History 110 Lecture 9-15 study guide

Polis

Polis

an ancient Greece city-state, such as Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and many others

Constitutionalism

The rule of law over the arbitrary action of state officials and doctrine that finds a government's authority is determined by a body of laws or a constitution

(Aristotle, Politics)

"The state aims at being, so far as is possible, a society of equals and peers"

Patriotism

the duty of the citizen to support and defend his polis (ancient Greek term for city-state)

Citizens (Athenian Social Classes)

men born in the polis whose parents were both citizens

Citizen women (Athenian Social Classes)

some legal but no voting rights

Freeborn non-citizens (Athenian Social Classes)

largely foreigners, known as metics in Athens, and perioikoi in Sparta

Ostracism

At special sessions of the assembly (ecclesia), citizens would scratch the names of fellow citizens onto ostraca (ceramic shards). The most voted one was exiled from the polis for 10 years. It was used as a way to prevent people from becoming too powerful in the state.

Spartiates (Spartan Social Classes)

Citizen men born in the polis whose parents were both citizens. Women fell into this category; could not vote, but could own and control property, were well-educated, and trained as soldiers.

Perioikoi (Spartan Social Classes)

freeborn non-citizens, foreigners.

Helots (Spartan Social Classes)

slaves/serfs

Spartan agoge

All boys who were citizens began their training at age 7, when they were exposed to the harsh elements of nature by camping outside. Trained as hunters and soldiers who worked as part of a team or squad. Some of the best boys were allowed to join the Krypteia or their "secret police."

Greek Warfare

Involved the invention of a tight military formation, the phalanx. Along with a strong navy they were heavily armored with swords and long spears and were closely packed together.

The Battle of Marathon (490 BCE)

After the Ionian Revolt (494 BCE), Darius I sought to conquer Greece. Having assembled a large army, Darius moved to attack Athens at Marathon, a beach some 26 miles away. About 10,000 Athenian hoplite soldiers held about 25,000 Persian soldiers in check on the beach and inflicted heavy losses. Persians eventually returned to Asia.

Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC)

Ten years after Marathon, king Xerxes, the son of Darius, returned to Greece with a very large army (supposedly 2-million). At the mountain pass of Thermopylae, 300 Spartans and a few thousand other Greeks under the Spartan king Leonidas held back Xerxes' army for 3 days. This bought the Athenians valuable time.

Themistocles (c. 524-459 BCE)

Elected one of the top generals (strategos) to defend Athens. Built up a large and swift Athenian navy, which he used to defeat Xerxes' navy in 480. Later, he suffered ostracism, even though he had saved Athens and Greece from the Persians.

Socrates (c. 470-399)

Considered the father of Western political philosophy. "What does it mean to be a human being?" In the end, he was sentenced to death and Plato was his most famous student, who produced dialogues about his teacher's philosophy.

Olympics

Based at the Greek city of Olympia, where there was a temple dedicated to Zeus. First began in 776 BCE. Athletes would compete to honor Zeus every four years, to perform in footraces, throw javelins, and wrestle one another for a crown of victory. A modern version exists today.

Philip II of Macedonia

A brother of king Perdiccas III, he spared his infant nephew, Amyntas IV, and ruled Macedonia for 23 years (359-336 BCE). Famous for being the father of Alexander III ("The Great").

Demosthenes

Athenian orator who tried to warn Athens and Greece of the threat Philip and his army posed

Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC)

Following Demosthenes' speeches against Philip, Athens put together a coalition of free Greek city-states to defend their independence. They lost.

League of Corinth (Hellenic League)

In it for the first time, Greece became unified. Philip II of Macedon set this up after the Battle of Chaeronea.

How did Philip II die? (336 BC)

He was assassinated at the city of Aigai by Pausanias, one of his own bodyguards. We don't fully understand the reasons.

Alexander the Great

son of Philip II and King of Macedonia who conquered Greece, Egypt, and the Persian Empire

Alexander the Great early life

Born to Philip II and Olympias, a princess of Epirus, at Pella in July 356. Through Olympias, he claimed descent from Achilles. He was tutored by the Greek philosopher Aristotle.

The Companions

They were the elite cavalry of the Macedonians. Members included the sons of prominent Macedonian aristocrats and friends of Philip whom Alexander the Great was educated alongside.

What did Alexander the Great do when he was just 20 years old?

His father Philip II was assassinated in 336 so he succeeded to the throne, began a purge of political rivals in Macedonia, and even killed his cousin Amyntas IV who was 29.

Darius III

He was the last native king of Persia. Like Alexander, he also became king in 336. He commanded substantial manpower for his armies, but they tended to be peasants forced to fight and not professional soldiers.

Battle of the Granicus River (334 BC)

allowed Alexander to advance into Asia Minor

Battle of Issus (333 BC)

gave Alexander control of Asia Minor and eventually the Near East and Egypt

How did Alexander the Great conquer Egypt?

He entered without a battle and was crowned Pharoah because he was seen as a savior who expelled the Persian invaders. His experiences in this desert led him to believe he was the son of Zeus

Battle of Gaugamela (331 BC)

Alexander's last battle with Persia. Darius III offered him half of his empire and his daughter in marriage. Alexander denied, conquered Darius' empire, and at age 25, Alexander was the king of Persia.

