Chapter 10

Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase

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Classical Greece, 800-350 B.C.E.

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Early Development of Greek Society

Minoan society Island of Crete Major city: Knossos

Ca. 2200 B.C.E., center of maritime trade Scholars unable to decipher Linear A script

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Decline of Minoan Society

Series of natural disasters after 1700 B.C.E. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves

Foreign invasions Crete falls under foreign domination

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Mycenaean Society

Indo-European invaders descend through Balkans into Peloponnesus, ca. 2200 B.C.E.

Influenced by Minoan culture Major settlement: Mycenae Military expansion throughout region

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Chaos in the Eastern Mediterranean

Trojan war, ca. 1200 B.C.E. Homer’s Iliad Sequel: Odyssey

Political turmoil, chaos from 1100 to 800 B.C.E. Mycenaean civilization disappears

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The Polis

City-state Urban center, dominating surrounding rural areas Highly independent character

Monarchies “Tyrannies,” not necessarily oppressive Early democracies

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Sparta

Highly militarized society Subjugated peoples: helots

Serfs, tied to land Outnumbered Spartans 10:1 by sixth century B.C.E.

Military society developed to control threat of rebellion

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Spartan Society

Austerity the norm Boys removed from families at age seven

Received military training in barracks Active military service follows

Marriage, but no home life until age 30 Some relaxation of discipline by fourth century

C.E.

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Athens

Development of early democracy Free adult males only Women, slaves excluded

Yet contrast Athenian style of government with Spartan militarism

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Athenian Society

Maritime trade brings increasing prosperity beginning seventh century B.C.E.

Aristocrats dominate smaller landholders Increasing socio-economic tensions

Class conflict

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Solon and Athenian Democracy

Aristocrat Solon mediates crisis Aristocrats to keep large landholdings But forgive debts, ban debt slavery

Removed family restrictions against participating in public life

Instituted paid civil service

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Pericles

Ruled 461-429 B.C.E. High point of Athenian democracy Aristocratic but popular Massive public works Encouraged cultural development

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Greek Colonization

Population expansion drives colonization Coastal Mediterranean, Black Sea

Sicily (Naples: “Neapolis,” new city) Southern France (Massalia: Marseilles) Anatolia Southern Ukraine

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Classical Greece and the Mediterranean Basin, 800-500 B.C.E.

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Effects of Greek Colonization

Trade throughout region Communication of ideas

Language, culture Political and social effects

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Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.)

Revolt against Persian empire, 500 B.C.E., in Ionia

Athens supports with ships Yet Greek rebellion crushed by Darius 493

B.C.E.; Athenians rout Persian army in 490 B.C.E.

Successor Xerxes burns Athens, but driven out as well

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The Delian League

Poleis create Delian League to forestall more Persian attacks

Led by Athens Massive payments to Athens fuels Periclean expansion Resented by other poleis

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The Peloponnesian War

Civil war in Greece, 431-404 B.C.E. Poleis allied with either Athens or Sparta Athens forced to surrender But conflict continued between Sparta and other

poleis

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Kingdom of Macedon

Frontier region to north of Peloponnesus King Philip II (r. 359-336 B.C.E.) builds massive

military 350 B.C.E., encroaches on Greek poleis to the

south; controls region by 338 B.C.E.

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Alexander of Macedon

“Alexander the Great,” son of Philip II Rapid expansion throughout Mediterranean basin Invasion of Persia successful Turned back in India when exhausted troops

mutinied

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Alexander’s Empire, ca. 323 B.C.E.

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The Hellenistic Empires

After Alexander’s death, competition for empire Divided by generals

Antigonus: Greece and Macedon Ptolemy: Egypt Seleucus: Persian Achaemenid empire

Economic integration, intellectual cross-fertilization

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The Antigonid Empire

Smallest of Hellenistic empires Local dissent Issue of land distribution

Heavy colonizing activity

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The Ptolemaic Empire

Wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires Established state monopolies

Textiles Salt Beer

Capital: Alexandria Important port city Major museum, library

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The Seleucid Empire

Massive colonization of Greeks Export of Greek culture, values as far east as India

Bactria Ashoka legislates in Greek and Aramaic

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Trade and Integration of the Mediterranean Basin

Greece: little grain, but rich in olives and grapes Colonies further trade Commerce rather than agriculture as basis of

much of economy

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Panhellenic Festivals

Useful for integrating far-flung colonies Olympic Games begin 776 B.C.E. Sense of collective identity

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Patriarchal Society

Women as goddesses, wives, prostitutes Limited exposure in public sphere Sparta partial exception Sappho Role of infanticide in Greek society and culture

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Slavery

Scythians (Ukraine) Nubians (Africa) Chattel Sometimes used in business Opportunity to buy freedom

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The Greek Language

Borrowed Phoenician alphabet Added vowels Complex language

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Science and Mathematics

Use of observable evidence, rational thought Thales predicts eclipse, 28 May 585 B.C.E. Democritus, atoms Pythagoras, systematic approach to mathematics Hippocrates, human anatomy and physiology

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Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.)

The Socratic method Student: Plato Public gadfly, condemned on charges of

immorality Forced to drink hemlock

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Plato (430-347 B.C.E.)

Systematized Socratic thought Republic

Philosopher kings Theory of Forms or Ideas

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Aristotle (389-322 B.C.E.)

Student of Plato Broke with theory of Forms or Ideas Emphasis on empirical findings, reason Massive impact on western thought

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Greek Theology

Polytheism Zeus principal god Religious cults

Eleusinian mysteries The Bacchae Rituals eventually domesticated

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Tragic Drama

Evolution from public presentations of cultic rituals

Major playwrights (fifth century B.C.E.) Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides

Comedy: Aristophanes

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Hellenistic Philosophies

Epicureans Pleasure, distinct from Hedonists

Skeptics Doubted possibility of certainty in anything

Stoics Duty, virtue Emphasis on inner peace

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