Greek notes:)

Peninsula: a piece of land nearly surrounded by water

Bard: someone who writes or performs epic poems or stories

Colony: a group of people living in a new territory who are tied to their homeland, the new territory itself

Polis: was a city-state in ancient Greece that was a principal center of political, social, and cultural life.

Agora: a gathering place; marketplace in ancient Greece

. Phalanx: a group of armed foot soldiers in ancient Greece arranged close together in rows

  1. Rise of Greek civilization

A. Mountains and seas

1. The mainland is located on the Balkan Peninsula

2. The territory stretches to current-day Turkey across the Aegean Sea, a.. hundreds of islands in the sea part of Greece

, b. Traded ideas and goods between islands and the mainland

3. Rugged mountains, the land’s separate people on the mainland, a. communities were like separate countries

B. Early civilizations

1. Minoans constructed a palace on Crete at Knossos. The first civilization in the Aegean region,2500 BC- 1450 BC

2. The first civilization in the Aegean region,2500 BC -1450 BC

3. Used forest wood for shipbuilding

  1. Traded with Egypt and Syria 

  2. Patrolled seas for pirates

4. Myceneans inhabit Greece in 2000 BC

A. Established government arts and trade

B. learned from the Minoans - shipbuilding, bronze working, 

C. controlled Aegean area after defeating the Minoans.

D. civilization falls by 1100 BC fighting earthquakes, 


5. Doreans Invade

6. Dark Ages last 300 years.

  1. Trade slowed

  2. People were poor

  3. Minimal food

  4. Stopped reading, writing and record keeping

  5. Begin work with iron - stronger weapons and tools

  6. Movement of people shares culture and ideas

7. Hellenes/Greeks return to mainland by 750BC

  1. Surplus farming

  2. Increased trade

  3. Writing returns - introduce the alphabet

8. Colonies established to provide food to a booming population


C. Greek City-states/Greek Polis


1. Geography leads itself to separation of people

2. People were loyal to their polis (not Greece)

3. Fort at the center of polis with temple on top

4. Agora surrounds the fort

5. Neighborhoods and villages further away 

6. Citizens were required to serve in the government to be soldiers when needed

  1. Hoplites were citizen soldiers who fought on foot.


Tyrant: an absolute ruler unrestrained by the law

Oligarchy: a government in which a small group has control

Democracy: a government by the people

Helots: enslaved people in ancient Sparta

Satrapy: a territory governed by an official known as a Satrap

Satrap: a governor of a province in ancient Persia

Zoroastrianism: a Persian religion based on the belief in one god.

Myth: a traditional story that explains the practice or beliefs of a people, or something in he natural world

Ritual: words or actions that are a part of a religious ceremony

Oracle: a sacred shrine where a priest or priestess spoke for a god ot goddess

A fable: a story meant to teach a lesson

Oral tradition: the custom of passing along stories by speech 

Drama: a story written in the form of a play

Tragedy:  a play or film in which characters overcome serious problems

Comedy: a play or film that tells a humorous story




II city-state rivals 

  1. Political changes 

1. Farmers lost land to nobles because of debt

2. Many farmers enslaved and worked the land 

3. Many merchants and artisans are landless (citizenship?)

4. Tyrants overthrow nobles 

  1. Built new temples, fortresses and marketplaces

  2. Still have absolute power

5. Over time desire for a government that did not have a single ruler leads to democracy and oligarchy

B. Sparta: A military society

1. located on Peloheusus

2. economy based on (limited) agriculture 

3. Invaded neighboring city-states

4. Warrior lifestyle

a. Boys left home at age 7 to train and retired at 60 

b. women trained as athletes and mothers

5. 2 kings 

a.Led the army and carried out religious ceremonies

6. Assemble male citizens over 30

a.made decisions about war and peace

7. Council of Elders 

a. served as judges

b.elected sephors


8. Stable but strict and controlling government 

  1. Discouraged free thinking and studying of literature

  2. Travel was forbidden

  3. Foreign visitors were not welcome

  4. Discouraged trade- remained a poor farming community

C. Athens: a young democracy

  1. Located along the coast north of Sparta

  2. Education was valued

  1. Boys studied arithmetic, government, drawing, music and public speaking

  2. At 18 expected to take roles in public affairs

  3. Girls were taught spinning, weaving, and household duties at home


3. Potential uprising because of debts, loss of land, and slavery

4. SOLOMON

  1. Ended farmers debts

  2. Freed enslaved men

  3. Opened the assembly to all male citizens

  4. Wealthy people felt that Solomon went too far

  5. Poor people thought he had not gone far enough

5. Peistirstratus - makes more changes

  1. Gave land to farmless farmers

      b.Gave farmers loans if they needed equipment

      c. granted citizenship to landless men

      d. Hired the poor for the construction of new projects


6. CLESTENENES - makes Athens more democratic

  1. Made the assembly the main government body

  2. Assembly members could discuss issues, hear legal cases and appoint army officials

  3. Council was chosen by annual lottery (FAIR???)

  4. Council “NEW” introduced laws and controlled treasury ($)

  5. Women, foreign-born men, and enslaved people were excluded from citizenship


Satarapy - the territory governed by an official known as a satrap, the governor of a province in ancient Persia


