The Ancient Greeks

The Early Greeks

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY• Greece is a small country in Europe.

• Mountainous land framed by water.

• To the west is the Ionian Sea, and to the south is the Mediterranean Sea, and to the East is the Aegean Sea.

• Hundreds of Islands lie offshore, that lead to Asia.

• Mainland Greece is a peninsula. • They made a living from the sea, and some

places they were able to grow wheat, barley, olives, and grapes.

MAP WARS!

1. Mediterranean Sea 19. Mount Olympus 2. Black Sea 20. Knossos 3. Macedonia 4. Asia Minor 5. Rhodes 6. Aegean Sea Roles: 2 illustrating and 4

researching7. Athens Chapter 4, starting on p. 116.8. Sparta 9. Peloponnesus 10. Crete 11. Troy 12. Olympia 13. Thebes 14. Marathon 15. Persian Empire 16. Thermopylae17. Salamis 18. Greece

PHYSICAL MAP OF AREA

MINOAN SOCIETY• Island of Crete

– Lies southeast of the Greek mainland. • Knossos (NAH-suhs)

– Minoan (muh-NOH-uhn) society arose on Crete, 2000 B.C.E.

– Minoans were not Greeks, but they the first to arise in the region.

– Palace at Knossos revealed the riches of an ancient society.

– Takes name from legendary king of Knossos, Minos – Made their wealth from trade: marble, artifacts, cloth.– Built ships from oak and cedar trees and sailed as far

as Egypt and Syria. • Decline of Minoan Society 1450 B.C.

THE ISLAND OF CRETETHE ISLAND OF CRETE

Wrap up:

Around 1450 B.C., the Minoan society suddenly collapsed. Give 3 factors that may have contributed to the collapse of the Minoans?

Review

• What do you remember concerning the Minoan society?

Palace at Knossos

Palace at Knossos

Labyrinth: In Greek Mythology, built for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, a mythical creature that was half man and half bull and was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus.

Theseus Slaying Minotaur (1843)

Minotaur Poseidon

The First Greek Kingdoms

MYCENAEAN GREECE• Mycenaean society

– Indo-European (Central Asia). Immigrants settled in area, 1900 B.C.E.

– Heinrich Schliemann discovered a walled palace in Mycenae (my-SEE-nee). He named the people of this civilization the Mycenaean's.

– Fortified Palaces: Ruler lived there, surrounded by giant stone walls.

– Collected wheat, livestock, and honey as taxes. – 1400 B.C. Replaced the Minoans as the major power on

the Mediterranean Sea. – Most famous victory occurred in the Trojan War. King

Agamemnon used trickery to win the war.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELH_5Do-VZI

ANCIENT GREECEANCIENT GREECE

Mycenaean Civilization

1. What group of people inhabited large portions of mainland Greece in 1300 BCE? Who led these people in their capital (map still at 11:13)?

2. What was the Iliad, and who wrote it?

3. What was the Lion’s Gate, and what did it portray for Mycenae? What architectural building technique did this structure introduce, and what did this later evolve into to build the tholos?

Review:Minoans vs Mycenaean • Venn Diagram

THE GREEK DARK AGES• 1100 B.C. and 750 B.C.

– Called Dark Ages due to loss of writing/Poverty set in and people stopped teaching others

– A period of migration and warfare– Dorians settled in Peloponnesus. Brought

Iron weapons– By 1100 B.C., Mycenaean civilization had

collapsed– Eventually, through trade, Greeks picked

up the idea of the alphabet from the Phoenicians.

– Greek Alphabet: 24 letters that stood for different sounds. Reading and writing became much easier.

Examples

A move to Colonize A move to Colonize

Wrap up:

Give three examples to why the Greeks colonize?

• Greek City-State– Polis = city-state; Poleis =

city-states/Like an independent country– Metropolis = city of polis– Acropolis = fortified center of city/Safe

refuge in case of attacks/Religious center– Agora = Open area/Market and Debate– Boundaries shaped by geography– Terms of politics come from POLIS

• Politics, politic, politician, polite, polity

• Police, metropolis, metroplex• Most important

– Athens– Sparta

THE POLIS

Agora

Acropolis

Parthenon: Dedicated to the maiden Goddess, Athena

Greek CitizenshipFree Native-Men Who Owned Land

1. To assemble peacefully 2. To choose officials 3. To make laws 4. To own property 5. To vote 6. To hold office 7. To defend themselves

in court

Responsibility of Greek citizens1. It was their DUTY to serve

in the government. 2.To fight for their polis as

citizen soldiers (hoplites) - Carried a round shield,

a short sword, and a 9 foot spear/Phalanx Formation

POLITICAL FORMS• Archon: Greek for “ruler” – English “archy”• Kratien: Greek for “to rule” – English “cracy”

