Transcript Persia and Greece - McKinney ISD Staff Sites

Persia and Greece
Unit 2: Classical Era
Persia
Rise of Persia
• 550 B.C.E. the Persian King
Cyrus, began conquering
several neighboring
kingdoms
• Empire spanned 2,000
miles from the Indus River
to Anatolia
• Cyrus’s most enduring
legacy was his method of
governing
• Honored local customs and
religions
• Cyrus was killed by
nomadic invaders
Persian Rule
• Cyrus’s son Cambyses expanded the
empire by conquering Egypt
– Weak ruler compared to father
– Widespread rebellions after death
• Darius, a noble, succeed Cambyses
– An elite group of Persian soldiers, the
Immortals, helped Darius seize the
throne
• Brought peace and stability to the
empire
• Turned attention to conquest:
empire over 2,500 miles embracing
Egypt and Anatolia, part of India and
the Fertile Crescent
– Only inability was to conquer Greece
• Under Persian rule providences could:
– Practice own religion
– Speak own language
– Follow many of their own laws
• Although tolerant, Darius still ruled with absolute power
• Created the use of standardized metal coins to promote trade and
unify the empire
• Royal Road helped hold the empire together
– 1,677 miles of roads
• Zoroaster, a Persian
prophet, establishes a
religion in which
people’s own choices
determine their fate
– Zoroastrianism:
monotheistic worship of
Ahura Mazda and sacred
writings known as the
Avesta;
• Establishes early beliefs in
heaven, hell, and a final
judgement
Persian Legacy
• Through their tolerance and good
government, the Persians brought political
order to South West Asia.
– Preserved ideas from earlier civilizations
– Respected other cultures
– Lasted over 200 years
Greece
Impact of Geography on Greece:
Identify 1 geographic feature & propose
how it might impact the culture of Greece
Impact of Geography on Greece:
Identify 1 geographic feature & propose
how it might impact the culture of Greece
Mediterranean Civilizations
• Geography of Balkan Peninsula is
mountainous and disrupted by narrow river
valleys.
– This is why the Greeks settled politically into
separate city-states called a polis.
• The sea influenced their culture because of
the long seacoasts and many harbors.
– The Greeks became seafarers and fish was a
staple of their diet.
• Ancient Greeks blended from:
– Minoans who had settled on the
island of Crete (2700 -1450 BCE)
• They had a trading culture; they were
either destroyed by a tidal wave or an
invasion by the Mycenaeans.
– Mycenaeans (1600 – 1100 BCE) They
had a warrior culture who lived on
the Balkan pen. In fortified cities, but
they also traded.
• Homer’s epic poems were probably
written @ the end of this age (Iliad &
Odyssey)
• The values of courage and honor
became important to the Greeks
Greek Dark Age (1100 – 750 BCE)
• The Mycenaean Civilization
collapsed
– Many left and sailed to various
islands east of the Balkan pen.
(became known as Ionia Greece)
close to modern day Turkey
• During this time, Dorian’s settled
the area called Peloponnesus.
• Iron replaced bronze
• Greeks adopted the Phoenician
alphabet and added vowels
Greek City-States
POLIS: city–state had 2 main parts
– Acropolis – usually on a hill – fortified area with
public buildings & the city’s temple for it’s
adopted god. Ex. Parthenon in Athens dedicated
to Athena
– Agora – area below with an open area for a
market. Also, homes were usually built close to
these areas.
- ruled by landowning aristocrats descended from IndoEuropean warriors.
- Each city-state had trained foot soldiers who were heavily
armed with a short sword and spear. They went to battle as a
tight unit fighting shoulder to shoulder called a Phalanx
• Tyranny in City – States
– Tyrants were not necessarily oppressive
– Greek tyrants were rulers who seized power by
force from the aristocrats
– They gained power through their soldiers
– Tyranny was a step in some city – states to
democracy
• Other city –states remained an Oligarchy (rule
by a few) usually aristocrats. Ex. Sparta
• By 500 B.C.E. most city-states were based
upon principles of loyalty to the public
community rather than to an individual ruler.
• Widespread participation in public life by male
citizens was common.
• Since each city-state had its own gods,
religious rituals also supported involvement.
• Women were regarded as inferior and
excluded from public life
– Spartan women had higher status: education and
physical training
Zeus
King of the gods
Athena
Goddess of wisdom
Aphrodite
Goddess of love
Apollo
God of sun & music
Ares
God of war
Hades
God of underworld
Hera
Goddess of family
Poseidon
God of the seas
Persian Wars
• The Persian War (500-479 B.C.E.)
– Cyrus and Darius controlled
Anatolia (Persia)
– Greek cities on Ionian coast
revolted, 500 B.C.E.
– Darius’ Invasion
• The battle of Marathon,
490 B.C.E.
• Greeks led by Spartans
and Athens battled Persia
to a draw
– Xerxes Invasion
• To fight Persians,
Athenians build a wall of
wood, or a navy
• Xerxes seized, burned
Athens
• Athenian navy destroys
Persian in the battle of
Salamis, 480 B.C.E.
