Transcript Ancient Greece

Ancient
Greece
What can the
geography of Greece
tell us about this
civilization?
Prelude: Minoan Civilization
3000 – 1100 BC


This civilization was developing on the
island of Crete while Egypt and
Mesopotamia were flourishing
This civilization was named after
legendary King Minos, whose father was
said to be Zeus
Minoan Culture

Knossos-Crete
– Cretans living in cities, trading and writing by 2000 BC

1930 B.C.-First palace built

Government


Economy



A “bureaucratic monarchy”
Art
Agriculture-olive and wine
Long distance trade, ships; copper, ivory, gold, amber
– Throughout Asia Minor, Egypt and Mediterranean
– Minoan artifacts, art and peoples found in Egypt
Two-stories high, wall and floor decorations, artistic designs
and paintings, dances and religious ceremonies

Linear A and B
Writing of Minoans
– Linear A – A script from 1800 BCE untranslated
language of Minoans
– Linear B – Early Greek employed by Myceneans after
about 1400 BC (after conquered Minoans). Not used
for political, social, and philosophical aspects of life;
only commercial transactions.
The Palace at Knossos
Engineering of the Palace was
quite advanced for its time –
walls were resistant to
moderate earthquakes and
were 2-3 stories in height.
The palace (and most Minoan
homes) had sophisticated
internal plumbing and upper
floor lavatories (with toilets
whose waste was channeled
out of the house and into the
city’s drainage system).
Sophisticated Palace Architecture




Below ground storage of grains, oils, and wines
Beautiful friezes and frescoes
No walls protecting Minos palace
It seems the Minoans were relatively peaceful –
and able to focus their energies on trade.
Dolphins
Dolphin frescoes illustrate
the importance of the sea
and sea life for the
Minoans.
How did the Minoans
prosper despite having
few natural resources?
TRADE!!!
Four Major Ports
1.
2.
3.
4.
Greece (Attica)
Sardina
Syria
Aegean islands
Imports:
Gold
Copper
Precious
Stones
Exports:
Wine
Olive Oils
Cultural Beliefs & Influences




Crete is traditionally the place where Zeus was
born
Minoans worshipped Zeus, and in their culture,
he eventually died
Later, Greeks were incensed that Minoans
believed that Zeus died.
Though Greece eventually dominated the area,
Minoan beliefs largely influenced Greek thinking,
language, social organization and economic
pursuits
Decline of Civilization



Minoan trade dominated eastern
Mediterranean until about 1380 BC
Something happened, maybe a volcanic
eruption or other natural disaster
Culture was further weakened by
Mycenaean attacks and influences
between 1500 and 1100 BC
Beginnings: Mycenaean Civilization
1900—1100 BC
Mycenaeans

The civilization named by archeologists after the
fortress city, Mycenae, in the lower rugged
region of the Greek peninsula, Peloponnesus



Fortified citadels and very warlike.
Mycenaeans were war-like and may have come
from Russia or parts of Mesopotamia. Arrived
about 1900 BC and by 1500 ruled entire
peninsula
Hierarchy: warrior kings  warrior nobles 
artisans  merchants  peasants  slaves
Mycenae Data




Ruins of Mycenaean palaces reveals an
intricate series of tunnels beneath the
palace.
Palace had massive double walls and
narrow escape passages
Most well know Mycenaean monument is
the massive Lion Gate constructed from
four massive hewn stones (ashlars)
Bronze lion’s heads now gone, maybe
stolen. Design likely to remind citizens
who ruled and to intimidate visitors.
Mycenaean Data


It was Mycenaeans who tried to topple
Troy. The long siege weakened the
civilization and inspired Homer’s later Iliad
and Odyssey
It was the Mycenaeans who gave the
Greeks many of their ideals and inspired
the age of heroes established by Homer
Mycenaean Data


