ancient greek culture

Peloponnesian War

biggest event of classical period, Athens vs. Sparta. Nothing really gained a lot of people die

how is the Peloponnesian war represented in Aristophanes Acharnians?

1. satire

2. decisions being made by fools

3. critiques mainly focused on Athenian assembly and politicians

4. funny solution to war

5. lack of benefits and victories

first war

460-445

30 years’s peace

445-431

archidamian war

431-421

peace of nicias

421-412

Ionian war

412-404

Thucydides 460-400 BCE

1. born in Athens

2. elected general in the war

3. exiled because of military failure during war

4. writes a historical narrative on the peloponnesian war, writes most of it when war is over

5. doesn’t mention the gods, interested in politics and how psychology of political leaders impacts public events

Lysistrata

1. written by Aristophanes

2. fictional account of women ending the Peloponnesian war by withholding sex from their husbands

First Peloponnesian War

1. 460-445 BCE

2. not formally declared war, but small battles and high tensions

3. no real battles in Athens or Sparta; more of a proxy war

4. fighting over expansion in a polis

5. both sides suffer loses and peace is declared for about 30 years, break used to develop resources and plans

Athens during the 30 year peace

1. Athens helps another polis fight a polis that is allied with Sparta so it sparks tension

2. After all Athens does Sparta votes to go to war with Athens in 431 BCE

Archidamian War

1. 431-421 BCE

2. named for the king of Sparta at the time

3. focus on naval attacks because Sparta had a lesser naval force compared to their hoplite warfare

Sphacteria

1. 425 BCE

2. Athenians manage to capture and hold hostage a significant amount of the Spartan army on a small island

Amphipolis

1. in response to sphacteria

2. peloponnesian league takes over Athenian ally Amphilpolis

3. 422 BCE

4. Amphilpolis was important trade rout of Athenian food supply

5. results in Thucydides’ loss and exile

Peace of Nicias

1. Nicias was an Athenian general who brokers peace treaty with Spartans in exchange for the remaining Spartan hostages

2. both sides running of resources

3. Athens kept Empire/Delian league and Sparta got men back.

Athenian Plague

1. 430 BCE

2. resulted from Pericles bringing everyone from the countryside into Athens

school of hellas

1. democracy

2. art

3. empire

4. how athens sees itself

5. performance of communal identity

demagoguery

someone who convinces the people with rhetoric, but is a manipulative politician.

demos

land

Cleon

1. an example of demagoguery

2. became famous for arguing that Athens should punish one of its allies who revolted against them by killing and enslaving them

3. threat to Athens democracy

4. involved in Sphacteria, resistant to treaties

5. elected general

6. died in Amphipolis at the end of Archidamian war

Alcibiades

1. 450-404

2. aristocrat who is aligned with wealthy

3. oligarchy

4. depicted as seeking war'

5. rival of Nicias

6. over confident, rash, impulsive

The Sicilian Exprendition

1. 415 BCE

2. alcibiades in favor

3. goal was to gain allies and expand empire west

4. poleis allied with cornith which could comprise peace

5. most expensive miltary campaign and biggest failure

6. lose thousands of men and tons of money

7. disrupts peace of Nicias

8. reginties Spartan cause for war

9. nothing gained

mutilation of herms

1. 415 BCE

2. herms: statue with gods faces, and symbol of property rights, health of Athens and democracy

3. Aicibiades is accused and charged

Ionian War

1. 412-404 BCE

2. result of Sicilian Expedition

3. fight for 8 more years, Athens barely hanging on. both sides lose more with each battle

4. both sides attempt to get financial help from Persia

oligarchic coup

1. 411 BCE

2. government overthrown in Athens

The End of War

1. aegospotami

2. 405 BCE

3. war ends in Athens defeat

4. Sparta gains persian financial support in 407

terms of the war’s end

Athens has to take down city walls, has to replace democracy with an oilgarchy, has to be spartan ally, surrender its navy.

