Ancient Greece
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Transcript of Ancient Greece
ANCIENT GREECE1750 B.C. – 133 B.C.
Early People of the Aegean Minoans: 1750-1500 B.C.- developed
on the island of Crete, named after Minos, a legendary king of Crete.Success based on trade not conquestKnossos: rulers lived in this palace. It
housed rooms for the royal family, banquet halls, workshops for artisans. Walls covered with frescoes
Early People of the Aegean Mycanea: 1400-1200 B.C.- developed on
Greek mainland before taking over Cretesea traders, lived in separate city-states on the
mainlandTrojan War: 1250 B.C.- Mycanea vs. Troy Troy-(rich
trading city in present day Turkey), Troy controlled straits connecting the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
Legend of the Trojan War: Trojans kidnapped the wife of a Greek king and the Greeks went to rescue her, fought for ten years to get her back. Finally Troy was seized by the Greeks and burned down
The Age of Homer Homer: 750 B.C.- blind poet
who wandered village to village passing on oral accounts of heroic deeds. Responsible for two great epics. Iliad: story of Achilles, the
mightiest Greek warrior. Odyssey: story of Odysseus and
his return home to his wife Penelope after the Trojan War.
Iliad and Odyssey: display the values of honor, courage, and eloquence
Ancient Greece Geography has a huge influence on
Greek way of life.Mountains cover ¾ of Greece – results in
city-states organization, rather than centralization
Bad conditions for growing grain, market agriculture emerges
The Rise of Greek City-States Different city states developed with
different ideas:Sparta: great military, aristocracy rule, large
slave population, but very little arts or cultureAthens: democracy and advancements in
philosophy, education, trade, science, architecture, drama, and history
Athens Democracy Athens/American Democracy:
Athens:Citizens participate directly (direct
democracy)Only male citizens (born in Athens) could
voteAmerica:Citizens elect people to make laws
(representative democracy)All citizens can vote
The Persian Wars By 500 B.C., Athens had emerged as
the wealthiest Greek city-state Persians: empire stretching from Asia-
Minor to the border of India.`Greek city-states: Ionia in Asia MinorThough under Persian rule-still self
governing499 B.C.- Ionian Greeks rebelled against
Persian rule- Athens sent ships to help them
Persian Wars Persians soon crushed the rebellion but
Darius, ruler of the Persians, was upset with the Athenians role in the uprising.
Marathon: Darius sent troops to punish Athens, landed near MarathonAthenians - heavily outnumbered, outmatched,
overran the Persians and forced them to retreat back to their ships.
Pheidippides - Athenian, ran from Marathon to Athens proclaiming “We are victorious” died upon arrival
The Marathon Race is named after this event.
Persian Wars Darius: died before another attack was
made Xerxes: (son of Darius) 480 B.C.- sent
much larger force to conquer GreeceAthens- Sparta & other city-states supportThermopylae- Spartans led by Leonidas, held
out bravely but were defeated by the Persians, Persians then marched south and burned Athens (the city was empty)
Persian Wars, cont’d.Greeks defeated Persians at the strait of
Salamis, and later on land in Asia Minor, ending the Persian invasion of Greece
Delian League: Athens and alliance with other greek City-States
Athens – Age of Pericles Pericles – 460 -429 B.C. –under
his leadership, Athens thrived economically and the gov’t became more democratic.Direct democracy (6,000 members
required to decide important issues) - Stipend, Jury, Ostracism
Pericles’ Funeral Oration- one of earliest and greatest expressions of democracy
Pericles – turned Athens into cultural center of Greece
Peloponnesian War Peloponnesian League: formed by Sparta
and other city-states to counter the Delian League
Peloponnesian War -431 B.C.- fighting broke out between Athens and Sparta. Soon all of Greece was involved. fighting lasted 27 yearsAthens geographic disadvantage: Sparta inlandPlague in Athens – 1/3 of population lost,
including Pericles
Peloponnesian War War Ends: 404 B.C.- with the help of
Persian navy, the Spartans captured Athensended Athenian domination of Greek worldDemocratic government sufferedFor the next century, fighting plagued the
Greek world
Greek Philosophers Socrates: Athenian
philosopher, we most know about him from his student PlatoSocratic Method – pose a series
of questions and asked students to evaluate their answers
“Know Thyself” seek truth and self-knowledge
Put on trial at age 70, jurors sentenced him to death, he drank the hemlock(deadly poison)
Greek Philosophers Plato: distrust of democracy
after the death of SocratesSet up the Academy (school in
Athens)Emphasized the importance of
reasonThe Republic – Plato described his
vision of an ideal state. Ideal society: workers to produce, military to protect, and philosophers to rule
Greek Philosophers Aristotle: Plato’s most
famous studentAnalyzed all forms of
governmentThought democracy could
lead to mob ruleFavored rule by a single and
strong rulerLeft writings on politics,
ethics, logic, biology, literature, and many other subjects
Art, Architecture, and Drama Parthenon – an example of Greek
architecture (tall columns and sloping roof)
•Greek Sculpture: valued order, balance, and proportion. Wanted to depict the ideal human form
•Poetry and Drama: Tragedies and Comedies
Art, Architecture, and Drama
Alexander the Great 336 B.C. – 323 B.C. King of Macedonia upon
death of his father Great warrior who conquered
Persia, Egypt, and reached India
Hellenistic – Greek like Supported assimilation –
blended Greek styles with Egyptian, Persian, and Indian
Greek traditions spread to Asia and Africa