1.2 Greek Civilization

Describe the geographical features of the Aegean Sea in relation to Greece

Surrounded by mountains, valleys and scattered islands of the sea

What did the geographical features of Aegean Sea led to?

development of independent city states rather than one unified empire

Which Greek civilizations were known for their organized warfare?

Mycenae, Sparta

Name a Greek contribution to warfare

Phalanx

What were some Greek contributions in literature?

Epic poetry (Iliad, odyssey)

Plays (drama, tragedy, comedy)

Who is Herodotus?

Greek author aka the Father of History because of his work The Histories

What is the significance of Herodotus’ The Histories?

Earliest known example of historical investigation in European civilization

Wrote about the Persian Wars

Who is Thucydides?

Greek (Athenian) historian known for his work The History of the Peloponnesian War, detailing conflict between Athens and Sparta

What were some Greek contributions in architecture?

Columns and Colonnades

Parthenon

What were some Greek contributions in government?

Democracy (Athens)

Oligarchy (Sparta)

Bureaucracy (Alexander the Great)

How does geographical features of Eastern Greece affect its development?

Doesn’t have good agricultural land → seafarers

How does geographical features of Southern Greece affect its development?

Mainland have adequate agriculture resources → farmers

The Aegean background includes which civilizations?

Minoan & Mycenaean

What was the foundation for the prosperity of the Minoans?

Advanced trade networks and naval power

What was the foundation for the prosperity of the Mycenaeans?

Strong fortifications, trade, and warfare

What geographical area did the Dorians conquer?

Peloponnesus (peninsula of southern Greece)

What historical period did the Dorian conquest usher in? How was the it characterized?

A “dark age”, characterized by violence and instability

Approximately when did the Dorian conquest and subsequent "dark age" occur?

1150 - 800 BC

Where is the birthplace for the Hellenic civilization?

Ionia

When and where was direct democracy established?

Athens, 507 BC

Which time period represented the zenith of Athenian society and the height of its democracy?

Age of Pericles, 460 - 429 BC

What is the Age of Pericles?

The time period from 460 - 429 BC that represented the zenith of Athenian society and the height of its democracy

What form of government was Sparta?

Totalitarian and militaristic state

How did Sparta sustain its agricultural system?

Slave labor

What two city-states dominated Greek politics after the Persian Wars?

Athens and Sparta

Who was the Peloponnesian War between?

War between Sparta and Athens

Causes of Peloponnesian War

The growing power and rivalry of Athens and Sparta

The tensions built between city-states by the Delian League

What was the outcome of the Peloponnesian War?

Sparta was victorious but unable to unite Greek city-states

What political philosophy was the catalyst for the collapse of Greek city-state alliances?

Greek individualism

Who established the Hellenic Age?

Alexander the Great

What was the main form of government during the Hellenic Age? What did it replace?

Bureaucracy, replaced polis (city-state)

When was the Hellenic Age?

323 - 30 BC

What is the Hellenic Age?

A time of great economic growth and expansion beginning with the life and death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and ending with Rome's conquest of Egypt in 30 BC

What happened to commercial importance during the Hellenic Age? xx

Rhodes, Alexandria, and Antioch replaced Athens in commercial importance.

Where were the new dynasties being established during the Hellenic Age?

Macedonia, Egypt, and Persia

What culture expanded during the Hellenic Age?

Greek culture

What rose during the Hellenic Age?

The rise of cities

What disappeared during the Hellenic Age? As what?

Greek city-state as an administrative center