Athens men population of adult males is half dur to war and plague

cistern

well for collecting rain water

30 Tyrants

1. 404 to 403 BCE

2. following the war pressure from Sparta

3. 30 Athenian citizens sympathetic to Sparta and anti-democracy

4. execute hundreds of Athenians that were deemed potential enemies

Critias

was the most brutal of the tyrants, and was a student of Socrates

Critias and Alcibiades

associated with oligarchy, aristocracy, and anti democracy. both studied under socrates

Socrates

not a radical politician or an aggressive oligarchist, but suspicious of democracy and anyone that is not a philosopher

1. spends most time talking on how world works

2. Aristophanes makes fun of his comedies

3. executed by state in 399 because of limited free speech

4. alleged crimes are teaching the wrong things, not believing in the gods, and corrupting the youth

Plato

1. 420s-347 BCE

2. Socrates student, bitter and disillusioned about what happened to his mentor

3. wrote down socrates teachings

Plato’s Academy

relatively new concept; a place for people to go and think full-time well into adulthood, women were allowed but not many went

purpose was to examine how the world works

philosophos

lover of wisdom

the republic

platos longest and most influential dialouge, asked what is JUSTICE

1. not everyone understands justice properly, true justice is not what appears in courts

2. suspicion of democracy

platonic forms (theory of forms)

perfect, immaterial, uncharging essences of concepts

only philosophers can understand true forms which makes them fit to rule

allegory of the cave

most people live in ignorance, mistaking shadows for truth

natural philosophers

1. sought natural explanations and didn’t relay on gods

2. included early scientific thinkers like hippocrates

3. proposed early ideas to evolution and atoms

4. focused on material world and reason

sophists

traveling teachers of rhetoric and practical philosophy

paid to teach

plato found untrustworthy

cleverness over wisdom, taught skills to gain power

Aristotle

• platos student

• founded the Lyceum; was a metic (non-citizen resident)

• empirical observation, classification, and scientific methods

• introduced telos

• teleology

telos

purpose or end goal; everything has a final purpose it moves toward

teleology

believed the ideal form could be studied through the material world

restoration of democracy in Athens

403 BCE after the tyrants

rhetor

greek term for public speaker; becomes synonymous with persuasive politician

demagogue

persuasive speakers with political ambition, sometimes manipulative

sophist

teaches rhetoric, controversial because they charged for knowledge

philosophers

• socrates rejects rhetorical tricks

• plato is deeply suspicious of sophists and demagogues

• aristotle accepts and analyzes rhetoric, but not politically motivated

Athenian law courts

1. citizens represented themselves; could hire speechwriters

2. trials held before dicasteries: large citizen juries (200-500 men), selected by kleroterion to pervent bribery

3. rhetoric plays a crucial role in court cases

Socrates’ Apology

rhetorical self-defense in court; argues against traditional rhetoric while using rhetorical techniques

pericles’ funeral oration

glorifies Athenian democracy and values

melian dialogue

Thucydides, power vs justice, melos argues for fairness, Athens argues from realism and might

demosthenes’ first philippic

• urges athens. to take action against Philip of Macedon

• wants to redirect the Theoric Fund (used for festivials) toward military defense

• uses shame, urgency, and clarity of speech structure to persuade

Melian Siege

• 416 BCE

• Athens annihilates Melos after refusal to join Delian League

rise of Macedon

• Philip II reforms Macedonian army and conquers Greek poleis

• demosthenes tries to rally Athens against Philip

• Peace of 346 BCE, then war resumes in 338 BCE

• Battle of Chaeronea 338 BCE: Athens defeated, marks end of its indpendance

Corinthian League

• 337 BCE

• all poleis (except Spart and Crete) join under Philip

what are the years of Alexander the Great’s life and reign

356-323 BCE, he lived 33 years

who was Alexander the Great’s father?

Philip II of Macedon

What historical period does Alexander mark the end of and what does he usher in?

Ends the Classical Period, begins the Hellenistic Period

Were Macedonians considered Greeks before the 4th century BCE?

No—they spoke a Greek dialect but were culturally distinct and considered foreigners.

How did Macedonians shift culturally during the 4th century BCE?

They adopted Greek customs, religion, and literature—began the process of Hellenization.

What is Hellenization?

he spreading of Greek culture and language into non-Greek areas.

Who tutored Alexander in his youth?

Aristotle

What concept did Aristotle teach Alexander about that relates to purpose or goal?

Telos

What happened to Philip II in 336 BCE?

he was killed

How old was Alexander when he became king?

20

What was the Corinthian League?

An alliance of Greek states formed by Philip II to unite against Persia

what ancient hero did Alexander try to emulate at Troy?

