Transcript 10.1 Lecture – Greece

10.1 Lecture – Greece
I.
The Rise of the Greeks: 1000-500 BCE (before the
common era
A. The Beginning
1. Relatively resource – poor region.
a. Greeks had access to foreign sources of raw
materials and to markets abroad.
b. Greeks were in contact with foreign countries.
1. Merchants and mercenaries
i) Brought home raw materials, crafted
goods, and ideas.
2. Expansion
a. Greeks suffered from population increase,
poverty, war, and political crisis.
1. Moved throughout parts of the Mediterranean
and Western Asia.
i) Brought Greek language and culture along
with a powerful influence on other societies.
ii) Greek identity created city-states and rival
with the Persian Empire.
B. The Emergence of the Polis
1. Society was originally set up following the Middle
Eastern palace – dominated states.
a. Dark ages occurred and wiped out this structure.
1. Greek region became isolated from the rest of
the world.
i) Developed distinctive local styles
ii) Creation of pottery and other crafts.
2. Land was used for flocks of sheep, goats, and
cattle.
3. Break in political structure and centralized
control of the economy.
4. Change occurred when Phoenician ships began
to visit the Aegean area.
i) Re-connect with the Middle Eastern region.
ii) The result = Greeks put ships back on the
water in search of raw materials, trade
opportunities, and fertile farmland.
2. Writing System
a. Phoenicians writing system was used by the
Greeks.
1. 22 symbols to represent the consonants in their
language.
b. This was the first true alphabet, a system of
writing that fully represents the sounds of spoken
language.
1. An alphabet opens the door for more
widespread literacy because people can learn
an alphabet in a relatively short period of time.
i) Examples of difficult languages to learn
are hieroglyphics and/or Chinese symbols.
c. Greeks use language to develop new forms of
literature, law codes, religious dedications, and script
on gravestones.
1. Greece will not be literate 100% like in modern
times.
i) Continue to tell history of ancestor
through storytelling, rituals, and
performances.
2. Greek society was very powerful in
theatrical drama, philosophical dialogues,
and political courtroom oratory.
3. Population Increase
a. Improved writing system and trade led to a
population increase.
1. Less of the land can be used for farming and
animal grazing.
2. Large urban areas created, which influenced
the development of city-states.
b. Urban Development
1. Early there were independent political entities.
2. ‘Polis” translated = city-states
i) Consisted of an urban center and the rural territory
that it controlled.
ii) Example – Athens = very large city-state.
3. Acropolis – top of the city
i) Offered a place of refuge in an emergency.
ii) The town spread out around the base of this
fortified high point.
4. Angora – Gather place
i) An open area where citizens came together to ratify
the decisions of their leaders or to line up with their
weapons before military ventures.
ii) Government buildings located in this area.
5. Greek states were defended by armies of private
citizens mostly farmers called up for brief
periods of crisis, rather than by a professional
class of soldiers.
c. Population Increase in Greece
1. Population grew too large for the area of Greece
that individuals were encouraged to go abroad to
establish independent Colonies in distant lands.
i.) Similar to the concept of imperialism (unit 4)
4. Currency Development
a. 6th century BCE – developed the concept of coins.
1. Probably in Lydia; today Western Anatolia
b. Used silver, gold, bronze, and other metals
yet
1. Sufficiently rare to be valuable, relatively
lightweight and portable, seemingly
indestructible and therefore permanent,
easily divided.
2. Coinage allowed for more rapid exchanges of
goods as well as for more efficient record
keeping and storage of wealth.
c. Stimulated trade and increased the total wealth of
the society.
5. Political Instability
a. Kings ruled the dark ages.
1. Aristocracy type of government.
i) Derived its wealth and power from
ownership of large tracts of land.
ii) Peasant families worked this land.
- Kept a portion of what they grew for
food and trade.
iii) Those who had a debt had to work the land
and became known as ‘debt-slaves.’
iv) Free peasants – owned small farms, and
urban-based craftsmen and merchants, who
began to constitute a ‘middle-class.”
6. Tyrants
a. A person who seized and held power in violation
of the normal political institutions and traditions
of the community.
1. This occurred due to economic fluctuations
usually on the negative side.
b. Greek tyrants were often disgruntled or ambitious
members of the aristocracy, backed by the emerging
middle class.
c. Tyrant families were ejected from the city-states.
d. Transition away from tyrant rule to either an
oligarchy or democracy.
1. Oligarchy – the exercise of political privilege by
the wealthier members of society.
