Early Greece

10-10-08

Geography

Peninsula and several islands

Covered in mountains Cities were isolated from

each other and therefore were smaller

Surrounding sea More nautical people

The Mycenae Greeks

Originally began as an Indo-European tribe that settled in Greece

Was able to overtake the mainland Reached its high point between 1400-

1200B.C.

Mycenae

Fortified site in Greece

Thought to have begun the ancient culture of Greece

Including: Religion, Warfare and History

Warrior people

The Mycenae people were great warriors Conquered many of the surrounding

people Used military to expand their commercial

network

Trojan War

Most famous attack of the Mycenae Greeks

Made famous in the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer

Recent finds have found some historical basis for Trojan war

Dorians

Moved into Greece after the Mycenae Less advanced Trade collapsed No written record of the decline

The Iliad

The story of the Trojan war Paris, the Prince of Troy,

Kidnaps Helen the wife of the Greek Kings

The Greeks set sail to attack Troy and take Helen back

Helen was considered the most beautiful woman in the world

The Iliad

The Greeks have a great warrior named Achilles, the main character of the Iliad

Achilles had been made invincible by his mother Achilles, had vowed never to fight again But convinced to fight Achilles is angered and

leads to disaster Greeks eventually win with Trojan Horse

The Odyssey

The story of the return home of soldiers from the Trojan War, led by Odysseus

The story has many more supernatural moments

Questions

Do you think there was there a Trojan War? What does the book say (at the bottom of page 114)? What was it’s actual likely cause?

In American culture do we have any legends or “myths”? Examples.

Are some of these based on history? Why do you think that cultures create stories

that are exaggerations?

Greek City States

10-13-08

Polis

This is Greek for city The Polis was the center of Greek life Because of isolation the Greek city-states

were individual communities Polis refers to the city and the surrounding

countryside

Polis

The main gathering place in the Polis was on a hill

At the top of the hill was the acropolis

This served as a fortified area of protection

Also could have been a religious gathering site

Life in City-States

City states differed in area & population Shared common goals Every citizen had rights, but they also had

responsibilities Some served in government, farmers, soldiers Every city-state had a sense of “nationalism”

Colonies

Some Greeks left home and established colonies

Each colony became a new “polis” independent of the one that founded it

Colonies led to an increase in trade

Colonies Greeks settled all over Mediterranean Most notable of Greek colonies was Byzantium

Government

Greek city-states were run by “tyrants” These were people who took power by

force Power was maintained by mercenary

armies Eventually Greek tyrants lost their power

over the people

Athens

Named after Greek goddess Athena

Athena was the goddess of wisdom, the arts, war and industry

Considered one of the greatest societies in history

Birthplace of Democracy and Modern thought

Sparta

A military state When in need of land they would

conquer instead of colonizing Lives of citizens were highly

controlled Children learned military

discipline, then enrolled in army Stayed in army until age of 60 “Come back with your shield, or

on it” Foreigners not allowed no travel

allowed either Discouraged study of philosophy

and the arts

Sparta

Government Led by 2 kings that commanded the army Ephors – five men who were elected to educate the youth Council of elders, men over 60 who decided what issues would

be voted on by the assembly Assembly – all male citizens over the age of 30 voted on issues

Questions

Would you have rather been a Spartan or and Athenian?

Which Chinese philosophy is similar to Spartan beliefs?

Which Chinese philosophy is similar to Athenian beliefs?

Greek Culture in the Golden Age

10-14-08

Democracy

After the fall of the tyrants many governments throughout Greece began to turn to rule by the people

Example Athens: had a democratic system we would call direct democracy

All men would have the right to vote on every issue (Athens)

Some of the city-states still had a limited government by the few (Oligarchy)

How Athenian and American Democracy are alike? Political power in hands of citizens Three branches of Government Legislative branch passes laws Executive branch carries out laws Judicial branch conducts trials with paid jurors

How is Athenian Democracy Different from American Democracy?

Athenian All Males over 18 vote

born of citizen parents Laws voted on directly

by citizens Leader chosen by “lot”

elected

American All citizens over 18

vote Representatives

elected to propose and Elected President

How is Athenian Democracy Different from American Democracy?

