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What does the term classical mean to you?

Are the Greeks a “big deal” and if so, to whom and why?

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Ancient Greece

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Patmos Island

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3 Major Periods of Ancient Greece Civilizations

Early Civilizations: Minoans (Crete)

Mycenae (mi se ne)

Classical Greece (flourishing of arts, literature, philosophy; domination by Sparta and Athens)
Hellenistic Age: Macedonia Empire, Alexander the Great, and aftermath

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What are the characteristics of Ancient Greece’s geography?

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Geography of Greece

Greece is a small country in Europe.
Greece is near the Mediterranean Sea.
The main part of Greece in on a peninsula.

A peninsula is a body of land surrounded by water on three sides.

The rest of Greece is �made up of islands.

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Geographic Features

Sea: heavy influence on physical environment �(Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea)
Mountains (with narrow valleys): cover more than ¾ of Greece’s surface area and islands.
Islands: more than 2000
No major rivers but fertile soil
Climate: Winter = mild climate � Summer = hot climate

Rainfall from October to March = long growing season

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Effects of Geography

Seafaring tradition

Development of boats

Rely on navy for power and protection

Link for trade and cultural exchange with Mediterranean communities

Isolationism: Settlements protected but lack of effective communication with each other
Greece was organized into polis (independent city states) separated by seas and rugged mountains

Emergence of dominant city states (Athens, Sparta, Thebes, etc.)

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Greek City-States

Because Greece is made up of many islands, and has many tall mountains, �the Greeks build multiple city-states instead of one country.
A city-state is a city with its own laws, rulers, and money.
City-states were cities that acted like countries.

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Resources and Crops

RESOURCES

• grain

• cheese made of goat’s milk

• timber

• wild game

• wool from sheep = cloth

• clay = pottery

MOST IMPORTANT CROPS

• olives = oil

• grapes = wine

• grain

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Amphora - Jars/containers used to transport everything: olives, olive oil, wine, grain, etc.

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Early Greeks: The Minoans �c. 3200 -1100 BCE

Lived on island of Crete
Great navigators and farmers
Palace led political, social and economic organization at Knossos
Artistic expressions and grand construction
Advancements in bronze
Built sanctuaries�

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Palace of Minos at Knossos �(K-NOSS-oss)

Knossos-most powerful monarch for Minoans
Palaces controlled all agricultural goods and products by storing in large storerooms
Palaces became the centers of exchange for Minoan economy
Palaces had dozens of �interconnecting rectangular �rooms on two or more stories

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Minoan Culture

Art work (drawings, murals or frescoes) at Knossos shows dangerous sports such as leaping over the backs of charging bulls as well as dancing, athletics, and festivals

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Theories for Decline of Minoans

Climate & Conflict

1750 BCE- earthquake destroys Minoan palaces
1628 BCE- volcano erupts at Thera
1400 BCE- War between �Minoans and Myceaneans led to decline of power

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Enter the Mycenaeans�c. 1700 – 600 BCE

1490 BCE- Minoan palaces had been rebuilt however all were destroyed except at Knossos by Mycenaean warriors
Mycenaeans took control of Crete at Knossos by 1500 BCE
Myceneans controlled mainland Greece = main political centre was Mycenae
More interested in war as pottery and grave sites reflect hunting, weapons, armour and war as well as fortified palace walls
Slowly Minoan culture and traditions disappeared

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Theories for Decline of Mycenaeans

Climate and Conflict

Shift in climate leading to drought forcing Mycenaeans to migrate to more fertile lands
Tribe of nomadic warriors from north of Greece (Dorians) destroyed Mycenaeans

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Trojan War

Two epic poems by Homer �“Iliad” and “Odyssey” describe the Trojan War
Approximately 1194-1184 BCE
Greeks vs Troy
Helen of Sparta + Paris of Troy �“the face that launched a thousand ships”
Achilles, Odysseus, Hector, Agamemnon and the Trojan Horse
Archaeologist- Heinrich Schliemann (finds Troy)

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Trojan War�

Real or Myth?

