Ancient Greece Midterm Review Slides

Magna Graecia

Ancient Greece and her colonies, including Southern Italy and Sicily

Primary sources

Accounts of events from that time period, including writing like memoirs and physical records like artifacts and inscriptions.

Secondary Sources

Interpretation and analysis of primary sources. These are only written.

Archaeology

study of the remains of human life and activities, including artifacts and buildings to place material in its historical CONTEXT.

Stratigraphy

The studying of soil layers and what is found in different parts, allowing us to decipher strata from different time periods and document items that go together.

Direct Sources

Archeological items, inscriptions, papyrology. NOT written texts.

Indirect sources

Written texts

Prehistory

before the adoption of the alphabet in the 8th century BCE. Includes the bronze (3000-1075) and early iron (1200-700) ages.

Bronze Age

3000-1075, including the early and middle Minoans and late Minoans/Myceneans (1600-1075). Includes the destruction of Troy around 1250-1225.

Early Iron Age

1200-700, Dark Age (no ancient authors, little archeological evidence)

Classical Period (in Historic age)

480-323 (Destruction of Athens to the death of Alexander the Great)

Sir Arthur Evans

Found the Minoan civilization on Crete, Linear A and B discovered

Which (linear A or B) has been deciphered and who did it?

B, Ventris

Heinrich Schliemann (1822-90)

German archeologist who used Homeric texts to find Troy, Mycenae, and other texts.

What is included in the Trojan saga?

Wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Judgement of Paris, the Fall of Troy, the Wrath of Achilles (Iliad begins), Death of Patroclus, Hector’s funeral (end of Iliad).

What happened in the 8th century BC?

Alphabet, polis, colonies, Homer codified.

What does the Iliad cover (and not?)

Had the Wrath of Achilles, Death of Patroclus, and Funeral for Hector. Did NOT have the horse. 24 books for each alphabet letter.

Odyssey vs Iliad focus?

Odyssey is more mythical and about traveling home. Iliad is more historical and about fighting the Trojan war.

What happened in 1200?

A combination of the Doric invasion, environmental factors, and violent seismic action. Written texts disappear (creating the Dark Age) and the focus shifts from the islands to the mainland. Written texts come back in the 8th century.

Oligarchy vs Aristocracy

oligarchy is the ruling of a few(citizen men), aristocracy by the “best” (noble men). Sparta was a combination.

Ostracism

Used to preserve democracy, it was an exile lasting 10 years from Attica (did not lose property, family could stay). Cleisthenes introduced it, Themistocles would be victim.

Themistocles

He was the hero general at Salamis in the 2nd Persian war (480) who promoted building a fleet, though he would be ostracized for bragging too much.

Draco

Wrote down Athenian laws (with harsh punishments) in 620.

Solon

Reformed class by wealth (medimnoi, or the amount of food resources they produced for themselves) and made the “shaking off of burdens” where people could no longer be sold into slavery for being in debt. 574 BC.

The poorest group could vote but not serve in office. Pericles would fix that later.

Pisistratus

Good tryrant who supported economic expansions- Athenian coins were minted, major building projects undertaken, and the attic black figure pottery was widely sold under him. He was the father of Hippias and Hipparchus, who would be assassinated.

Hippias

Son of Pisistratus, he escaped assassination and fled to Persia for safety.

Panathenaea

Civic festival honoring Athena in Athens. The great procession went through the agora to the acropolis. The Greater Panathenaea included major athletic and musical competitions every four years, which were open to all of Greece. Winners got olive oil in prize amphoras.

Cleisthenes

508 BC. made new tribes by diving people by residency for diverse groups. Introduced isonomia (equal rights under the law) and ostracism.

Pericles

Introduced pay for democratic jobs and more exclusive citizenship (both parents had to be Athenian)

Persia

In a wealthy area in the East (including the Euphrates and Tigris), organized and technologically advanced (great road, hanging gardens). Very tolerant. They wanted colonies in Asia minor.

Miletus

The city state that requested help that Athens gave, starting the first Persian war. It was destroyed after the rebellion was put down (they didn’t want to pay tribute) but Athens was not.

Marathon

490, Persia vs Athens on Greek soil. This showed the military tactics of the hoplites, rough terrain, etc. Persia lost and it made a sense of Greek vs Barbarians (who had an accent). The Marathon story isn’t real, he would have had to run 155 miles.

After Persian War 1, …

Themistocles encouraged the building of a new fleet, port, and walls. Investing in the travel ability helped trade and the military.

What happened in 480?

The Battle of Thermopylae (Leonidas) where the Spartans bought time for the other Greeks against the Persians (Xerxes wanted to avenge Darius). Soon after, in the Battle of Salamis, the Athenians faked a run and then outmaneuvered the Persian ships in a massacre.

BUT Athens was sacked anyway.

After Salamis was the destruction of the Acropolis in Athens. BUT the ___ was built to replace it.

Parthenon

The Peloponnesian League

Creation of Athens vs Sparta leagues. There was no leading city-state. It had somewhat exited before Persia 2.

Delian League

Athens and her colonies. The treasure was in Delos until Pericles took the money to (and for) Athens. Colonies preferred to send money over soldiers and boats.

When was Themistocles ostracized and where did he go?

470, Persia

Pericles

495-429. Introduced extensive political and economic reforms. He was an aristocrat who was elected for 30 years.

Peace of Callas

Truce between Greeks and Persians.

Ancient Greek Religion highlights

More about the way of life, they worshipped humanlike gods (focusing on Eusebeia, or piety, being the traditions needing to e performed) without a single dogmatic text. Hubris was the ultimate sin.

How did Greeks get godly attention?

Through sacrifices (fruit, grain, cake, animals) and libations.

The main sanctuaries were Delphi (Apollo), Athens (Athena), and Olympia (___)

Zeus

What was priest(ess)hood like?

Focused on administrative duties, they had to be physically perfect. They were not spiritual guides or experts on birth/death rites.

Thesauroi

treasuries in the sanctuaries of temples

Panathenaea plays

Competitions of plays (tragedies and comedies) written by citizens with no repeat performances. Tragedies were mythic, old comedies were about real life, new comedy was about romance.

Pelpos

Clothing woven by Athenian noble women for the olive wood statue of Athena. Replaced yearly!

Tragedies

Based on the prize being a goat or actors dressing in goatskin. It was for Dionysus. Funded publicly. We don’t know if women watched, but they did NOT perform. They wore masks to show gender and archetypes.

Satyr Plays

3 chosen. They were the comic relief after tragedies.

Chorus

Group singing, potentially the city’s commentary anticipated and said.

Amphora

carried goods like wine, oil, grain, and olives. They had the two handles on the sides for carrying.

Krater

made for mixing the wine. Bell-shaped.

Kylix

Shallow wine cup, usually with painted scenes.

Hydria

Container with pouring and side handles.

Oinochoe

Just pouring handle.

Kottabos

Game of aiming flicked wine at a pan. Kottabos cups had rings to help direct the droplets.