Transcript Regents Review - Ancient Greece

Bronze Age Greece
Crete: Minoan Civilization
(Palace at Knossos)
Knossos: Minoan
Civilization
Minoan Civilization
The Mycenaean
Civilization
Homer: The “Heroic Age”
The Mask of
Agamemnon
The Geography of
Greece
Greek Geography
• Mountains & Valleys
• Part of the Balkan Peninsula
• Surrounded by Mediterranean Sea
• Mountainous / Numerous tiny islands
– This is the cause for the lack of unification in
Greece (everyone is cutoff)
– This leads to the creation of independent citystates
• Seas
• Vital link to outside world
• Skilled sailors
• Allows for the spread of their ideas and
culture
ATHENS: Yesterday &
Today
Piraeus: Athens’ Port City
Early Athenian Lawgivers
$
Context
$
Growing discontent in Athens among the
soldiers & farming/merchant classes over the
power of the aristocracy (rich) & nobles
$
Farmers were forced to sell themselves into
slavery
$
Foreigners desire citizenship
$
Reform is desired / Athens moves toward a
democracy (rule by the people)
Early Athens
• With the Emergence of early Athens: 800400 B.C.E.
• Rise of Democracy during the 5th century
– Monarchies forced aside by the Aristocratic class:
Gave rise to the Oligarchs in the early 500’s
– Solon: Reformer, set up laws that were written and
could be revised.
– 510 Rebellion broke out: Cleisthenes( Aristocrat) to
gain control: However instability within the aristocrats
led to the rise of democracy in Athens.
Athenian “Democracy”
 “Town meetings
 Only free white males assembled together
 make decisions that affected the polis
 Able to speak freely, persuade others to their
opinions: Collective votes determined political
actions.
 Emergence of the Council of 500
 Citizens were chosen for a term of 1yr
 Responsible for making and implementing policies
 Democratic principles were heavily emphasized
 Only consisted of free white males
 Women and Slaves: No political Power
Early Sparta
• 7th century B.C.E.
• Both Athens and Sparta were similar in
many ways
– However, Major rebellions in and around
Sparta influenced a highly Militaristic society
– 700’s: Spartans defeated Messenia ( CityState)
– 600’s Messenians challenged the Spartans:
Led to the Spartans grasping a tighter control
over the Military.
Sparta
•
•
•
•
•
Military Powerhouse
Spartan Men Warriors
Self Disciplined
Rigidly obedient
Emphasized Fitness for Both Men and
Women.
Economic Characteristics
Economic

Trade:
Ionia Rivers :Fertile plain near the
• Across the Aegean
coast
 Greek Farmers on mainland:
Depended on rainfall for their crops




Poor Soil: Limited crop production
Planted barley, olive trees, grape vines
Sheep, Goats were raised in most areas
Cattle and Horses in Northern Greece
 Natural Resources
 Building stones: Marble
 Clay: Pottery
 Very few metal deposits
– Timber, gold, iron, copper
and tin.
• Coinage:
• Significance: facilitated
Trade
– Replaced inefficient
systems of weighing gold
and silver : exchange of
goods.
– Storage of wealth more
efficient
Social Distinctions: Citizens vs.
Non Citizens
Sparta
Athens
 Equal in Status
 Spartans were simple people
 Frugal lifestyle: Did not accumulate
possessions
 Houses were equally unadorned
 Distinctions were made by
military and athletic Talent.
 Spartan Boys: age of 7yrs
 Trained in military barracks
 Maintained order and stability
through highly organized military
 Trade and luxuries: seen as
harmful to their purity
 Society maintained by Military
values
 Urban-based Aristocracy
 Simple farmers
 Distinction between aristocracy and the
commoners led to discontent and reform
 Gave commoners: More Rights
 Society was maintained by democratic
principles
 Only Free male citizens could participate
making them more equal
 Ironically: Divided free men vs. slaves. (
30% of Pop made up of slaves)

Divisions of labor in Athens: Personal
servants, Craftsman
 Slaves held no political rights, nor could
they serve in the army
Gender Relations: Men and
Women
Sparta
Athens
 Women were free and equal
to men
 Gender inequality: Clearly Defined
 Respectable Athenian women
 Confined to the home
 Encouraged to be physical fit
 Ventured outside under the guardianship
as men: Produce strong and
of slaves and servants
healthy babies
 Women in rural areas
 Had more Freedom
 Wives did not live with
husbands ( Men were often at  However, Athenian women: No
political rights, could not own
war)
 Sparta: Run by Women;
 While men were on the war
front.
 Women maintained the city
state and household
property or businesses
 Citizens: however could not participate
in government affairs
 Other Athenian Women ( not upper
class): Particularly prostitutes
 Did not follow same rules and were
considered lower in class distinction.
Cultural Characteristics:
Philosophy/Religion
Philosophy: “Love of Wisdom”
– Interested in the physical world
– Did not believe the Gods caused
natural phenomena
– Nature or Natural law caused
phenomena
Did not believe the gods controlled human Socrates: 470-399 b.c.e
destiny
• Focused on ethical questions and truth
seeking regarding human nature.
Emphasized : Secularism: affairs of the
world
• Rational of Human Nature: Ability of
humans to reason for themselves
Led to seeking the answers to the
• Convicted of” poisoning the minds of
dilemmas of Human existence
young Athenian youths”
Similar to Confucianism ?
Trial of Socrates indicates the clash
between traditional religious values
and the emphasis on human
reasoning
 Religion
 Polytheistic
 Not omnipotent
 Carried same emotions as humans
 No priestly class
 Did not take their gods seriously




