Transcript Ch 3 PPt - Persians and Greeks

Robert W. Strayer
Ways of the World: A Brief Global
History with Sources
Second Edition
Chapter 3
State and Empire in Eurasia/North Africa
(500 B.C.E.–500 C.E.)
Copyright © 2013 by Bedford/St. Martin’s
(9/17/15) Bell Ringer: What is an Empire?
Short written response
Simple Answer: political systems with coercive power
Complex Answer: larger, more aggressive states that conquer
other states, use their resources, includes a blending of cultures
and political systems
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Ch 3- Eurasian Empires of the
Persian second-wave of civlization
Greek
Hellenistic Empire of Alexander the Great
Roman
Chinese (Han and Qin dynasties)
India (Mauryan and Gupta)
Which empire are you interested in and why?
- Most were large
- Most had conquest filled with blood and conquest
- All eventually fell apart
- Majority of people before the 20th century (1900’s) lived in Empires
- Empires forced the exchange of ideas, cultures, and values(key term?)
- Empires provided peace and security, sense of belonging
- Development of commerce, trade, and cultural mixing created a collective
world
The Persian Empire is a series of imperial
dynasties centered in Persia
(now IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, TURKEY, etc..)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-mkVSasZIM
I. Empires and Civilizations in Collision: The Persians and the
Greeks
A. The Persian Empire (THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE)*Largest in World History
 Persians and Medes are Iranians, related to Indo-Europeans
 The Medes
 Migrated from central Asia to Persia before 1000 B.C.E.
 Indo-European speakers, sharing cultural traits with the Aryans
 Persians were one of the tribes of Medes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZlqgtdQoHo
1. King of Kings: Cyrus & Darius: The great Persian monarchs
exercised absolute power over their subjects, including life and death. They
also enjoyed a lavish lifestyle of elaborate rituals and palaces. They
claimed complete control over their entire domain and saw their centralized
state as absolute. Darius built new capital at Persepolis, 520 B.C.E.
2. Multiculturalism: The Persian monarchs did not rule by force alone.
They used an efficient system of regional administrators known as satraps
and respected the diverse cultures and religions of the various people they
conquered.
3. Infrastructure: The empire’s sophisticated administrations set the
pattern for some 1,000 years for the numerous successor regimes in the
region. Of particular note were the empire’s 1,700-mile “royal road,” its
postal system, forms of taxation, court etiquette, and bureaucracy.
Spread of Zoroastrianism
Zarathustra
• Not sure when he lived.
Most scholars say 7th-6th
centuries B.C.E.
• From an aristocratic family,
possibly a priest
• When he was about twenty,
he left his home in search
of wisdom
• Believes the “wise lord”,
Ahura Mazda chose him to
be a prophet
Zarathustra [Zoroaster], 6c
BCE:
Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words
“Tree of Life”
I. Empires and Civilizations in Collision:
The Persians and the Greeks
B. The Greeks (Hellenic Greece 700 B.C.E – 324 B.C.E.)
1. Hellenes: The Greeks had a common identity as Hellenes, sharing language, religion, and
rituals. Starting in 776 B.C.E., they held the Olympic Games every four years as a festival
celebrating their shared identity.
2. City-states: Despite pan-Hellenic ideals, there was endemic rivalry amongst the various
city-states and near constant warfare. Many states had very different forms of
organization. The contrast between Athenian democracy and Spartan martial
communalism illustrated the extremes. Generally these city-sates were small with only
500 to 5,000 male citizens, but they did see economic dynamism, which could lead to
environmental degradation and soil depletion such as around Athens.
3. Expansion by migration: Like the Persians, the Greeks were dynamic and expansive.
However, their expansion came about by waves of migration around the Mediterranean and
Black Seas between 750 and 500 B.C.E. These migrations spread Greek culture, language,
and architecture.
4. Citizens and hoplites: The Greeks pioneered revolutionary political ideas such as
viewing the individual as a participant of a larger state system, a citizen. The tradition of
hoplite(warriors) warfare existed, where men who could afford armor served as infantry.