– Demos: People – Democracy (direct election)– Aristos: The Best – Aristocracy (nobles)– Oligos: The Few – Oligarchy (rule by select few)– Monos: One – Monarchy (rule by a king)– Di: Two – Diarchy (Sparta’s state had 2 kings)– An: None – Anarchy (No government)– Theos: God – Theocracy (Rule by priests, religion)– Geron: Old Man – Gerontocracy (rule by elderly)– Pater: Father – Patriarchy (rule by males)– Mater: Mother – Matriarchy (rule by women)– Auto: Self – Autocracy (dictatorial rule)– Tyrannos: Tyrant – Tyranny (rule by a dictator)– Ethnos: Ethnic or locals – Ethnarchy (rule by the local

people)

Tyranny in the City-States • Kings ruled the first Greek

Communities. At the end of the Dark Ages, the Nobles who owned large farms had seized power from the kings.

• Tyrants-someone who takes power by force and rules with total authority. 600 B.C. Overthrew the nobles.

• 500 B.C. Most city-states became either Oligarchies or Democracies.

• Sparta-Oligarchy • Athens-Democracy

Sparta

• Founded by Dorians (Greeks who invaded the Peloponnesus in the Dark Ages)

• Conquered and enslaved their neighbors/Helots “Capture”

• By 6th century B.C.E., helots outnumbered Spartans by 10 to 1

• Located on Peloponnesus• No interest in statues, temples,

education, arts, travel• Willing to DIE for their city!

Military

• Feared Helots would rebel• Age seven, boys left their families

to live in barracks• At age 20, entered regular army• 10 more years in barracks• Came home, but stayed in the

Army until age 60• Win or Die• Girls trained in sports – but to keep

fit and become healthy mothers

Sparta’s Government

• Oligarchy • Two kings• Council of Elders: 28 citizens over the age of

60, presented laws to an assembly• Assembly voted on laws and chose 5 people to

be ephors. • Discouraged foreign visitors• Banned travel abroad• Frowned upon citizens who studied literature• The Spartans controlled the Helots for nearly

250 years. • Fell behind the Greeks in trade, science, and

other subjects.

LACONIA: SPARTA

Athens

• Northwest of Sparta (2 day trip)• Boys educated in math, literature,

science, writing, sports, singing and playing musical instrument. Well rounded!

• Finished school at 18 and became citizens

• Girls taught by moms to spin, weave, and other household duties

A Budding Democracy

• Solon (SOH-luhn) and Athenian democracy – Solon forged a compromise between the

classes – All male citizens could participate in the

assembly and law courts – Council of 400 wealthy citizens wrote the

laws, but assembly had to pass them• Cleisthenes KLYS-thuh-neez ( Made Athens a

Democracy ,508 B.C.E.) – Reorganized the assembly– All males citizens could belong to the

assembly and vote on laws– Debate openly, hear court cases, and appoint

generals– Created council of 500 citizens to help the

assembly (proposed laws, dealt with foreign countries, and oversaw the treasury)

– Council: members chosen each year in a lottery,

– Why?

ATHENIAN SOLDIER OATH

Primary Source:

Identify six things each soldier promises to protect in taking the oath.

THE GREEK WORLDTHE GREEK WORLD

GREEK MILITARY• Based on citizen soldiers

– Lightly armed, armored foot soldiers (Hoplites)• Carry shields, long spear• All citizens had to furnish own arms, armor• All citizens expected to fight in army, navy• All citizens had military training in school

– Fought in massed formations called Phalanx• Very useful in rugged terrain; used 10’ long pikes• Easily defeats massed cavalry favored by others

• Greek navy– Rowed vessels called galleys

• Most famous was the trireme or three oar banked• Rowed by free citizens• Fought by ramming other vessels; than hand to

hand– Greek fleets included larger vessels

• Equites or mounted troops were aristocrats

Persia Attacks the Greeks

Persian Empire

• Current day southwestern Iran • Warriors and Nomads• Cyrus the Great (559 B.C.-530 B.C.) : united

Persians into a powerful kingdom. Built an Empire larger than any yet seen in the world.

• Conquered Babylon, Northern Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Syria, Canaan, and the Phoenician Cities. Leaders who followed Cyrus conquered Egypt, western India, and Thrace.

• Approximately the size of the Continental United States.

