Transcript Origins of Classical Hellenism

Origins of Classical Hellenism
Mediterranean Culture
Minoan Society 2200 b.c.e- 1450 b.c.e
• Island of Crete is center of ancient trading
society – magnificent palaces at Knossos
• Exchanged goods from Egypt to Sicily
• Early script ,Linear A ,used for record keeping
• Natural disasters destroyed much of Crete, and
the important island of Thera ( modern Santorini)
• The riches of Minoan society also attracted
invaders
Artist’s Recreation of Knossos
Minoan Culture - Religion
Minoan Priest
Minoan Snake
Goddess
The Minoan World: mid-2M B.C.E.
Mycenae
• Indo-European tribes descend into the Balkans ..
These Dorians founded the Mycenaean society
• Capital city was in the Peloponnese , kingdom
expand throughout much of what is the modernday nation of Greece… Sparta becomes center
of martial life… renowned for their warriors and
women
• Various Poleis develop, geography made unity
difficult – by 1000 bce many Greek-speaking
colonies established throughout Mediterraiian
and Black Sea region ( Magna Graecia)
magna graecia
Hellenic World
• Cultural ties amongst the city-states…shared
linguistic, religious values
• Diverse political systems…Spartans enslave
neighbors ( Helots), other forms of slavery
elsewhere
• Athens leads move to plurality- direct democracy
allowed free males with property to participate
• Athenian golden age under Pericles
• Short-lived ( delian)union dissolves-
• 27 year ( Peloponnesian) war among
Hellenes left long-term damage
• Half-century of Spartan domination ends
with conquest by Phillip of Macedon ( circa
350 bce)
• The experiment of rule by the people (
demos) will inspire others
Legacy of Hellenic Culture
• Playwrites,philosphers impact on centuries to come–
• Comedy / tragedy basis for western drama to the present
• Socrates developed the basis for logic
• Plato’s republic promoted government run by
philosopher kings chosen by the public
• Aristotle’s writings on physics, the cosmos and matter
would hold for 1,500 years –however, he clearly was
misogynistic ! Awful view of women
• Other scientific and mathematical geniuses –
Archimedes of Syracuse, Euclid ( father of geometry),
and Claudius
Ptolemy
Hellenistic (diffusion)
• By- product of Alexander’s conquests– all
things Greek spread over vast area
• Egyptian branch ( Ptolemaic), preserves
the classics , merged with Roman
Empire of Alexander of Macedonia