

-Women, merchants, and people whose parents were not citizens along with slaves

-Yet Athens gave more people a say in decision making than any other ancient civilization

Athenian Women-The general view was that women were imperfect beings who lacked the ability to reason as well as men

-Women must be guided by men

-In well-to-do Athenian homes, women were secluded, shut off and “protected” from the outside world

-Their most significant public role in sacred processions and ceremonies that were considered essential for the city’s well-being

-In well-to-do Athenian homes, women managed the entire household

Educating the Young-Unlike girls, who received little or no formal education, boys attended school if their families could afford it

-Besides learning to read and write, they studied music, and memorized poetry

-Equally important, they learned the skill of public speaking because, as citizens in a democracy, they would have to voice their views

-Received military training and, to keep their bodies healthy, participated in athletic contests

-Athens encouraged young men to explore many areas of knowledge

Forces of Unity-Strong local identifications and independent spirit

-Economic rivalry led to fighting among the Greek city-states

-Common culture: same language, same ancient heroes, had common festivals, and prayed to the same gods

Myth and Beliefs-Polytheistic

-According to their myths the gods lived on Mount Olympus in northern Greece

-Honored their gods with temples and festivals, which included processions, sacrifices, feasts, plays, choral singing, and athletic competitions

-Consulted oracles through whom the gods were thought to speak

-However, some Greek thinkers came to believe that the universe was regulated not by the gods but by natural laws

Legacy of Greek Myths-All Greeks shared a common heritage through their myths and legends

-The stories were told and retold in different forms

-First through Homer's epic poems, the Iliad and Odyssey

-Later playwrights and artists created works portraying legendary heroes, gods, and goddesses

The Olympic Games-A unifying force among the Greek states

-Every four years in the sacred valley of Olympia, the Greeks held athletic contests to honor Zeus

-The competitive spirit of the games mirrored the rivalries that kept the dozens of small Greek city-states in a state of near-constant war

-The games reflected the value Greeks placed on physical fitness

-As the time for the games drew near, the Greeks called a truce so that athletes and spectators could reach Olympia safely

-Started as a one-day festival with just one event, a short foot race

-Became a five-day festival with sports such as running, jumping, shot put, discus throwing, javelin, boxing, and chariot races

-The games were open only to free born men and boys

-Married women were forbidden to watch the games although unmarried women could attend

-Lasted for more than 11 centuries

Roman emperors saw them as a pagan that had no place in the empire

Greek View of Foreigners-Trade and colonies forced the Greeks to have contact with people who spoke different languages and had different customs

-Greeks felt superior to non-Greeks

-These “barbarians” included the Phoenicians and Egyptians, from whom the Greeks borrowed important ideas and inventions

-This sense of uniqueness and superiority would help the Greeks face a threat from the mightiest power in the Mediterranean world—the Persian empire

Greek Wars with Persia-In 500 B.C.E. the Greek world was small

-The rival city-states and a growing number of Greek colonies scattered around the Mediterranean

-The Greeks were often bitterly dividedAthens, the wealthiest Greek city-state, had rivals

-More powerful than any Greek city-state was the huge Persian empire, that lay to the east, just across the Aegean Sea

-When the Persians threatened them, the Greeks briefly put aside their differences to defend their freedom

Greek Wars with Persia-The Persians had conquered a huge empire from Asia Minor to the border of India

-Their subjects included the Greek city-states of Ionia in Asia Minor

-Though under Persian rule, these Ionian city-states were largely self-governing, yet resented their situation

-In 499 B.C.E. they rebelled and Athens sent ships to help them

-This triggered the Persian Wars, a series of wars that lasted on and off for half a century

Athens Wins at Marathon-The Persians crushed the rebel cities in Ionia

-Emperor Darius I was furious at Athens and sent a huge force across the Aegean to punish Athens for its interference

-The Persian army landed near Marathon, a plain north of Athens, in 490 B.C.E.

-The invaders were amazed to see only the Athenian army present - greatly outnumbered

-The Persians responded with a rain of arrows, but the Greeks rushed onward

-The army broke through the Persian line and engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat

-Overwhelmed, the Persians hastily retreated to their ships

-The Athenian leader, Themistocles, knew the victory at Marathon had bought only a temporary lull in the fighting- urged Athens to build a fleet of ships for an army

Athens Wins at Marathon-In 480 B.C.E. Darius's son Xerxes sent a much larger force to conquer Greece

-Once again, the Persians landed in northern Greece

-A small Spartan force guarded the narrow mountain pass at Thermopylae

-Led by their great warrior-king Leonidas, the Spartans held out heroically against the enormous Persian force before defeat

-The Persians marched south and burned Athens which was empty

Athens Wins at Marathon-The Athenians had already withdrawn to safety

-The Athenians lured the Persian fleet into the narrow Strait of Salamis where Athenian warships rammed, burned, and sank the Persian fleet, Xerxes watched helplessly

-The next year, the Greeks defeated the Persians on land in Asia Minor, ending the Persian invasions

