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An Introduction to
Ancient Greece
Before we begin…
“_______________” refers to the
point at which human societies
______________ and took root
around certain spots.
This stopped the tradition of
__________ hunting and
_______________ as people
converted to an ______________
lifestyle (which means that they
would _____ and _____ their food
instead of __________ ____ and
looking for it).
Early stone arrowhead
Civilization
It is thought that the six earliest
civilizations around the world were
____________________,
____________, ___________,
Shang (or ________ ________
valley), ______________ and
Andean _______ ____________.
However, these all have different
dates attached to them. Some date
back as many as 9000 or 10,000
years ago, while others are as recent
as 3500 years ago.
The “Fertile Crescent” of
Mesopotamia
Civilization, cont’d
The reasons for the differences are
many, but ________________ is
important (the right ____________ to
grow and raise food) as is having the
right ___________ around (some are
more easily tamed than others to do
work and stay put).
Teotihuacan, in Central America
Geography is also important when it comes to __________
____________ and exposure to others. Areas close to _______ and
__________ supplied constant ________ to facilitate agriculture, and
being surrounded by _______________ or water would __________
a civilization from ____________. A regular climate would include
seasonal changes that humans can survive as well as regular rainfall.
Places that had all of these features were ideal for humans to settle.
Civilization continued
When humans started living in _____ _________,
______________ quickly followed – stone buildings,
____________, and more importantly, organization.
That means everything from government to
__________________ (roads, sewers, etc.) to special
jobs (carpenter, stone mason, blacksmith, etc.).
Thus, _________________
was born…
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is considered by many
historians to be the _______________ of
____________ “western” _______________
(that of a European tradition).
Statue of the Greek
God, Zeus
That’s not to say there weren’t others that
were important (__________ ________,
for example, was very important, and likely
taught the Greeks a thing or two), but the
traditions of _______________,
____________, _______________ and
_______________ (just to name a few) that
Europe and many other societies around the
world have today can all be traced back
more than ________ years ago to Ancient
Greece.
When was “Ancient Greece?”
Ancient Greece refers to the time period beginning in
________ BCE with the ________ civilization up to about
___ BCE with the full conquest of Greece by the Roman
Empire.
However, the really important period in Ancient Greece can
be narrowed to between _____ BCE (development of Greek
_______________) to _____ BCE (when the _____________
Empire would take over Greece).
A Minoan Fresco
A Mosaic of Alexander the Great
Geography and Greece
_______________ played
an important role in the
development of ancient
Greek s____________.
Much of Greece is made
up of small _________ and
________ regions among
____________
( ______ of Greece is
_______________).
The rest is comprised of
_______ ____________.
Map of Ancient Greece
Geography and Greece, continued
_______________ and ____________ isolated Greek
societies, and despite common religions, languages and
traditions (spread through trade and colonization), Greek
_______ - __________ were very _______________.
This took their development along different paths and
also caused them to_____ with one another.
Mount Olympus, close to Thessaloniki
Minoan Civilization (2500-1450 BCE)
While technically not a Greek City-State, the __________
civilization of __________ (big island south of the Greek
mainland) was a pre-cursor to Ancient Greek society.
Many Greek societies were influenced by the
developments of the Minoans.
Minoan Civilization, cont’d
The Minoan civilization reached its height between ________ and
________ BCE. This was indeed a developed society, as a grand
__________ built at Knossos reveals a complex structure,
containing ____________ __________ for the King’s family and
elaborate _______________ (with evidence of ____________ and
____________ systems that were fairly advanced).
Ruins of the palace at Knossos
Minoan Civilization, continued
The Minoans also had
advanced __________ and
__________, which they
____________ with other
societies.
Minoan jug
circa 2000
BCE
Indeed, Minoa was a seafaring trading power above
all else, and their influence
was felt throughout the
__________ sea, and even
in ________.
Minoan
vase circa
1500 BCE
Minoan Civilization, continued
No one knows exactly why the Minoan civilization
collapsed, but some sort of __________________ hit
around ________ BCE. After that, the Minoans never
recovered and their society all but ________________ as
a new power emerged…
A Minoan fresco,
possibly depicting
3 Queens, shortly
before Minoa’s
collapse.
Mycenae: The First Greek City-State
(1600-1100 BCE)
Supposedly first ruled by the legendary__________, Mycenae was a
fortified _____ - ________ on the Greek mainland (near Athens)
and was the first proper Greek city-state. Unlike Minoa, the
Mycenaeans were Indo-Europeans and spoke a language closer to
modern Greek.
The Mycenaeans established a kind of __________, with
__________ who established fortified towns forming an
__________of _______________ states. At the head of this
alliance was a “_____ of _____” – the most famous being
Agamemnon.
“The Mask of
Agamemnon”
discovered in
1876
Mycenae, continued
The Mycenaeans were a proud _____________ people,
and the most famous of their military exploits was the
destruction of ________, made famous by the Greek
poet, ________ (although he wrote the “history” a few
hundred years after it happened).
Led by Agamemnon, a force of Mycenaean Greeks
attacked the city of Troy, later destroying it after invading
the city secretly by way of the “__________ ________.”
