Ancient Greek Civilization

You were born in Greece.

Greece Early Timeline

6500 B.C. beginning of settled life in Greece (Neolithic Revolution) 3000 B.C. moved from Central Europe into the Balkan Peninsula 2600 2200 B.C. village/urban development staple crops (olives, grains, grapes) 2000 B.C. Beginning of Mycenaean (Greek) Civilization 1660 B.C. Conquering of Minoan Civilization 1400-1200 B.C. Highpoint of Mycenaean Civilization (Mycenae, Corinth, Pylos)
* Trojan War1180 B.C.

1200-1100 B.C. Mycenaens overrun by Dorians (illiterate) 1100-850 B.C. Small illiterate civilizations (depopulation, deconstruction)

How we learn about Mycenaeans

1. Writings (Linear B) 2. Archaeology (palaces Tiryns, Mycenae, Pylos) 3. Homeric Poems (Iliad, Odyssey)
Homer (800 - 700 B.C.) ~ 800 B.C. orally taught assembled together ~ 725 B.C. mythical status ~ 550 B.C. written / stabilized

Greece not a unified country Greek speaking various dialects settled by various Indo-Europeans *Not a river valley civilization Mountainous peninsula w/ 1,400 islands in the Aegean/Ionian Seas Physical geography directly shaped Greek traditions/customs Climate 50-80 degrees all year round out-door climate Everyone is close to a coastline Seafaring skilled sailors Rocky landforms and limited natural resources (timber, precious metals and farmland/grazing land) Necessitated sea travel/trade/colonization **Athenian pottery evidence Importance of slave labor** Mountains isolated difficult to unite hard to get around Independent city-states form loyalty to local communities BUT eventually bound by trade, alphabet, dialects of Greek, similar religious practices, festivals (Olympics)

Geography

Slavery in Ancient Greece

Widespread Relied upon to produce agricultural surplus Created a laboring class (small land owners, artisans, laborers) and an idle class (large landowners) Masters could rely on other Greeks to punish rebellious slaves, hunt escapees Idle class philosophy, art, architecture, poetry, etc. At the expense of the enslaved essential to civilized life

 Slavery limits innovation/incentive

Rebellions stem from conflict: 1. Kings: traditional chieftains w/ privileges and obligations to poor vs. 2. Resentful merchant farmers Merchant farmers: pattern of overthrow/creation of Oligarchies taxed others to beneath the poverty line arrest, conviction in oligarchic courts debt slavery Slave/lower class upheaval central to the stories of citystates, Athens and Sparta

Helots were frequently humiliated by their masters. Here one is forced to get drunk to entertain the Spartans.

Greek City-States
Polis (city state) fundamental political unit 10,000 people Acropolis center Ways to govern
Monarchy Aristocracy noble/land-owning family (military service) Oligarchy (Sparta) Democracy (Athens)

Sparta & Athens

*Development of oligarchies (merchant farmers) tyrants Athens Started as Monarchy Turned into a Democracy HOW? class struggle rich vs. poor
Peasant revolt - poor farmers worked as slaves to repay debts

Democracy created to avoid civil war (revolt) Exclusionary Democracy Draco (621 BCE - ) legal code equality before the law Draconian Solon (594 BCE - ) Athenian Assembly open to all of 4 social classes top 3 classes able to hold political office Cleisthenes (500 BCE - ) Weakened the power of the nobility, increased the power of the assembly Council of Five Hundred Free adult males only 1/5 estimated to be true citizens Women domestic life

Sparta Military state control slave revolts Messenians Helots Military training for children Duty, strength, discipline, toughness, service to the state Spartan Boys military training krypteia Spartan Girls military education eventual role of managing affairs during wars Government Military Council of Elders proposed laws Assembly voted to approve laws 5 elected officials - executive (branches of government)

King Leonidas *popular culture* 300 Battle of Thermopylae

Persian War Unification of Greek City-States

Cause Athens supported Ionian Greek uprising Darius Military innovations Iron replaced bronze (cheaper, harder) Army of citizen soldiers (merchants, artisans, small land owners cheaper administration) Phalanx Battle of Marathon 10,000 Athenians vs. 25,000 Persians Casualties 6,400 Persians vs. only 192 Athenians Messenger to warn Athens Runs 26.2 miles Marathon to Athens victory, but possible regroup/invasion Greek City States vs. Persia Won a several land/naval battles Persian supply lines cut off defeat of invasion force 2 Major Results Argument of preventing the conquest of Western Civilization Short term unity of 140 Greek City States (Delian League) golden age of Athens

IONIA

Nike! Victory!

