Chapter 5 Ancient Greece

5.2 The Rise of Greek City-States

Identify and define key terms and vocabulary Explain how Spartan life differs from today's Describe the various forms of early Greek government

Introduction
Whatever the Greeks have acquired from foreigners they have, in the end, turned into something finer. - Plato

Geography: The Greek Homeland

Mountains and Valleys
Greece is on the Balkan peninsula which extends into the Mediterranean Early Greece was not a huge empire, but smaller city-states on many of its islands

The Seas
The Greeks became skillful sailors with a powerful navy Coastal access allowed for rapid spreading of goods and ideas

The Polis
Polis a two-leveled city
Temples were located on the hilltop called the Acropolis Homes and markets were on the lower level

Early Governments
Polis governments began as monarchy Shifted to wealthy land-owning noblemen ruling as an aristocracy Eventually resulted in a small, powerful group of businessmen becoming rulers called an oligarchy

 Changes in Warfare
650BC, iron weapons replaced bronze Ordinary citizens could now afford weapons Phalanx
Massive formation of heavily armed foot soldiers Required rigorous drill Fostered a strong sense of unity in soldiers

City states valued different ways of life

Sparta stressed military virtue Athens glorified individual citizenship and political rights

Sparta: A Nation of Soldiers

The Rigors of citizenship
Spartans were trained for war from childhood Sickly infants were abandoned to die Soldiers were encouraged to steal food, but were beaten if they were caught

Women
Expected to produce healthy sons for Sparta Trained and exercised their bodies Ran the family estates

 Spartans isolated themselves from other Greeks

They looked down on wealth and trade They did not value art, ideas or travel Noted for their valiant defense of narrow mountain pass, called Thermopylae, against Persian armies with 300 soldiers

From Virgils Aeneid

After many years have slipped by, the leaders of the Greeks, opposed by the Fates, and damaged by the war, build a horse of mountainous size, through Pallass divine art, and weave planks of fir over its ribs: they pretend its a votive offering: this rumour spreads. They secretly hide a picked body of men, chosen by lot, there, in the dark body, filling the belly and the huge cavernous insides with armed warriors. [...] Then Laocon rushes down eagerly from the heights of the citadel, to confront them all, a large crowd with him, and shouts from far off: O unhappy citizens, what madness? Do you think the enemys sailed away? Or do you think any Greek gifts free of treachery? Is that Ulyssess reputation? Either there are Greeks in hiding, concealed by the wood, or its been built as a machine to use against our walls, or spy on our homes, or fall on the city from above, or it hides some other trick: Trojans, dont trust this horse. Whatever it is, Im afraid of Greeks even those bearing gifts.

Review
Identify and define key terms and vocabulary
Polis, Acropolis Monarch, Aristocracy, Oligarchy Phalanx

Explain how Spartan life differs from today's Describe the various forms of early Greek government

Homework
Read pp. 107-110 (5.2 Quiz Wednesday) Complete before test:
SRQ 5.1 SRQ 5.2 (neatly, fully, not crumpled, blue/black ink or pencil)

Test Ch. 5 (Nov. 25)