It was Mycenaeans who tried to topple
Troy. The long siege weakened the
civilization and inspired Homer’s later Illiad
and Odyssey.
It was the Mycenaeans who gave the
Greeks many of their ideals and inspired
the age of heroes established by Homer.
Painting, arts

16th century BC –
Funerary mask

Late Bronze Age
Mycenean vase
Dark Ages:
1100—800 BC

After collapse of Mycenaean civilization, a
300 year period called Dark Ages





Life becomes more agrarian
Transitional time—changes happening behind
the scenes
Power shifting from kings to families
Bronze gives way to iron
Mycenaeans flee to Asia Minor. Early Greeks
establish life around Aegean and
Mediterranean Seas
The Archaic Greek Age:
800—479 BC


After the Dark Ages, the Greeks emerged
with a common language, heroic stories,
myths, religious practices and trading
interests.
They claimed a common mythical parent,
Hellen, who fathered three sons, the
ancestors of the three major Greek tribes:
Ionians, Aeolians, and Dorians.
Polis

Developed during the Archaic Period.

Ruled by its citizens.

Changed the development of governments
in Greece.
The Greek City States - Polis

Developed durnig the Archaic period

Measured about three days’ walking distance.

Had between 5,000 - 10,000 male citizens. Ruled by its
citizens.


Athens had 40,000
Citizens made up the minority of the inhabitants.

Slaves and foreigners excluded


Before 500 B.C. so were men who did not own land.
Greek women had no political or legal rights.
How was the Greek Identity related to the Polis 1. Center of Greek identity and loyalty
2. No individual identity
3. All citizens were part of an extended community
Rights and Responsibilities

Vote

Hold Public Office


Own Property
Speak for themselves
in court


Participate in
Government
Defend the polis
Greek Colonies and Trade


700 B.C. Greek farmers no longer grew enough
grain to feed everyone.
Each polis sent out people to set up colonies.




Close Economic ties to “Mother City”
Supplied grain – Wheat and Barley
Trade increase throughout Mediterranean Sea
Greeks replaced their barter system with a
money economy
Sparta & Athens: Contrasting Ways
Of Life

Sparta:




The principle symbol of the Dorian civilization
Developed an ever vigilant hierarchical
society with rigid policies and well trained
men, women, and children
Harsh laws were passed to ensure stability
Sparta contributed little to the artistic
enrichment of Greece.

Athens:



In contrast it reached far greater
achievements in art, intellect, and literature.
Athens was a much more open society
Through aristocrat, Solon, lower class men
were given the right to participate in
government, and by 508 BC nearly full
democracy established
Interesting Differences



Sparta needed healthy male warriors, so
childbearing women were given more freedoms
Spartan woman
Athenian women
Choral singing
No
Dancing
No
Nude athletics w/men
No
Athenian women pursued respectability as an
ideal.
Democracy
in Athens
 Hierarchy:
adult males
 women/children
 non-citizens: foreigners, slaves

Average Citizen
 Not wealthy
 a member of the Assembly
 could vote (majority wins)
Government - The Council
of Athens
Each year 500 names drawn to
serve
 carry out day to day business
 Decide what will be discussed at
the next assembly
 Write laws for the assembly to vote
on

Athenian Generals
 Ten
chosen every year
 One of them is chosen
commander in
chief(Pericles)
 Assembly elects them
 Generals obey the Assembly
Athenian Court






Juries to try the case (201 men)
Paid juries
duty of citizen
no full time judges or lawyers
majority vote
Some convictions triggered an automatic penalty, but
where this was not the case the two litigants each
proposed a penalty for the convicted defendant and
the jury chose between them in a further vote. No
appeal was possible.
The Acropolis
The Oracle at
Delphi
What led to the decline of
the Athenian aristocracy?


Commoners began to play a
greater part in commerce and
defending Athens.
These people started to demand a
greater voice in government.
Greek Philosophy
The Foundation for Western
Thought
Socrates

In his use of critical reasoning, by his
unwavering commitment to truth, and
through the vivid example of his own life,
fifth-century Athenian Socrates set the
standard for all subsequent Western
philosophy.
Socrates – Cont.