Achilles

Who was Hephaestion to Alexander?

his closest companion, compared to Patroclus

what is a satrap in the Persian Empire?

A regional governor with limited independence, subordinate to the king

how did Alexander treat conquered citites?

installed satraps loyal to him; cities became part of his empire

what sources do we use to learn about Alexander?

writings by authors like Plutarch and archaeological evidence

how is plutarch’s biography different from history?

focuses on individual character and psychology rather than just events

what did Plutarch think made Alexander extrordinary?

his ambition, will to power, leadership, and myth making ability

what themes are important in understanding Alexander’s story?

cultural identity, myth vs, history, power, ambition, and hellenization

What significant battle occurred in 333 BCE during Phase 2 of Alexander’s campaign?

The Battle of Issus, where Alexander faced King Darius III and the Persian royal army for the first time.

Why was the Battle of Issus a major victory for Alexander?

Though outnumbered, Alexander's superior strategy led to Darius fleeing and the capture of the Persian royal family.

What famous artwork depicts the Battle of Issus?

A Roman mosaic from 100 BCE in Pompeii, copying a lost 3rd century BCE Greek wall painting.

How does the Battle of Issus mosaic use portraiture?

It shows Alexander and Darius with unique characteristics, representing historical individuals rather than idealized figures.

How does the use of human figures in the Issus mosaic differ from earlier Greek art like kouroi and vase painting?

It moves from idealized forms to realism and specificity, reflecting a historical rather than mythological focus.

What is the Alexander Sarcophagus, and what does it depict?

A 320 BCE burial container made for Abdalonymos, satrap of Sidon, showing Alexander at Issus and Macedonians/Persians hunting lions together.

How does the Alexander Sarcophagus reflect cultural blending?

It shows both conflict and alliance between Macedonians and Persians, symbolizing Alexander's military power and diplomatic assimilation.

What happened when Alexander entered Egypt in 332 BCE?

He was welcomed as a liberator from Persian rule and was even declared Pharaoh.

What does the title “Son of Zeus-Ammon” signify?

It reflects Alexander’s divine association in Egypt, blending Greek and Egyptian religious traditions and royal imagery.

What was the result of the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE?

Alexander decisively defeated Darius III, captured Babylon, and declared himself “King of Asia.”

How did Alexander adopt Persian culture after Gaugamela?

He wore Persian clothing, buried Darius with honors, and governed as a Persian king to gain support.

Why did morale among Alexander’s troops decline in India?

The army was far from home, exhausted, and unhappy with Alexander’s cultural assimilation and eastern marriages.

What was Alexander’s final battle, and where did his army turn back?

Battle of Hydaspes (326 BCE) in India; troops mutinied at the River Hyphasis.

What happened after Alexander’s death in 323 BCE?

He died suddenly without a clear heir, prompting the division of his empire and the beginning of the Hellenistic Period.

What marks the beginning of the Hellenistic Period?

The death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE.

What does “Hellenistic” mean in the context of Greek history?

t refers to the spread of Greek (“Hellas”) culture beyond traditional Greek areas after Alexander's conquests.

What is Hellenization?

The spread of Greek language, culture, religion, and political systems throughout the Mediterranean and Near East after Alexander's conquests.

What ends the Hellenistic Period?

The incorporation of the Greek world into the Roman Empire in 31 BCE.

Who were the main players in the War of the Successors (323–280 BCE)?

Perdiccas, Antipater, Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Antigonus.

What happened to Athens in 322 BCE?

Athenian democracy was dissolved by Antipater; oligarchy was instituted and later maintained by Cassander.

What are Hellenistic Kingdoms?

Independent monarchies formed by Alexander’s former generals, including Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Empire, Cassander’s Macedon, and Lysimachus’s Thrace.

Who was Seleucus and what did he do?

A Macedonian officer who became king of the Seleucid Kingdom, maintaining satraps and tolerating local cultures.

What is significant about the Rosetta Stone?

It had the same text in Greek, hieroglyphics, and demotic Egyptian, showing linguistic diversity and allowing modern translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

What are key characteristics of Hellenistic sculpture?

High emotion, realism, individuality, interest in non-elite subjects, and dramatic movement.

Examples of Hellenistic sculpture and their significance?

Winged Victory: dynamic, dramatic; Old Drunk Woman: realism and comedy; Laocoön and His Sons: intense emotion and mythology.