Chapters 3 and 4Chapters 3 and 4

The Civilization of the Greeksand

Hellenistic Civilizations

BRONZE AGE: 3500 – 1200 BC DARK AGE 1200 – 700 BC CLASSICAL AGE 700 – 500 BC

I. Early Greece: 3200 – 1100 BC Importance of geography in Greek history

Late Bronze Age CulturesCycladic 3200 BC – 1100 BC

• Location:

• Religion:

• Political/Military:

• Urban / Rural:

• Economic:

Minoan 3000-1450 B.C.• Location:

• Culture:

• Religion:

• Political/Military:

• Urban / Rural:– Knossus

• Economic:

Sudden and catastrophic collapse around 1100 B.C

Mycenaean 1600-11 B.C.• Location:

– Peloponnesus

• Culture:

• Religion:

• Political/Military:

• Urban / Rural:

• Economic:

All three cultures flourished prior to 12th century BC.

The earliest Aegean civilization was on Crete.

However, by about 1100-1000 BC, events overtook the cultures and they collapsed. No single event . Self-destruction into Dark Ages.

II. Greek Dark Age: 1100 - 800 B.C. Collapse of agricultural production, decline in number of farmers Volcano

Changes in Greek World –

Migration east across the Aegean Sea

III. Greek City-States: 800 - 500 B.C. (Archaic period) Ethnos

Developed on mainland in Western Peloponnesus Large territorial units but within villages and small towns Common customs and religion united them Governed by elite – Oligarch – rule by few

Polis Citadel Villages clustered around fortifications which were both protection

and cult centers for specific deities Polis is a small but autonomous political unit in which all major

political, social, and religious activities are carried out in a central location

Citizenship to males only

Gender and Power Women played little role Greek attitudes toward women and sexuality – rigid Isolated in homes, played no public role Firmly under husbands control – property Women were to be good mothers and obedient wives – not

friends or partners Friendship existed only between members of same sex. Women in public were usually prostitutes (who also were

usually slaves) Greek society did not condemn prostitution, infanticide, or

exploitation of women and boys.

Myth and Reason Myth explained everything: seasons, weather, catastrophes Myths were reasons and reason explained myths

Lineage

• Titans

– Olympians Zeus was the head god.

Colonization and the Rise of Tyrants Colonization

• Overpopulation

• Trade and commerce

• Colonies founded as polis

• Cultural diffusion

Tyrants• A tyrant was someone who came to rule by unconstitutional ways in

7th and 6th centuries B.C.E. – coup d’etat. Not subject to laws.

• Power maintained by mercenaries.

IV. Tale of Two Citiesa) Sparta

Location:

Lacked:

Military History:

Military society Citizenship Women Children: Government

• Reforms by Lycurgus

b) Athens Location:

Social:

Legal:

Economic:

Political: Unites surrounding area of Attica into single polis Ruled by aristocratic clan – Alcmeonids circa 630s BC Krylon 650 – 621BC

621 BC 594 BC

• Solon

Pisistratus (and son Hippias) seize power in 560 B.C.

Aristocrats attempt to seize power

Cleisthenes seized power in 508 B.C.E.

Pericles - 444 B.C.

V. Classical GreeceI. The Challenge of Persia

• During 2nd half of 6th century, Persian empire expanding and absorbing, including in and around Athens.

• Unsuccessful revolt of Ionian cities – wildfire of democracy spread to Ionia, but ill fated, even with aid from Athens and Eretria.

Darius (522-486 B.C.E.)• Opposition / Revolts

• Battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.E.

• Destroyed myth of Persian invincibility

Xerxes (486-465 B.C.E.) Invasion of Greece, 480-479 B.C.E.

• By 480 B.C, the army he assembled had approximately 100,000 to 180,000 men and a fleet of nearly 600 ships

• Greek plan – fall back to Thermopylae – Battle of Thermopylae, 480 B.C.E.

• Persians reach Athens and sack and burn it.

• Sea battles -– Battle of Salamis, 480 B.C.E.

– Battle of Plataea, 479 B.C.E.

• Greeks developed skills in battle – naval and hoplite movements during battles with Xerxes.

By 479 –Athens emerges as leader of Greek world

II. The Athenian Empire in the Age of Pericles

End of Persian wars marks beginning of classical period.