Athenian Executive branch

composed of 500 men Juries vary in size No attorneys; no

appeals; trials take one day

American Executive branch

composed of appointed and elected officials

Juries composed of 12 jurors

Greek Theater

Drama invented by the Greeks Greek theater contained colorful costumes

and fancy sets Legendary Greek actor Thespis Two different kinds

ComedyTragedy

Tragedies

Plays about love, hate, war and betrayal Great writers – Aeschylus, Sophocles &

Euripides Famous Greek Tragedies

Oresteia – Story of the Trojan WarOedipus RexAntigone

Oedipus Rex

Oedipus foretold to kill father and marry mother

Family send him away Hears own fate, flees

adopted family Ends up killing father on

the road Marries mother Fate cannot be stopped

Comedies

Plays with slapstick and crude humor Satires – making fun of customs or politics Great writer – Aristophanes

The BirdsLysistrata (anti-war)

Greek Religion & Project

10-16-08

Religion

Affected every aspect of Greek life 12 Chief gods and goddesses Lived on Mount Olympus – Highest Mountain in

Greece

Oracle

Ways to communicate with gods Sacred shrine Gods could communicate through priests

and priestesses

Zeus - Katie

The king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky and thunder. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak.

Hera – Lizzy

Goddess of marriage, women and childbirth. Zeus' wife. Appears with peacock feathers often. Her symbols are the scepter, diadem, and peacock

Aphrodite - Dorian

Goddess of love, lust, beauty, wife of Hephaestus. Ares is her lover. Eros is her son. Known as the most beautiful of the Greek goddesses. Her symbols are the scepter, myrtle, and dove.

Poseidon - Peter

God of the sea. He created horses from sea foam. God of earthquakes as well. Also called 'Earth Shaker'. His symbols are horses, sea foam,dolphins,and a trident.

Hades - Bri

God of the underworld. Brother of Poseidon and Zeus, and consort to Persephone. His symbols are the bident, the Helm of Darkness, and the three-headed dog, Cerberus.

Ares - Sid

God of war, murder and bloodshed. Brother to Athena, and is the son of Zeus. His symbols are vultures, dogs, boars, and a spear.

Hermes

God of flight, thieves, commerce, and travellers. Messenger of the gods. He showed the way for the dead souls to Hades realm. He shows up in more myths than any other god or goddess. Likes to trick people and is very inventive. Hermes invented the lyre using a turtle shell and sinew. His symbols are the caduceus and winged boots.

Apollo - Robbie

God of music, prophecies, poetry, and archery. Also said to be the god of light and truth. Is associated with the sun. Also referred to as the most beautiful of the gods. He is Artemis's twin brother, and Son of Zeus. His symbols are the bow, lyre, and laurel.

Artemis

Goddess of the hunt and wild things, and also the moon. Protector of the dewy young. She became associated with the moon. Apollo is her twin brother. Artemis is a virgin goddess. Her symbols are the bow, dogs, and deer

Athena - Katelyn

Goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts and reason. Sister of Ares, and is the daughter of Zeus. Sprung from Zeus's head in full body armor. She is the wisest of the gods. Her symbols are the aegis, owl, and olive tree.

Hestia - Brittany

Goddess of the hearth and home, the focal point of every household. Daughter of Rhea and Cronus. Gave up her seat as one of the Twelve Olympians to tend to the sacred flame on Mt. Olympus for Dionysus. Her symbol is the hearth.

Hephaestus - Jake

God of fire and the forge (god of fire and smiths) with very weak legs. He was thrown off Mt. Olympus as a baby by his mother. He makes armor for the gods and other heroes like Achilles. Son of Hera and Zeus is his father in some accounts. Married to Aphrodite, but she doesn't love him because he's deformed and as a result is cheating on him with Ares. He had a daughter named Pandora. His symbol is an axe and a flame

Demeter - Maddy

Goddess of fertility, grain and harvest. Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus. Her symbols are the sceptre, torch, and corn.

Dionysus - Luis

God of wine, parties/festivals, madness and merriment. He represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. His symbols are the grape vine, ivy, and thyrsos.

Project

You are an ancient Greek god. And you want to tell us your life story and how you affected the history of Ancient Greece. Today we will be picking a god for each of you and tomorrow we will be discussing the entire assignment.