What happened to Darius' body after he died?

Alexander gave him a royal funeral and buried him with honor at Persepolis. Afterward, he told his Macedonian officers to intermarry with Persian women.

The Macedonians were heavy drinkers. What did Alexander do after getting too drunk at a party in 328 BC?

He killed his close friend, Cleitus the Black, the very man who had saved his life at the Granicus River in 334 BC.

What happened following Alexander the Great's death? (323 BC)

We don't fully understand the reasons for the death but almost immediately, his top generals fought amongst themselves for who should rule as his successor.

The Hellenistic Age

Mediterranean history from the death of Alexander in 323 to the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE. During this period, Greek language and culture spread far and wide and developed outside Greece, in part because of Alexander's eastern conquests.

Hellenistic

like Hellenic, like Greek

Trojan War

a possibly real 10-year war fought between the Mycenaean Greeks and the city of Troy

Aeneas

a mythical Greek warrior who was a leader on the Trojan side of the Trojan War

Which king did Aeneas strike a peace with in Italy?

King Latinus of Latium

Alba Longa

a city in central Italy, considered the mother of Rome, established by Ascanius

Ascanius Julus

Aeneas' son and heir; "ancestor" of Julius Caesar

Romulus and Remus

Traditional story of how Rome began. Twins were abandoned and rescued by a she-wolf, Lupa, who nursed them. They were later found and raised by a shepherd, Faustulus. Grew to build Rome. Romulus later killed Remus.

point of the story of Romulus and Remus

the Romans used this myth to explain their militaristic tendencies

the Latins

Historically who the Romans developed from. They came from the Indo-European group of peoples and migrated to Italy along with several others.

The Etruscans

the group of people who ruled Rome before Romans revolted

What did the Etruscan do for the departed?

They had funeral games for the departed which would be gladiatorial games.

persona

in Latin means "mask" or "image," is considered an Etruscan loan word

the zilath

the title of the chief Etruscan annual magistrate

was in the hands of the nobility

Etruscan government

The Seven Kings of Rome (753 to 509 BCE)

Romulus ("the Founder"), 2) Numa Pompilius ("the priest king"), 3) Tullus Hostilius ("the warrior king"), 4) Ancus Marcius ("wise in peace, strong in war"),5) Tarquinius Priscus ("the Etruscan"), 6) Servius Tullius ("builder of the wall"), and 7) Tarquinius Superbus ("the tyrant")

Sextus Tarquinius

son of Tarquinius Superbus, raped the married woman Lucretia

Lucius Junius Brutus

After the rape of Lucretia, he called for the overthrow of the Tarquins. He led the revolt and succeeded. This rebellion resulted in the end of the monarchy and the beginning of the Republic in 509 BCE.

The Roman "constitution"

was a collection of government procedures and institutions that developed from c. 509 to 27 BCE

The Consuls

Two officials from the patrician class were appointed each year of the Roman Republic to supervise the government and command the armies

The Senate

former advisors of the king in Rome who would continue to fulfill their advisory role as part of a large advisory council for life

What ideas originated from the Roman constitution?

annual popular elections, checks and balances, term limits for officeholders, and the power to impeach officeholders for abuse of their powers while in office

Second Punic War (218-201 BC)

Hannibal defeated the Romans in several battles from 217 to 216, the most famous of which was Cannae. He then wandered Italy unopposed for 14 years. But in 202, the Romans finally defeated Hannibal in Africa at the Battle of Zama.

Hannibal

general who commanded the Carthaginian army in the Second Punic War

Julius Caesar

Roman general and statesman whose dictatorship was pivotal in Rome's transition from republic to empire

Julian Calendar

the calendar created by Caesar which includes 365 days with one day added every four years

What positive changes for citizens did Julius Caesar make during his reign?

He gave others among the poor jobs in public works projects throughout Italy, such as in building roads. He restructured all public debt and canceled ¼ of it.

What happened after Julius Caesar's assassination?

Marc Antony gave a eulogy (nice speech at a funeral) for Caesar. Antony shared Caesar's will and emphasized Caesar's gifts to the public. The people grew so angry at the men who killed Caesar that they rioted and burned Caesar's body in the city.

Marc Antony

One of Caesar's generals, Falls in love with Cleopatra, He and Cleopatra declare war on Rome in 31 BC which they lose, member of second triumvirate.

Octavian (also known as Octavius or Augustus)

Caesar's adopted son and appointed successor. He had been traveling abroad, and returns after Caesar's death; he then joins with Marc Antony and sets off to fight Cassius and Brutus.

Second Triumvirate (43-33 BCE)

Octavian decided to form a partnership with Marc Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. It was essentially a union of three gangsters, who achieved their ends by bloody violence.

What happened with Cleopatra and Marc Antony?

Marc Antony cheated on his wife, Octavia (Octavian's sister), with Cleopatra. This scandal made Octavian furious and he seized control of Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. Cleopatra and Marc Antony both committed suicide before the invasion.

Princeps "first man"

an old republican word often granted to the most influential senator and was used by Octavian to refer to himself

Cleopatra

last pharaoh/queen of Egypt; had relationships with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony; Octavian's enemy