Transcript Ancient Greece – 6-1

Ancient Greece – 6-1
• Peninsula – area of
land that is
surrounded by water
on three sides
• Epics – long poems
or texts that tell a
story
• City-State – a city
with its own
government and
society
• Greece is located on
a peninsula
• Made up largely of
mountains and
islands
• Islands on Aegean
Sea
• Islands and
mountains kept
communities
separated
Ancient Greece – 6-1
• Ancient Greeks often
fought among
themselves, though
they had same
language and gods
• Only 1/5 of Greece is
good for farming
• Ancient Greeks
became traders and
sailors
Ancient Greece – 6-1
• Myth – legend or story,
often dealing with gods or
goddesses
• Mythology – myths or
legends of a culture’s
gods or history
• Titans – 12 Greek gods
who ruled sky and earth
in Greek mythology
• Greek culture was
polytheistic
• Cronos – ruled Titans;
Zeus’ father
• Zeus overthrew his father
to be leader of gods
• Greek gods ruled from
Mt. Olympus
Ancient Greece – 6-1
• Crete – large island
south of Greece
• Minoans – civilization
on ancient Crete
• Knossos – city in
ancient Crete
• Ancient Minoans
Ruled Crete from
3000 to 1100 BCE
Had large sea-trading
network
Knossos was
destroyed in 1400s
BCE and civilization
declined
Had large impact on
Greeks
Ancient Greece – 6-1
• Conquest – using
force to conquer or
take over a society
• MYCENAEANS
 Came to power
around 1400 BCE
 Focused power and
society to the
mainland at Mycenae
 Used conquest to
spread their power
Ancient Greece – 6-1
• Iliad and Odyssey –
Epic poems that tell
stories about Trojan
War. Probably written
by many, but credit is
given to Homer as
their author
• THE TROJAN WAR
Story of conflict
between Greece and
kingdom of Troy, in
modern Turkey
Mycenaeans may
have been inspiration
for the legend
Ancient Greece – 6-1
Greeks conquered Troy
through trickery
Trojan Horse: Greeks hid
soldiers inside giant wooden
horse and gave to Troy as a
gift. When inside city walls,
soldiers let other Greeks in
and took over city
“Beware of Greeks bearing
gifts”
Troy was destroyed by fire
in 1200s BCE
Ancient Greece – 6-1
• Acropolis – a fortified • Greece’s
hill; “high city” in
“Dark Ages”
Greek; became focus  Greek civilization
for city-states
collapsed around
1100s BCE
 Poverty was common
 Trading declined
 Written language
began to die out
 Families began to
settle in villages
Ancient Greece – 6-1
 Villages were near
rocky, protected hills - Acropolis
 Built fortresses here
 Dark Age lasted until
about 800 BCE
Ancient Greece – 6-1
• Aristocrat – wealthy
powerful people
• Tyrant – ruler who
seizes power by
force, often cruel
• Democracy –
government where
citizens rule
themselves
• Rise of City-States
 Small villages grew to
small cities
 Created their own
traditions and
government
 Included city,
surrounding villages,
and farms.
Ancient Greece – 6-1
 Early city-states were
ruled by aristocrats, who
could afford good land,
weapons, horses,
chariots, etc.
 Later a new class of
artisans and merchants
grew
 This new class often
overthrew aristocrats and
took over as tyrants
Ancient Greece – 6-1
 Tyrants were often
supported by working
and middle class;
many ruled fair and
wisely
 Democracy
eventually took the
place of tyrants for
government
 Especially true in
Athens
Ancient Greece – 6-1
 594 BCE – Solon won
power in Athens –
reformed laws and
was known for
fairness
 All male citizens over
18 were allowed a
voice in government
 Athens became
leading democracy of
ancient world