Persia and Greece

Unit 2: Classical Era

Persia

Rise of Persia

• 550 B.C.E. the Persian King Cyrus, began conquering several neighboring kingdoms

• Empire spanned 2,000 miles from the Indus River to Anatolia

• Cyrus’s most enduring legacy was his method of governing• Honored local customs and

religions

• Cyrus was killed by nomadic invaders

Persian Rule• Cyrus’s son Cambyses expanded the

empire by conquering Egypt– Weak ruler compared to father– Widespread rebellions after death

• Darius, a noble, succeed Cambyses– An elite group of Persian soldiers, the

Immortals, helped Darius seize the throne• Brought peace and stability to the

empire• Turned attention to conquest: empire

over 2,500 miles embracing Egypt and Anatolia, part of India and the Fertile Crescent– Only inability was to conquer Greece

• Under Persian rule providences could:– Practice own religion– Speak own language– Follow many of their own laws

• Although tolerant, Darius still ruled with absolute power• Created the use of standardized metal coins to promote trade and unify the

empire • Royal Road helped hold the empire together

– 1,677 miles of roads

• Zoroaster, a Persian prophet, establishes a religion in which people’s own choices determine their fate– Zoroastrianism:

monotheistic worship of Ahura Mazda and sacred writings known as the Avesta;• Establishes early beliefs in

heaven, hell, and a final judgement

Persian Legacy

• Through their tolerance and good government, the Persians brought political order to South West Asia.– Preserved ideas from earlier civilizations– Respected other cultures– Lasted over 200 years

Greece

Impact of Geography on Greece:Identify 1 geographic feature & propose

how it might impact the culture of Greece

Impact of Geography on Greece:Identify 1 geographic feature & propose

how it might impact the culture of Greece

Mediterranean Civilizations

• Geography of Balkan Peninsula is mountainous and disrupted by narrow river valleys. – This is why the Greeks settled politically into

separate city-states called a polis. • The sea influenced their culture because of

the long seacoasts and many harbors. – The Greeks became seafarers and fish was a

staple of their diet.

• Ancient Greeks blended from:– Minoans who had settled on the

island of Crete (2700 -1450 BCE)• They had a trading culture; they were

either destroyed by a tidal wave or an invasion by the Mycenaeans.

– Mycenaeans (1600 – 1100 BCE) They had a warrior culture who lived on the Balkan pen. In fortified cities, but they also traded.• Homer’s epic poems were probably

written @ the end of this age (Iliad & Odyssey)

• The values of courage and honor became important to the Greeks

Greek Dark Age (1100 – 750 BCE)• The Mycenaean Civilization

collapsed– Many left and sailed to various

islands east of the Balkan pen. (became known as Ionia Greece) close to modern day Turkey

• During this time, Dorian’s settled the area called Peloponnesus.

• Iron replaced bronze• Greeks adopted the Phoenician

alphabet and added vowels

POLIS: city–state had 2 main parts – Acropolis – usually on a hill – fortified area with

public buildings & the city’s temple for it’s adopted god. Ex. Parthenon in Athens dedicated to Athena

– Agora – area below with an open area for a market. Also, homes were usually built close to these areas.

Greek City-States

- ruled by landowning aristocrats descended from Indo-European warriors.

- Each city-state had trained foot soldiers who were heavily armed with a short sword and spear. They went to battle as a tight unit fighting shoulder to shoulder called a Phalanx

• Tyranny in City – States– Tyrants were not necessarily oppressive– Greek tyrants were rulers who seized power by

force from the aristocrats– They gained power through their soldiers– Tyranny was a step in some city – states to

democracy• Other city –states remained an Oligarchy (rule

by a few) usually aristocrats. Ex. Sparta

• By 500 B.C.E. most city-states were based upon principles of loyalty to the public community rather than to an individual ruler.

• Widespread participation in public life by male citizens was common.

• Since each city-state had its own gods, religious rituals also supported involvement.

• Women were regarded as inferior and excluded from public life– Spartan women had higher status: education and

physical training

Zeus King of the gods

Athena Goddess of wisdom

Aphrodite Goddess of love

Apollo God of sun & music

Ares God of war

Hades God of underworld

Hera Goddess of family

Poseidon God of the seas

Persian Wars• The Persian War (500-479 B.C.E.)

– Cyrus and Darius controlled Anatolia (Persia)

– Greek cities on Ionian coast revolted, 500 B.C.E.

– Darius’ Invasion• The battle of Marathon, 490

B.C.E.• Greeks led by Spartans and

Athens battled Persia to a draw

– Xerxes Invasion• To fight Persians, Athenians

build a wall of wood, or a navy

• Xerxes seized, burned Athens • Athenian navy destroys

Persian in the battle of Salamis, 480 B.C.E.

