HIST 1001 Exam 2 Coverage + Primary Sources

Birth of Polis

Development of Greek City State Governments in Archaic Greece

3 Greek Polises

Sparta, Athens, Corinth

Sparta Government

Oligarchy - ruled by a powerful few, militaristic

Athens Government

Democracy - different from traditional ideas, only citizens can vote (only free Athenian men)

Corinth Government

Tyranny - one ruler who came into power illegitimately

Persia First Ruler

Cyrus - freed jewish exiles, rebuilding of temple of Yahweh, allowed conquered neighbors to keep culture and land but put a Persian leader to pay taxes to

Persia Second Ruler

Darius I (Cyrus successor) - conquered all Greek cities on Asia Minor coast Sardis is capital city in Asia Minor for Persia

Susa is another Persian city in Asia Minor

Persian Religion

Zoroastrianism - Darius created the new religion himself (monolatry) with Ahura Mazda as God, Holy Book is called Avesta

Greek Golden Age Wars

Persian War (Persia versus Athens, Corinth, and Sparta), Peloponnese War (Athens versus Sparta)

Persian War Pt. 1 (Darius in power)

Athens afraid of Sparta, allied with Persia.

Persia in control of Asia Minor Coast (Revolt of Ionians), citizens asked for help from Athenians.

Persia plans to attack Athens for helping Asia Minor Coast.

Marathon is battle in Persian War (26 mile run of Athenian army up the beach to get back to Athens to defend from Persia)

Persian War Pt. 2 (Xerxes in power)

Persia plans to attack Athens again, Athens asked help from Sparta and Corinth (make Hellenic League coalition with Sparta leading).

Persia burns original temple to Athena, Athens ambush with "triremes" warships

Peloponnese War 1st Phase

Athens win Navel battles, Sparta wins Land, both have discourse at home

Pericles died of plague (elite that rebuilt athens and historion for Peloponnesian War)

Destruction of Melos

Peloponnese War 2nd Phase Decision/Cause

Nicias was an Athenian war general that fought in Persian war who proposed peace deal to not go to war with Sparta

Alcibiades was a young charismatic Athenian who proposed to fight Sparta because "Athenians can do anything", voted with Alcibiades to fight Sparta

Peloponnese War 2nd Phase

Athens attacked Syracuse (Sparta ally) but they predicted it and hid the ships to ambush them - Nicias died and it was a disaster

Alcibiades betrays Athens and helps Sparta after Syracuse disaster

Athens surrenders

Alcibiades gets caught in Thrace and beheaded

Greek Golden Age - Society & Culture

Very strict gender norms: men deal with politics, social life, wars, leadership, and court, adultery okay, gay men normal

women and children- segregated in the house from men, could not eat with them, only allowed outside for weddings, funerals, and religious festivals

Symposium- all male drinking party to discuss politics

Greek Golden Age - Religion

Each city-state has own favorite god (Athens- Athena)

They sacrificed animals to gods, had no special class of priests, and religious events are outside of Acropolis (Athens - Parthenon) at altars (inside was sacred to gods).

Used theatre and arts to worship gods (first theatre in Athens)

. -Euripides, Medea -Aristophanes, Lysistrata, Clouds (primary sources of plays in Greek Golden Age)

Greek Golden Age - Philosopher Socrates (1st)

Socrates - used Socratic method to teach introspection to students, would ask questions for students to explore their own beliefs

-about commerce, legal, men's accomplishments

-would take place in agora (public area)

-did not write anything down, all knowledge about Socrates from students

Socrates Trial

4 years after Peloponnesian War, Alcebiades' betrayal made Socrates a target

-charged Socrates with impiety (disrespecting the gods) and corrupting students

-Athen's wanted an apology but Socrates continued introspection during trial which ultimately led to his trial outcome

Greek Golden Age - Plato (2nd)

Student of Socrates

- Athenian

- made first philosopher Academy called "The Republic"

- believed in perfect versions of topics (seeing the perfect chair) and those who can see the perfect version of something are enlightened and deserve to be leaders

- Plato's Allegory of the Cave showed Plato's belief in philosopher's Kings should be the rulers of society

- all of knowledge of socrates came from Plato

Greek Golden Age - Aristotle (3rd)

Student of Plato

- Macedonian

- creates own academy called '"Lyceum"

- most of what he wrote was lost

- believed in gathering evidence of different types of topics to figure out what is the best form

ex: sent students to research forms of government to decide which would be the best after discussing them all (oligarchy, democracy, etc.)