•
Art: Drama, Lyric Poems, Classical
Architecture
• Drama: 600’s in
athens
– Representation of
myths about the gods,
interventions with
human affairs
• Lyric Poetry
– form of musical
quality of songs:
Express personal
feelings
• Architecture
• Greek temples
• Parthenon on the
Acropolis
• Architecture: Widely
adopted by the
Romans
• Legacy: Provided the
basic principles of
modern architecture
Greek Sculpture
• Reflect how they
valued worth of an
individual
– Revealed human
capabilities
– Physically/Intellectuall
y
– Depicted the concept
of Beauty and
Perfection
– Expression
individualized
Achievements of the
Greeks during the
“classical age” 500300 b.c.e
Hellenic culture: Based
on the Greek term
Hellas
Early Athenian Lawgivers
$
$
Solon
$
Athenian leader
$
Outlaws debt slavery / frees slaves
$
Opened more positions for citizens
$
Grants some foreigners citizenship
Cleisthenes

created the first democracy!

Reorganizes the assembly to balance the power of
the rich and poor – Assembly has the power to
make laws (legislature)

Created the Council of the 500 (Citizens)

Council of 500 proposes laws

1/5 of Athenians were citizens
Early Athenian Lawgivers
$
Pericles
$
Athenian leader
$
Believed all male citizens should take part in govt.
$
Strengthened Greek democracy
$ Increased # of paid officials
$ Paid jurors (Both allowed poorer citizens to participate in
govt.)
$
$
$
Develops a direct democracy in Athens (citizens rule & make
laws directly rather than thru representatives
“Funeral Oration” – stressed the rights & duties of citizenship
– “power rested in the hands not of the minority but of the
whole people”
Cultural Achievements
$
Helps rebuild the Acropolis
$
Turns Athens into the cultural center of Greece
$
Rules during Greece’s Golden Age
Persian Wars: 499 BCE –
480 BCE
Persian Wars: Famous Battles
$
$
$
Marathon (490 BCE)

26 miles from Athens – messenger runs this to announce
Persian defeat

Hand to hand battle

Athenian victory
Thermopylae (480 BCE)

300 Spartans violently fight vs. Persians in the Mountain
pass

Led by Leonidas

Persian victory
Salamis (480 BCE)

Naval battle on the narrow strait of Salamis

Athenian navy victorious

Results of the Persian Wars – Greeks form an alliance
(The Delian League) – Leads to the rise of the Athenian
Empire
Golden “Age of
Pericles”:
460 BCE – 429 BCE
Great Athenian Philosophers
$ Socrates
 Know thyself!
 question everything
 only the pursuit of goodness
brings happiness.
$ Plato
 The Academy
 The world of the FORMS
 The Republic  philosopher-king
Great Athenian
Philosophers
$ Aristotle
 The Lyceum
 “Golden Mean” [everything in
moderation].
 Logic.
 Scientific method.
Athens: The Arts & Sciences
$ DRAMA (tragedians):

Aeschylus

Sophocles

Euripides
$ THE SCIENCES:

Pythagoras

Democritus  all matter made up of
small atoms.

Hippocrates  “Father of Medicine”
Phidias’ Acropolis
The Acropolis Today
The Parthenon
The Agora
The Classical Greek “Ideal”
Olympia
The Ancient Olympics:
Athletes & Trainers
Olympia: Temple to Hera
The 2004 Olympics
SPARTA
SPARTA
Helots  Messenians enslaved by the
Spartans.
Social Distinctions: Citizens vs. Non
Citizens
Sparta
 Equal in Status




Athens
 Urban-based Aristocracy
 Simple farmers
 Spartans were simple people
 Frugal lifestyle: Did not accumulate  Distinction between aristocracy and the
commoners led to discontent and
possessions
reform
 Houses were equally unadorned
 Gave commoners: More Rights
Distinctions were made by military  Society was maintained by
democratic principles
and athletic Talent.
 Only Free male citizens could
Spartan Boys: age of 7yrs
participate making them more
 Trained in military barracks
equal
 Maintained order and stability
 Ironically: Divided free men vs.
through highly organized military
slaves. ( 30% of Pop made up of
slaves)
Trade and luxuries: seen as

harmful to their purity
Divisions of labor in Athens:
Society maintained by Military
Personal servants, Craftsman
values
 Slaves held no political rights, nor
could they serve in the army
Gender Relations: Men and Women
Sparta
 Women were free and
equal to men
 Encouraged to be physical
fit as men: Produce strong
and healthy babies
 Wives did not live with
husbands ( Men were often
at war)
 Sparta: Run by Women;
 While men were on the war
front.
 Women maintained the city
state and household
Athens
 Gender inequality: Clearly Defined
 Respectable Athenian women
 Confined to the home
 Ventured outside under the
guardianship of slaves and servants
 Women in rural areas
 Had more Freedom
 However, Athenian women: No
political rights, could not own
property or businesses
 Citizens: however could not
participate in government affairs
 Other Athenian Women ( not upper
class): Particularly prostitutes
 Did not follow same rules and were
considered lower in class distinction.
Peloponnesian Wars
Macedonia Under Philip
II
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great’s Empire
Alexander the Great in
Persia
The Hellenization of Asia
Pergamum: A
Hellenistic City
The Economy of the
Hellenistic World
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!
Ptolemaic View of the
Universe
The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire
The Incursion of Rome
into the Hellenistic World