Feroli Ancient Greece Study Guide Part 2

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Zeus

King of Gods

Hera

Queen

Athena

Goddess of Wisdom

Posedion

God of the sea

Apollo

God of music, healing, light/sun

Ares

God of war

Artemis

Goddess of the hunt and moon

Aphrodite

 Goddess of love

Hermes

 messenger of the Gods and travelers - fast

Nike

Goddess of victory

Achilles

Hero and warrior of Trojan war - origin of Achillis heal weakness

Midas

 king - known for golden touch

Atlas

Titan of strength and endurance

Olympic Games

Held in Olympia. Greeks believed in a healthy mind and body. Games were held every 4 years. A truce was enacted for athletes to participate in times of war.

Events: Running, Javelin and Discus throwing, Boxing, Wrestling and Jumping

Only Male athletes participated.

• Olympic flame tradition comes from lighting fire at altar to Zeus

Athens

• Greek city-state named after goddess Athena

• Birthplace of democracy

• Center of learning, philosophy and the arts

• Focus on education for men 

• Females were not citizens and had few rights

• Strong Navy = trade based economy

Pericles

Military General. Helped lead democracy in Athens - he supported artists, writers, teachers and philosophers

Sparta

• Military society - excellent soldiers

  • Soldiers were expected to die instead of surrender

  • Goals were military power and victory

• Oligarchy style of government - strict

• Trade with other city-states was limited due to isolation

• Athletes in olympic games often won

• Helots - enslaved people in mines and farms - could not own property

• Economy based on agriculture and farming

• Boys went to military camps at age 7

• Spartan women - more rights - own property and could travel and exercise

Astronomy

• Comes from the Greek word for “Star.” 

• Aristarchus - first person to suggest the Earth revolves (moves) around the Sun

Geography

• Comes from the Greek words that mean “writing about the earth.”

• Herodotus - historian - creates first map of the known world.

Ptolemy - created system of latitude and longitude (systems of lines on a map like a grid)

Math

• Geometry - greek word meaning “to measure land”

• Pythagoras believed numbers were key to understanding nature - he helped make Geometry famous

• Euclid - created textbook that is still used over 2,000 years later on Geometry

Medicine

• Hippocrates - Father of Modern Medicine.  Hippocratic Oath - all doctors pledge to work for the good of the patient and to “first, do no harm.”

• Greeks discovered heart functioned as a pump in the body for blood

• Greeks learned brain is center or nervous system

Drama

Performances like a movie, play or TV show

Greeks develop two types of drama as a form of entertainment and part of religious festivals

• Tragedy - story with a sad ending

• Comedy - story with a happy ending

Theaters - created first theaters - semi-circle viewing areas

Alphabet

The English alphabet grew from the alphabet ancient Greeks used. English grammar, punctuation and paragraphs are based on Greek writing.

Historical Writing

Greeks were first to use facts to write history instead of their own opinion.

Battle of Marathon

• Athens wins vs. Persians

• Runner yells “Nike” or “Victory” after 26 miles and then dies

• Origin of Marathon running event

• Battle in Persian War

Battle of Thermopylae

• 300 Spartans fight on a narrow land strip between mountains and sea

  • Fought to the death

• Persians led by King Xerxes - they win battle

• Spartans led by King Leonidas

• Traitor showed Persians a trail allowing Persians to surround 300 Spartans

• Spartans allow Greeks time to gather troops and plan for next battle

• Battle in Persian War

Peloponnesian War

War primarily between Athens and Sparta - lasted 27 years

• Athens forms Delian League (defensive / protective group of city-states)

  • Athens grows to dominate the league

• Sparta forms Peloponnesian League in response to Athens growing power

• Sparta makes deal with Persians to build navy

• Navy blocks food from getting into and out of Athens causing starvation

Socrates

• Believed there was an absolute right and wrong. He thought all real knowledge was deep inside each person. 

• Socratic Method - he asked students questions repeatedly to find answers and think for themselves.

• Was sentenced to death due to his teachings - Leaders feared his influence.

Plato

• Started the “Academy” - one of the world’s first schools

• Student of Socrates

• Rejected idea of democracy - did not want all people to have right to vote

  • Only wanted educated to have power

  • Did not trust lower classes and non-educated

• Idea that government should be fair and just

Aristole

• Student of Plato

• Learn by observing nature - focus on science and biology

• Teacher of Alexander the Great

• System of classifying the natural world helped foundation of science