Transcript The_Greeks - DebHarperPortfolio

The Greeks
The context, significant features
and impact of classical Greek
civilization
Time line and Context
• Bronze age Aegean civilizations c.2300 BC
• Minoan civilization ( not Greek) – earliest
European civilization c2000BC
• Lasted 500 years ended by northern invaders
from Greece
• King Minos
• Homer (early pre- classical Greece)– story of the
Minotaur and Labyrinth partly supported by
archaeological record – finds by Schliemann ( d.
1890) at Knossos [ bulls labrys axe ]
• Neighbouring cultures Celts, Phoenicians,
Persia, Egypt
Homer
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Attributed author of Iliad and Odyssey
Herodotus-‘400 years before my time’
Retelling of older stories?
Formed basis of Greek Education ‘the
Greek bible’
• Writes of heroes, search for honour, glory
and memorable deeds- values
• The folly of human conflict
• The power of fate
The Iliad
• Story of how the Greeks, lead by Achilles,
won back Helen wife of King Meneleus of
Sparta, who had been stolen by Paris from
the city of Troy
• Other Greek Heroes Odysseus,
Agamemnon, Ajax
• Trojans King Priam, Hector, Cassandra
• Trojans defeated by the Trojan Horse
The Odyssey
• The adventures of Odysseus returning
from Trojan wars to his wife Penelope
• Land of the Lotus eaters
• Circe the enchantress
• Polyphemus the Cyclops
• Scylla and Charybdids
• The Sirens
• Zeus v Aphrodite
The Mycenaeans
• Based at Mycenae on the Peleponnese. In
Homer the capital of King Agamemnon
• Again circumstantial archaeological
evidence
• Warriors and traders
• Linear B writing
• From 2000BC- c 1200 BC collapse of this
civilization writing falls out of use for 400
years
Rise of Greece
• C 8th century BC
• Iron overtakes bronze
• Emergence of city states the
POLIS
• Improved writing – vowels
• c600BC of Greek states only
Sparta and Argos are
monarchies
• Urge to power of broader
spectrum of men
• The Phalanx- a new fighting
strategy citizen soldiers long
spears interlocking shields
Diversity of Greek landscape and
peoples
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Sea communications
Climate – out door living
Agriculture- olive oil
not wealthy but easy to live- time for talk
E.g. Socrates
Little conspicuous gulf between educated and not
References to farming in Hesiod
Smiths and Potters significant crafts
Weaving associated with women and home
Gods represent natural world and diverse traditions
City States
• Greek city states- The Polis - were
diverse and competitive yet had an identity
as Hellenes. Non Greeks regarded as
Barbarians i.e. non Greek speakers.
• Shared culture
• Gods
• Places of worship
• Stories, Homer, Festivals
Different Political Systems
• Monarchy , Aristocracy,- nobles
• Oligarchy- Government by the rich
• Tyranny -Tyrants could be popular – means
power by own hands- could get repressive in
response to challenge
• Democracy- Athens
• Solon cancels debt 570 BC
• Tyranny PEISISTRATOS
• 510 CLESTHENES- every free born male has
the right to participate in the Ekklesia with a
smaller elected senate for day to day decisions
The Persian Wars (Herodotus)
• War with Persia tests emergent
democracy. Documented by Herodotus as
a war for freedom
• Cyrus The Great 6th c BC expansion of
Persian Empire into Aegean Lands and
Greek Colonies in Asia Minor (Turkey)
• 449 BC Darius successor to Cyrus attacks
across the Aegean
Athens leads defence
• Dissent amongst other Greek states even
Spartans don’t make the battle of
• MARATHON due to religious rituals
• 9000 Athenian Hoplites – the citizen
infantry, shoulder to shoulderoutnumbered 2 to 1..
• Hold off the might of the Persian Cavalry
• Persians retreat…..until
480BC attack of Xerxes
• 480 BC Persians return lead by Xerxes son of
Darius. This time Spartan King Leonidas with
300 soldiers holds back the Persian hoards at
THERMOPYLAE– giving Athenians time to
evacuate the city which Persians burn.