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The Rise of Greek City-States

Because of geography, various city states emerged (Polis)
Acropolis – high city; usually included marble temples dedicated to different gods & goddesses

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Early Governments

Monarchy – king or queen has all the power
Aristocracy – rule by landholding elite (nobles)
Oligarchy – power in the hands of a few powerful elite (business class)

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Free men debating & chilling – whole community would join in festivals honoring the city’s special god(s)

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Military: Change in fighting style

Originally used Bronze
Later Development of IRON – better shields, helmets, & swords
Phalanx – massive formation of heavily armed foot soldiers
All this led to less class differences �& the rise of importance of the Middle Class

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Warfare & History

Occasional conflicts between city-states.
Greco-Persian Wars: 499-448 BCE. �Herodotus (father of history)
Peloponnesian Wars:�479-431 BCE. Fight between Athens and Sparta. Thucydides (another historian)

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Warfare

Greco-Persian Wars: 499-448 BCE.�Seasonal fighting. �Important battles: Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea
One important outcome was that the Greeks worked together with combined forces - sense of Greek identity.
A second important outcome was the establishment of the Persian (Achaemenid Empire) satrap in Macedonia (to the North of Greece). It would be a Greek kingdom, with a governor representing the Persian Empire. �Important future results!

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Warfare

Peloponnesian Wars: 431-404 BCE.
Caused by conflicting interests between allies of powerful city-states (Delian League (Athens) seen as domineering and threatening to other city-states.
Seasonal fighting. Sparta threatens countryside surrounding Athens, Athens raids Sparta using its navy. Two periods of combat with 6-year truce in the middle (Peace of Nicias).
Athens resumes fighting; Spartans develop a navy and defeat Athens. End of “golden age” Greece, as Sparta becomes dominant power

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Hoplites - citizen soldiers

Phalanx - Organized

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Classical Greece (500 – 336 BCE)

Polis (city states) = all had its own form of government, laws and money (Corinth, Thebes, Athens, Sparta)
Dominance of Athens as political power

Delian League: Association of city-states under Athens for protection against Persians

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http://img08.deviantart.net/74f6/i/2013/062/f/d/the_delian_league__478___431_bc__by_undevicesimus-d5curo7.jpg

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Classical Greece (500 – 336 BCE)

Construction of �Parthenon and Acropolis
Full development of democracy under Pericles of Athens

Classical age of Greece produced �great literature, poetry, philosophy, �drama, philosophy and art

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Acropolis & Parthenon - Athens

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�Athenian Democracy�“Demos” = people; “kratos” = rule�

Monarchy and Kings
Rise in power of aristocracy & oligarchy
Hoplites c. 675-650 BCE
Age of tyrants
Democratic Reforms by Solon and Cleisthenes�= Three Pillars of Athenians Democracy: �1. Council of 500 2. Assembly 3. Courts�
Athens lived under a radically democratic government from 508 until 322 BCE. The People governed themselves, debating and voting individually on issues great and small, from matters of war and peace to the proper qualifications for ferry-boat captains

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How effective was Athenian Democracy?

Ancient Athens is often referred to as the cradle of democracy
Democracy flourished during the Golden Age of Athens (4th Century BCE) under Pericles Direct Democracy= All the male citizens would gather, discussed the issues, and then voted on them.
However, Athenian democracy was different from our concept of democracy. Only male citizens were allowed to take part in running the government (made up approx. 10% of population).

Women, children, and people from other places lived in Athens as well, each with their own role. There were slaves as well.
The policy of ostracism potentially created some instability as the Assembly could exile a speaker by vote.

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Daily Life in Athens

MEN

Only men could be citizens; men ran government
Advancements in culture, thinking, literature, philosophy, wealth, expansion, trade
Reliance on slaves and women opened up free time for men to discuss philosophy and participate in politics�

WOMEN

Women could not vote, hold office or own property
Women did mostly household duties, religious observance, both seen as crucial to life
Education involved spinning, weaving and domestic arts
At 15 years old, girls were considered ready for marriage�

SLAVES

Ratio of slaves to free men was quite high as historians estimate that as much as 40% of people in Athens area were slaves
Slaves were household servants; some could gain freedom from generous owners

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Spartan Government:

Democratic Monarchical Oligarchy

Government ruled by a Council = made up of 2 kings (aristocracy) and 28 nobles (over age of 60) who made most political decisions and foreign policy and was supreme criminal court
Assembly of the Spartiate (democracy)- Spartan males over the age of 30 who could veto and approve decisions made by Kings and Council
5 Ephors (oligarchy)- led the council, ran the military and educational system and could veto any ruling made by the Council or Assembly�
Spartan government was considered one of the most stable in all of Ancient Greece = led to a warrior and military state (state above individual)
Ares - God of war was a patron god of the city, of wars, battles, and warriors, and also of fearlessness in battle.

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Daily Life in Sparta

MEN

At 30 men became citizens and could vote in Assembly, marry, own a house
Educated in reading, fitness and use of weapons
Boys started military training at the age of 7; joined military at age of 20; end of military service at the age of 60
Soldiers given land which was farmed by the helots