-In a brief moment of unity, the Greek city-states had saved themselves from the Persian threat

The Delian League-Victory in the Persian Wars increased the Greek sense of their own uniqueness

-The gods, they felt, had protected their superior form of government —the city-state—against invaders from Asia

-Athens emerged from the war as the most powerful city-state in Greece and organized an alliance with other Greek city-states

-Modern scholars call this alliance the Delian League after Delos, the location where the league held meetings

The Delian League-Athens dominated the Delian League and used its position of leadership to create an Athenian empire

-It moved the league treasury from the island of Delos to Athens and forced reluctant allies to remain in the league against their will

-It even used money contributed by other city-states to rebuild Athens

-Yet Athenian leaders were championing political freedom at home

Pericles, Democracy, and War-The years after the Persian Wars were a golden age for Athens

-Under Pericles, the economy thrived and the government became more democratic

-He is worshipped as a wise and skillful leader, the period from 460 B.C. to 429 B.C. is often called the Age of Pericles

Democracy in Athens-The Athenian assembly met several times a month

-A Council of 500, selected by lot, conducted daily government business

-Pericles believed that all male citizens, regardless of wealth or social class, should take part in government

-Athens began to pay a stipend to men who participated in the Assembly and its governing Council

-This enabled poor men to serve in government

Direct Democracy-Citizens take part directly in the day-to-day affairs of government

-In both the assembly and the Council of 500, Athenians discussed issues, and debated questions

-A central theme of their debates was war, because Athens was frequently at war, just like the rest of Greece

-An essential values and beliefs of the Athenians, including equality of citizens before the law, the responsibility of citizens, and service to the state

Athenian Justice-Athenian citizens were expected to serve on a jury

-Citizens over 30 years of age were chosen by lot to serve on the jury for a year

-A jury is a basic legal principle echoed in England’s Magna Carta, the U.S. Sixth Amendment, and in American jury trials today

-Also, the fundamental legal concepts of the “rule of law” (all must obey the laws) and “innocent until proven guilty” were substantially embodied in the laws of Athens and Sparta

Athenian Justice-Athenian citizens could also vote to banish a public figure whom they saw as a threat to their democracy, ostracism

-That individual would have to live outside the city, usually for a period of 10 years

Athenian Culture Thrives-Pericles directed the rebuilding of the Acropolis and with the help of an educated foreign-born woman named Aspasia, turned Athens into the cultural center of Greece

-The arts were encouraged in public festivals, dramatic competitions, and building programs

-Projects increased Athenians’ prosperity by creating jobs for artisans and workers

The Peloponnesian War-Many Greeks outside Athens resented Athenian domination, splitting the Greeks into rival camps

-Sparta and other enemies of Athens formed the Peloponnesian League

-431 B.C.E. war broke out between Athens and Sparta and lasted for 27 years

-Athens faced a serious geographic disadvantage against Sparta because Sparta was located inland, it could not be attacked from the sea

-Sparta, with its powerful army, only had to march north to attack Athens

Athens Defeated by Sparta-When Sparta invaded the lands surrounding Athens, Pericles allowed people from the countryside to move inside the city walls

-The overcrowded conditions led to disaster with the outbreak of a terrible plague that killed at least a third of the population, including Pericles

-His successors were much less able leaders, and their power struggles undermined the city's democratic government

-The war dragged on, both sides committed savage acts against each other

-Sparta even allied itself with Persia

The Decline of Greek Dominion-404 B.C., with the help of the Persian navy, the Spartans captured Athens

-Athens was stripped of their fleet and empire but Sparta rejected calls from its allies to destroy Athens

-The war ended the greatness of the Athenian golden age

-The economy eventually revived and Athens remained the cultural center of Greece

-Democratic government suffered with corruption and selfish interests replacing older ideals such as service to the state

The Decline of Greek Dominion-Fighting continued to disrupt Greece with Sparta falling to Thebes, another Greek city-state

-As Greeks battled among themselves, a new power rose in Macedonia, a kingdom to the north of Greece

-By 359 B.C.E. its ambitious ruler stood poised to conquer Greek city-states

EXIT TICKETAlliances: Cooperation for a Cause

You have read how the ancient Greek city-states joined together to battle the Persian armies. For a time, societies as different as Sparta and Athens cooperated for a cause they felt was important.

Consider the Delian League as well as international alliances that exist today. Modern alliances include the European Union, a political and economic association of European countries; the League of Arab States, set up to protect the interests of independent Arab nations; and the United Nations, an organization intended to maintain peace among the nations of the world.

QUESTIONS:

In the myth, Daedalus builds fantastic wings that will allow him to soar high. In what way were the early Greeks like Daedalus, determined and inventive?

How did the Minoans and Mycenaeans attempt to “soar high,” or strive for greatness?

Icarus dies when he soars too high. Were there risks for the Minoans and Myceneaens in trying to build great civilizations?

How do myths like this one communicate ideas across time?