- taught Alexander the Great

Rise of Macedonia

- most of Greece believed Macedonia was unimportant/stupid and that they were incapable of becoming powerful

Philip of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) - united Macedonians against foreigners, conquered southern Greece with Alexander the Great (did not conquer Sparta)

- Battle of Chaeronea

- assassinated by bodyguard at daughter's wedding

Alexander the Great

Inherited Rule over Macedonia to continue father's plans of invasion

At Age 22 invaded Persian Empire

Later Conquered over Ten Years: Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Iranian Plateau, Bactria, and India

- marries Bactrian woman (Roxane)

-sets up many cities named after him (Alexandrie/Alexandria), one in Egypt was most successful

-contracts fever and dies 2 days later at 32

- spread Greek language (became language of trade and law) and culture

Why was he so successful?

Allowed each city/culture to maintain their own culture and he respected their differences.

Egypt- dressed in their clothes, abided by their culture, sacrificed to their gods, loved by egyptian people (his soldiers didn't like this)

Persia - sacrificed to Zoroastrian gods, offers positions to Persians in his own calvary, suggests his soldiers to marry Perian women (soldiers didn't like this)

Hellenistic Kingdom Rulers

Successors to Alexander the Great: Antigonus, Seleucus, Ptolemy

Hellenistic Kingdom

Antigonus - Asia Minor, Syria

Seleucus - All East: Mesopotamia, India, Persia (Persia gained back not long after)

Ptolemy - Egypt (had popular Alexandria city)

Hellenistic tombs combine Greek, Egyptian, and Macedonian culture

Alexandria became hub of politics in 50 years (population - 100,000)

Persian Inscriptions

- declared Darius as first rightful ruler, commended his accomplishments/conquests

-emphasizes the gods chose him as the ruler

- describes how his palace was built

Book of Ezra

- Book named for the Jewish scribe who led a spiritual renewal in Jerusalem after the Jews returned to Judah following the defeat of Babylon by Persia and King Cyrus. - Details the story of the Jewish peoples return from Exile, the rebuilding of the Temple and the renewal of the Torah

Solon

Athenian reformer of the 6th century; established laws that eased the burden of debt on farmers, forbade enslavement of Athenians for debt (allowed other greeks).

Herodotus (Persian Wars)

Detailed the privileges and responsibilities of Spartan Kings- religious authority and military powers

held two priesthoods -Zeus Sparta and Zeus Uranios

-had the right to declare war on any land without opposition (anyone who defied them would be cursed)

- kings would lead the army out first and return last

- 100 selected men would protect king

-could take cattle for sacrifices and keep the hide

-they were just better than everyone else

Thucydides (Peloponnesian War)

Historical account detailing plague in ancient Greece. (400 BCE)

-War broke out between Athens and Sparta

-Spartan land invasion trapped Athenians and their allies

-Tens of thousands died during an epidemic early in the conflict

-Athens never truly recovered

-Thucydides' description of pestilence in Athens presented ideas that echoed through Western history

->disease came from elsewhere

->pestilence affected humans and animals

->affected morals differently

->pestilence reflects and hastens the breakdown of society

Euripides (Medea)

Greek tragedy of Jason and Medea, about women's roles as mothers with no rights

Aristophanes (Lysistrata)

- a Greek comedy first performed in 401bc in Polypennesian War, against Spartans and Athenians

-women take over Acropolis and demand peace with a sex strike against men

- men have sex with each other instead

- anti war without being "anti-war"

Aristophanes (Clouds)

A Greek comedy play that mocks Socrates for not believing in Zeus.

In the play, socrates' character believed there was a different explanation for thunder (clouds hitting each other), not because of Zeus' influence.

Plato (Republic)

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Aristotle (On Politics)

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Plutarch (Life of Alexander)

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