CHAPTER 7The Glory of Ancient Greece

Section 1: Daily Life in Athens

Respond

What is your routine on a typical weekday?

Daily Life in Athens

School-age boys in Athens would have a full day of activities School during the day –

education was very important to Athenian boys and men They would write lessons on their

wax-covered wooden tablets – a lot different from pens, paper, laptops, and iPads!

Athletic activities after school Wrestling Discus

Girls in Greece

Unfortunately, girls did not go to school in Greece – they learned to work around the house and helped their mother with chores

Public Life - The Marketplace

Men were active in politics and society in Athens – remember, they were PROUD to be part of Athenian democracy!

Agora – a public market and meeting place The agora was the center of

Athens public and social life The market was held outdoors

due to the mild climate of Greece All Greek cities had agoras, but

Athens had the largest Agora in Athens located near

the Acropolis

The Business of Men

The Agora became a place to for men to talk about politics, philosophy, and community events

Vendors (a seller in a market) sold goods in the Agora Buyers and sellers would bargain for the best

price Streets were lined with shops and stands

Vendors sold food, along with materials such as wool, pottery, hardware, cloth, and books

The Agora was the center of social life for Greeks

What places have you been to that are similar to the ancient Agora?

Public Buildings

Temples and government buildings lined the outside of the Agora, making them convenient

Athenians admired beautiful architecture Classical Greek architecture style influences

modern architecture, including in United States

The Parthenon

At Home in Athens – Private Life

Most private homes were plain and simple Made of mud bricks Rooms were set around an open courtyard

The courtyard was the center of the household Other rooms included the kitchen, dining room, bedrooms,

storerooms for goods Homes for the wealthier citizens had bathrooms, using water

carried from a public fountain

Typical Greek meals: Breakfast – bread Lunch – bread with olives and cheese Dinner – Fish and vegetables with cheese, fruit and honey

cakes Athenians did not eat much meat, even the wealthier

citizens – and the wealthy only ate meat during special religious festivals

Women in Athens

Most women spent their days at home Men believed that women should be protected and not out in

public Women lived secluded lives – they lived quietly and took

care of the house Women did not have freedoms of men

Could not take part in politics, vote, own property Only special activity they were allowed to participate in was

serving as a priestess in religious groups Women would stay home and run the family

They made meals, kept track of food supply, cared for family finances, and cared for young children and slaves

Only poor women worked outside the home, because they had to work to support the family Made pottery, tended sheep, manufactured cloth and wool

Slavery in Ancient Greece

Slavery – the condition of being owned by someone else Common in Athens

As many as 100,000 slaves in Athens (almost one-third of the population)

People rarely questioned slavery – it was just a way of life that they knew and were familiar with

Why do you think slavery was rarely questioned in ancient Greece? If you had been living at the time, do you think you would have had a problem with slavery?

Who Were the Slaves?

Some slaves were captured by Greek armies during war Could have been foreigners or Greeks from

other conquered city-states Children born into slave families

automatically became slaves

The Lives of Slaves

Slaves had few privileges They could not be citizens No political rights or personal freedoms Did not receive education Could only be free if their master freed them or if they bought

their freedom through the small tips they could receive Slaves had many jobs

Some worked on farms Others dug silver in mines Some helped make weapons and armor In the household, they cooked, cleaned, took care of the

children, wove cloth Slaves worked so Greek men had time to participate in

other activities, such as the arts and government

Do Now: Write 3-4 sentences – Although slaves in Athens were treated relatively well, the condition of being owned by another human is not a pleasant thought. Yet, most people did not question slavery in Athens, because they were used to it. Is it OK to ignore something that is unfair

because you are used to it? Why or why not? Give a modern-day example, possibly one

from your life (or just make one up).

Section 1: Daily Life in Athens(Short Version)

THE BIG IDEAS

Athenian boys would go to school and learn how they could participate in the government when they grew up.

The agora, or marketplace, was the center of public life in Athens.