A triumphant
Achilles parades
the body of the
defeated Hector
Mycenae, continued
Unfortunately for the Mycenaeans, their success was ________ __________, as in-fighting and competition between kings led
to a ____________ of their civilization in about _____ BCE,
ushering in a period known as the “______ ______” of Ancient
Greece.
It’s important to note the rivalry between Troy and Mycenae
here. _____ was on the _____ coast of what is now _________,
and after the Trojan War, Greek settlements actually took root
in this area, known as “________.”
Depiction of
the death of
Agamemnon
The Dark Ages of Ancient Greece
(1100-750 BCE)
After the collapse of Mycenae,
_____ _______________ and
_______________ dropped in
many Greek city-states. Some
kingdoms fell into _____ and
were _______________.
In response, many Greeks
migrated to ________ and
constructed new settlements there.
As _______ and _____________
activity started to recover,
____________ developed and
______ replaced ________ as the
metal of choice.
Map of settlements in the
Dark Age of Greece
The Dark Ages, continued
It’s not really accurate to call them “The ______ _____”
(this term is falling out of favor with historians, anyway).
Actually, a number of important developments happened.
________ and “_______________” expanded,
_______________ progressed and the Greeks adopted the
Phoenician _______________ to give themselves a unified
system of writing.
This was also the time of the great poet ________, who wrote
The Iliad and The Odyssey.
No, not that
guy…
This guy!
The Archaic Age of Ancient Greece
(750-500 BCE)
The ________ _____ is also
known as the age of the Greek
______ - ________, as it was
during this time that a great
number of powerful city-states
emerged that would advance
Greek society across the
__________, and would also
lead to an __________
__________ across the area,
putting Greece face-to-face
with the Persian Empire.
A Greek vase from about 750
BCE. Notice the geometric
patterns, not found on vases
previously.
The Archaic Age, continued
One of the most important advances of the Archaic Age
was the development of the _____. While “polis” could
simply be seen as a fancy word for city-state (it literally
means “_____”), it really is more of a ____________.
Greeks began to see themselves as ____________, or
____________of a ________, rather than simply
____________ in a ____________. Indeed, it is from
“________” that we get the modern word “__________.”
The Archaic Age, continued
_______________ was once again an important part of the
________, as the main gathering place was a hill, which in some
cases had an acropolis (the most famous one being in Athens).
The acropolis could be ____________ to become a __________
during an attack, and it could also be an important ____________
center, on which temples were built.
Below the acropolis was an ________, an open area where people
could assemble, as well as serving as a ________.
The
Acropolis of
Athens
The Archaic Age, continued
The city-states also _________ with
each other (____________) and went
to _____ with each other (_____ ___
____________). Thus, both
__________ and
__________developments occurred
during the Archaic Age.
The most significant military
development was the __________,
which arranged soldiers in a kind of
“__________ _______” with shields
to guard against spear and arrow
attacks.
As long as it remained ___________,
it was a very effective tactic, as it was
difficult for soldiers to be harmed
while in formation.
The Phalanx
The Archaic Age, continued
The city-states’ ________ development led to an
outward spreading of Greek __________ (in the
form of colonization) across the Mediterranean to
Turkey (________), Italy, southern France and
Spain, and even North Africa.
Greece’s newfound ________ also led to a new
wealthy class of ____________, who were intent
on __________ power from aristocratic _____
land-owners. This would usher in the rule of the
__________.
The Archaic Age, continued
The __________ were not automatically _____. After
gaining control of city-state governments (through hired
soldiers) many wanted to maintain their popularity with
citizens by embarking on ________ ________
________ (like walls, temples, roads and ports).
This worked for a while, but eventually many tyrants did
become _______________, and the Greeks ousted
them from power by around _____ BCE.
The Greeks believed in the ________ ___ _____, and
tyrants, no matter how effective, were an affront to this.
However, the tyrants rule had a profound legacy, as
some city-states evolved from tyrant rule to rule by
group, or ____________, and others tried a new idea
they called “_______________…”
Athens
By _____ BCE, __________ had become a
unified ________, beginning with rule by a
_______ but moving into control by
____________ ____________ – the
assembly of citizens had few powers.
By the end of the 600s BCE, Athens had
fallen into crisis. _______, a politician, had
codified Athenian law with harsh penalties
attached for breaking them. __________
could be forced into __________.
Many __________ were forced into
__________ when they couldn’t pay their
________ to ____________, and civil
unrest was starting to brew. Cries came
from the citizenry to give ________ to the
________ and cancel debts.
Statue of the goddess,
Athena
Athens, continued
After a series of __________ tried
and failed to stabilize Athens, an
____________, Cleisthenes, finally
put Athens in order by creating a
____________ of _____ – male
citizens who supervised __________
affairs, oversaw the ____________
and proposed laws after free and
open debate.
It was from this council that
Athenian _____________ was born.
Bust of Cleisthenes
Sparta
A counter-point to Athenian society was ________. Sparta was
a ____________ state made up of the Spartans and the
________ (a word that means “___________” – the people of
conquered tribes that the Spartans ____________).