Philosophy

10-20-08

Greek Philosophy

Philosophy Love of wisdom It is a organized

system of thought Critical rational about

the nature of the universe

Basically… it is the study of the unknown

4 Great Philosophers

Pythagoras Socrates Plato Aristotle

Pythagoras

Pythagorean theorem In a right-angled triangle the square of the

hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle), c, is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides

a2+b2=c2

Pythagoras's followers were commonly called "Pythagoreans"

Philosophical mathematicians Numbers constitute the true nature of things

Pythagoras - School

First concerned with morality

Members were required to: Live ethically Love one another Share political beliefs Practice pacifism Devote themselves to the

mathematics of nature

Pythagoras - Beliefs

Pythagoreans believed that a man's words were usually careless and misrepresented him and that when someone was "in doubt as to what he should say, he should always remain silent“

So they were required to remain silent unless they had something to say

The Pythagorean society is associated with prohibitions such as not to step over a crossbar, and not to eat beans

The Pythagoreans are known for their theory of the transmigration (a form or reincarnation) of souls, and also for their theory that numbers constitute the true nature of things

Sophists

Taught that improving mind was not essential Beyond human mind to understand the universe Must improve self Stressed the importance of rhetoric – art of

persuasive speaking No absolute right or wrong True wisdom is to pursue ones own good

Socrates

An early critic of the Sophists from Athens

Left no writings, everything we know about him comes from his pupils

Taught many pupils, not paid Believed that absolutes did

exist Goal of Education: Improve the

individual

Question

So if Socrates believed in absolute standards and the Sophists believed that standards were in the eye of the beholder, which do you agree with? Why?

How does this difference in value affect you? Which works better with a system of law? How

are people held responsible for their actions in each?

Socrates – The Socratic Method

“The unexamined life is not worth living” It is a question and answer format of

teaching Leads pupils to see things for themselves

by using their own reason

Death of Socrates

He was morally, intellectually, and politically at odds with his fellow Athenians

Found guilty of corrupting the youth of Athens Sentenced to drink hemlock

Death of Socrates

Could have escaped but: He believed such a flight would indicate a fear of death,

which he believed no true philosopher has If he fled his teaching would continue questioning all he

met and undoubtedly incur their displeasure Having knowingly agreed to live under the city's laws he

subjected himself to the possibility of being accused of crimes to do otherwise would have caused him to break his "social contract" with the state, and so harm the state, an act contrary to Socratic principle

Plato

Student of Socrates, wrote many of the dialogues of Socrates we have today

Considered by many the greatest philosopher of western civilization

Mathematician, writer, founder of the academy of Athens

Plato on Ideal Forms

The Theory of Forms typically refers to Plato's belief that the material world as it seems to us is not the real world

There is an ideal of everything Things we see in this world only represent the

essence of the ideal Reality can only be seen through the eye of the

mind

Allegory of the Cave

Plato on Government

Wrote The Republic Distrust of Democracy Good life is based on a good and rational state Develop own state three classes

Philosopher Kings Warriors Everyone Else (men and women are equal)

Aristotle

Student of Plato Studied at the Academy for 20

years After Plato’s death he opened

his own school, The Lyceum Did not accept the ideal of

ideal forms Thought that examining

objects themselves we find true nature

Most famous student, Alexander of Macedonia

Aristotle – Scientific method

We must examine things to get to their true nature

Natural philosophy – examining the natural world Aristotelian philosophy would consist of:

Logic Theoretical Philosophy

Metaphysics, Physics, Mathematics Practical Philosophy Poetical Philosophy

Aristotle on Government

Like Plato wanted efficient government However did not believe in an ideal Believed cities were like living things that cannot exist

without others Looked to find best government by taking all the best

parts of other governments 3 Good forms of Government

Monarchy Aristocracy Constitutional

Aristotle on Government

Today in the Computer Lab

I want you to use your research to write a 1 page first person narrative of your person, we will be going to the computer lab so you can get started on this. I would like these typed, and they are due on Thursday (50 points).