Women would stay at home and take care of the family.

Daily Life in Athens

Athenian boys had a full schedule School during the day –

education was very important They would write lessons on

their wax-covered wooden tablets

Athletic activities after school Wrestling Discus

Girls did not go to school in Greece

Public Life - The Marketplace

Agora – an outdoor public market and meeting place Center of Athens

public/social life The Agora: a place for

men to talk about politics, philosophy, and community events Vendors (sellers of goods)

sold food, wool, pottery, hardware, cloth, and books

At Home in Athens – Private Life

Most private homes were plain and simple, made of mud bricks Rooms were set around an open courtyard

The courtyard was the center of the household Typical Greek meals:

Breakfast – bread Lunch – bread with honey, olives and cheese Dinner – Fish and vegetables with cheese, fruit

and honey cakes Athenians did not eat much meat, even the

wealthier citizens – and the wealthy only ate meat during special religious festivals

Women in Athens

Most women spent their days at home, caring for the house Could not take part in politics, vote, own

property They made meals, kept track of food supply,

cared for family finances, and cared for young children and slaves

Only poor women worked outside the home, because they had to work to support the family Made pottery, tended sheep, manufactured

cloth and wool

Slavery in Ancient Greece

Slavery – the condition of being owned by someone else As many as 100,000 slaves

in Athens (almost one-third of the population

Slaves had few privileges No political rights or

personal freedoms Slaves had many jobs

Worked on farms, in the house, in silver mines, made weapons and armor

Section 2: Athens and Sparta

Refreshing Your Memory…

What was life in Athens like during the Golden Age? Would you like to have lived there? Why?

Living in Sparta was much different than living in Athens…

Living in Sparta Life in Sparta was

harsh and cruel Spartans were tough

and quiet people Frequent wars

changed the way people in Sparta lived – they developed a warrior mentality Frequent wars led to

Sparta’s one basic rule: Always put the city’s needs above your own needs

Spartans conquered land around the city of Sparta Conquered people were called helots

Helot: Slaves owned by the city-state of Sparta Helots did farm work, so Spartans could go to

war Helots were treated very harshly, because the

Spartans were afraid they would revolt against them There were many more helots than Spartans, but

the Spartans were so strong and treated them so badly, that the helots could never gain enough power to overthrow the Spartans

Contrast the treatment of slaves in Athens and Sparta.

Respond: Sparta’s basic rule was to “always put the city’s needs above your own.” Do you agree with this idea? Why or why not?

Growing Up in Sparta - Males

Spartans only wanted the healthiest people to live in their city

Boys were trained for fighting from a young age and continued for 13 years At 7, boys would leave home to live in military

barracks They only had one change of clothes and a thin mat to

sleep on By 12, a boy would learn how to use a sword and

spear Boys were encouraged to steal food to train them to

fend for themselves – however, if he was caught, he would be severely punished

Boys were expected to endure pain and punishment in silence

Spartans became excellent soldiers

At 20, a young man would become a soldier Men remained soldiers until

age 60 At 30, a man could

participate in the assembly, a council of all male citizens of Sparta Sparta had a king, and the

council helped to make decisions in the government, which would be referred to the king

Spartan Warriors

Compare and contrast government in Athens and Sparta.

Growing Up in Sparta - Females

Girls also trained in wrestling and spear throwing They would not become soldiers, but they wanted

girls to be strong and healthy as well Spartan women had more freedoms than in

other city-states They could own land They could take part in business Because men were busy fighting, women would

sometimes have to be the head of their household In the end, though, women still had to obey

men!

Compare and contrast the role of women in Athens and Sparta.

Spartan Attitudes

Spartans did not associate with other Greeks and did not travel

Spartans did not value being wealthy and did not engage in trade

They did not have an interest in the arts Spartan warriors were known for their

skill and bravery Spartan fighters were involved in many

conflicts

Respond: Would you have rather lived in Athens or Sparta? Why?