Between _____ and _____ BCE, Spartan society underwent
numerous ________ in an effort to ____________ its society
and maintain Spartan superiority over the helots. _____ were
taken from their mothers at the age of ______ and put under
control of the ________, to become ____________.
At ________, they were in the ______, and although allowed
to marry, they were to continue to live in military barracks. At
_____, they could _____ in the __________ and live at _____,
but they remained in military service until the age of
________.
Sparta, continued
The Spartan ________ also affected _______________, and
although there was an assembly, Sparta was an ___________,
with power resting in the hands of _____ ________,
responsible for the military, and the ____________, or
council of elders.
The gerousia consisted of ____ citizens over the age of sixty
who were elected for _____, and they prepared proposals for
the __________, or ________ to vote on (___ _________).
Rarely did the apella reject a proposal from the gerousia, but
it did elect the gerousia, along with a group of 5 men, the
ephors, who supervised education for all youth and the
conduct of all citizens.
Sparta, continued
To maintain “________,” Sparta
discouraged the study of __________,
____________ and the ______ (they
might encourage new ideas) and ____
by __________. Spartans were not
allowed to ________ abroad, except
to conquer.
In the 500s BCE, Sparta used its
military power to organize an alliance
of ________________ city-states, and
was a force to be reckoned with,
having only Athens and her allies as a
rival. Until someone else showed up
in Greece…
Statue of a Spartan Warrior
Classical Greece, cont’d
Though the revolt was crushed, the Persian Emperor,
Darius, vowed revenge, and attacked mainland Greece
in 490 BCE, in Marathon. However, the Greeks
prevailed and the invasion was put down. This time…
Map of the Persian
Empire in 490 BCE
Classical Greece, cont’d
After the death of Darius in 486 BCE,
the new emperor, Xerxes, picked up the
torch. He led a massive force into
Greece – 180 000 troops, backed by a
navy and supply ships.
However, Xerxes had not counted on
the determination of the Greeks, and
after a massive battle at Plataea, which
saw the largest united Greek army ever
gathered, the Persians were utterly
defeated and the Greeks were free to
pursue their own destiny.
Depiction of
Persian and Greek
Warriors
Classical Greece, cont’d
After the repulsion of the Persians, Greek society flourished,
and it was during this time that great achievements in
architecture, such as the Parthenon of Athens (about 440 BCE),
and achievements in art, such as Greek sculpture and drama
(Sophocles) were seen.
This age also saw the growth of intellectual pursuits, as
Herodotus and Thucydides wrote histories which emphasized
facts (more so for Thucydides) and Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
established philosophy. Others, such as Pythagoras, looked for
unifying theories to explain the universe, giving birth to
Mathematics.
The Parthenon
Classical Greece, cont’d
Unfortunately, without a foreign rival to
unify them, the expansion of the citystates ultimately led to war. Athens
emerged during the Classical period with
a strong empire based on its navy, but
they were rivaled by Sparta with its
powerful army. The two societies were
organized in very different ways and
neither were tolerant of the other - the
two soon went to war.
Actually, Athens and Sparta (and their
allies) went to war a few times, in what
were called the “Peloponnesian Wars.”
Neither side would emerge in decisive
victory, and the weakening of the citystates led to its vulnerability to a new
empire building in the north.
Map showing Alliances of
the Peloponnesian War
Hellenistic Greece 360 – 320 BCE
The word “Hellenistic” means “to imitate Greeks,”
and that’s what much of the world did when the
Greeks would be unified again and actually march
into Persia, conquering it.
It’s an irony, though, that this was achieve by
someone who wasn’t Greek – Alexander the Great.
Alexander being
tutored by Aristotle
Hellenistic Greece, cont’d
Alexander was the son of Philip of
Macedon. The Macedonians were a group
of people who lived north of the major
Greek city-states, but started to get powerful
under Philip, as they organized themselves
under a strong army when the Greek citystates were fighting among themselves.
Alexander, while Macedonian, thought of
himself as Greek. He claimed to be a
descendant of Heracles (A.K.A.
“Hercules”) and wanted vengeance against
Persia for their invasion of the Greek
mainland.
Statue of Alexander
Hellenistic Greece, cont’d
He led a huge force past Ionia into Persia and pushed as far as India. In the
end, he both unified the Greeks and also established one of the largest
empires in history. Sadly (for him) it didn’t last long. He died at the young
age of 32, and Greek forces were so stretched that they became vulnerable
again to another foreign force: Rome.
His legacy, however, was far-reaching, as Greek literature, art and thought
were expanded far past the Mediterranean, and Greek culture itself was
transformed by coming into contact with others.
Alexander’s empire
Conclusion
Can one speak of a unified Greek nation, then? Was
Ancient Greece an example of an early nation?
Certainly, the Greeks went past tribalism into something new:
citizenship. The Greek city-state unified people and created
a new sense of identity that didn’t exist before, and many citystates shared cultural aspects in common (not to mention
language, religion and art).
However, most Greeks probably still thought of themselves
as members of a tribe (Spartan) or small group (Athenian).
It’s unclear then, if a truly “Greek” identity had emerged in a
national sense.