CHAPTER8

Mountains&Settlements• PeopleofGreecesettledinrivervalleysandalongthecoast.• Theylivedinvillagesseparatedbymountainsandseas• Travelacrossthemountainsandseaswasdifficultsocommunitiesdevelopedtheirowngovernmentsandwaysoflife.• TheGreeksspokethesamelanguage,butthoughtofthemselvesasdifferentcountries.

Seas&Ships• Sincetravelinlandwasdifficultacrossthemountains,theGreeksturnedtotheseas.• TotheSouthwasthehugeMediterranean Sea• TotheWestwastheIonian Sea• TotheEastwastheAegean Sea• TheGreeksbecameskilledatshipbuilding&trade.

TradingCulturesDevelop• ManyculturessettledinGreece.• TwooftheearliestweretheMinoan andtheMycenaean• By2000BC– TheMinoans hadbuiltanadvancedsocietyontheislandofCrete.• TheMinoans wereknownfor:bestshipbuildersoftheirtime&(how)tradedupanddowntheMediterraneanSea• Traded:wood,oil,pottery• Language:Greek• Somewherearound1600BC– avolcanoeruptednearCretecausingatsunamithatcoveredmostofCrete&thevolcanicashcoveredtheisland,possiblyleadingtotheendoftheMinoancivilization

Mycenaean• Thefirstpeopletospeak(language)Greek &thereforethefirsttobeconsideredGreekweretheMycenaean.• WhiletheMinoansweresailingtheMediterranean,theMycenaean werebuildingfortressesalloverthemainland,eventuallytakingovertheislandofCrete.• Knownfor:Theybecamemajortraders,notalwayspeacefully.• Tradedby:attackingotherkingdoms• Ended:Duetoearthquakes,decline,andattacksfromEuropeans– GreeceslidintowhatisnowcalledtheDarkAgeofGreece.• Theydid:SomehistoriansbelievedtheystartedtheTrojanWar.

GreeksCreateCity-States• About300yearsaftertheMycenaeancrumbled,theGreeksbegantoformcity-statesforprotection• Theformationofcity-statesmarksthebeginningofwhatiscalledClassicalGreece• TheGreekwordforcity-stateisPolis.• AClassicalAgeisatimeinhistorymarkedbygreatachievement.• Acity-statewasbuiltaroundastrongfortressthatstoodontopofahighhillcalledtheAcropolis.• ThetownaroundtheAcropoliswassurroundedbyanotherwall.

LifeinaCity-State• Farmersusuallylivedoutsidethecitywalls– butwouldselltheirproduceinsidethecityandrunintothecityduringtimesofwar.• LifeinthecityfocusedonthemarketplaceortheAgora• Socialgatheringswerealsoheldthere• Itoftencontainedshops• Thecity-statewasthefoundationofGreekcivilizationprovidingsecurity&identity.

GovernmentinAthensChapter8Section2

• Greeceisthebirthplaceofdemocracy.• Notallthecity-statesbecamedemocracies• InearlyAthens– Kingsruled– thenlateraristocrats tookpower• Draco-createanewsetoflaws-veryharsh• Eventually– amannamedSolon createdlawsthatgaverightstopoormen.• Freemen,livinginAthens,becamecitizensandcouldparticipateingovernment– butthepeoplewantedthearistocratsoutofpower.

TheRiseoftheTyrants• 536– PeisistratusruledasaTyrant – andheldpowerthroughforce• Thepeoplesupportedhimbecausehebroughtpeace&prosperitythroughstrictrule• Manyimprovementsweremadetothecity.• Whenhedied– hissonruledforawhileuntil

Athenswasattacked byanothercitywiththehelpoftheirownaristocrats.

AthensCreatesDemocracy• 500BC– Cleisthenes gainedpowerandestablishedademocracy• Heissometimescalledthe“FatherofDemocracy”• Allcitizenscouldparticipateinmakingthelaws,speakingpublicallyatmeetings,andvoting.

• Athensremainedademocracyforabout170years,reachingitsheightunderPericles.• Periclespaidthosepeoplewhoworkedingovernmentandencouragedpeopletospreaddemocracy.

EndofDemocracyinAthens• 330BC– AthenswasconqueredbytheMacedoniansfromthenorth• MacedonianKingruled– thoughAthenscouldmakelimitedlaws,buteventuallyanewKingtookoverandendeddemocracyforever.

