History of Greece to 146 BC – Setting the Stage

Chronological scope of course coverageo Course covers Peloponesian war to capture of Corintho Three centuries: 4th century BCE to 2nd century BCE o You count backwards with BCE

4th century: 400, 399, 398, etc (counterintuitive!) o The Greeks had a different way of counting times

Olympic Games e.g. “my mother was born on the 2nd Olympic games”

Archonship E.g. “I was born when so and so was the Archon”

Periodizationo We are focusing on part of the classical period (480-323) and the

hellensitic period (323-30)o This is after the bronze age, dark age, and archaic period.

Geographic scope of course coverageo We are covering a broad area of Greek city states that were all around

the medititeraneon. Coast of black sea West coast of Asia Minor South france Eastern coast of spain.

o “Frogs around a pond” – Plato Pond is the Mediterranean

o Title of the course is somewhat misleading. We are studying the “Greek Civilization” of all Greek city-states

around the Mediterranean, not just mainland Greeceo Note that the Persian empire is more to the East, but has a lot of

overlap with Greeceo Aegean World

The Aegean Islands are the islands around the Aegean seas Geographical fragmentation across the Aegean sea is the

reason why Greece never developed unity and instead had independent city states

Polis – City-State (pl. poleis)o Rose in the 8th century BCE (before scope of course) o (Usually) Small, independent self-ruling political unit (all forms:

democracy to oligarchy to tyranny) This is the most important political unit in Greek history But there are other forms of political community

ethnos : there is no clear translation of this word into English. League , people , nation .

o Urban center and surrounding territory. Citizens in both the city and the countryside.

o About 1000 of these in the Greek islands. o Athens and Sparta were unusually strong as cities. Most were far

smaller. Ethnos (pl. ethne)

o Nation, people, or leagueo Rationale

Sharing of similar ancestry and feeling of common kinship (same people or nation)

Federal league (e.g. politically united) o Impact

These areas were goverened by councils of presentatives from member communities

Similar religious sanctuary (?) Hellenes – Greeks

o The Greek word for Greek is Hellenes. o There are some aspects of Greek culture that were commono Commonalities of all hellenes

Shared language Shared religious beliefs and rituals Shared customs (similar laws) Same blood (shared myth of common ancenstor Hellen) These commonalities caused Greeks to see themselves as a

common people. Even though they fought amongst one another, they still knew they were similar in a way.

Barbaroi - Barbarianso These people are simply those whose language the Greek could not

understando The main difference between the Greeks and Barbarians was not

racial, but linguistic and socioculturalo This is a difference with how we understand this in English

Even though Greeks generally did believe their culture was superior, but savagery really wasn’t the key distinction

Dark Ageo 1200-700 BCEo We know very little of this time

It is therefore a shadowy, dark period figuratively speaking Important features of Greek city states

o New idea of authority – community is the sovereign (definitely different than the united state)

o Direct participation on the part of citizens No beaureacratic or administrative apparatus

o They did not say “Athens” or “Corinth” they said “the Athenians” or “the Corinthians”

The city is the citizenry and the citizenry is the city

This is perhaps a reflection of the direct participation of the citizenry

o Usually they had ekklesia (assembly) of adult male citizens. The boule (restricted council) assists the assembly as a decision making body.

Structure of the societyo Only adult male citizens have political rights and the right to own real

estateo When we say “all citizens,” we really mean this small subseto Metics (metoikoi) = resident aliens: no political rights and no right to

own real estate (citizenship cannot be acquired)o Women: no political rights and no legal rightso Slaves were essential for the functioning of society. Often these were

barbarians or war captives. No freedom or political rights to vote etc. o Average citizens had only 1 or 2 slaves.

Hoplite Warfaro Heavily armored foot soldiers (hoplites) arranged in a rightly packed

formation (phalanx) o Battles based on the force of impact of the phalanx and on the

cohesion and compactness of the rankso Hoplon – small shields

Class 2

From League to Empire Athens versus Sparta (The Poeloponnesian War)

o The war occurred because Spartans feared growth of Athenian powero Spartan bloc was largely continguous. They were a mainland block. o Athenian were all coastal and not very connected. They are the

maritime block. o Because it was a maritime versus maritime power it was a deadlocko Spartans allied with the Persians (I think this was to get maritime

superiority) Key Words

o Athenian Dmoecracyo Misthos and liturgieso Spartan Systemo Helotso Persian Empireo Great Kingo Satrapy and satrap

