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

Interpretation?

King Minos? utopia? matriarchy? thalassocracy?

Contributions to Greeks

linguistic olives, grapes, figs place names overseas movement

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

The Ethnos

Greek tribal structures villages common cult centers fringes of the Greek world

Rise of Literacy

the alphabet Homer

– the Iliad, the Odyssey Hesiod

– Works and Days, the Theogony Lyric poetry

– Sappho

Age of Colonization

ca. 750-650 B.C. Spain to Russia spread of Greek culture contact with foreign peoples

Greek cities and colonies, 750-650 B.C.

Varieties of Constitutions

Plato, Aristotle, Polybius based on observation of types in

Greece thought of organically

– three Good types, three Bad types– the anacyclosis

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)

Other forms

you name it socialism, communism, utopianism egalitarian between genders etc.

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

Rise of Tyrants

many states moved from monarchy to tyranny

rise of disenfranchised classes ? rise of a new military form

– the Hoplite soldier

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

Peisistratus

three attempts a tyranny the Golden Age of Athens used his own wealth not a modern “tyrant”

Cleisthenes

defeated in “faction fighting” became a “democrat” reorganization of all citizens breakdown of hereditary kinship groups democracy

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

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

Thucydides

The Fourth Century

power vacuums, struggle for hegemony Thebes Federal leagues military monarchies

– Thessaly– Macedonia

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

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

Aeschylus

Greek Religion

Homer Hesiod polytheistic civic tolerant

Greek Religion, con’t

fully humanized gods deorum pax not concerned with morality no regular priests or clergy no “church and state”

Greek Religion, con’t

civic cults private cults mystery cults oracles atheists

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

The Pre-Socratics: Natural Sciences Thales: founder of philosophy Xenophanes: the One Empedocles: transmigration of souls Heraclitus: the dialectic Leucippus and Democritus: biological

evolution and atomic theory and so forth…..

The Sophists

Man is the measure of all things. interest in human activities

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

Stoics

concern with ethics, logic, and physics cyclic universe important for early Christianity

Other Important Schools

Cynics Skeptics Epicureans

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