• THEMISOCLES meanwhile takes Athenian fleet
to SALAMIS- the Persian fleet follows and is out
manoeuvred and destroyed.
• 479 Greek armies finally expel Persians from
mainland Greece.
Sparta
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Kingdom in Greece
Military society
‘Return with your shield or on it’
Concept of freedom but collective
Toughness, honour, comradeship, duty
Rigid social organisation, training from 7
years- Spartans don’t work
• Helots- semi slaves from surrounding
region
Athens rebuilt
• Themistocles city wall, agora
• Pericles builds Parthenon on the Acropolisdedicated to Athena 447-432BC
• Statue 11m tall inside
• Boost to craftsmen
• Symbols of golden age of culture
• Architecture- proportion ,
• Geometry, maths Pythagoras (A philosopher
too)
The Agora
• Centre of city life trade, social judicial,
intellectual
• Bouieterion- council chamber, judgement
by juries of fellow citizens
• PHILOSOPHERS here too, a tradition in
Greek life since Xenophanes
• Sophists – can argue both sides of any
case hence Sophistry
Philosophy
• SOCRATES 469-399BC dialogues with
students
• ‘A life not examined is not worth living’
• Recorded by his pupil PLATO 427-347
• Teacher to ARISTOTLE ( Logic) 384-322
BC
• Definitions of truth, justice, beauty
• Basis for the whole of western thought
The Greek ideal
Greek Drama
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Tragedy AESHYLUS
SOPHOCLES, EURIPEDES
Comedy ARISTOPHANES
Masked players ( men), dramatic conventions
e.g. unities, chorus
Music and dance, competitions too
Associated with festivals DIONYSIAN
Slaves and prisoners allowed to watch
AMPHITHEATRE could seat 17.000
Theatrical mask
Gymnasion
• Trained both mind and body- fitness of
both inseparable to Greeks associated
with sense of beauty and virtue combined
• Done in the nude ( Shocking to Persians)
• Plato's academy had running track and
sports arena
• Athletic accomplishment values since
games at OLYMPIA pre 8th century BC
Slaves and Metics
• Athenian Citizens active in democracy
( more so than today)
• BUT in Athens and other Greek states economy
rooted in SLAVE labour
• 100,000 in Athens for a free population of
150,000 -purchased, pows, born slaves
• Domestic labour , heavy work, some highly
skilled, not too arduous unless in LAURION
silver mines
• Metics – free foreign workers – shared social life
but not citizenship numbers grew with time
Women
• No political status
• In the home , seen and not heard, married young to
older husbands
• Marriage for sons, heirs ….and daughters for dynastic
marriages)
• Silence a mark of modesty
• Upper class women more restrictions
• Lower class women some work nurses , weavers,
textiles, craftswomen , traders
• Prostitutes integral part of Athenian Life
• Glamorous courtesans, street whores
• Athenian men don’t look to wives for intellectual
company or sex – used prostitutes or men friends
• ‘Greek love’ in addition to marriage
After the golden age of classical
Greece…
• after C5 BC decline of Athenian power
• Rise of Philip of Macedon
• Father of Alexander the Great
Greek Gods
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Reflected Greek contact with nature
Lived on Olympus
Ruled by Zeus and spoke in thunderbolts and his jealous wife HERA
Hephaestus the Smith
Athena Goddess of wisdom
Poseidon – the sea, Hades – the underworld
Apollo the Sun
Aphrodite – love
Demeter- earth
Iris the rainbow
Ares –war
Hermes- the messenger
Artemis
Nike Goddess of …?
Bibliography
• Green P (1973) A Concise History of Ancient
Greece to the close of he classical era. London
Thames and Hudson
• Kerrigan, M (2001) Ancient Greece, London
BBC
• Kitto, H.D.F ( 1951)The Greeks, London
Penguin
• Hampshire History centre packs
• www.bbb.co.uk – Lord Elgin, Olympics
• www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass
• www.primaryhistory.org
Consider impact of Greek culture
• Look at materials for
teaching
• Hants packs
• Nuffield citizenship
activity
• Should the Elgin
Marbles/ Parthenon
Frieze be returned to
Greece?