These hoplites soon demanded political rights and challenged elites or tyrants.
The Emergence of the Polis
• The polis (city-state) was an urban center and
its rural territory
• What makes a “polis”
– An acropolis
– An agora (marketplace)
– Fortified walls
– Public buildings
• There were frequent wars between the
various city-states
Sparta
• Highly militarized society
• Subjugated peoples: helots
– Serfs, tied to land
– Outnumbered Spartans 10:1 by 6th c. BCE
• Military society developed to control threat of rebellion
• Austerity the norm
• Boys removed from families at age seven
– Received military training in barracks
– Active military service follows
• Marriage, but no home life until age 30
• Some relaxation of discipline by 4th c. CE
Athens
• Solon
– 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
“Golden Age of Pericles”:
460 BCE – 429 BCE
• Legendary Athenian
leader
• Champion of the arts
and sciences,
• Renowned
military/political
leader
• Led Athens into the
Peloponnesian War
• High point of
Athenian democracy
• Aristocratic but
popular
• Massive public works
• Encouraged cultural
development
Athens
 Development of early Democracy
 Free, adult males only
 Women, slaves excluded
 Yet contrast Athenian style of
government with Spartan
militarism
 Maritime trade brings increasing
prosperity
The Parthenon is a former temple
on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece,
 Aristocrats dominated smaller
dedicated to the goddess Athena,
landholders
whom the people of Athens
considered their patron.
 Increased socio-economic
Construction began in 447 BC
tensions
when the Athenian Empire was at
 Class conflict
the height of its power.
The Extent of Greek Colonization
How did
geography
effect the
development
and expansion
of the Greek
colonies?
C. Collision:
The Greco-Persian Wars
SPARTA
ATHENS
C. Collision: The Greco-Persian Wars
1. Ionia: Revolt against Persian Empire 500 BCE in Ionia
-This was a contested area of western Anatolia where
Greek city-states had been annexed by the Persian
Empire.
-When they revolted with the help of Athens, (Athens
supports with ships)the Persians sought to punish the
rebels and their supporters in the Greek mainland.
2. Persian War with Athens: Victorious, democratic, and
imperial: Against all odds, Athens led a coalition of Greek citystates to victory in land and sea engagements in 490 and 480
B.C.E.
- This was a source of great pride for Athenian citizens who
saw their political system as a source of their victory.
- As a consequence of the victory, citizenship was extended
to the lower classes who fought the Persians; Athens
pursued a policy of empire building.
- Greek rebellion crushed by Darius 493 BCE; but routed
Persians in 490 BCE (Marathon)
- Successor Xerxes burns Athens, but driven out as well
- Poleis create Delian League to forestall more Persian
attacks
– Led by Athens
• Massive payments to Athens fuels Periclean expansion
• Resented by other poleis
I. Empires and
Civilizations in
Collision: The Persians
and the Greeks
PERSIAN WARS WITH GREECE
• The Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.)
– Ionian Greeks rebelled
– Athens sent aid to rebels(ships)
– Persian rulers put down rebellion
• Darius invaded Greece to punish Greeks
– Battle of Marathon (490 B.C.E) – 26 miles
north of Athens
– Did not live long enough to finish job
• Xerxes (reigned 486-465 B.C.E.)
– Retreated from the policy of cultural
toleration
– Caused ill will and rebellions among subject
peoples
– Won battle of Thermopolyae (480 B.C.E)
– Lost both land and sea battles to Greeks
• Battle of Salamis
C. Collision: The GrecoPersian Wars
 3. The Peloponnesian War, 431–404 B.C.E.:




 Democratic or not, Athenian
empire building directly led to
conflicts with other Greek citystates.
 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
Effect: Greek city-states left weak
which leads to the Macedonian takeover! (Phillip II son)
I. Empires and
Civilizations in Collision:
The Persians and the
Greeks
I. Empires and Civilizations in Collision:
D. Collision: Alexander and the Hellenistic Era
1. Philip II and Alexander: Philip of Macedonia invaded a weakened Greece and forced
unity upon the quarrelsome city-states. His son, Alexander, led a massive Greek invasion of
the Persian Empire. In a decade of frenetic activity, Alexander claimed numerous military
victories, destroyed the Persian capital at Persepolis, and ventured as far as present
Afghanistan and India before his death in 323 B.C.E.
