History Greece

Where was the Minoan civilization located?

Island of Crete

What did the Minoan civilization trade?

Exported: Olive oil, wood, wine, herbs, cloth

Imported: Ivory, silver, gold

How was ancient Minoan a “leisure” society?

Paintings show sports and leisure activities (such as bull jumping)

What was some of the advanced tech in Minoan palaces?

• Clay pipes brought in fresh water

• Sewage pipes

• Palace windows covered in windowpanes

• Staircases with many wings + chambers

Knossos

Central Palace

What does the finding of regional palaces indicate in Minoa

Bureaucracy, government spread out over island

Was the Minoan society peaceful?

No - remains of children show they’ve been butchered

How was the Minoan wealth made?

Trade (with egypt?)

What are the theories for how the Minoan civilization was wiped out

1. Volcano erupted on island of Santorini

2. Sent fire + ash to Crete

3. Large Tidal wave wiped out island

4. Invaded by Mycenaeans

What were the Mycenaeans known for?

Invaders, Warfare, forming city-states

Who was Henrich Schliemann

First scholar who discovered the civilization in 1874

Why was the citadel on elevated ground

To make sure it was fortified invade of an attack

How was the Mycenaean government set up?

Centred on a king who played a part in a religious role, and a political role

King controlled each citadel

No overall central government

What was the Mycenaean warfare like?

They attacked and plundered, were raiders

Thodos Tombs

• Beehive shaped

• Stone walls, vaulted ceilings

• Covered with dirt

• Embedded into landscape

Mycenaean Religion

• Polytheistic (worships multiple gods)

• Syncreistic - took other gods from other cultures and made them their own

The Lion Gate

• Most famous part of the citadel

• Shows fortification

• Indicates warfare

What happened in the Greek Dark Ages?

• Linear B vanishes

• Pottery is less elegant

• Palace-centered bureaucracies disappeared

What happened to the Mycenenaean culture?

• Speculation that the Dorians invaded Greenberg

• Volcanoes

Minoan

• Peaceful

• On Crete

• Power based on sea trade

• Nature -inspired art+culture

• Unfortified palaces

• Undeciphered Linear A script

• C. 2000 - 1450 BCE

Mycenaean

• Warlike

• War focused art+culture

• Society dominated by warrior-elite and network of citadels

• Heavily fortified citadels

• Deciphered Linear B script

Who wrote the Iliad?

Homer (no evidence that he existed)

How does the Trojan War start

• Helen (most beautiful woman in the world) is promised to Paris of Troy because he judged Aphrodite the most beautiful in a beauty contest

• Helen is the wife of King Menelaus

• Menelaus and Agamemnon send 1000 ships against Troy

Why is the Iliad questioned?

• Written 500 years after the Trojan war

• Refers to Iron weapons which didn’t exist

• Mentions military tactics which did not exist at the time

• Homer describes them in bronze armour, which matches the hoplite description of Homer’s time

How do the Hoplites fight?

Phalanx formation

Narcissus and Echo

• Narcissus was a “beautiful youth” who Echo falls in love with

• Echo is a nymph who cannot speak because she covered for Zeus’ cheating (cursed by Hera)

• Echo could only repeat the last word someone else said

• Narcissus looked at his reflection in a pond and fell in love with himself

• Echo went to a cave and withered down to just her voice

Theseus and the Minotaur

• King Minos built a labyrinth where he kept the Minotaur

  • Half man, half bull

• Minos often attacked Athens

• 7 boys and 7 girls were sent to the Minotaur

• Ariadne falls in love with Theseus

• Ariadne gave Theseus yarn and a sword

• Theseus kills the Minotaur

• Abandons Ariadnes on an island

Pandora’s Box

• Daughter of Hephestus, God of fire

• Pandora fell in love with a Titan named Epimetheus

• Pandora became obsessed with this box

• Zeus put all the evil forces in the box

• When Pandora opened it, they got released into the world

Perseus and Medusa

• Medusa was assaulted in Athena’s temple by Poseidon

• Perseus was tasked with fetching a gorgon’s head

• Perseus was given multiple gifts from the gods (ex: Hermes’ flying shoes)

• Perseus cut off Medusa’s head, used it to kill Polydektes (the one who sent Perseus to bring back Medusa’s head)

Zeus

• King of Gods, Ruler of the sky, thunder, lightning, law, order, and justice.

