CLASSICAL GREECE

ANCIENT ROMEUNIT THREE

GEOGRAPHY OF GREECE

•LOCATION – Southeastern Europe•Made up many mountains, isolated valleys, small islands

SEAS – link to the rest of the world

1. BLACK SEA - north2. MEDITERRANEAN SEA - south3. AEGEAN SEA - east4. IONIAN SEA – west•SEAS important to TRAVEL and TRADE•Greeks lacked natural resources – timber, precious metals, and usable farmland

MOUNTAINS•Covered three-fourths of Greece•Divided Greece into different regions•Communities developed independent political units called: CITY-STATES

CITY-STATES•Main Political Unit in Ancient Greece•Also known as POLIS•POLIS made up of city and surrounding countryside

•Parts of POLIS included:•ACROPOLIS – fortified hilltop for defense•AGORA – central gathering spot in the city – marketplace, theatres

TYPES OF GOVERNMENT

•City-States had many different forms of government:

1. MONARCHY – rule by a king2. ARISTOCRACY– rule by nobles3. OLIGARCHY – rule by few powerful people4.DEMOCRACY – rule by the people

EARLY GREECE•Early important Greek city was Mycenae•Mycenaeans fought a famous ten year war against the city of Troy

•Trojans kidnapped Helen wife of Greek king starting TROJAN WAR

•Without written records much of early Greek history was passed down through stories - most famous by Homer {Iliad, Odyssey}

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCXRxD85Xc0

ATHENS & SPARTA•2 most Important CITY-STATES in Greece were: ATHENS & SPARTA

•They both shared GREEK culture but developed different ways of life

SPARTA•SPARTA built a MILITARY state – society revolved around PHYSICAL training and the MILITARY

•Spartan Government – OLIGARCHY (most had no VOICE – first loyalty/ DUTY was to Sparta

•Did not promote individual FREEDOM•Little progress in the ARTS and SCIENCES

ATHENS•450 B.C. – Athens developed first DEMOCRACY

•Emphasized well-rounded EDUCATION – goal: sound MIND & BODY

•Ideal citizen – EDUCATED, LOYAL, willing to be involved in government

•Athenians also believed in STRONG healthy citizens

OLYMPICS•Most famous sports festival – OLYMPIC Games•Series of athletic competitions among city-states of Ancient Greece

•Games honored ZEUS {father of all Greek Gods/Goddesses}

•Games were held in OLYMPIA•Records first kept track in 776 B.C. – Games ended in 394 A.D. {outlawed by the Romans}

•Held every four years (there were 292 Ancient Olympic Games)

•Basis for today’s modern day OLYMPIC GAMES

•During the games - an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their countries to the games in safety

•Prizes for winners were wreaths of laurel leaves•Olympics also featured religious celebrations and artistic competitions

•Statue of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world

•Running events, a pentathlon (consisting of a jumping event, discus and javelin throws, a foot race, and wrestling), boxing, wrestling, pankration, and equestrian

PERSIAN WARS•Series of wars between GREECE and PERSIAN Empire•Greeks lived in IONIA {located in Anatolia} – Persians conquer

•498 - 493 B.C. - Athens helps Ionians rebel against Persians

•Persians win but King Darius vows revenge on Athens •490 B.C. Persians {25,000 men} sail across the AEGEAN to attack Athens

•Persians land at MARATHON

BATTLE AT MARATHON•10,000 Athenian Soldiers defeated the Persians•WHY? Athenian fighting formation – PHALANX, better prepared/trained, better equipment/uniforms

•Persians lost 6,000 men; Athenians lost less than 200 men

•Athenian messenger – PHEIDIPPIDES – ran the 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to inform the city of the victory {According to legend Pheidippides then collapsed and died}

•This heroic act inspired the Marathon running race

GREEK PHALANX FORMATION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEs8NMjhNh0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McwmRQUTfKk

BATTLE AT THERMOPYLAE• 480 B.C. Persians assemble ENORMOUS army• King Darius had died succeeded by son – XERXES•Persians take different route to invade Greece – came to a narrow pass at THERMOPLYAE

•7000 Greeks {led by 300 Spartans} stopped Persian advance for THREE days

•A traitor informs Persians about a secret path around the pass

•Spartans send rest of Greeks back to Athens – all are 300 were killed

•Important – Spartans fierce RESISTANCE gave VALUABLE time to prepare for a decisive battle that would determine the outcome of the war.

