ancient greece

lock in gng

climate, geography

summer=hot, dry + winters=cold, windy

mountainous peninsula in Aegean, seas in Anatolia, not fertile land

Minoan Culture - palaces

political, administrative, economic, religious centers

agriculture storage

palaces of ruling kings, artisans w/goods

Knossos, Faitos, Malia

most famous palaces

decorated w/colorful wall paintings

not surrounded by fortifications

Script Linear A,B

A- 1st pictographs, linear writing developed

B- Archaeans moved to Crete

Mycenaean Civilization - palaces

huge, fortified

storage place, workshops for artisans

Homer

wrote Iliad

Iliad

poem which Trojan War was depicted in

Trojan War

10 year war against Troy (city in Anatolia) in about 1200BC

H. Schliemann

german archaeologist who discovered sites of Troy and Mycenae in 1870s

Dark Age

local wars, economic disruptions, poverty, Greeks lost their knowledge of writing

Polis - features

city-state, mountainous, developed in isolation, identified a god as a protector, had protective walls, own law codes, leadership, independent

citizens in Polis (Archaic Greece)

aristocracy, kings, demos (people)

Greek colonization - causes

overpopulation in city-states → new lands, resources (fertile land, metals, trade opportunities)

Greek colonization - consequences

colonies traded w/ metropolis, trade resulted economical growth + alphabet (business, trade, literature, poetry)

Greek colonization - where?

Asia Minor, northern coast of Africa, Cyprus, Sicily, Sardinia, Southern Spain, France, the coast of Black Sea

Olympic Games

ideal to be fit and educated

once every 4 years

original → 1 race, later Pentathlon → 5 events, w/o clothes, wars stopped at the time of O.G.

Draco’s Constitution

legal code = all citizens, rich and poor were equal under the law

1st constitution

hard punishments (like death)

Solon’s Constitution

law = outlawed debt slavery and dropped all debts

prepared cons. in 594BC

set limits

4 classes based on wealth

Peisistratus - tyranny

seized power by force, benevolent tyrant

Cleisthenes - 10 groups

in 507BC - reform, citizens in 10 groups based on where they lives not wealth

all can be elected + vote

Council of 500

by Cleisthenes

“Assembly” - handled daily business of Athens

the Assembly

held all power, laws

peace/war

issues

ostracism

political procedure (vote) in which any citizen could be expelled from Athens for 10 years if considered as threat (potential tyrant)

using pottery shards “ostraka”

Pericles - direct democracy

people participate directly in government decision making (mass meeting)

Pericles’ contribution to democracy

Athens became the centre of Greek culture

expanded Athens, made it more direct, strengthened the Assembly

role of the Assembly

pass laws, decide on matters, deal w/ issues, industry developed, growth of trade

Pericles and rebulding the Athens

after Persian wars → Athens entered “golden age”, expanded democracy, Athens became the centre of learning and creativity

Persian Wars - the Battle of Marathon

Greek VS Persians

Greek were outnumbered yet won

Persian Wars - Salamis

Greek VS Persians

Greeks tricked Persians fleet and won

Delian League

Athens emerged as the supreme naval power in Greece = strong network of Greek city-states

Sparta - values

self-discipline, military, community > individualism

Sparta - society

helots, perioiks, citizens

Sparta - helots

Messenian slaves - inhabitants forced to work on land for Spartans, cultivated land for citizens

Sparta - perioiks

free people, artisans and farmers (suppliers w/ necessary goods), no political rights, when needed → served in army

Sparta - citizens - duties

full political rights, dedicated to warcraft because outnumbered by perioiks and helots

Sparta - government

2 kings (monarchy), Gerousia (aristocracy), Assembly (democracy), Ephors

Sparta - 2 kings

from ancient noble families, commanded army when war, advised by Gerousia

Ephors

they supervised kings (or overseers did), judges, government officials

Gerousia

they advised kings as “The Council of Elders”, proposed laws for the Assembly

Sparta - education system

main goal = bring up capable soldiers (duty, strength, discipline)

7yo boys → sent to army barracks ‘till 30, server ‘till 60

girls → had some military training, respected, played sports

Peloponnesian war

Sparta VS Athens, 431-404BC

main cause = Athenian expansion, Corinth,

Athens - navy ,, Sparta - army

Athens weak attack in 415BC

Sparta won

Alexander of Macedonia

Philip II’ son

expanded empire

ruled 336-323BC

king Philip

exploited decline of Greek city-states + conquered Greece at the Battle of Chaeronea

phalanx

the parts the well-trained, proffesional army created by king Philip was organized into

Battle of Chaeronea

King Phillip conquered Greece in 338BC

Aristotle

tutored Alexander (science, literature, geography, military commander)

the Persians

defeated a lot → weakened

Battle of Granicus

334BC

Alexander defeated Persian army

Battle of Gaugamela

331BC

Alexander defeated the main army of Persia → ending its power

Battle of Issus

333BC

key victory for Alexander

Alexander’ way of rule

adopted Persians customs, put them to army too

more interested in growing and not governing his empire

Alexander’ death and disintegration of his empire

he died unexpectedly of fever in 323BC

after death, empire was disintegrated and divided among his generals

Hellenistic Culture

emergence of vibrant culture, blending Greek, Persian, Egyptian, Indian infuences

Alexandrian Library

institute of advanced study

containing 1/2mil. papyrus scrolls

promotes work of scholars

(important trade route)