GOALS 1. Strengthen Athenian Democracy Government positions open up to lower classes ($) Direct democracy 2. Hold and strengthen the empire Imperial in nature (expand tax base) required war Delian League Athenian navy control trade 3. Glorify Athens Beautification tax $ to decorate Athens (Parthenon) Nearly bankrupts city

Golden Age of Athens: Pericles (461-429)

Athenian vs. US Democracy

Athenian Democracy

Both Citizens: male, 18+, Political power property ownership exercised by -fell into disuse citizens Laws: direct vote Three Branches by citizen of govt assembly Legislative branch Leaders: chosen Passes laws directly by people Executive Branch: Executive Branch: carries out laws council of 500 Judicial Branch Juries: varied in Interprets laws w/ size trials by paid Judicial: no jurors attorneys, no appeals, 1-day trials

US Democracy Citizens: Born in the US or naturalized Laws: elected representatives Leaders: president elected (EC) Executive Branch: elected and appointed officials Juries: 12 jurors (peers) Judicial: attorney representation long appeals

Golden Age of Athens: Art

Classical Art Sculpture Forms graceful (serenity) perfectly formed (idealistic) order/balance/proportion Drama Civic pride, tribute to the gods
Tragedy (tragic hero)
Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides

Comedy (crude humor, slapstick, satires (critical of political figures and ideas)
Lysistrata (Aristophanes)

The Greeks: History

History
No written records from Dorian period Poems of Homer recount stories

Herodotus lived in Athens-pioneered accurate recording of events

Book on Persian Wars history/myth

Thucydides

Herodotus vs. Thucydides Mythological History vs. father of scientific history

Athens vs. Sparta Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)

27 years of war
Athenian wealth/influence brings hostility Invasion of siege of Athens Plague (1/3 of population) Pericles dies

Sparta (army) Athens (navy) Pericles

Temporary peace and disastrous invasion of Syracuse (415 BCE) Persians on side of Spartans

Athens surrenders to Sparta Period of instability

Decreased confidence in democracy (Athens Oligarchy in 411 BCE) *end of Athenian Democracy Decline in wealth/power of Athens

Greek Thinkers
Greek Philosophers wisdom and truth 1. universe is subject to unchanging laws 2. laws can be understood through logic and reason BY THE INDIVIDUAL Sophists
Questioned Greek gods - the world is within the individual Academic freedom defined teachings

Socrates (469-399 B.C) Critical questioning of accepted principles I only know that I know nothing. Accused of corrupting the minds of Athenian youth Context of the end of the Peloponnesian War critical of Athenians arrogance, lack of strategynot depletion plague Sentenced to death drank hemlock DEDUCTION general principal to specific example All men are mortal Socrates is a man Socrates is mortal Plato (427-347 B.C) student of Socrates The Republic perfectly governed society ruling class philosopher-king greatest intellect/insight (enlightened person) Virtues: avoidance of individual interests/private property, working for common good, education (and for women) Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) student of Plato, tutored Alexander the Great Right to property (defends slavery) INDUCTION specific examples to come up with general principle -- Basis for the scientific method

Epicurus (341-271 BCE) Epicurean Dialogue

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is not omnipotent. --Is He able to prevent evil, but not willing? Then He is malevolent. --Is God is both able and willing to prevent evil? Then, whence cometh evil? --Is he neither able nor willing to prevent evil? Then why call Him God?

Philip II of Macedonia
Peloponnesian War weakened Greek City States Philip II of Macedonia (north) Planned to invade Greece and then attack Persian Empire *Macedonians looked down upon culturally by Greeks Philip became King of Macedonia (23 yrs old) 359 B.C. Built an army organized peasants phalanxes (16x16 men) 18 ft pikes Followed by cavalry Macedonians (under Philip) defeated Athens/Thebes (Chaeronea) Alexander (son of Phillip) led a successful cavalry charge Ended city-state independence Philip II (w/ plans to attack Persia) stabbed to death Alexander becomes king of Macedonia (20 years old)

Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.)

Alexander taught by Aristotle (science, geography, literature) Invasion of Persia Smaller forces versus larger forces of Persia (well-organized) Darius III (Persian King) tried to offer a peace settlement Alexander refused attacked Egypt (332 B.C.) Egyptians welcomed Alexander as a liberator crowned Pharaoh Alexandria established Alexander moved east to attack Darius in Mesopotamia Occupied Babylon (other major Persian cities) distributed riches among army Didnt stop there 327 B.C. to Indus Valley Soldiers had been away from home for 11 years Morale low wanted to return home Returned to Babylon Built up empires infrastructure roads, cities, harbors Died at age 32 (Malaria) Empire split between three ambitious generals Antigonus (Greece/Macedonia), Ptolemy (Egypt), Seleucius (Persian Empire)

Alexander the Great - Legacy

*** Spread Greek Culture Blend of Greek (Hellenic) culture and Egyptian and Eastern cultures Hellenistic culture Cosmopolitan (Alexandria) Easier cultural transition for future Roman conquests

*** Spread Greek Language Greek becomes language of the literate Official trade language of the Mediterranean

*** Model of Successful Empire Builder Accepted Persian, Eastern customs Treated enemies humanely Won the respect of the conquered

Alexanders Empire

Greek Science and Technology

Western Civilization would not approach the level of intellectual sophistication of the Greeks until 1500s and 1600s Astronomy Earth circumference Sun larger than the earth Geocentric theory Mathematics Euclidian Geometry Archimedes - inventor Pythagoras

Rendering of Lighthouse in Alexandria

Aristotelian/ Ptolemaic Universe

The Known World to the Ancients (Greeks/Romans)

Greek Phalanx