The Persians Invade

For much of Greece’s history, city-states fought each other

The Persian Empire began to threaten Greece Persia – located where

modern-day Iran is located

Cyrus the Great – King of the Persian Empire By 520 B.C., Persians had gained control of

Greek colonies on the west coast of Asia Minor

Battle of Marathon

Persians landed in Greece in the fall of 490 B.C. Persians gathered at

Marathon, about 25 miles north of Athens

Persian army outnumbered Athenian army 2 to 1

Athenians caught Persians off guard and attacked them furiously, winning the battle

According to one historian, 6,400 Persians died, while only 192 Athenians were lost

Conflict and the Athenian Empire

Wars with Persia distracted the Greek city-states from fighting one another, and Greece became united Believed that the gods had favored them and influenced

the outcome of the wars in favor of Greece Athens emerged as the most powerful city-state

Delian League – group of city-states that allied with Athens

When countries become allies, they join together in a partnership Named for island of Delos, where League’s treasury was kept Soon, Athens was so powerful that they began to rule over

the other city-states in the league This time of power for Athens was the Golden Age that we talked

about in 6.2

Sparta and Athens at War

Athens began to abuse its power Forced other allies to

pay tribute in return for protection from Persian invasion

Athens used common treasury of the Delian League to finance the Parthenon and other projects

Delian League in yellow

The Peloponnesian War

Many people in other city-states began to resent Athens’ power They turned to Sparta for protection

Sparta formed the Peloponnesian League to oppose the Delian League Named after Peloponnesus, the peninsula in

which Sparta was located 431 B.C. – Sparta and its allies fought

against Athens and its allies Began Peloponnesian War – a 27-year long

conflict between Athens and Sparta

Athens had a powerful navy and lots of wealth Sparta was located inland, and could not be

attacked from the sea, so Athens’ navy was useless Spartans only had to march north to attack Athens

When Sparta invaded Athens, Pericles had people from the surrounding areas move inside the city walls, creating overcrowding and plague Plague – widespread disease In 5 years, one-third of the people in Athens had

died from it, including Pericles

The Fall of Athens

Sparta made peace with Persia and they became allies

In 405 B.C., Sparta and Persia made a blockade of the harbor that supplied Athens with food Blockade: an action taken to isolate the enemy and

cut off its supplies Spartans surrounded and closed the harbor

where Athens received food shipments Athens surrendered in 404 B.C. Spartans knocked down Athens city walls,

destroying its empire

Section Summary

What did Greek city-states do to overcome oppression by Athens?

Compare and contrast Athens and Sparta. Why were they so different from each other?

As a group, brainstorm five words that describe the concept of slavery.

As an individual, write one sentence that describes the concept of slavery. Use one of the vocabulary words on the board.

Slavery in Athens and Sparta

Make a chart that compares slavery in Athens and Sparta. List at least 2 bullet points on each side.

Athens Sparta

• Slaves were sometimes treated as part of the family

• Slaves worked in the home (easier conditions) and also in the silver mines (harsher conditions)

• Free people in Athens outnumbered slaves 2-to-1

• Helots were treated very badly and beaten

• Helots did the hard labor for the Spartans

• Helots outnumbered Spartans 3-to-1

Comparing Greek and American Slavery

Read the following passage about American slavery. “Due to the fact that Africans were not thought of as humans,

but as property, they did not have the rights that whites enjoyed. Many of the slaves were beaten so severely that their injuries were life threatening. The effect of being beaten brutally or seeing someone else beaten could cause mental and emotional scars that would never go away. This shows that not only was slavery physically abusive, but also mentally abusive. Slaves suffered physical pain, but also the emotional and mental pain they experienced due to inhumane treatment of themselves and other fellow slaves on the plantation caused them to be scarred for life.”

Now answer this question in one paragraph: Do you think that American slavery was more similar to slavery in Athens or Sparta? Why?

Write 3-4 sentences on this topic: Why is it wrong to treat humans as “sub-human,” or below the level of a human (worse than an animal)? Do you believe that is what happened with American slavery? How about in Athens and Sparta?