2. Democracy – the exercise of political power by
all free adult males.
7. Religion
a. Worshipped gods and goddesses who were both
humanlike and super powerful.
1. Polytheistic – Worship of multiple Gods
2. Monotheistic – Worship of one God
b. Cults & Beliefs
1. Sky Gods – some represented forces of
nature
c. Deity = God
1. Gods were human-like in appearance but were
taller, more beautiful, and more powerful than
mere mortals and had a supernatural radiance.
d. Greeks gave their gods gifts in hope that the Gods
would favor and protect them.
II. The Legacy of Ancient Greece
A. Athens builds a limited democracy
1. The Greeks established cities in the small fertile
valleys along Greek’s rocky coast.
2. City-States were created and adopted; many styles
of government.
a. Monarchy – A single person called a king or
monarch ruled the government.
b. Aristocracy
c. Oligarchy
d. Democracy
1. Developed (Greece) the 1st democracy in a
country.
2. Democracy means “rule of the people,” demos =
people, kratos = power.
3. Athens was the largest and most powerful city-state
to emerge in Greece.
i) Adult males participated in government
decisions.
ii) Each year, an assembly of citizens elected three
nobles to rule the city-state.
- After a year of service, the nobles became
part of a larger council of advisors.
iii) Women, slaves, and foreign residents could not
be apart of the political system nor were they
considered citizens of the city-state.
B. Greek Democracy Changes
1. Persia wanted the territory of Greece and
attempted to invade.
a. Each city-state within Greece fought side-byside to defeat the Persians.
2. Pericles led Athens after the victory from the Persians
for 32 years.
a. Increased Greek democracy by increasing the
number of paid public officials.
1. Enabled poorer citizens to participate in
the government.
b. Athens evolved into a direct democracy.
1. In this form of government, citizens rule and
make laws directly rather than through
representatives.
3. Democracy Ends
a. Democracy ended in Greece due to a war
between the two strongest city-states:
Athens &
Sparta.
1. Peloponnesian War – Lasted three
decades.
i) Fought for control of the seas
ii) Spartans won the battle
b. Macedonia, a nearby state, invaded Greece
and defeated the weakened city-state.
C. Greek Philosophers use Reason
1. 4th century BCE, emerged great thinkers.
2. Used logic and reason to investigate the nature of the
universe, human society, and morality.
a. The universe (land, sky, and sea) is put together in
an orderly way and is subject to absolute and
unchanging laws.
b. People can understand these laws through logic and
reason.
3. Socrates
a. A sculptor by trade, but spent most of his time in the
company of young men enjoying conversation.
1. Deflated the idea of specific people in society
as being wise.
2. All had the ability to become intelligent.
b. Charged with corruption of the youth
1. He argued that he was being held responsible for
the actions of several of his aristocratic students who
had tried to overthrow the Athenian democracy.
2. Convicted and jury decided to condemn him to death
by drinking hemlock.
4. Plato
a. Student of Socrates
b. Withdrew himself from society and dedicated himself to
philosophical pursuit of knowledge and truth.
c. Represented the 1st generation to be truly literate.
1. Socrates never wrote anything down.
i) Only spoke of rights and responsibilities
d. Wrote dialogues – “Socratic Method”
1. Used question and answer method to reach a deeper
understanding of the meaning of values such as justice,
excellence, and wisdom.
e. Wrote “The Republic” – set forth his vision of a
perfectly governed society.
1. Its aim was to describe what is necessary for us
(average humans) to achieve a reflective state of mind.
2. Politically – being capable of analyzing and
explaining political institutions and considering
alternatives.
3. Government ruled by philosopher.
i) Not ruled by the rich
5. Aristotle – a student of Plato
a. Sought to collect and categorize a vast array of
knowledge.
1. Laid the foundations for many modern disciplines.
b. Wrote “The Politics”
1. Man is by nature a political animal; it is his nature to
live in a state/governing system.
2. Written description of how a political system should
run.
3. Citizenship is similar to Greek thought.
4. Develops the theory of a Constitution that has offices
fulfilled by specific individuals.
D. Legacy of Greece
1. Set standards in government and philosophy.
2. Natural laws – use reason and intelligence to
discover patterns and explanations.
3. Citizens actively participated in governing rule.
4. Developed 3 branches of government.:
a. Legislative – pass laws
b. Executive – carry out the laws
c. Judicial – settle disputes about the laws.
Athens, Greece
(Photo from web)
City in Greece – (Picture from Web)
Greece – (Picture from Web)