Persian & Peloponnesian Wars & Alexander

10-22-08

Persia

As Greek culture spreads come into contact with other cultures

Greatest of these was Persian Empire – ruled by Darius

490B.C. Persians landed on plain of Marathon (26 miles from Athens)

Athens won, a runner named Pheidppides ran with the news, the first Marathon

Persian War

New monarch Xerxes Vows revenge - will invade Greece Greeks needed to delay Persian Army Thermopylae (300) Greeks defeated Persians at Plataea

Persian War

After Victory

Tensions between Athens and Sparta arise

Costal and Island cities look for protection from Athens (Delian League)

Inland cities join with Sparta

Peloponnesian Wars

Greece divided mainly between Athens and Sparta

431B.C. Great Peloponnesian war Athens will fight a defensive war – hiding

in city walls A plague killed more than 1/3 of citizens in

year 2 of the war

Peloponnesian Wars

War lasted another 25 years

In 405 Athens fleet destroyed

Next year Athens loses and city destroyed

For many years Greece plagued with small wars between the cities

Unaware of looming threat

Macedonia

Due to constant fighting the Greeks ignored the growing power of Macedonia in the north

Eventually costs the Greeks their freedom

Macedonia

Greeks considered the Macedonians barbarians

Eventually united by Philip II Builds the army up Fights the battle of Chaeronea where the

Greeks are crushed

Philip II

Great admirer of Greek culture

Wanted to unite Greece under Macedonia

Overran all of Greece and forced a united Greek state – to fight Persia

Alexander the Great

Son of Philip Became king at 20

Alexander’s Education

Philip trained him in art of war

Also tutored by Leonidas (not of Sparta)

Greatest teacher Aristotle

Alexander’s Conquests Attacked the Persian empire Freed Greek cities in Asia Minor – defeated Persians Turned attention South Attacked Syria, Palestine and Egypt Founded city of Alexandria in Egypt

Alexander’s Conquests Turns East – fights decisive battle against Persians and

moves on to Babylon Took control of whole Persian Empire

Alexander’s Conquests Moved East and North East as far as Pakistan Crossed the Indus River and entered India Returned home through the desert Many died of thirst

Alexander

He returned to Babylon Planning more military campaigns But he was exhausted, injured, sick and

probably drunk He died at the age of 32

Empire

Legacy

Spread Greek culture throughout the Middle East and Asia

Brought great wealth to Greece Brought about monarchies – killing

democracy Brought Asian culture to Greece

Why so successful?

Great military leader – fantastic strategies

A little crazy Imitate Achilles

How “Great” was Alexander?

Would you consider Alexander Great? Why? What make a leader great?

Tomorrow

We will look at Hellenistic culture And review for the test Friday

Hellenistic Culture

10-23-08

Hellenistic

It is the blending of many cultures Greek (Hellenic) Egyptian, Persian and Indian influences Alexandria (a center of Hellenistic culture)

Alexandria - Egypt

Koine A Greek derived language It allowed people

communicate across cultures

Trade In the markets people from

all over converged Strategically placed in the

center of the Mediterranean

Alexandria

Greatest attractions Lighthouse Streets filled with statues of

Greek gods Museum – also an institute

of advanced study Library Art galleries Zoo Botanical gardens Dining Hall

Science

Advances in science during the Hellenistic period – maybe the greatest advances in science until 1500’s

Astronomy The Earth –

Eratosthenes’ estimate of circumference 24,662 miles

Actual 24,860

Science

Astronomy cont’d The Sun – Aristarchus’ envisioned the Sun was 300 x

the size of the Earth not smaller than Greece Actually Sun is 1.3 million time the size He also said that other planets revolve around the

Sun not Earth Ptolemy incorrectly pictured the universe with the

Earth at the center This set science back for over 1400 years

Math and Physics

Euclid Opened a school of

Geometry in Alexandria

Used his text, Elements, into the 1900’s

Math and Physics

Archimedes From Syracuse Accurately estimated pi Explained how a lever

worked Archimedes screw Also figured out volume

Philosophy

In general believed the universe followed rational principles

Became about how to live your lives and be happyStoicismEpicureanism

Stoicism

Founded by Zeno Beliefs

Believed in divine power Live a virtuous life Human desires are dangerous - control Social unity Bear what life offers

Modern stoic means someone who is impervious to pain or emotion

Epicureanism

Founded by Epicurus Teachings

World is made up of atoms Ruled by gods that have no interest in humans Only things that are real are what we can perceive with senses Main goal is to achieve harmony of body and mind Free to follow self interest Separate selves from society

Modern interpretation is someone who is a connoisseur of the arts and sensual pleasures

Art

Realistic sculpture Moved away from idealized forms Realism and Emotional