introduction about 2000 b.c.e. greek speaking people settled the lands surrounding the aegean sea...

IntroductionAbout 2000 B.C.E. Greek speaking people settled the lands surrounding the Aegean Sea

Contact with Egypt, Mesopotamia, Asia MinorGreeks forged their own unique ideas, values

Polis - city-state - foundation of Greek lifeConflict with the Persian empireExtraordinary cultural achievementsEventual fall to Macedonians

Expansion in Hellenistic age

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.

Minoans - 3rd and 2nd MillenniaMinoan Bronze Age civilization on island of Crete

Major influence on early GreeksNamed after Minos, legendary founder

Early, Middle, and Late MinoanCnossus - extraordinary remainsEarly forms of writing

Evidence of early form of Greek

Trade with the MycenaeansEventually fall to Mycenaeans


Mycenaeans ca. 2000-1100 B.C.E.

Earliest Greek-speaking societyInfluenced by Minoans, but very different

Mycenaeans were warriorsIndependent, well-organized monarchiesTholos tombsWanax - title of Mycenaean king

Height of power - 1400-1200 B.C.E.Sacked Troy around 1250 B.C.E.

Inspiration for Homer’s Iliad, Odyssey


Fall of Mycenaean Power

Palaces destroyed, cities abandoned; art, way of life, and writing system buried and forgotten 1100 B.C.E

Possible invasion of Greece by the Dorians

Resulted in dispersion of Greeks and Greek dark “Middle Age,” lasting to 750 B.C.E.


Age of Homer - 10th-9th cens.Greek “Middle Age” - 1100-750 B.C.E.Homer wrote of Mycenaeans

But reflected age he lived in - 10th-9th cens.

Kings less powerful than Mycenaean rulersLimited, constitutional government

Sharp class divisions - society was aristocraticValues - physical prowess, courage, protection of one’s friends, property, honor and reputationArete - courage, manliness


Polis and Hoplite Phalanx

City-stateCharacteristic Greek institution

Thought of as a community of relatives

Agora - marketplace and civic center• Heart of Greek social life

Hoplite phalanxDominant military force in Mediterranean

Phalanx and polis heralded the decline of kings

Bond between aristocrats and farmers


Expansion of the Greek World

Tremendous expansion by 6th century B.C.E.Macedonia, southern Italy, Sicily, Spain, southern France, Black Sea, north African coast

Magna Graecia

Relieved pressure and land-hungerSafety valve for poleis to escape civil wars

Panhellenic (“all-Greek”) spiritCommon religious festivals - Olympia, Delphi

Encouraged trade and industry


The Tyrants ca. 700-500 B.C.E.

Economic expansion brought social pressures

Tyrant - monarch who had gained power in unorthodox but not necessarily wicked way

Strong one-man rule - might be popular• Expelled aristocratic opponents• Public works projects, land division

Tyrants disappeared - some outragesMainly - concept of tyranny was inimical to ideal of polis


Life in Archaic Greece

Features of Greek life coming into focusIncreasing role of merchants, artisans

Farmers - simple, hard life, Hesiod’s Works and Days, 700 B.C.E

Aristocrats - rich enough to employ• Hired laborers, sharecroppers, slaves• Symposion• Athletic contests• Running, long jump, discus, javelin, pentathlon, boxing,

wrestling, chariot race


Religion

Worship did not involve great emotionNo hope for immortality

Justice lay in paying one’s debts

Cult of Apollo at Delphi very importantPriests preached moderation

“Know thyself” and “Nothing in excess”

Sophrosyne - self-control

Hubris - arrogance

• Leads to divine vengeance


Gods - PantheonZeus - father of the godsHera - Zeus’ wifeZeus’s siblings

Poseidon - god of the seas and earthquakes Hestia - goddess of the hearth Demeter - goddess of agriculture and marriage

Zeus’s ChildrenAphrodite - goddess of love and beautyApollo - god of the sun, music, poetry, prophecyAres - god of warAthena - goddess of wisdom and the artsHephaestus- god of fire and metallurgyHermes- messenger of the gods


SpartaSecond Messenian War - 650 B.C.E.