2. Spread of Greek culture: While his empire soon broke into several pieces, Alexander
opened the way for Greek culture to spread east. Greek influences can be found as far away
as India where the monarch Asoka published some decrees in Greek and a new style of art
showed Greek techniques.
3. Alexandria and Bactria: With its large multiethnic population and numerous
monuments, Alexandria stands out as the most dynamic symbol of the Hellenistic Era.
Bactria, high in the mountains of Central Asia, shows the far flung influences of Greek
culture but also the fusion of Greek and eastern cultures, seen in the Greek monarchs who
practiced Buddhism. While there was sharing of cultures, ethnic conflict could erupt and
some, such as orthodox Jews(Hebrews), tried to resist the Hellenization of their people.
Alexander the Great’s
Empire
HW – Comparison
Venn Diagram – Use slides 21- 82 and Textbook pgs. 119-129
• What were the similarities and differences between the
Persian and Greek Empires? (10 bullets in each area)
THE PERSIANS
THE HEIGHT OF SOUTHWEST
ASIA’S CLASSICAL SOCIETIES
THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE
• Persians and Medes are Iranians, related to Indo-Europeans
• The Medes
– Migrated from central Asia to Persia before 1000 B.C.E.
– Indo-European speakers, sharing cultural traits with the Aryans
– Persians were one of the tribes of Medes
• Cyrus the Great (reigned 557-530 B.C.E.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZlqgtdQoHo
–
–
–
–
–
A tough, wily leader, military strategist
Became the king of the Persians in 557 B.C.E., all Medes in 548 BCE
Conquered Lydia, Chaldean Empires
Established vast empire stretching from India to Mediterranean
Viewed favorably in the Old Testament: allowed Jews to return home
• Cambyses, son of Cyrus (re. 530-522 B.C.E.)
– Conquered Egypt in 525
• Darius (re. 521-486 B.C.E.)
– A young kinsman of Cyrus
– Built the largest empire in world history: conquered
Indus Valley
– Ruled more than 70 ethnic groups
Tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae
ADMINISTRATION
• Divided the empire into 23 satrapies
– Satraps (governors)
• Appointed by the central government
• Local officials were drawn from local peoples
• Local policies included self-government, toleration
– Satraps' power
• Represent Emperor, maintain defense, collect taxes
• Checked by military officers and "imperial spies“
• Checked by Zoroastrianism, codes of honor, fear of Emperor
• Replaced irregular tribute payments with formal taxes
• Military: largest in history until Romans, Chinese
– Common levies from each province
– Persian cavalry; Persian Immortals: elite shock troops
– Mercenaries included Greeks
• Standardization of coins and laws
• Communication systems
– Persian Royal Road links Susa (Asia Minor, Lydia to Susa, in Persia)
– Postal stations with postal relay riders
Persian “Royal Road”
The Royal Road was an ancient highway reorganized and rebuilt by
the Persian king Darius the Great in the 5th century BC. Darius built the road to
facilitate rapid communication and trade throughout his very large empire.
Silk Road
Persepolis
Persepolis
Darius I began the elaborate citadel; his son, Xerxes, continued its construction; and
his grandson, Artaxerxes I, completed the magnificent city of Persepolis, which was
a confluence of styles--Median, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek. Only portions
of the audience hall remain. (George Holton/Photo Researchers, Inc.)
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
PERSEPOLIS
Ancient Persepolis
PERSIAN WARS WITH GREECE
• The Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.)
– Ionian Greeks rebelled
– Greek free city states sent aid to rebels
– Persian rulers put down rebellion
• Darius invaded Greece to punish Greeks
– Battle of Marathon (490 B.C.E)
– Did not live long enough to finish job
• Xerxes (reigned 486-465 B.C.E.)