Find on a mapo Athenso Attica

o Spartao Laconiao Messeniao Deloso Thebeso Boeotiao Corinth

What are main sources for the first half of the 4th centuryo Thucydides died before this timeo Xenophon (most important source)

Athenian who served as mercenary under Persians Befriended Agesilaus, king of Sparta He had a unique position since he was an Athenian by birth, he

served under Spartan army and knew king of Sparta – as a result, he knew the main actors of the story

o Plutarch He lived many years (centuries, actually) after the events that

occurred Greek biography and essayist. Lives is a great set of

biographies. He wasn’t as interested in actual facts as much as he was

interested in showing models of ideal behavior. Lysander

o Main author of Spartan victoryo Secured alliance with Persians thanks to friendship with Cyrus the

Young (Persian Prince) o Defeated Athenian fleet at Aegospotami, thus ending Peloponnesian

war People in Sparta treated him like a god for winning the war

o Established Spartan hegemony over “liberated” cities Spartans originally wanted to end Athenian empire, but

instead now we just had a Spartan empire… The system is changed but the people in power had changed.

Decarchies: Oligarchies of 10 men (Spartan form of rule) Harmosts: Spartan military governor Garrisons: Spartan garrisons kept cities under control Tribute: Collected tributes (taxes) to support the fleet and

garrisons The end of the “Spartan emprie”

o Spartans support Cyrus the Young in his rebellion against the new Persian king

o Cyrus dies at battle of Cunaxa, and Persians claim back the Greek cities of Asia Minor

o Eventually, they were defending Greek cities of Asia minor

The reason why Spartan empire was doomed was at least partly attributable to this issue

o Weaknesses in Spartan society Closed society

Didn’t want people in to corrupt values. …made them weak because they knew less than other societies.

No long term military commitments abroad Declining # citizens Discontent with Lysander’s personal ambitions

Spartan ideology were that all men were equal People therefore did not like that Lysander was treated

as above men People did not like the idea of a Spartan empire,

because they saw it as stemming from Lysander. From the Spartan campaigns in Asia Minor to the Corinthian War

o Most important things: Roles Spartans played How did it start?

The resurgence of Athenso After the Peloponnesian war the Athenians were left without anythingo They had long walls – complex systems of fortification - between their

cities and ports … but not they no longer have this. o Their fleet was destroyed and so was their long walls. o Lysander supported a harsh, oligarchy government called the Thirty

Tyrants This government led to a bloody civil war.

o with the financial help of the Persians, the Athenians rebuilt their fleet and the long walls

The Persians didn’t like the Spartans, so this made sense for them.

o The Athenians presented themselves as champions of freedom against Spartans… reclaimed supremacy of the sea with the help of the Persians

Peltastai and mercenarieso Peltastai = lightly armed troops equipped with throwing spears and a

small round shield, the Thracian pelte

Class 4 Persian Shifting Alliances

o 407-401: Persians support Sparta against Athenso 388-386: King’s peace. Persians support Spartans again

The King’s Peace (386) o Koine eirene: common peace (peace that includes all the Greek cities),

signed by all Greek citieso The reality is that this was an ultimatum issued by the Great King (of

Persia) signed by the poleis under threat by Persians that they would support Sparta unless peace was reached [such a strange thing!]

o There is a sense in which this is the low point of Greek autonomy, because they are being told what to do by the Persians

Sparta vs Thebes vs Athenso Sparta forces Boeotian League to dissolveo Sptartans occupy the citadel of Thebes

Class 6 (?) – 9 February 2015

Theban Hegemonyo The Thebans beat the Spartans at Leuctra

Mid 4th Century Overviewo Thebes was unable to maintain its hegemony over Grece after

Mantinea (362)o The first half of the fourth centry was a hell of a ride because Thebes

went from hegemony to irrelevance Rich vs Poor at Athens

o In the 5th century, both the rich and poor classes support Athenian imperialism

The poor were employed as rowers in the fleet The cost of military supremacy rested on the allies

o By the 4th century, the interests diverged between these two classes

TA Session

Timoleon (297 from reading) o How many citizens did the Corinthians muster up?

10K o How many went to Sicily?

60Ko What did he promise in return for their voyage?

Lando Why did he promise them this? Why buy them out?