Greek History
description
Transcript of Greek History
Greek History
Complex and sophisticated motto: all things in moderation they did nothing in moderation
Ancient Greece
importance to Western culture fundamental ideas and categories Individualism and Humanism the rise of Reason
– decline of superstition/religion
Important Precursors
Minoan Crete Mycenaean Greece
The eastern Mediterranean area
Minoan Crete
ca. 2900 B.C. to 1450 B.C.– contemporary with Egypt
major, non-river valley culture highly sophisticated literate
– Linear A and Linear B
Minoan Crete, con’t
surplus agriculture industry over-seas commercial trade
Minoan Culture
elaborate towns and villages complex religious ideas sophisticated art sports and leisure high status for women
an artist’s rendering of the main building of the Palace of Minos at Knossos
Another idea of Knossos
North entrance of the Palace of Knossos
Iraklion Museum, Crete
Decorated storage jars Knossos
Storage cellars palace of Knossos
Palace of Knossos Room of the Double Axes
Palace of Knossos: the Throne Room of Minos
Palace, north entrance: the famous Bull fresco
Great Propylaea at the south entrance of the palace
A fresco with partridges from the Caravan seraglio of Knossos.
From the Palace of Knossos: The famous "bull leaping" fresco from the East wing of the palace
The Throne of King Minos
The Queen’s rooms, with blue dolphins
Rython
bull’s head
from Knossos
Poppy Goddess
Snake “goddess”
-goddess?
-priestess?
-worshipper?
The Blue Ladies
Minoan Priestess
Religious procession
Labrys
“double axe”
Labyrinth = “the House of the Double Axe”
Temple entrance to a cave shrine
Minoan Culture, con’t
unwalled cities no foreign invasions few weapons no civil conflict
Mycenaeans
Bonze Age Greeks 2000-1100 B.C. small, warrior states war, trade, piracy literate (Linear B)
Mycenaeans, con’t
the Heroic Age the Age of Myth the development of Greek Religion beginnings of a common culture
Mycenae, ca.1450 B.C.
The great megaron
at Mycenae
The death mask of “King Agamemnon”
Mycenae
The Dark Ages
the Dorian Invasion ? loss of literacy loss of political sophistication
The Archaic Period
ca. 850 B.C. beginning of classical Greek history foundations of Western culture
The Polis
the city-state city and dependent territory independence of each city warfare and rivalry
Rise of Literacy
the alphabet Homer
– the Iliad, the Odyssey Hesiod
– Works and Days, the Theogony Lyric poetry
– Sappho
Greek cities and colonies, 750-650 B.C.
The Good Ones
monarchy (rule by one) aristocracy (rule by the best) constitutional government (rule by a
body of law)
The Bad Ones
tyranny (extra-legal rule by one man) oligarchy (rule by a faction) democracy (rule by the people, without
law)
Athens and Sparta
most available evidence both are exceptions to the norm both dominate the Greek world
Sparta
no colonization, conquest of neighbors the constitution of Lycurgus a perpetual military state all citizens are subordinated to the state no private property
Athens
evolution from monarchy to democracy aristocracy, with elected rulers Cylon and Draco Solon: reform and timocracy Peisistratus: a tyranny Cleisthenes: the rise of democracy
Cylon
attempted tyranny faction struggle blood-feuds need for written law
Draco
first to write and post the laws the homicide courts did not solve social problems threat of violent revolution redistribute the land, cancel all debts
Enter Solon
chosen by all to avoid revolution new constitution beginnings of democracy opened political offices created protections for the people
Solon of Athens
Persian Empire
The Persian Wars, 490-479 B.C. Ionian Revolt invasion of Greece Marathon Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea the defining moment for Western
culture
Themistocles
Leonidas
Hoplite phalanx: classical Greece
The Rise of Athens
war of liberation and revenge against Persia
The Delian League transformation into the Athenian Empire
– burden of fighting: Athens– burden of cost: the Allies
the Periclean Age
Pericles of Athens
Greek Culture and Civilization
foundations of Western thought asked the important questions for the
first time gave the answers--that made sense--for
the first time
Philosophy
some people were not satisfied by “religion”– but were not inclined to turn to non-civic
cults answers the “Big Questions” deals with areas not covered by religion
Philosophy
love of wisdom search for causes search for why things happen application of reason and demonstration
Socrates
the turning point movement toward ethics, metaphysics,
etc. away from natural sciences “What is necessary to live the virtuous
life?” Goodness innate in the human mind
Socrates
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Plato
taught in the dialogue form concerned with how one acquires
knowledge chief concern: ethics important for early Christian theology
Plato
Aristotle
primary concern: everything organization of human knowledge division of learn into fields and subfields important for medieval Christianity
Aristotle
The Peloponnesian War
Sparta and her Allies Athens and her Allies devastated Classical Greece devastated both Sparta and Athens
Athens and Sparta: the Peloponnesian War
The Rise of Macedonia
Philip of Macedon Alexander the Great
– the turning point of both Ancient and World history
– no Alexander, then it’s a very different world
Alexander the Great
Conquests of Alexander
the Persian Empire, plus a little extra rapid spread of Hellenism the Successor Kingdoms
– establishment of a permanent link – The West to China– never closed
Empire of Alexander the Great
Successor Kingdoms
Books for you to read
Barry Strauss. The Trojan War Paul Cartledge. Thermopylae E. Bradford. Thermopylae: The Battle for the
West A.R. Burns. Persia and the Greeks D. Kagan. The Peloponnesian War N.G. L. Hammond. A History of Greece R. Sealy. The Greek Polis Leonard Cottrell. The Bull of Minos
More Books
E. Gruen. The Hellenistic World E. Gruen. The Hellenistic World and the
Coming of Rome W.W. Tarn. The Hellenistic World W.W. Tarn. Alexander the Great Ulrich Wilken. Alexander the Great N.G.L. Hammond. Alexander of Macedon Mark Munn. The School of Hellas
And More books
V. Ehrenberg. From Solon to Socrates Christian Meier. Athens J. Morris and B.B. Powell. The Greeks O. Murray. Early Greece J.K. Davies. Democracy and Classical
Greece W.F. Walbank. The Hellenistic World R. Osbourne. The Making of Greece A.H.M. Jones. Sparta