Delian League formed 478-77 B.C.E.• Aegean

Pericles• Expanded democracy at home and an empire abroad

• Elected to generalship 30 times

• Built the Parthenon on the Acropolis

III. The Great Peloponnesian War and the Decline of the Greek States (431-404 B.C.E.)

Athens stays behind its walls and Sparta ravages the land of Attica

Surrender of Athens, 404 B.C

IV. Culture of Classical Greece

I. History• Systematic analysis of the past

• Herodotus (c. 484- 425 B.C.E.), History of the Persian Wars

• Thucydides (c. 460- 400 B.C.E.), History of the Peloponnesian War

II. Drama Created by the Greeks• Tragedians• Tragedy

• Comedy

III. The Arts: The Classical Ideal• Architecture

• Sculpture

VI. The Greek Love of Wisdom Philosophy meant “love of wisdom” Sophists Socrates (469-399 B.C.) (Sophist) Plato ( 429-347 B.C.) (Student of Socrates)

• The Republic

• The Academy

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) (Student of Plato)• Politics

VII.Greek Religion

Infused into their daily lives, every aspectRitual more important than belief.No body of doctrine or focus on moralitySacrifices and Festivals (Olympics 776BC, 4 yrs)Mount OlympusHomer’s work on the gods provided a foundation and structure that inculcated the aristocratic values of courage and honor.

VIII. Daily Life in Classical Athens 180,000 citizens, 43,000 of which were adult males who exercised political

power, 35,000 foreigners. Family the central institution Women Males - Paterfamilias Slavery

IX. Rise of Macedonia and the Alexander• Philip II (359-336 B.C.E.)

– Greeks crushed in 338 B.C.E. at the Battle of Chaeronea

– The freedom of the Greek cities had already come to an end during the Third Sacred War (354-346).

X. Alexander the Great Born:

Educated:

Military:

Alexander crowned - 336

Attacks the Persian Empire

Battle of Hydaspes River, 326 B.C.

• Soldiers refuse to go on

Death June 11, 323. Philip Arridaeus. Perdiccas

323 -320 – War between generals, revolts.

The Legacy of Alexander Hellenistic Age (“to imitate Greeks”)

Empire divided Greek autonomy Wealth used for cities and infrastructure

• Greco-Macedonian domination of cities and culture throughout the ME and into Asia.

Policies remained similar if not same, while faces changed.

Monarchy

Culture• Art, architecture, language, literature• Cities

(1) New military technology (brought from Sicily) spear

(2) Wide use of bribery on friendly parties in Greek poleis

(3) The League Against the Persians revived by King Philip (338/7) as a way of 'uniting' the Greeks under himself (as 'hegemon': commander-in-chief) to fight the Persians (at least that's what he said). Forced Greek unity in violation of eleutheria ('liberty').

(4) Crusade of Hellenes against Asia (Philip and Alexander): expands the idea of what is Greek and brings Greeks into contact and gives them dominion over many other (older) civilizations

(5) Colonies of military veterans: urbanization

(6) New religious cults and attitudes change the basic ideas of the Greek polis religion, as well as the meaning of life and death, reward and punishment (dualism of Mesopotamian Zoroastrianism)

7) Alexander's policy of intermarrying himself and his chieftains with members of the Iranian aristocracies of the Persian empire (e.g. Alexander himself and Roxane from Bactria/Afghanistan)

(8) Alexander's policy of founding new cities (32 ALEXANDRIAS): Greek language, Greek architecture, Greek gymnasium culture, Greek political institutions, but very mixed and mostly non-Greek citizens. The definition of 'Hellene/Greek' is no longer racial, ethnic, national-family, or even cultural in a natural develomental sense. 'Hellene' is a cultural term thereafter, but anybody can be a Hellene by adapting.

(9) Appearance in Greek cities of new artifacts, ideas, habits from other civilizations: new interpretations of reality (Aristotle)

XI. The Hellenistic Kingdoms New dynasties created

• Macedonia under the Antigonid dynasty

• Syria and the east under the Seleucids

• Attalid kingdom of Pergamum in western Asia Minor

• Egypt under the Ptolemies Hellenizing an urban phenomenon

Economic:• Agriculture (80% devoted to farming)

• Money Economy – Alexander had put gold and silver into circulation which created new trading blocks and new coinage

• Wealth in hands of few

• Forests stripped of wood

• Trade Routes increased, more physical mobility

• Industry spread eastward into Asia and Egypt

• Textile centers in Pergamum

• Glass and silver crafts in Syria

Religion:• Still had gods BUT decline in vitality of the myths and faith

• Open to others – eastern world

• Mystery religions impacted Greeks

Women:• Opportunities increased – upper class women

• Managed slaves

• Sold property

• Contracted loans

• More independent

XII. Culture in the Hellenistic World Literature, Art, Sciences, philosophy

Pergamum and Alexandria

• Library at Alexandria – largest in ancient times (1/2 million scrolls)

Golden Age of Science Archimedes (287-212 B.C)

Philosophy Headquartered at Athens.

• Epicurian:

– Epicurus (341-270 B.C.)

• Stoic:

– Zeno (335-263 B.C.)

XIII. Conclusion and Summary New cities arose New religions arose New ideas about space, literature and our place in

universe Greek culture spread