The End of Slavery

Slavery continued on in Greece for hundreds of years, and when the Romans took over Greece, slavery still existed in the Roman Empire.

In the United States, it was not until 1865 that slavery was officially made illegal by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

Section 2: Athens and Sparta (Short Version)

THE BIG IDEAS

Sparta was a powerful city-state that emphasized fighting and strength over education and wealth.

Greek city-states united in order to defeat the invading Persians.

The Spartans eventually defeated greedy Athens in the Peloponnesian War.

Living in Sparta was much different than living in Athens…

Living in Sparta Life in Sparta was harsh and

cruel Spartans lived to fight,

developing a tough, war-like mentality Sparta’s motto: “Always put

the city’s needs above your own”

Sparta conquered much land and took prisoners as slaves Conquered people became

helots Helot: Slaves owned by the

city-state of Sparta (typically did farm work)

Helots were treated very harshly by the Spartans

Growing Up in Sparta - Males

Spartans only wanted the healthiest, strongest people to live in their city

Boys were trained for fighting from a young age Age 7: Left home to live in military barracks in

harsh conditions Age 12: Learned how to use a sword and

spear Boys were expected to endure pain and

punishment in silence Result of the training: Spartans became

excellent soldiers

Age 20: Entered the army of Sparta

Age 30: A man could participate in the assembly, a government of all male citizens of Sparta Sparta had a king, and the

council helped the king to make decisions in the government

Age 60: A man could retire from the army

Growing Up in Sparta - Females

Girls also trained in wrestling and spear throwing They would not become soldiers, but they

wanted girls to be strong and healthy as well Spartan women had more freedoms than

in other city-states (even though men were still in charge) They could own land and conduct business

Spartan Attitudes

Spartans did not associate with other Greeks and did not travel

Spartans did not value being wealthy and did not engage in trade

They did not have an interest in the arts Spartan warriors were known for their

skill and bravery Spartan fighters were involved in many

conflicts

The Persians Invade

The Persian Empire began to threaten Greece Persia – located where

modern-day Iran is located

Battle of Marathon

Persians landed in Marathon, Greece in 490 B.C. Persian army

outnumbered Athenian army 2 to 1

Athenians caught Persians off guard and attacked them furiously, winning the battle

6,400 Persians died, while only 192 Athenians died

Conflict and the Athenian Empire

Wars with Persia distracted the Greek city-states from fighting one another, and Greece became united

Greece eventually defeated mighty Persia Believed that the gods had favored them

Athens emerged as the most powerful city-state Delian League – group of city-states that allied with

Athens Named for island of Delos, where League’s treasury was

kept Soon, Athens was so powerful that they began to rule

over the other city-states in the league This time of power for Athens was the Golden Age that we

talked about in 6.2

Sparta and Athens at War

Athens began to abuse its power Forced other allies to

pay tribute in return for protection from Persian invasion

Athens used common treasury of the Delian League to finance the Parthenon and other personal projects

Delian League in yellow

The Peloponnesian War

Many people in other city-states began to resent Athens’ power They turned to Sparta for protection

Sparta formed the Peloponnesian League to oppose the Delian League Named after Peloponnesus, the peninsula in

which Sparta was located 431 B.C. – Sparta and its allies fought

against Athens and its allies Began Peloponnesian War – a 27-year long

conflict between Athens and Sparta

Athens had a powerful navy and lots of wealth

Sparta was located inland and had a powerful army Athens’ navy was

useless against landlocked Sparta

When Sparta invaded Athens, Pericles had people from the surrounding areas move inside the city walls, creating overcrowding and plague (widespread disease)

The Fall of Athens Sparta made peace with

Persia and they became allies

In 405 B.C., Sparta and Persia made a blockade of the harbor that supplied Athens with food Blockade: an action taken

to isolate the enemy and cut off its supplies

Spartans surrounded and closed the harbor where Athens received food shipments Athens surrendered in 404

B.C. Spartans knocked down

Athens city walls, destroying its empire

Food shipments would come in here

Section 3: The Spread of Greek Culture

Do Now

Please write down the week’s assignments on the Assignment Board.