– Retreated from the policy of cultural
toleration
– Caused ill will and rebellions among subject
peoples
– Won battle of Thermopolyae (480 B.C.E)
– Lost both land and sea battles to Greeks
• Battle of Salamis
SUCCESSORS TO PERSIA
• The Parthians
– Overthrew Selecuids in 238 BCE
•
•
•
•
Based in Iran, extended to Mesopotamia
Retained some traditions of nomadic people
Formidable power of Parthian heavy cavalry because of alfalfa diet of horses
Established a mighty empire through East SW Asia by conquests
– Portrayed themselves as restorers of the Persian tradition
• Followed the example of the Achaemenids in administration
• Clan leaders as satraps: potential threats for central government
– Opposed expanding Roman empire, 1st century C.E.
– Internal rebellion brought it down in the early 3rd century C.E.
• The Sasanids
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
From Persia, claimed direct descent from the Achaemenids
Toppled the Parthians in 224 C.E., new capital at Ctesiphon
Government stronger, better organized, more absolute than Parthian
Traded throughout Arabia, SW Asia, Indian Ocean, Central Asia
Devout Zoroastrians much opposed to early spread of Christianity
Battled the Kushan Empire in the east
Battled the Roman and Byzantine empires in the west, 3rd century C.E.
In 651 C.E., the empire conquered by Arabs
IMPERIAL SOCIETY,
ECONOMY
• Social Development in Classical Persia
– Nomadic character of early Persian society
• Similar to the Aryans in India
• Importance of family and clan relationships
– Imperial bureaucrats
• Needed educated bureaucrats
• Shared power with warriors and clan leaders
– Free classes
• In the city: artisans, craftsmen, merchants, civil servants
• In the countryside: peasants - building underground canals (qanat)
• Slaves in both cities and countryside
• Economic Foundations of Classical Persia
– Agriculture was the economic foundation
• Main crops: Barley and wheat
• Supplemental crops: peas, lentils, mustard, garlic, onions, cucumber
• Large agricultural surplus
– Trade
•
•
•
•
Commercial zone from India to Egypt
Political stability promoted growth of trade
Standardized coins (Gold Darics were first in world), good trade routes
Specialization of production in different regions
Zarathustra and his faith
Zarathustra
• Not sure when he lived.
Most scholars say 7th-6th
centuries B.C.E.
• From an aristocratic family,
possibly a priest
• When he was about twenty,
he left his home in search
of wisdom
• Believes the “wise lord”,
Ahura Mazda chose him to
be a prophet
Zarathustra [Zoroaster], 6c
BCE:
Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words
“Tree of Life”
Spread of Zoroastrianism
Religion of the Persian Empires and people that
required good thoughts, good deeds, and good
words.
Religion of Persia
• The major religion of the Persian Empire was Zoroastrianism.
– The origins are unclear
• The text was the Gathas, or the hymns of Zoroastrianism
– Written by Zoroaster (Zarathustra), who lived sometime
between 1700 and 500 b.c.e
• Zoroastrianism shows the existence of a dualistic universe in
which the god of good, Ahuramazda, was locked in an epic
struggle against the god of evil, Angra Mainyu
• Zoroastrianism’s dualism may have had an influence on
Judaism and thus on Christianity
Relief of two Persian Magi
Relief of two Persian Magi
This stone relief from Dascylium,
headquarters of the Persian governor in
northwest Anatolia, shows two magi
wearing veils over their mouths and
holding bundles of sticks used in the
ceremony of sacrifice. The Persian kings
and their subordinates were Zoroastrians,
and it is likely that Zoroastrianism
spread to the provinces, where
significant numbers of Persians lived,
and influenced the beliefs of other
peoples. (Courtesy, Archaeological
Museums of Istanbul)
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Detail from the first page from Artae Viraz Namak, the sacred
Zoroastrian book. Founded by a Persian prophet, Zoroaster, in the
500's B.C., Zoroastrianism thrived as a religion in Persia from about
550 to 330 B.C. There were periods of revival in the following
centuries, but the faith was largely eclipsed by the spread of Islam
beginning in the 7th century A.D. Zoroastrianism today is practiced by
a small minority in Iran and by a people called Parsis in India. The
religion teaches a belief in one God, Ahura Mazda, who wages a
struggle against the forces of evil.