Persian Government

• King Darius (521 B.C.) • Divided the empire into 20 Provinces

called satrapies (SAY-truh-peez).• Each was ruled by an official with the

title Satrap (SAY-trap) “protector of the kingdom.”

Satrap: tax collector, judge, chief of police, head recruiter for the Persian army.

• Military: Paid people to be soldiers. 10,000 were Immortals who

guarded the king.

The Persian Wars

• The Battle of Marathon (490 B.C.) 20,000 Persian soldiers on the plain of

Marathon, a short distance from Athens. Athenians had 10,000 men. Persian were impatient and loaded the

horsemen onto the ships, the strongest part of the Persian army.

Greeks charged down from the hills and defeated the Persian foot soldiers standing in the water.

Legend- A messenger named Pheidippides raced 25 miles to from Marathon to Athens. “Victory” was his last breath.

Battle of Salamis 480 B.C. • Xerxes vowed revenge Launches invasion of Greece (180,000 troops,

thousands of warships, and supply vessels) Athenians and Spartans join forces Leonidas Athens provided the Navy. Athenian General, Themistocles: Cut off food supply Thermopylae: narrow pass through the mountains that

was easy to defend. 7,000 Greek soldiers held off Persians for two days “Persian arrows would darken the sky.” “This is good news. We will fight in the shade.” Traitor/Persians mounted a rear attack/Leonidas

fought to the death/Greeks lose the battle of Thermopylae

Gave Athens enough time to assemble 200 ships.

Battle of Salamis 480 B.C. • Greek fleet attacked the Persian fleet in the strait

of Salamis Greek ships: smaller, faster, and easier to steer Persian ships: Big, easy targets. Greeks almost destroyed entire fleet/Persian

Army marched on to Athens/Greeks fled Burned the city of Athens 497 B.C. Formed the largest Greek army ever

assembled: solid body armor, longer spears, and better training.

Crushed the Persian Army at Plataea (Northwest of Athens)

Persians retreated to Asia Minor/By 330 B.C., the last Persian King was dead, and Alexander ruled

The Age of Pericles

PEHR-uh-KLEEZ

The Athenian Empires

• 478 B.C. Dalian League (Alliance): promised to defend its members against the Persians

Headquarters: Island of Delos/Eventually became an Athenian Empire

Democracy in Athens

• Direct Democracy: mass meetings to decide on government matters. Every citizen can vote firsthand on laws and policies:

Small number of citizens 43,000 males over 18 6,000 attended meetings Met every 10 days Passed all laws, elected officials, and

made decisions on war and foreign affairs Ten officials, generals, carried out laws

and policies

Representative Democracy(United States)

Fact or Opinion Activity: Compare and contrast both types of democracy and determine which one is more efficient.

Age of Pericles

• Guided Athens from 461 B.C.-429 B.C. • Dominated Dalian League:

Treated city-states like subjects, demanded loyalty and steady payments

• Democratic at home: -lower-class could run for office-Poor citizens could be a part of the inner

circle -Time of creativity and learning -supported artist, architects, writers, and

philosophers-Called Athens, “The school of Greece.”

Pericles’ Funeral Oration

• In 431, shortly after the Peloponnesian War had broken out, Pericles delivered his famous Funeral Oration to commemorate those troops who had already fallen in battle. In the speech Pericles relates the special qualities of the Athenians, redefining many traditional Greek virtues in a radical new light.

• The idea that the Athenians are able to put aside their petty wants and strive for the greater good of the city is a central theme of the speech. Bound together by bonds of mutual trust and a shared desire for freedom, the people of Athens submit to the laws and obey the public officials not because they have to, as in other cities, but because they want to. Athenians had thus achieved something quite unique - being both ruled and rulers at one and the same time. This had forged a unique type of citizen. Clever, tolerant, and open minded, Athenians were able to adapt to any situation and rise to any challenge. They had become the new ideal of the Greek world.

• Pericles' view was obviously a very idealized one, and it ignored the realities of party factionalism, selfishness, and arrogance that were to soon manifest after his death.

PELOPONNESIAN WAR• Pericles Rebuilds Athens

– Athens experiences a Golden Age– Pericles turns Delian states into Athenian

colonies

• 30 Year War (431-404 B.C.E.) – Athens and Allies vs. Sparta and Allies– Costly victories/defeats and plague wreck city – Unconditional surrender of Athens, 404 B.C.E.

• Hegemony first by Sparta and then by Thebes– Constant warfare between leagues, allies– Spartan hegemony replaced by Theban– Greece horribly weakened

– Athens remained intellectual center of Greece