• Son of Cronus, father of Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus.

• Husband to Hera

Hera

• Goddess of marriage, women, family, and childbirth

• Mother to Ares, Hebe, Eileithyia, Hephaestus, Typhoeus, Angelos, The Charites

• Wife of Zeus

Hermes

• God of messengers, travel, thieves, and trade

• Son of Zeus and Maia

• Father of Pan, and Hermaphroditus

Hephaestus

• God of Fire, metalworking, and craftsmanship

• Son of Hera

• Father of Erichthonius

Aphrodite

• Goddess of Love, beauty, and desire

• Daughter of sea foam from Uranus, or Zeus and Dione

• Mother of Eros (Cupid), Harmonica, and Aeneas

Hades

• God of the underworld and the dead

• Son of Cronus and Rhea

Dionysus

• God of wine, parties, theatre, and madness

• Son of Zeus and Semele

Athena

• Goddess of wisdom, war strategy, crafts

• Daughter of Zeus (birthed from his head): Metis as mother

Ares

• Goddess of war, violence, bloodshed

• Son of Zeus and Hera

• Father of Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia

Demeter

• Goddess of agriculture, harvest, fertility

• Daughter of Cronus and Rhea

• Mother of Persophone

Artemis

• Goddess of hunting, moon, wilderness, and childbirth

• Daughter of Zeus and Leto

Poseidon

• God of sea, earthquakes, horses

• Son of Cronus and Rhea

• Father of Theseus, Triton, Polyphemus

Apollo

• Goddess of sun, music, prophecy, healing

• Son of Zeus and Leto

• Father of Asclepius, Orpheus

Nike

• Goddess of victory

• Daughter of Pallas and Styx

Children of Cronus and Rhea

• Zeus

• Hera

• Poseidon

• Hades

• Demeter

• Hestia

Children of Zeus and Hera

• Ares

• Hephaestus

Gods that share Zeus as a Father

• Athena (mother: Metis)

• Apollo (mother: Leto)

• Artemis (mother: Leto)

• Ares (mother: Hera)

• Hermes (mother: Maia)

• Dionysus (mother: Semele)

Polis

Fundamental political unit of Ancient Greece

• Villiages clustered around a fortified central town

• Fortified site was called an Acropolis - “high citadel”

What happened in Archaic Greece?

• Population expanded rapidly

• Requires more complex gov’t

• Greater communication between settlements

• Greater division of wealth

What were the 2 types of communities?

Ethnos and Polis

Ethnos

Villiages and towns that shared common customs, religion, etc…

Government in Archaic Greece

Oligarchy

• Ruled by the few, wealthy

Agora

Marketplace

Writing

• New style developed

• For bureaucracy and temples

Was the army an obligation for all able-bodied men in Archaic Greece?

Yes

Phalanx

An arrangement of men with spears, shields, and swords

Hoplites

Soldiers

Migration (Archaic Greece)

When populations grew, migration to surrounding Greek islands started

Politics (archaic Greece)

• Internal conflict

• Emergence of tyrants

Athenian laws

Power was often held by a single man who created new political systems

• Due to 4 competing tribes of Athens

What is Peisistratus considered to be?

A benevolent dictator (helps the people instead of using power for personal gain)

Hippias

• Takes over for Peisistratus

• Reign of terror

510 BC

Athenian revolt to overthrow Hippias

Who is Cleisthenes?

Founder of Greek Democracy

• Leads Athenian Revolt

• 507 BC - He puts ‘democracy’ in place

What did Cleisthenes do?