Zend-Avesta
(The “Book of Law”)
The “Sacred Fire”  the force to
fight evil.
Teachings
• Not strict monotheists though Ahura
Mazda was supreme deity and creator
of all good things
• Six lesser deities
• Angra Mainyu, “destructive spirit”
• After 12,000 years of struggle, good
would prevail over evil
Dualistic Battle of
Good vs. Evil
Ahura Mazda
“Holy Spirit”
Angra Mainyu
“Destructive
Spirit”
Teachings
• Judgment Day, reward or
punishment for thoughts, words
and deeds
• No renunciation of the world
though
• Honesty and truth
Popularity
• Wealthy donated land and built
temples
• Rulers claimed divine sanction for
their rule
• Most popular in current day Iran, but
attracted others in Mesopotamia,
Anatolia, and Egypt
Popularity
• When Alexander arrived,
Zoroastrianism barely survived
• Later, under Sasanids, it had a
revival to the point of
persecution of other faiths
• Then Islam arrived and
numbers of Zoroastrians
dwindled
Shared Ideas
• Omnipotent and beneficent deity was
responsible for all creation
• A purely evil being worked against the
creator god
• The forces of good will ultimately
prevail over the power of evil after a
climatic struggle
Shared Ideas
• Human beings must strive to
observe the highest moral
standards
• Individuals will undergo
judgment
• Heaven and hell
PERSIAN RELIGION
• Zarathustra and his faith
– Earliest Persian religion resembled that of the Aryans
– Zoroastrianism, emerged from teachings of Zarathustra
• The Gathas
–
–
–
–
Zoroastrian teachings, transmitted orally, many perished
Preserved later in writing, by magi
Compilation of the holy scriptures, Zend Avesta, under Sasanid dynasty
Zarathustra's own writing survived, known as Gathas
• Zoroastrian teachings
–
–
–
–
–
Ahura Mazda as a supreme deity, with six lesser deities
Cosmic conflict between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu (Ahriman, Shaitan)
Heavenly paradise and hellish realm as reward and punishment
The material world as a blessing
Moral formula: good words, good thoughts, good deeds
• Popularity of Zoroastrianism
–
–
–
–
Attracted Persian aristocrats and ruling elites
Darius regarded Ahura Mazda as supreme God
The faith was most popular in Iran
Sizable followings in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Egypt, and other regions
Other Faiths in Persia
•
•
•
•
Judaism
Buddhism
Christianity
Manichaeism
RELIGIONS OF SALVATION
• Zoroastrian community suffered during Alexander's invasion
• Zoroastrianism was the official religion during Sasanid rule
• The Zoroastrians' difficulties
–
–
–
–
–
Extreme rivalries with Christianity (Orthodox, Monophysites)
Arabs conquered Sasanid empire, seventh century C.E.
Some Zoroastrians fled to India
Remaining Zoroastrians converted to Islam
Few faithful Zoroastrians still exist in modern day Iran
• Other faiths: Buddhism, Christianity, and Manichaeism
• Influence of Zoroastrians
– Influence on Jewish religion: belief in future reward and punishment
– Influence on Christianity: concepts of heaven and hell
– Later influenced Islam; one of Muhammad’s protected faiths
Bronze Age Greece
Early Development of Greek Society
• Minoan Society
– Island of Crete
– Major city: Knossos C. 2200
BCE center of maritime trade
• Undeciphered syllabic alphabet
(Linear A)
• Series of natural disasters after
1700 BCE
– Earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, tidal waves
• Foreign invasions
• Foreign domination by 1100
BCE
http://www.platosacademy.com/archives/knossos
.html
Knossos: Minoan Civilization
Mycenaean Society
• Indo-european invaders descend through Balkans into
Peloponnesus, c. 2200 BCE
• Influenced by Minoan culture
• Major settlement: Mycenae
• Military expansion throughout region
• Trojan war, c. 1200 BCE
– Homer’s The Iliad
– Sequel: The Odyssey
• Political turmoil, chaos from 1100 to 800 BCE
• Mycenaean civilization disappears
https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=MS4jk5kavy4
Greek Colonization
• Population expansion drives colonization
– Coastal Mediterranean, Black sea
• Sicily (Naples: “nea polis,” new city)
• Southern France (Massalia: Marseilles)
• Anatolia
• Southern Ukraine
• Effects
– Trade throughout region
– Communication of ideas
• Language, culture (ex. architecture)
– Political and social effects
Contrasting Patriarchies: Athens and Sparta
1. Restriction on elite Athenian women: While Athens saw the expanding
rights of male citizens and the formation of a democratic system of
participation, elite Athenian women were subject to numerous legal and
social restrictions. Indeed, they were not to be named or appear in public.
