greece review
TRANSCRIPT
Landscape & ClimateLandscape
Covered by Mountains
No large rivers
Lots of coastline
How did the land influence the government?
Climate
Mild, rainy winters
Hot summers
AgricultureOnly a small part of the region good for farming
Over ½ of Greeks were farmers and herders
Most farming in the valleys
Established agricultural colonies in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey)
ResourcesLacked natural resources like precious metals
Plentiful stone for buildings
Coastline with many good harbors
A Seafaring People“Highways of Water”
Mediterranean Sea: to the South
Ionian Sea: to the west
Aegean Sea: to the east
Greeks became expert sailors
Fish a large part of the Greek diet
Trade & CommerceMajor trading partners: Egypt & Rome
Exported:
olive oil, wine, wool, and pottery
Imported:
grain, timber, animal hides, and slaves
Mycenae: The First Greek CivilizationBuilt on the Peloponnesus
Wealthy civilization; mostly traders
Created writing, gold jewelry, bronze weapons, and pottery
Collapsed around 1200 BC
Little is known about Greece from 1200 BC – 750 BC
Greece Comes BackGreeks learned much by trading with the Phoenicians
Picked up the Phoenician alphabet between 900-800 BC
Learned about coins from Anatolians by 500 BChttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLHNh4caX4Y
Greek GodsPolytheistic
Divine qualities with human emotions
Jealous, loving, angry, competitive
Zeus & 11 major gods lived on Mt. Olympus (Olympian gods)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP_NeirFIkM (gods)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMzNPEHNxcc (goddesses)
Greek Mythology- The stories of the Greek gods and goddesses, often
as they interact with humans.
- Two purposes
Arachnehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW3Bbav7w4A
Honoring the GodsBuilt statues and temples
Days were set aside to honor different gods & goddesses
Festivals held to honor the 12 Olympian gods
The Parthenon was a temple in Athens, built in honor of the city’s patron goddess, Athena
The OlympicsHeld every four years (oldest record: 776 BC)
Part of a festival to honor Zeus
Only men
Events: foot race, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus throw.
Unmarried girls raced to honor Zeus’ wife, Herahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdgvKpUSaTs
HomerBlind poet (c. [about] 8th Century BC)
Composed epics
Oral tradition
The Iliad
The Odyssey
Major influence in Western literature
The IliadStory of Greek heroes during the Trojan War
Included story of Achilles
Legend has it that the baby Achilles was dipped into the river Styx as a way to protect him. The only part that didn’t get wet was his heel.
The OdysseyStory of Greek hero Odysseus and his trip home after the Trojan War
Included the Cyclops and the sirens
Video – first 12 minutes
The Cyclops, a one-eyed monster, is one of the creatures that stops Odysseus from getting home to his wife, Penelope.
Aesop’s Fables- Aesop was believed to be a Greek slave
- Today, we believe it was a pseudonym
- Used animals to tell moral lessons
- Tortoise & the Hare- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DrKmpuKhKE
City-StatesBasic form of government
Greek word for “city”= polis
Most less than 20,000 people
Athens & Sparta largest
AcropolisFortified (protected) hillside
Literally means: “high city”
Military purpose
Later, temples and palaces built here
Monarchs & AristocratsMonarchy:
Aristocracy:
By 700’s BC, most city-states had moved from monarchy to aristocracy
Do you think this was a good move?
TyrantsLeader who took power illegally
Not of noble birth – often a general
Urged the poor to support him
Why would the poor do this?
Some helped the poor
What is a “tyrant” today?
Nicias was an Athenian general and later Tyrant
Athenian Democracy: It’s a startBy 500’s poor citizens demanded a voice in government
Who is a “citizen”?
Gradual reform led by Solon & Cleisthenes
SolonRuled 594 – 560 BC
Freed people who had been enslaved due to debt
Reorganized Athenian Society –How?
All citizens could serve in the assembly.
CleisthenesBy 500 BC took power away from nobles
Reorganized citizens into 10 tribes based on geography
Each tribe elected 1 of the 10 military commanders
Direct DemocracyThe type in Athens
Citizens make political decisions directly
How is this different from democracy in the US?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J315e03RkOA
How was Athenian Democracy limited?
Ostracism: the assembly could vote a person out of Athens for up to 10 years
Spartan GovernmentRuled by 2 kings
Council of Elders proposed laws
All Spartan citizens part of the Assembly
Assembly elected officials & voted on laws
Spartan EducationAt age 7 boys moved to military barracks
During what ages did all male citizens serve in the army?
Spartan WomenWhat was expected of Spartan women?
Girls were given athletic training & expected to be strong
Women could own property
Athenian SocietyWhat four classes existed in Athens?
1/3 of population enslaved
Where did the Athenians find slaves?
Athenian EducationWhat was the purpose of education in Athens?
Studied logic, oratory, reading, writing, math, poetry, and music
The Persian Wars490 BC: Persians invade Athens to punish a colonial revolt
Athenians defeated the Persians
480 BC: Persians invade Greece again
Sparta helps Athens by fighting for two days at Thermopylae. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuihHUFEqPM
ClassZone
PericlesWealthy citizen of Athens
By 460 BC, the strongest ruler in Athens
What three goals did Pericles have for Athens?
How was Pericles able to persuade people to back his ideas?
Expanding the EmpireDelian League: an alliance of Greek City-States
Organized by Athens; headquartered on Delos
By 454 BC treasury moved to Athens
Why did this make other city-states unhappy?
The alliance became an Athenian Empire
Beautifying AthensWhere did Pericles get the money?
The Parthenon
Built on the Acropolis in Athens
Temple to Athena
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP-FsX0QW88
Peloponnesian WarWhy did city-states fear and resent Athens?
Sparta created the Peloponnesian League as a rival to Athens
431 BC: Sparta declares war on Athens
Peloponnesian War430 BC: a plague kills 1/3 of all Athenians
421 BC: truce signed
415 BC: war breaks out again
411 BC: Persians join the Spartans
404 BC: Athens surrenders
Philip IILeader of Macedonian kingdom (North of Greece)
23 years old
As a hostage in Thebes, studied Greek military
338 BC: conquers a weakened Greece
336 BC: assassinated and succeeded by his son, Alexander
Alexander the GreatKing at 20
Crushed a rebellion in Thebes
Defeated the Persians by invading Persian-controlled Egypt
How was Alexander received in Egypt?
Conquered land as far east as India
Died of a fever at 32
Legacy of AlexanderSpread Greek culture and language
encouraged local cultures to blend with Greek
Hellenistic culture
Alexandria, Egypt
Founded in 332 BC
Housed the greatest library of the Classical world
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LsrkWDCvxg
(2 min mark – 5:50)
The Arts & ArchitectureWealthy citizens sponsored tragic & comedic plays
Greek sculpture aimed at capturing the “ideal” form
Greek architects made use of columns
Greek PhilosophyLogical study of basic truths about the world
Socrates
used questions to encourage examination
Put to death by Athens
Plato
Follower of Socrates
Started a school that lasted 900 years
Aristotle
Student of Plato
Created the Lyceum
Tutored Alexander the Great for three years
Greece -- Netflix