• Got rid of the 4 tribes

• Citizen body (Demos)

• 10 new tribes which represent the different regions

• Broadens political power

• Men could become citizens

• A council is formed that can accomodate 6000 citizens who vote on issues

• Smaller council of 500 called the Boule

Demagogues

Someone who can whip up the passions of the crowd

Ostracism

People who are thought to be a threat to Athens could be voted out and forced to leave

Ekklesia

A “called-out” assembly

Boule

assembly of 500 people

Dikasteria

The popular jury courts of Classical Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE

What were some of the problems that Ancient Sparta initially faced?

• Growing population

• Disparity between rich and poor

• Decided to create a rigid social structure

Messenean Revolt

Sparta gains this land because of their growing population

Later on, Messaneans revolt and almost conquer Sparta

Lycurgus

• Possibly mythical

• Created a new system of government and control

• Creates a social hierarchy

Spartan Society

• Spartiate - Boys who complete Spartan military training and become citizens

• Perioikoi - Spartans who do not complete the training. Farmers and merchants

• Helots - Spartan slaves

Eunomia

Good order and obedience to laws

• something every spartan was to work for

Gerousia

Elected council of elders (30 men 60+ yrs old)

• Directed all political activity, courts/justice issues

Apella

All male Spartiates aged 30+

Male training

• started at age 12

• Barely get enough food to eat

• Given an older male tutor who became a sexual partner

• Age 20

  • Sent out with a knife and cloak

  • Forbidden to return until he killed a helot

• Age 20 - served in military

• Age 30 - could become an equal

King Darius

• Son of King Cyrus

• Darius decides to invade Greece because they were supporting rebelling Persian city-states

Aristogoras

• Greek Tyrant ruling small city in Ionia

• Allies with the Persians, Darius provides troops and a navy

• Invasion fails

• Jumps into Ionian revolt AGAINST the Persians

What does Athens do?

• Sparta refuses to send help to Aristogoras

• Athens agrees, takes over Persian city of Sardis

• Darius vows revenge over Athens

When was the first invasion (Persian wars)

• 492 BC

• Failed

When was the 2nd invasion (Persian wars)

• Darius takes island of Euboea

• Leads 30,000 troops on Greek mainland

• Athens sends a runner to Sparta to ask for help

• The refuse due to a religious celebration

Battle of Marathon

• 10,000 Athenian Hoplites defeat 30,000 Persian soldiers

• Athenians have much better armour

Militades

Greek general

Greek strategy for Battle of Marathon

• Run double-time to Persians to negate their archers

• Strongest troops on flanks to encircle them

• Greek centre gives in to entice Persians, they then trap them

King Xerxes

• Son of Darius

• Rebuilds Persian army

• Army of over 100,000 men

Greek Strategy for Xerxes

• Chose to fight at Thermopylae

• Planned to slow down Persian army while Athenian navy is ready

• 300 Spartans under King Leonidas and 4000 other Hoplites

Thermopylae

• Xerxes learns of a goat path

• King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans stay and delay the Persian army

Battle of Salamis

• Themistocles lures Persian navy to a small area called “Bay of Salamis”

• Greek triremes ram into the Persian ships

• 1200 Persian ships to 370 Greek ships

• Greeks win

Battle of Plataea

• Greeks have approx 32,000 Hoplites

• Persians lose and retreat

Did the Persian wars unite Greece?

No

Peloponnesian League

• Spartan alliance with other towns

• They supplement Sparta’s army

What does Athens do after the Persian war?

• Builds a wall around Athens

• Fights to rid of Persian influence

Delian League

• Athenian alliance

• War leads to its formation

Sparta post-Persian-war

• becomes naval power

• Becomes ‘hero’ to other Greek settlements

Corinth and Megara

• Spartan Allies

• Boundary dispute

• Athens gives Megara port access to the Corinthian gulf

• Within Peloponnesian League

• Leads to Peloponnesian war

First Peloponnesian War

• 15 yrs

• Citizens killed

Peace of Nicea

Stops 1st war for 30 yrs

Epidamnus Crisus

• City state of Corcyra in conflict with Corinth

• Afraid the Corinthian fleet will defeat them

why does Athens only send 10 ships?

• If Corinth attacks, Athens will send their whole fleet

• Minimal deterrence