Athens, home of Socrates and Plato, did not open education to women.
Women were married off in their teens to men twice their age.
2. Aspasia (470–400 B.C.E.): This foreign born woman became the life
companion of Athens’ greatest statesman, Pericles. While they never
married, they lived together as husband and wife; however, she was not
confined to the home, and Pericles treated her as an intellectual equal.
3. Obligations and freedoms of Spartan women: Sparta was the mirror
opposite to Athens in many ways. As Sparta created a collective state
system that stressed the military prowess of its citizens, the city emphasized
physical fitness and toughness. Women were then expected also to be
healthy and strong, participating in exercise and dancing. As they were out
and about and very active, there were styles of dress that other Greeks
found revealing and scandalous. Their main obligation was to produce lots
of healthy children who would become strong warriors or child bearers for
the state. Marriage ages in Sparta were generally equal.
Greek Language
• Borrowed Phoenician
alphabet
• Added vowels
• Complex language
– “middle” voice
• Allowed for
communication of
abstract ideas
– Philosophy
Greek Economy
• Greece: little grain, but rich in olives and grapes
• Colonies further trade
• Commerce rather than agriculture as basis of much
of economy
• Panhellenic Festivals
– Useful for integrating far-flung colonies
– Olympic Games begin 776 BCE
– Sense of collective identity
Greek Philosophy
•
Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.)
–
–
–
–
•
The Socratic Method (Questions)
Student: Plato
Public gadfly, condemned on charges of immorality
Forced to drink hemlock
Plato (430-347 B.C.E.)
– Systematized Socratic thought
– The Republic
• Parable of the Cave
• Theory of Forms/Ideas
•
Aristotle (389-322 B.C.E.)
–
–
–
–
Student of Plato
Broke with Theory of Forms/Ideas
Emphasis on empirical findings, reason
Massive impact on western thought
Greek Religion
• Polytheism
• Zeus principal god
• Religious cults
–Eleusinian mysteries
–The Bacchae
–Rituals eventually domesticated
Greek Drama
• Evolution from public presentations of cultic
rituals
• Major playwrights (5th c. BCE)
– Aeschylus
– Sophocles
– Euripides
• Comedy: Aristophanes
Persian Wars: Famous Battles
 Marathon (490 BCE)
 26 miles from Athens
 Thermopylae (480 BCE)
 300 Spartans at the Mountain
pass
 Salamis (480 BCE)
 Athenian navy victorious
A reconstruction of beached
Persian ships at Marathon prior
to the battle.