Fear of HelotsTransformation of society

Control exerted over each Spartan from birthPowerful commitment to polisAmbition - glory and respect by glory in war

Spartan girls had greater freedomMixture of monarchy, oligarchy, democracyLeadership of Peloponnesian League


Athens - Early Tensions

Initially an aristocratic polisNo written law code

Areopagus - council of nobles

Elected magistrates, archons

Agrarian crisisEconomic and social pressures

Many debtors pledged family as surety• Many defaulted and enslaved

Solon elected archon in 594 B.C.E.


Solon - ca. 639-559“Shaking off of burdens”

Canceled current debtsForbade future debts secured by personFreed Athenians enslaved for debt

Expanded citizenshipIncluded immigrant artisans and merchants

Divided citizenry into four classesThird class - serve in council of four hundredThetes - fourth class - voted in assembly


Pisistratus - 605?-527 B.C.E.

Seizes power as tyrant in 546 B.C.E.Increased power of central government

• At expense of nobles

Public works projects

Supported poets and artists


Clisthenes and Democracy

Central aim of Clisthenes’ reformsDiminish influence of noble factions

• Four tribes become ten tribes• New council of five hundred

Final authority in all things in assembly of all adult male Athenian citizens

Debate in assembly was free and open

Any Athenian could submit legislation

Or argue merits of legislation


Persian Wars

Asia Minor fell under Lydian then Persian controlGreek city-states on Ionian coast in rebellion

Persians under Darius invade in 490Marathon - 490, Greek victory under Miltiades

Xerxes - r. 486-465 B.C.E.Massive invasion in 481 B.C.E.

150,000 men and 600 ships

Greek victories at Thermopylae, Salamis


Classical Greece

Victory in Persian Wars - leads to 150 years of intense, almost unmatched cultural achievement

After victory - two sources of power• Sparta - head of Peloponnesian League• Athens - head of Delian League

Reasons for splitNeed for protection from Persia

Desire for revenge and reparations

Leadership of Cimon


First Peloponnesian WarCollapse of Cimon’s authority

Supported positive relations with Sparta

Rebellion of Thasos against Delian LeagueThasians appeal to Sparta for aid

War began when Megara switched sides from Sparta to Athens

Athens suffers defeat in Egypt versus Persia

Athenian leader PericlesAgrees to thirty years truce with Sparta


Athenian Empire and Democracy

Reign of Pericles - best and worst in Athens

Athens bullies other city-states

Freest government world had ever seenCitizenship was key

Every decision approved by citizen assembly

Collection of people, not their representatives

All public officials subject to scrutiny

No standing army or police force• No way to coerce people


Women of AthensWomen excluded from most aspects of public life

Always under control of male guardianMarried very young

Divorce difficult to obtainMain function was to produce male heirs

Carefully segregated from menMen could seek sexual gratification outside marriage with prostitutes

Ironic - strong women in Greek tragedy/comedy


Great Peloponnesian WarThirty Years’ Peace lasted ten years

Spartan strategy - invade and crush armyAthenian strategy - raids on coast

Athenian decline after death of Pericles, 429Peace of Nicias in 421Alcibiades - ca. 450-404Athenian disaster at Sicily in 413

Spartan leader LysanderAthens surrenders in 404 B.C.E.


Struggle for Greek LeadershipSpartan hegemony

Handed Ionian Greek city-states to PersiaLysander installs “Thirty Tyrants” in AthensLoss to Thebans at Leuctra in 371 B.C.E.

