ANCIENT GREECE

EARLY GREEK CIVILIZATION:

• Named after Minos, a legendary king• Located on island of Crete, Greece’s

largest island• Success was based on trade/commerce• Widespread trade routes: made contact

with Egypt, Mesopotamia, & Middle East

Minoan Civilization: 1750-1500 B.C.

• Invaders who brought down Minoans• Lived in city-states on mainland Greece• Wealthy rulers hoarded huge treasures• Best remembered for role in Trojan War

(actual war!)• Declined due to sea raiders

Mycenaen Civilization: 1400-1200 B.C.

LITERATURE

• Homer, author of Illiad and Odyssey

• Illiad tells story of Trojan War (chief source)

• Odyssey tells story of a Greek hero, Odysseus

• Both great epic poems showing values of the

period- honor, courageWAR

• fought between Myceneans and Trojans

• Trojan prince kidnapped wife of a Greek King (legend)

• Actual: economic rivalry

The Age of Homer

WHERE IS TROY?

GREECE AEGEAN SEA

• Part of Balkan peninsula, extends into Mediterranean Sea• Biggest impact of geography: Mountains created ideal

conditions for building of city-states• Seas- vital link to outside world

Geography of Greece: Peninsula & Archipelago

• Monarchy with 2 kings, Assembly, & Council of

Elders• Trade and travel not allowed (isolationism)• Military societyoAge 7: began military trainingoAge 20: men were allowed to marry

• Wanted healthy babies & healthy mothers

SPARTA

• Girls trained to be mothers of soldiers• Women were expected to produce healthy babies• Women had to obey fathers & husbands, but were

allowed to own property• Helots (slaves) did all nonmilitary

SPARTA

• “Spartans are willing to die

for their city because they have no reason to live.”

SPARTA

• Aristotle: “The man is by nature fitter

for command than the female just as an older person is superior to a younger, more immature person.”

ATHENS

• Limited democracy (more on this later) • Laws made by Assembly• Only male citizens in Assembly• Trade with other city-states• All citizens were equal

ATHENS

• Women & slaves- excluded from becoming citizens• Women inferior & did not take part in public life• Education reserved strictly for boys• Boys learned to be well-spoken democratic

citizens and participated in athletic contests

ATHENS

ATHENS & SPARTA

What is Persia?

• Term refers both to a vast, ancient region AND

to modern-day Iran. • Iran was known as Persia up until 1935. • Official Persian boundaries changedgreatly over time….

WHAT IS PERSIA?

• vast empire- By 500 B.C., threat to Athens• Boundaries of Persia around 500 B.C-

stretched from parts of Egypt well into Asia Minor and border of India

• Darius I- angry at Greek’s interference in the uprisings in his kingdom (Persia)

“Master, remember the Athenians…”

WHO WERE THE PERSIANS?

• Cause: began when Ionian Greeks rebelled

against Persian rule in Asia Minor, and Athens sent ships over to help

• Events: Athenians had victory at Marathon; Athens persuaded Sparta & other Greek city-states to join in fight against Persia

• Results: Greeks defeat Persians; Delian League (alliance) is formed; Athenian golden age !

Athens emerges as most powerful state in Greece

PERSIAN WARS

• Monarchy- king & queen exercise central power• Aristocracy- rule by a landholding elite (gentry)• Oligarchy- power belongs to a select elite***All above forms were present in ancient Greece, but Athens slowly evolved toward democracy by approx 600 B.C.

Ancient Greece & Government

Pericles governed over Athens from 460 – 429 B.C.E.• made Athens more democratic by direct

democracy, (large # of citizens take direct part in the day-to-day affairs of government).

• believed all male citizens, regardless of wealth or social class, should take part in government

Economic & Cultural Life: Athens became cultural center (thinkers, writers, artists, public festivals)

AGE OF PERICLESA GOLDEN AGE FOR ATHENS

Pericles gave speech at funeral of Athenians killed in

battle. • praised Athenian form of government, stressed

rights and duties of citizenship. • considered one of earliest and greatest

expressions of democratic ideals.

THE AGE OF PERICLESFUNERAL ORATION

“We alone regard a man who takes no interest in public affairs, not as a harmless but as a useless character.”

What is he saying about the duties of citizenship?

THE AGE OF PERICLESFUNERAL ORATION

• Causes: Greeks resented Athenian domination &

formed Peloponnesian League to oppose Delian League; Sparta was against democracy

• Results: Sparta defeated Athenians. Athenian domination came to an end. It eventually revived and remained a cultural center, but democracy suffered for years to come

PELOPONNESIAN WARS

GREEK AGAINST GREEK: WHY DID ATHENS LOSE?• Sparta had advantage over Athens because of

inland location• Plague broke out in Athens killing a third of its

population• Spartans overpowered Athenians and captured

Athens in 404 B.C.E.

PELOPONNESIAN WARS

• Son of King Philip of Macedonia (area of land

North of Greece)• King Philip conquered Greek city-states; when he

was assassinated, Alexander took over• Alexander made conquests from Greece to Egypt

to Persia to India• Introduced ideas on marriage, education, $• Responsible for assimilation/ blending of cultures• Created Hellenistic Civilization

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

HELLENISTIC CIVILIZATION