Western Civilization - In Class notes

Democracy

System of government in Athens where eligible citizens vote directly on public issues

Significance of Athenians abandoning Athens

Allowed them to save their population, draw Xerxes into a trap at Salamis, and preserve Greek culture and democracy

Herodotus

Known as the "Father of History"; wrote "Histories" recording the Persian Wars and interviewing various peoples

Darius I

Persian King who vowed revenge on Athens after the Ionian revolt and launched the First Persian War

Xerxes I

Persian King who launched the massive 480 BC invasion of Greece; portrayed as hot-tempered

Esther

Biblical Jewish queen of Persia who intervened to save the Jewish people from a genocidal decree

Thermopylae / "The 300" / Leonidas

480 BC battle where Spartan King Leonidas and 300 Spartans held a narrow mountain pass to delay Xerxes' army

Greek Lessons from the Persian Wars

Freedom and unity under law are stronger than forced obedience and vast numbers

Golden Age of Athens

Peak period of artistic, architectural, philosophical, and political growth in 5th-century BC Athens

Pericles

Athenian leader who funded public works, built the Parthenon, and led Athens during the early Peloponnesian War

Tyrant City

Term describing Athens as it began oppressing and demanding tribute from its fellow Greek city-states

Melian Dialogue

Thucydides' account where Athens destroyed Melos, declaring "The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must"

Significance of Athenians huddling within the walls of Athens

Pericles' strategy to wait out Sparta by letting citizens shelter behind the supposedly impermeable city walls

Pericles' Funeral Oration

Famous 431 BCE speech praising Athenian democracy, freedom, equality under the law, and civic duty

Aristophanes

Greatest Greek comedic playwright; author of "The Clouds" and "Lysistrata"

Euripides

Renowned classical Greek tragic playwright

Aeschylus

Early Greek tragic playwright known for works like "The Persians"

Socrates

Athenian philosopher who emphasized relentless questioning; lover of democracy; sentenced to death

Aristotle

Student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great; foundational scholar of logic, biology, physics, and politics

Demosthenes

Athenian orator who delivered warning speeches ("Philippics") against Philip II of Macedon

Philip II

King of Macedon who united Greece using an upgraded phalanx and cavalry system

Olympias

Wife of Philip II and mother of Alexander the Great; claimed Alexander was the son of Zeus

Alexander the Great

Macedonian king who conquered the Persian Empire and established a vast world empire

Alexander's attempts to integrate the world

Tried to blend Greeks, Persians, and locals through shared cities, mass marriages, and adopting local leadership roles

Alexandrias

Cities founded by Alexander across his empire (e.g., Alexandria, Egypt) to spread Greek culture and integration

Hellenization / Hellenism

The historical process of spreading Greek language, culture, religion, and customs across non-Greek lands

490 BC

Year of the Battle of Marathon (First Persian War)

480 BC

Year of the Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis (Second Persian War)

431 BC

Year the Peloponnesian War began between Athens and Sparta

404 BC

Year the Peloponnesian War ended with the defeat of Athens

Arts in Athens

Flourished during the Golden Age through competitive public contests in theater, sculpture, poetry, and architecture

Persian Wars

Series of conflicts between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire in the 5th century BC

Battle of Marathon

490 BC battle where Greek hoplites unexpectedly routed the Persian army

Demaratus

Exiled Spartan king who advised Xerxes that free Greeks fight to the death because they obey Law as master

Daniel in the Lions' Den

Biblical story of Daniel being saved from lions after being targeted by jealous Persian-era advisors

Parthenon

Masterpiece temple built on the Athenian Acropolis under Pericles to honor Athena

Thucydides

Greek historian who wrote the definitive account of the Peloponnesian War

Peloponnesian War

27-year war (431–404 BC) between Athens and Sparta that ended Athenian hegemony

"Lysistrata" / "Clouds"

Comedies by Aristophanes ("Lysistrata" features a women's sex strike to end war; "Clouds" satirizes philosophers like Socrates)

Sophocles / "Oedipus Rex" / "Antigone"

Master playwright of classical Greek tragedy and his famous theatrical works

Pythagoras / Geometry

Early Greek thinker and mathematical system focused on geometric principles

Plato

Student of Socrates; hated democracy; author of "The Symposium" and "The Republic"

Hippocrates / Medicine

Ancient Greek physician considered the father of modern medicine

Demagogue

A political leader who uses charismatic speech, emotion, and prejudice to manipulate the public for power

Macedonian Phalanx

Military setup using deep formations armed with long spears (sarissas) paired with horse cavalry

Plutarch / "The Lives of the Great Greeks and Romans"

Biographer whose comparative historical essays provide key accounts of figures like Alexander the Great

Alexander's Education and Interests

Tutored by Aristotle; fostered a lifelong passion for science, literature, and learning

Library at Alexandria, Egypt

The world's greatest ancient repository of manuscripts, books, and scholarship established under Ptolemaic rule

Ptolemy / Egypt

General of Alexander who took control of Egypt, founding the Ptolemaic Dynasty that lasted nearly 300 years