History of Ancient Greece - 1

A brief history of ancient Greece

1. The Persian Wars, 499 - 479 B.C.

The greatest extent of the Persian Empire, ca. 490

History of Ancient Greece - 2

A brief history of ancient Greece

2. The Golden Age, or Periclean Age, 480 - 431 B.C. (In art history, this period is referred to as the “Classical Period”) Socrates was born in

469 B.C., near the beginning of the Golden Age.

History of Ancient Greece - 3

A brief history of ancient Greece

Plato was born in 428 B.C., near the end of this age.

Ancient Greece was a federation of 150 city-states.

The defeat of the Persians brought a new awareness of the commonness of these peoples in language, religion, and customs.

But they never achieved political unity.

History of Ancient Greece - 4

The maximum extent of the Athenian Empire

From John Boardman, Jasper Griffin, & Oswyn Murray, The Oxford History of the Classical World (NY: Oxford University Press, 1986): 134.

History of Ancient Greece - 5

A brief history of ancient Greece

The golden side of the Golden Age • Government support for widows

and orphans• A high rate of literacy• A great building program

– The Parthenon

History of Ancient Greece - 6

A brief history of ancient Greece

• Great playwrites– Euripides, Aristophanes,

Sophocles• The physician, Hippokrates• The historian Thucydides

History of Ancient Greece - 7

A brief history of ancient Greece

• Cleisthenes initiated the democratic form of government c. 508 B.C. (a bit before the Golden Age) – The form of democracy - very

direct vs representative– But excluded women, slaves,

the allies of Athens– About 40,000 adult males were

eligible to vote

History of Ancient Greece - 8

A brief history of ancient Greece

The tarnished side of the Golden Age • Slaves made up one-third of the

population • Women were not educated, had

no property rights, and were for the most part excluded from the public sphere

History of Ancient Greece - 9

A brief history of ancient Greece

• Growing tension between alliances of city states centered around Athens and Sparta

History of Ancient Greece - 10

A brief history of ancient Greece

3. The Peloponnesian War, 431 - 404 B.C.

• Between alliances centered around Athens and Sparta

• Athens lost

History of Ancient Greece - 11

A brief history of ancient Greece

4. The Hellenistic Age, 338 B.C. - 200 A.D.• In 338, Philip of Macedonia

conquered Greece• When Philip was assassinated in 336

B.C., Alexander took over the empire.

• Alexander spread the Greek language and culture throughout his expanding empire.

History of Ancient Greece - 12

A brief history of ancient Greece

Mosaic of Alexander fighting Darius (Persian King)

History of Ancient Greece - 13

A brief history of ancient Greece

• Hence the word “Hellenic,” of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks.

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Socrates: Life

Socrates (c.470 - 399 B.C.) Born in Athens to a wealthy family Married, had several sons Distinguished himself in the

Peloponnesian War (431 - 404 B.C.) His profession was a travelling teacher

• His debates with other members of his profession and the label, “sophist”

History of Ancient Greece - 15

Socrates: Life

Socrates Vatican Museums Rome

History of Ancient Greece - 16

Socrates: Life

His innovative method of teaching, still known as “the Socratic method”

His interest in teaching ethics and his claim that virtue is a kind of knowledge• Might be called “ethical

intellectualism”• It follow that virtue can be taught

History of Ancient Greece - 17

Socrates: Life

His most famous student - Plato Socrates wrote nothing!

History of Ancient Greece - 18

Socrates: Life

His famous trial• The Apology give Plato’s account

of the trial• Occurred in 399 B.C.• The charge• Socrates was found guilty

Executed by taking poison– David’s painting of the death of

Socrates

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Socrates: Life

• Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748-1825)• The Death of Socrates• 1787• Oil on canvas• 51 x 77 1/4 in. (129.5 x 196.2 cm)• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York