Now, write 3-4 sentences: From what you have learned so far, how has Greek culture spread? How has Ancient Greece influenced modern-day America?

Macedonia is north of Greece King Philip of Macedonia and

his son, Alexander, studied Greek and considered themselves Greek

Alexander studied with Aristotle He believed that Greeks were a

superior people and deserved to rule

However, Macedonians were viewed by Greeks as barbarians (wild, uncivilized people)

Respond

Why do you think that Alexander the Great believed that Greeks were a superior, or better, culture, even though he was not Greek himself? Have you ever wanted to be part of something because you admired it so much?

Philip Comes to Power Macedonia was poor and divided into

small areas before Philip – it was not a unified country

Philip came into power in 359 B.C. He united Macedonia He made an army even stronger than Sparta’s He allied with Greek city-states by threatening

or bribing them Philip conquered Greece by 337 B.C.

Alexander Builds an Empire

Philip wanted to conquer Persia next In 336 B.C., before

he could, he was assassinated Assassinate – to

murder for political reasons

Philip’s son Alexander became king at age 20

Think and Respond

Discuss with your group: Do you think a 20-year old is prepared to be the king of a nation? Why or why not? Make a list of 5 skills that are needed to rule over a large group of people.

Alexander’s Conquests

At a young age, Alexander became a good soldier Alexander invaded the Persian Empire

Persia had gotten weaker over the years since losing to Greece, but it was still huge

Alexander led his army through Asia Minor, Judaea, Egypt, and Babylon (Persia’s capital city)

Between 334 and 323 B.C., Alexander conquered Persia, Egypt, and led his army all the way past the Indus River

He became known as Alexander the Great because of his great conquests

Alexander named cities after himself wherever he went

Alexander’s Last Battle

Alexander was smart and energetic He was very motivated and

pushed his troops to be motivated Troops complained that he was

too hard on them, but they obeyed Alexander

Alexander never lost a battle Finally, his tired troops

refused to advance into India Alexander was angry, but he

turned back On the way back, Alexander

caught a fever and died in 323 B.C.

Respond

What is the danger in conquering too much territory and spreading your army too thin?

Greek Culture Spreads

After Alexander died, his empire was split up into three kingdoms Each kingdom ruled by one of Alexander’s former army

commanders One commander ruled Greece and Macedonia One ruled Egypt One ruled Persia

After the army commanders died, their sons and grandsons fought to inherit the kingdoms for many years, causing chaos

Many people left Greece to live in the cities that Alexander had conquered These cities were called Hellenistic Kingdoms

Hellenistic: A word used for Greek history and culture after the death of Alexander the Great

The Hellenistic Kingdoms

Hellenistic cities were modeled after Greek cities Greek kings ruled Greeks who moved there had the best jobs Greek temples and agoras were built in the

cities Greek plays were performed in theaters Greek language was spoken in the cities

Greek Culture in Egypt

Greatest of all Hellenistic cities: Alexandria, Egypt Alexander founded the

city in 332 B.C. Located on the Nile River Became the capital of

Egypt Became a center of

business and trade Had the largest library in

the world

Math and Science Advancements were made in

math and science in Alexandria Euclid – developed geometry in

300 B.C. Used proofs to explain

mathematical laws of geometry Scientists in Hellenistic times

knew the earth was round, which was a new concept at the time Eratosthenes calculated the

distance around the earth Archimedes – discovered that

levers and pulleys could be used to lift heavy objects He said “Give me a lever large

enough, and I will lift the earth.”

Respond

Which of these advancements in math and science have you learned about in school? What do you know about them? How have you used them?

To summarize your understanding of Ch. 7.3, please complete the following activities on page 222: Target Reading Skill Comprehension and Critical Thinking, #1 and

#2