• Persian army retreated
back to Anatolia, 479
B.C.E.
Burning of Athens
The Delian League
– Athens formed a defense alliance called
the Delian League among the Greek citystates.
– Alliance among Greek poleis against
Persian threat
– Military force from Athens, finance from
other polis’
– As Persian threat subsided, poleis no
longer wanted to participate
– Athens uses navy to turn Delian League
into Athenian Empire
• Pericles was the political figure in Athens
between 461 – 429 BCE.
– Pericles turned Athens into a Direct Democracy
(literally rule of the people, in Athens meaning
free male citizens; all decisions emanated from
the popular assembly without intermediation of
elected representatives)
The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta
represented the differences among polis
• Athenian society focused
on wealth & culture:
–Athens had a
direct democracy in
which both rich & poor
citizens could vote &
hold public office
–Citizens were entitled
to certain rights, while
non-citizens had few
protections and could
never become citizens
The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta
represented the differences among polis
• Spartan society focused
on military strength,
not freedom & learning
–Spartan men served
in the military until
60 years old
–Boys began military
training at age 7
–Women had higher
status: education,
physical training, own
slaves but not land
Peloponnesian
War
• The growing power of a
democratic, commercially active
Athens led to competition with
oligarchic, conservative, and
militaristic Sparta
• Greek Civil War (432 – 405 BCE)
City-states allied with either Sparta
or Athens.
– Disputes broke out partly because
of the Delian league. (Athens
control through Pericles)
– Athens and Allies vs. Sparta and
Allies
– Athens planned to win by staying
behind its walls & receiving
supplies from its colonies and
protection by its navy.
– Sparta surrounded Athens and
hoped Athenians would come out
and fight.
• Due to over crowded conditions, in 430 BCE a plague broke out in
Athens and 1/3 to ½ of the population including Pericles died.
– A weakened Athens and after 25 years of fighting, Sparta won the civil
war.
• This left the Greek city –states vulnerable and they were
conquered by the Macedonians.
• Classical Greek Culture is referred to as the time prior to Alexander
the Great
• Hellenistic Greek Culture Is the period when Greek language &
ideas sere carried to the non-Greek world
– It spreads Greek knowledge and preserved classical influences across 3
continents
Alexander the
Great
• Philip II’s son, Alexander, invaded and
defeated the Persian empire in
campaigns between 334 and 331 B.C.E.
• He also took control of Egypt.
• Alexander pressed on into India but
was halted when his army refused to go
on.
• Alexander hoped to merge Greek and
Asian traditions.
• Conquests bring about end of
independent Greek city-states and
blend Greek cultures with eastern
cultures to establish the Hellenistic Age.
• Alexander's unexpected death in 323
B.C.E. ended the dream of a
multinational empire.
Hellenistic Culture
• It spread Greek knowledge and preserved
classical influences across 3 continents
– Many achievements in science, philosophy, and math
came with this time period.
– The cultural center during this period was Alexandria
– Scholars in Alexandria and India were instrumental in
theorizing mathematical principles that are the basis
of modern geometry.
• Hellenistic Kingdoms after Alexander’s death.
– Macedonian generals vied for power and the kingdom
was split into smaller kingdoms:
• Macedonia, Syria, and Pergamum
The Principles of
Greek Culture
• Cultural achievement was based
on four principles.
– An emphasis on formal political
theory reflected the special
political atmosphere of Greece.
– Art and sculpture: Religious
values, ideal proportions
– Drama and philosophy stressed
the importance of human
striving.
– Science: Eratosthenes showed
the Earth was round,
Archimedes great
mathematician
Laocoön
and His
Sons
The Winged
Victory of
Samothrace
Classical Greek
Culture
• The Greeks were the 1st
to write and perform
plays
– Originally, dramas were
tragedies presented in
trilogies
• Sophocles wrote
Oedipus Rex which tells
the story of Oedipus
who commits tragic acts
• Homer’s the Iliad and
the Odyssey were
written down and
provided a mythic
foundation for Hellenic
culture
• Greek Philosophy (love of
wisdom) which was organized
rational thought
– Socrates – Athenian who was
ostracized from the city. He
came up with the “Socratic
Method”
• Socrates urged consideration of
secular criteria for moral
decisions
– Plato – was Socrates student
and wrote “The Republic” which
was about the ideals of a
virtuous state. He also recorded
many of Socrates dialogues.
• Plato proposed an ideal
government where philosophers
ruled.
• Aristotle – Plato’s student and wrote
“Politics – 3 Good forms of
Government”
– Aristotle stressed the importance of
moderation to balance political and
religious instability.
– Monarchy, Aristocracy and a
Constitutional Government
– He wrote on many other subjects as
well (ethics, logic, astronomy, biology,
and physics)
– He was also Alexander the Great’s
tutor.
• Herodotus is considered the 1st
Historian