• Persian army retreated back to Anatolia, 479 B.C.E.

Burning of Athens

The Delian League

–Athens formed a defense alliance called the Delian League among the Greek city-states. –Alliance among Greek poleis against Persian

threat –Military force from Athens, finance from

other polis’ –As Persian threat subsided, poleis no longer

wanted to participate–Athens uses navy to turn Delian League into

Athenian Empire

• Pericles was the political figure in Athens between 461 – 429 BCE. – Pericles turned Athens into a Direct Democracy

(literally rule of the people, in Athens meaning free male citizens; all decisions emanated from the popular assembly without intermediation of elected representatives)

The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta represented the differences among polis

• Athenian society focused on wealth & culture:–Athens had a

direct democracy in which both rich & poor citizens could vote & hold public office

–Citizens were entitled to certain rights, while non-citizens had few protections and could never become citizens

The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta represented the differences among polis• Spartan society focused

on military strength, not freedom & learning–Spartan men served in

the military until 60 years old–Boys began military

training at age 7–Women had higher

status: education, physical training, own slaves but not land

Peloponnesian War

• The growing power of a democratic, commercially active Athens led to competition with oligarchic, conservative, and militaristic Sparta

• Greek Civil War (432 – 405 BCE) City-states allied with either Sparta or Athens.– Disputes broke out partly because of

the Delian league. (Athens control through Pericles)

– Athens and Allies vs. Sparta and Allies

– Athens planned to win by staying behind its walls & receiving supplies from its colonies and protection by its navy.

– Sparta surrounded Athens and hoped Athenians would come out and fight.

• Due to over crowded conditions, in 430 BCE a plague broke out in Athens and 1/3 to ½ of the population including Pericles died. – A weakened Athens and after 25 years of fighting, Sparta won the civil

war.• This left the Greek city –states vulnerable and they were conquered

by the Macedonians.• Classical Greek Culture is referred to as the time prior to Alexander

the Great• Hellenistic Greek Culture Is the period when Greek language &

ideas sere carried to the non-Greek world– It spreads Greek knowledge and preserved classical influences across 3

continents

Alexander the Great

• Philip II’s son, Alexander, invaded and defeated the Persian empire in campaigns between 334 and 331 B.C.E.

• He also took control of Egypt. • Alexander pressed on into India but was

halted when his army refused to go on. • Alexander hoped to merge Greek and

Asian traditions. • Conquests bring about end of

independent Greek city-states and blend Greek cultures with eastern cultures to establish the Hellenistic Age.

• Alexander's unexpected death in 323 B.C.E. ended the dream of a multinational empire.

Hellenistic Culture

• It spread Greek knowledge and preserved classical influences across 3 continents– Many achievements in science, philosophy, and math

came with this time period. – The cultural center during this period was Alexandria– Scholars in Alexandria and India were instrumental in

theorizing mathematical principles that are the basis of modern geometry.

• Hellenistic Kingdoms after Alexander’s death.– Macedonian generals vied for power and the kingdom

was split into smaller kingdoms:• Macedonia, Syria, and Pergamum

The Principles of Greek Culture

• Cultural achievement was based on four principles. – An emphasis on formal political

theory reflected the special political atmosphere of Greece.

– Art and sculpture: Religious values, ideal proportions

– Drama and philosophy stressed the importance of human striving.

– Science: Eratosthenes showed the Earth was round, Archimedes great mathematician

Laocoön and His Sons

The Winged Victory of Samothrace

Classical Greek Culture

• The Greeks were the 1st to write and perform plays– Originally, dramas were

tragedies presented in trilogies

• Sophocles wrote Oedipus Rex which tells the story of Oedipus who commits tragic acts

• Homer’s the Iliad and the Odyssey were written down and provided a mythic foundation for Hellenic culture

• Greek Philosophy (love of wisdom) which was organized rational thought– Socrates – Athenian who was

ostracized from the city. He came up with the “Socratic Method”• Socrates urged consideration of

secular criteria for moral decisions

– Plato – was Socrates student and wrote “The Republic” which was about the ideals of a virtuous state. He also recorded many of Socrates dialogues.• Plato proposed an ideal

government where philosophers ruled.

• Aristotle – Plato’s student and wrote “Politics – 3 Good forms of Government”– Aristotle stressed the importance of

moderation to balance political and religious instability.

– Monarchy, Aristocracy and a Constitutional Government

– He wrote on many other subjects as well (ethics, logic, astronomy, biology, and physics)

– He was also Alexander the Great’s tutor.• Herodotus is considered the 1st

Historian