Classical Greece

477-431 BC

Very popular political leader In power 461-429 BC 3 goals

◦ Strengthen Athenian democracy◦ Hold and strengthen empire◦ Glorify Athens

Pericles 495-429 BC

Before politicians were not paid◦ This only allowed wealthy Athenians to hold

political positions◦ WHY?

Now those elected or chosen by lot were paid◦ What were the results of this?

◦ More citizens engaged in the government than any other city-state in Greece

Paid Politicians

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Male citizens serving in the assembly established all important policies that affected the polis◦ Is this truly a 100% Direct Democracy?

Direct Democracy

 R I M A RY SO U R C E Our constitution is called a democracy

because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question

of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership in a particular class, but

the actual ability which the man possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political

obscurity because of poverty. PERICLES, “The Funeral Oration,”

from Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War

How is this different from the United States’ form of democracy?

A (page 135)◦How accurate do you consider Pericles’ statement that Athenian democracy was in the hands of “the whole people”?

How would this help to ensure the safety of the empire?◦ Protect coastline◦ Protect merchant vessels◦ Control the important waterways

Strengthening the Navy

Pericles Builds Athens

Architecture and art thrive during Pericles’ reign

Greatest architectural achievement during the Golden Age◦ Used a style that was over 200 years old,

however, it spread this style throughout the world

The Parthenon

Values of harmony, order, balance, and proportion◦ Faces of statues showed neither joy nor anger◦ Tried to capture the grace of the idealized human body

in motion

Classical Art

Theatrical productions in Athens were both an expression of civic pride and a tribute to the gods

Wealthy citizens bore the cost of producing the plays

What types of modern entertainment can you think of that serve the purpose of Athenian drama’s?

Greek Drama

Tragedy- a serious drama about common themes such as love, hate, war, or betrayal◦ A play dealing with tragic events and having an

unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.

Comedy- a drama of light and amusing character and typically with a happy ending

Two types of Drama

Many of these plays made fun of political issues and respected people of the day

What does this tell us about Athenian culture?

Greek Drama

No written record during the Dorian period◦ Homer’s epics

Thucydides- Athenian historian◦ Belief that certain types of events and political

situations recur over time◦ Studying these events will help understand the

present◦ Why do you think we study history?

History

Greek Drama Activity

PELOPONNESIAN WAR 431-404 BC

Both city-states were trying to assert their dominance in the region

Many thought war was inevitable

Sparta declares war in 431 BC◦ Athens; stronger navy, Sparta; stronger army

What geographical features lead to these two diff. strengths?

Athens v. Sparta

Spartans invade Athenian territory◦ Besiege the city◦ Athens can still get supplies from the sea

Disaster strikes Athens◦ 430 BC a plague breaks out in the city

About 1/3 of people killed Pericles dies

421 BC truce signed

Spartans on the offensive

415 BC Athens sends 20,000 men to attack the city-state of Syracuse in Sicily◦ Sparta’s wealthiest ally

413 BC crushing defeat for the Athenians

Athens defends against 9 years of Spartan attacks◦ 404 BC Athens finally surrenders

Athenians on the Offensive

Losing the Peloponnesian War did not doom democracy in the Mediterranean, Spartan Authoritarianism did not take over. What can you conclude about democracy from this?

What does this mean?

Consequences of losing the Peloponnesian War◦ Athenians begin to lose confidence in Democracy◦ Question values and beliefs

Sophists emerge◦ Question peoples unexamined beliefs and ideas

about justice and other traditional values◦ Protagoras: questioned existence of the gods

No universal standard for truth “Man [the individual] is the measure of all things”

Philosophy

Critic of the Sophists

Absolute standards did exist for truth and justice

Encouraged Greeks to question themselves and their moral character

In 399 BC he was sentenced to death for “corrupting the youth of Athens”

Socrates

Socrates’ student

Socrates did not record his philosophies◦ After his death Plato began to record his teachers

ideas

Wrote The Republic

Plato

Describes the perfectly governed society◦ NOT a democracy◦ All citizens fall naturally into three groups: Farmers and artisans Warriors The ruling class

Philosopher-king The person with the greatest insight

The Republic

Questioned the nature of the world, human belief, thought and knowledge

Arguing based on the rules of logic

Created the basis for the scientific method

Alexander the Great was one of his students

Aristotle

There is only one good, intelligence, and one evil, ignorance

What do you think this means?

Peloponnesian War severely weakened many Greek city-states

Macedonian King, Philip II took advantage of the weakened city-states◦ Unify Greece and then conquer Persia

Downfall of Athens

Kingdom North of Greece◦Similar terrain to Greece but the climate was much colder

◦Lived in small mountain villages rather than city-states

◦Nobles thought of themselves as Greeks Greeks did not see them as such, they looked down on them Their culture was not as “sophisticated”

Macedonia

359 BC becomes king of Macedonia

Read Philip’s Army on page 142

King Philip II

Demosthenes tries to warn of invasion

338 BC Athens and Thebes finally joined forces

To little to late◦ Battle of Chaeronea Greeks defeated◦ Ended independent Greece for centuries

Turn Towards Greece

Philip II is killed at his daughters wedding◦ Former guardsman

336 BC

King Philip II is Killed

Son of Philip II

Declares himself king immediately after death

20 years old

Student of Aristotle

Rise of Alexander the Great

Aristotle taught science, geography, and literature◦Especially liked Homer’s epics

Extensive military training◦ Ride a horse, command, hand to hand combat

Alexander’s Childhood

City-state of Thebes rebels Completely destroys the city

◦ 6,000 Thebians killed

◦ All other Greek city-states quickly fell in line

Harsh early rule

334 BC takes 35,000 soldiers to Anatolia

Persians counter with 40,000 troops

Met at the Granicus River◦ Alexander attacks first and crushes the Persian

defenses

Sights towards Persia

Persian king raises an army of 50,000-75,000

Alexander was outnumbered◦ Sent best troops to attack Darius directly◦ He flees in panic and his army follows

◦ How is this different from a modern battle field?

Darius III; responds to defeat

Read Conquering the Persian Empire (pg. 143)◦ Identify the following important concepts

Egypt Alexandria Darius raises yet another army Gaugamela Which cities did he conquer? Persepolis

Alexander controls Anatolia

Determined to rid the world of Darius Alexander pursued him across the Persian empire

◦ Darius died but Alexander continued East◦ Pushing through desert wastes and mountains

Alexander reached Central Asia

Other Conquests

Finally after 11 years on campaign Alexander's army was exhausted◦ They had marched 11,000 miles◦ Decides to head back to Greece

326 BC reaches the Indus River◦ Defeated massive Indian army at the Hydaspes

River

Alexander in India

323 while in Babylon Alexander dies of a fever

Alexander dies

Three generals struggle for control

◦Antigonus, Ptolemy, Seleucus

Antigonus eventually takes the Greek city-states

Ptolemy seizes Egypt

Seleucus gains the old Persian empire

Power struggle

These three Generals ruled with absolute authority

Democracy was temporarily gone from the Mediterranean

Democracy in trouble