Lounged around


Marketplace
Questioning fellow citizens



About beliefs and ideas
What we know comes from the writings of Plato.
Trial

At 70 he was on trial for corrupting the city’s youth
and failing to respect the Gods.

Found guilt and sentenced to death – He drank Hemlock and
died
Socratic Method


A questioning method to dig deeper into the
meaning of one’s sayings.
Teaching by asking instead of telling.






When Socrates questions Euthyphro to define what
actions are pious.

His answer “What is pleasing to the gods is pious.”
“Have we not said, Euthyphro, that there are
quarrels and disagreements and hatreds among
the Gods?”
“We have…”
Then you say that some of the gods think one
thing just, the other another; and that what
some of them hold to be honorable or good,
others hold to be dishonorable or evil; . . . And
the same thing will be displeasing and pleasing
to them?”
“Apparently”
“Then, according to your account, the same
thing will be pious and impious”
Plato



Student of Socrates – His death shocked
him so much that he left Athens for 10
years.
Plato may have traveled in Italy, Sicily,
Egypt, and Cyrene,Libya.
Upon his return he set up The Academy –
It would last for 900 years
Plato


Emphasized the importance of reason.
Through rational thought, he argued,
people could discover unchanging ethical
values, recognize perfect beauty, and
learn how to organize and ideal society.
The Republic



Describes his ideal society.
The state should regulate every aspect of
its citizens’ lives in order to provide for
their best interest.
Divided society into three groups.


Working class, soldiers, elite leaders
Women could rank among the ruling elite
Aristotle


Plato’s student.
Govt.

Looked at all kinds of Government and saw good and bad in all
of them.


How people ought to live


He favored rule by a single strong and virtuous leader
The golden mean – a moderate course between extremes
Education


Set up a school, Lyceum, study of all branches of education.
He left writing on politics, ethics, logic, biology, literature,
physics, and many more subjects. When Universities are
founded in Europe some 1500 years later, their courses are
largely based on Aristotle’s works.
What is Character?
Aristotle’s View
Virtuous


Continent


Struggles against his desires to be able to do the right
thing.
Incontinent


Makes the right decision and action
Is able to reach the right decision but would suffer
from weakness of will to do it.
Vicious

There is not struggle against one’s desires and there
is no weakness of will. – The decision is morally
wrong.
Myths and
Superstitions
Greek Mythology
 The
basis of ancient
Greek society and
government
 Polytheistic
 Gods
had human
characteristics
Greek Myths
The religious beliefs of Classical Greece can be interpreted
in many different ways.
Nobody can be sure how or why people believe a certain
story about their gods.
Different people probably have different reasons for
believing a story.
Or the same person may believe a story for several different
reasons.
Not everyone believes all the stories: different people may
tell different stories. And people may tell one story in one
situation, and a different story in a different situation,
whatever seems to fit.
To help you relate one story to
another, the next slide shows some of
the ways that the Greeks thought
their gods were related.
Greek gods family tree
= means they are married, or at least they have children together


Now read some of the myths/stories that
people told in Ancient Greece
Think of some of the reasons why they
might have told these stories and not the
other ones.
The
Olympian
Jupiter
statue
composed
of ivory and
gold
The Minerva of the Parthenon
The statue stood in the
Parthenon, or temple of
Minerva (Athena) at Athens.
The goddess was
represented standing.
In one hand she held a spear,
in the other a statue of
Victory (Nike). Her helmet,
highly decorated, was
surmounted by a Sphinx.
The statue was forty feet in
height, and, like the Jupiter,
composed of ivory and gold
A vase of Ares, the god of War
Hermes
the messenger of the gods
Dionysus
the god of wine
Persephone, and the fateful
pomegranate