Theban hegemonyGenerals - Pelopidas and Epaminondas

Second Athenian empireRepeat mistakes of Delian League

Return to disorganization and warfare


Fifth Century B.C.E. Culture

Two sources of tension fueled creativityPride in accomplishments vs. fear of hubrisHopes of individual vs. limits of state

Socrates, Plato, AristotleArchitectural achievements under Pericles

Pericles - Athens as “school of Hellas”Temples to honor city’s godsProjected Athenian greatness


Attic Tragedy and Comedy

TragedyReligious observations in honor of Dionysus

Questions of religion, ethics, morality• Aeschylus - 525-456 B.C.E.

• Sophocles - ca. 496-406 B.C.E.

• Euripides - ca. 480-406 B.C.E.

ComedyAristophanes - ca. 450-385 B.C.E.


History

Herodotus - 484?-425? B.C.E.“The father of history” - studied Persian War

Attempted to explain human actions

Draw instructions from them

Thucydides - ca. 460-ca. 400 B.C.E.History of the Peloponnesian War

Used evidence to try and discover meaningful patterns of human behavior

Understanding of history - guide to future


Fourth Century B.C.E. Culture

Middle ComedyTurn away from life of polisTowards everyday life, family, satire

New ComedyMeander - 342-291 B.C.E.

Tragedy faded - revivals of classicsEuripides becomes a favoritePsychology of individual human beings


Macedonian Conquest

Kingdom of Macedon

Philip of Macedon - r. 359-336 B.C.E.Admiration for Greek culture

Undermined Athenian control of Aegean

Defeated Athens in 338 B.C.E.• Role of Philip’s son Alexander

• End to Greek freedom and autonomy

• Philip assassinated in 336 B.C.E.


Alexander the Great 356-323

Alexander’s personalityInvasion of Persia in 334 B.C.E.

Battle of Granicus River - 334 B.C.E.Battle of Issus - 333 B.C.E.Fall of Persepolis - 330 B.C.E.Alexander enters Indus Valley - 327 B.C.E.

Alexander’s place in historyMan of vision vs. murderous tyrant


Alexander’s SuccessorsPtolemy I - 367?-283 B.C.E.

Ptolomies - Thirty-first dynasty in Egypt

Seleucus I - 358?-280Seleucid dynasty in Mespotamia

Antigonus I - 382-301 B.C.E.Antigonid dynasty in Asia Minor and Macedon

Tremendous trade and prosperityGreece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia

• One single political, economic, cultural unit


Hellenistic Culture

Significant turning point in Greek literature, philosophy, religion and art

Dominant role of polis is lost

Arrogant Greek humanism gives way to• Resignation to fate, helplessness

Plato’s AcademyBecomes center of skepticism (Pyrrho)

Aristotle’s LyceumCenter of literary and historical studies


Epicureans

Epicurus of Athens - 342-271 B.C.E.Goal was happiness, not knowledge

Achieved through a life based on reason

Gods took no interest in human affairsGoal was to liberate people from the fear of death, the gods, and the supernatural

Hedonistic - identified happiness with pleasureAbsence of pain and trouble


Stoics

Zeno of Citium - 335-263 B.C.E.

God and nature are the sameHumans must live in harmony with themselves

Logos - divine reasonGuiding principle in nature

Source of misery is passion

World is a single large polis


Literature, Mathematics and ScienceAlexandria - center of Hellenistic world

Museum - great research instituteLibrary - great body of past Greek literature

Euclid - 3rd century B.C.E.Elements - plane and solid geometry

Archimedes of Syracuse - ca. 287-212 B.C.E.Theory of lever, invented hydrostatics

Aristarchus of Samos - ca. 310-230 B.C.E.Heliocentric theory of universe

Ptolemy of Alexandria - 2nd century C.E.Eratosthenes of Cyrene - ca. 275-195 B.C.E.

Circumference of earth, treatise on geography


introduction about 2000 b.c.e. greek speaking people settled the lands surrounding the aegean sea...

Documents

pearson education

upper saddle river

greek middle age

greek lifeconflict

earliest greek

greek dark middle age

century b

age of homer