Hellenistic Philosophy
•
Epicureans
– Pleasure, distinct from Hedonists
•
Skeptics
– Doubted possibility of certainty in anything
•
Stoics
– Duty, virtue
– Emphasis on inner peace
Phidias’ Acropolis
The Acropolis Today
The Parthenon
The Agora (Marketplace)
The Classical Greek
“Ideal”
Greek Mythology: Olympia
The Ancient Olympics:
Athletes & Trainers
Olympia: Temple to Hera
The 2004 Olympics
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great in
Persia
Alexander the Great’s
Empire
The Economy of the Hellenistic
World
ALEXANDER
AND HIS
SUCCESSORS
• After Alexander’s death, competition for empire
• Divided by generals
– Antigonus: Greece and Macedon
– Ptolemy: Egypt
– Seleucus: Persian Achaemenid Empire
• Economic integration, Intellectual cross-fertilization
Hellenistic Empires
• Antigonid (Greece and Macedonia)
– Smallest of Hellenistic Empires
– Local dissent
– Issue of land distribution
• Heavy colonizing activity
• Ptolemaic (Egypt)
– Wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires
– Established state monopolies
• Textiles, Salt, Beer
– Capital: Alexandria
• Important port city
• Major museum, library
• Multi-ethnic population
• Monuments
• Seleucid (Persia)
– Massive colonization of Greeks
– Export of Greek culture, values as far east as India
• Bactria
• Ashoka legislates in Greek and Aramaic
Pergamum: A
Hellenistic City
Hellenistic Philosophers
 Cynics  Diogenes
 ignore social conventions &
avoid luxuries.
 citizens of the world.
 live a humble, simple life.
 Epicurians  Epicurus
 avoid pain & seek pleasure.
 all excess leads to pain!
 politics should be avoided.
Hellenistic Philosophers
 Stoics  Zeno
 nature is the expansion of divine will.
 concept of natural law.
 get involved in politics, not
for
personal gain, but to
perform virtuous acts for the good of
all.
 true happiness is found in
great achievements.
Hellenism: The Arts &
Sciences
 Scientists / Mathematicians:
 Aristarchus  heliocentric theory.
 Euclid  geometry
 Archimedes  pulley
 Hellenistic Art:
 More realistic; less ideal than Hellenic art.
 Showed individual emotions, wrinkles, and
age!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LsrkWDCvxg
(Crash Course video on Alexander’s Empire
Friday Bell Ringer: 9/18/15
Read page 124 in textbook
 Answer the following questions about change with a short
answer response:
1.How did semi-democratic governments
emerge in some of the Greek citystates?
2.How did the idea of “citizenship”
develop and what were some examples
of the roles a citizen might play in these
Greek city-states?
Democracy 101: Overview
The Aristotelian Constitution of Athens, now in
the British Library (Papyrus 131)
• Greece is a loose
collection of individual citystates
• That is, the primary
political affiliation for
people is to the city in
which they live
• The main political rivalry
driving politics within the
city was that rivalry
between the rich and poor
• The main political rivalry
within the Greek cities was
that between Athens and
Sparta
• The other political threat
they faced was between
the Greeks and the
“barbarians” (anyone not
Greek, particularly the
Persians to the north)
Ancient Greece
Definition
• Democracy derives
from the ancient
Greek,
“demokratia”:
– demos = the
people
Meant to distinguish the idea
– kratien = to rule that it is the people
collectively, not any class,
family, or group that rules
Steps toward Democracy
 Athenian “citizenship” was for
wealthy and well born
(aristocracy/oligarchy))
 Solon (594 B.C.E.)– leader who
pushed democratic direction in
Athens
 Political participation encouraged
for all
 Debt slavery was abolished
 Pericles extended rights of citizens
(men)
 All holders of public office were paid
 “The Assembly” became the center
of political life
 Direct Democracy created!
Definition
Other types of government derived from Greek base:
Aristocracy:
Monarchy:
Oligarchy:
Timocracy:
Tyranny:
Rule by the best
Rule by one person
Rule by the wealthy
Rule by the honorable
Rule by the rulers, for the
rulers
Democratic Rule
• For “The People” to rule we need:
– Equality
– how do we define that?
– Freedom
– how do we define that?
– Engagement
– what type? and how?
Questions of Democracy
Who are “The People?”
Questions of Democracy
How do “the people” rule?
Questions of Democracy
How do we know what the people want?
Questions of Democracy
1. Why do we think
“the People” will
make good
political decisions?
2. What areas should
we allow the
people to rule?
Doc 3.1 The Funeral Oration
Pgs146-148(WHAP textbook)
Page 147 (TPS Activity) Document Analysis Questions 1-4