HowareWetheSameorDifferent?• Athenshadadirectdemocracy–• Citizensvotedontheissues– Majorityruled.• TheUSistoolargefordirectdemocracy.Wecannotallmeetinoneplacetodiscussissues&vote

• WehaveaRepresentativeDemocracy– aRepublic• Weelectofficialstomakethelaws– theyvoteontheissues– wevoteonwhotheofficialswillbe

EssentialQuestionWhoheldpoweratdifferenttimesinthegovernmentofAthens?

Whatroledidcommonpeoplehaveineachtype?

Oligarchy Tyranny DemocracyAgovernmentwhereonlyafewpeoplerule– theAristocrats

Commonpeoplehadlittlesayingovernment

Rulebyatyrant– aleaderwhoheldpowerthroughtheuseofforce&strongarmies

Thepeoplesupportedhimifhekeptthepeaceandimprovedtheirlives

Agovernmentwherethepeoplerulethemselves.

Thecommon“man”inAncientGreececouldvoteif hewasacitizen.

MythsExplainedtheWorld• TheancientGreeksbelievedinmanygods.• ThesegodswereatthecenterofGreekmythology– storiesexplainingnaturalorhistoricalevents• TheGreeksbelievedthatgodscausedthunder,earthquakes,andvolcaniceruptions

Section3

GreekMythologyandLiterature

GodsandMythology• Hephaestus livedunderground.Thefireandlavathatpouredoutofvolcanoescamefromhisforge.• Hecreatedweaponsandarmorfortheothergods

• TheGreeksalsobelievedthegodscauseddailyevents.• Demeter– goddessofagriculturecreatedtheseasons• Inthewinter– sheweepsforherdaughterwhohastoreturntohercaptor.• Inthespring– Demeterishappybecauseherdaughterreturnstoher

TemplestoGods• TheGreeksbuiltgreattemplestohonorthegods• ManyGreeksinneedofadvicetraveledtoDelphi wheretheyspoketotheoracle – femalepriestofApollotowhomtheythoughtthegodgaveanswers.• TheoraclewassorespectedthatGreekleadersaskedherforadviceaboutrulingtheircities

HeroesandMythology• ManyGreekmythstoldaboutadventuresofgreatheroes.• PeopleofAthenstoldstoriesaboutTheseus whotraveledtoCreteandkilledtheMinotaur.

• NorthernGreecetoldmythsaboutJasonsailingacrosstheseatofindthegoldenfleece– andfightingenemies.

• ThemostfamouswasHercules – whofoughtmonstersandperformedimpossibletasks

Fables• Fablesareshortstoriesthatteachalesson• AesopwasafamousGreekstoryteller.• Animalsarethemaincharactersthattalk&actlikehumans.• WhatisthelessoninthefableofTheAnt&TheGrasshopper?pg.257• Peopleshouldn’twastetimeinsteadofworking• TheTortoiseandtheHareteachesthatitisbettertoworkslowlyandcarefullythantohurryandmakemistakes.• TheBoyWhoCriedWolfwarnsreadersnottoplaypranks.

AncientGreekLiterature• AmongtheearliestGreekwritingsaretwoepicpoems,TheIliad&TheOdyssey,byapoetnamedHomer• TheIliaddescribesthedeedsofgreatheroeswhofoughtintheTrojanWar:Achilles,Hector,Paris,

• TheOdysseydescribesthechallengesthattheGreekheroOdysseus(Ulysses)facedonhiswayhomefromthewar.• Homer’spoemsweremorethanjustentertainmenttotheGreeks.• TheywerecentraltotheancientGreekeducationsystem• Peoplememorizedlongpassagesaspartoftheirlessons.• TheyweresymbolsofGreece’sgreathistory.• Theyareconsideredtobesomeofthegreatestliteratureeverproduced

LyricPoetry• Otherpoetswrotepoemsthatwereoftenrecitedassongsaccompaniedbythelyre.• Thesepoetswerecalledlyricpoets.• Todaythewordsofsongsarecalled“lyrics”aftertheancientGreekpoetsandtheirlyre.• Mostweremen,howeverthemostfamouslyricpoetwasawomannamedSappho.• Herpoemswereaboutloveandrelationshipswithherfriends&family.• Onlyfragmentsofherworkremain