•THEMISTOCLES – has Athenians evacuate the city – turn the war into a NAVAL battle

•Xerxes arrives in Athens – burns city {destroyed Parthenon}

BATTLE AT THERMOPYLAE

•The Greek victory at the battle of Salamis destroyed the Persian navy and forced Xerxes to retreat back to Asia.

•The final battle took place a year later in 479 B.C. when a full-strength Spartan led Greek army defeated the Persians at the battle of Plataea ending the Persian wars.

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ew4qCi--QY

END OF PERSIAN WARS

PERSIAN

WEAPONS

REVENGE

IONIANS

MARATHON

VICTORY26

XERXES

SPARTANS 3

ATHENS

NAVIES

SALAMIS

RETREAT

GREEKS

GOLDEN AGE OF GREECE

•After defeat of PERSIANS – Greece entered a “GOLDEN AGE”

•New heights in: DRAMA, POETRY, ARCHITECTURE, SCULPTURE, SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY

•ATHENS leads the way in this “Golden Age” leader of Athens – PERICLES {ruled Athens from 460 – 429 B.C.}

GOALS OF PERICLES1. Strengthen Athenian Democracy – introduced DIRECT democracy {citizens rule DIRECTLY not through representatives – had to be a citizen – women, slaves,males under 18 were not}2. Hold & Strengthen the Empire – helped organize the Delian League to protect Greece3. GLORIFY Athens – best example – rebuilding of PARTHENON {23,000 foot building honoring goddess ATHENA}

PELOPONNESIAN WAR 431 – 404 B.C.•Athens grew in wealth, prestige, & power during the Golden Age

•Resulted in a CIVIL war between Athens and SPARTA•Athens had a stronger navy - Sparta stronger army•Turning point in the war – plague struck Athens killing Pericles

•SPARTA was victorious but unable to UNITE all of Greece

•Main Impact of the war – weakened Greece as a whole

•Left it vulnerable and allowed it to be CONQUERED

GREEK PHILOSOPHERShttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2KzymrmNa0

•After the war many began to question values•Greek Thinkers tried to use OBSERVATION and REASON to understand why things happened

•Greeks called these thinkers Philosophers “lovers of WISDOM”

•There were 3 famous Greek Philosophers:1. Socrates2. Plato3. Aristotle

SOCRATES

THE DEATH OF SOCRATES

ALEXANDER’S EMPIRE•The Peloponnesian War weakened Greece – Macedonia {north of Greece} invaded in 338B.C. –took control under King Philip II

•336 B.C. – Philip is murdered at his daughter’s wedding•Philip’s 20 year old son Alexander takes over •Alexander built a huge empire that included:*GREECE*PERSIA*EGYPT*parts of INDIA•Alexander becomes known as ALEXANDER THE GREAT

ALEXANDER THE GREAT•Alexander had been a student of ARISTOTLE•Alexander earned the title "the Great" due to his success as a military commander

•He never lost a battle - despite typically being outnumbered

•This was due to use of terrain - phalanx and cavalry tactics - bold strategy - fierce loyalty of his troops

WAR WITH PERSIA •Three Important Battles in war with Persia:•334 B.C. Battle at Granicus•333 B.C. Battle at Issue•332 B.C. Battle at Gaugamela•Alexander The Great defeats Persian King Darius III•332 B.C. conquered Egypt•326 B.C. reached India•323 B.C. Alexander dies at the age of 32

HELLENISTIC CULTURE•Alexander wanted: meld conquered cultures with Greeks

“BEST of the BEST of the EAST with the WEST” {Alexander himself took a Persian wife}Period of mixing cultures (cultural DIFFUSION) became known as the HELLENISTIC AGEHELLENISTIC CULTURE mixture of:Egyptian, Greek, Persian, IndianCenter of Hellenistic world: ALEXANDRIA, Egypt

HELLENISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS•ASTRONOMY – Sun is bigger than Earth•MATHEMATICS – Euclid’s Geometry; Archimedes’ value of pi, Pythagorean Theorem

•PHYSICS – use of lever/pulley•PHILSOPHY – Stoicism: people should live virtuous lives

•ART – sculpture: Colossus of Rhodes