III. Greece and Persia

  1. Persia’s Empire

  1. Located in southwest Asia, the current IRAN

  2. King Cyrus created an empire in 540s BC

  1. Conquered Mesopotamia, Syria, Judah, and Greek city states


3. Cyrus created an empire

  1. Allows conquered people to keep their language, religion, and laws

  2. Allows Jews to return to Judea after exile

4. Empire Grows LARGER - Egypt, part of India, parts of Europe

5. The Royal road connects the empire

  1. 3 months journey down 7 days

  2. Food, water, and  fresh horses at rest areas

6. Darius creates satraps to help organize and maintain power


7. HUGE - full-time paid professional army

8. Monotheistic religion forms - Zoroastrianism

  1. Rulers believed they got their powers from God

B. PERSIAN WAR!

  1. Greek city states in Anatolia rebelled against Persia in 499 BC

  2. Darius attacked at Marathon in 400 BC to punish the Athenians

  1. Smart tactic defeats the Persians

3. Xerxes is victorious at Thermopylae 

  1. Leonidas provided soldiers

  2. Themistocles provided the navy

  3.  Greek tactics destroyed the Persian food supply

  4. Persian sneak attack brings a win (Movie 300)


4. At Salamis - Greeks destroyed much of the Persian navy at Salamis 

5. Improved skills, supply, and numbers lead to a win

6. The Persian Empire weakens from within over time



Vocabulary

Sophists  - Greek teachers of philosophy, reasoning and public speaking

Rhetoric -  the art of public speaking and debate

Socratic Method - a philosophical method of questioning to gain the truth

Hippocratic oath -  a set of promises about patient care that new doctors make when they start practicing medicine

IV. Glory war declined

  1. The rule of Pericles 

  1. “The Golden Age” from 461 BC - 429 BC

  2. Direct democracy works with a small number of citizens

  1. The assembly meets every ten days to make policies, make laws and elect officers

  2. Top ten officials are generals

             3. Ability - NOT CLASS - determines government appoints

  1. Ordinary people play a role 

4. Pericles refers to Athens as the school of Greece

  1. Temples, statues, and monuments were rebuilt

  2. Writers, artisans, teachers, etc are supported

B. Athenian life

  1. Men worked in the morning, exercised in the afternoon, and socialized in the evening

  2. Women ran the house, learned to read, played music, and rarely left the home

  3. Prisoners of war often become slaves

  1. Worked in homes, farms, and shops

4. Trade grows

  1. Was necessary to supplement crops grown

  2. Pottery and leather were popular exports


C. The Peloponnisian War

  1. Delian League formed to protect against future Persian aggression

  1. Athens provided soldiers and sailors

  2. Other city-states supplied money and ships

  3. Freed all Greek city-states from Persian Rule

2. Pericles’ leadership helps Athens dominate the Delian League

  1. Athens influences/controls other city-states

  2. Forces the use of Athens coins and measures

  3. Treasury ($$) was moved to Athens

  4. Sent troops to help the common people rebel

3. Athens is viewed as a threat

4. Sparta allies with other city-states

5. Civil war prevents future cooperation among Greek city-states

  1. Pericles’s Funeral Oration meant to motivate Athenians in defending their way of life/government

  2. Fighting continues between city-states for around 50 years

6. Sparta is victorious thanks to diseases in Athens, and then help from the Persians

  1. Sparta gives land for money to fund a navy


7. Greece is weakened all around

  1. Governments divided

  2. Populations diminished

  3. Farms destroyed

  4. Work unavailable 

  5. Persia is a THREAT AGAIN!


III The Greek Mind

  1. Greek thinkers

  1. During the Golden Age of Greece, art, architecture, literature, and thinking flourished

  2. Sophists taught public speaking and debate

  1. There is no “right” or “wrong”

  2. Gods do not influence any human actions

  3. Challenged many Greek traditions


3. Socrates encouraged students to find answers and search for answers

  1. The Socratic method is still used today

  2. Believed in absolute right and wrong

  3. Socrates was found guilty of urging young Athenians to rebel and was sentenced to death

4. Plato found Academy 

  1. Recorded his teachings

  2. Felt that “common people” could not think for themselves and should be the workforce for society.

  3. Big influence on western world

5. Aristotle opened Lyceum

  1. Wrote about government, astrology and political science

  2. Taught the golden mean (in between 2 extremes)

  3. Encouraged a government that limited power for any person


B. New History - Science Ideas

1. Greeks begin to use thinking and investigation skills to advance 

2. Herodotus is first known historian

  1. Used research and observation to record history

  2. Included references to gods and goddesses affected history

  3. Carefully examined documents

  4. Used eyewitness accounts only

3. Greek scientists thought natural events could be explained using logic and reasoning

4. Thales made many discoveries in mathematics and astronomy

5. Pythagoras believed that all relationships could be expressed in numbers

6. Hippocrates studied the science of treating disease and illness

7. The Hippocratic oath is a promise taken by doctors.

III. Alexanders Empire

  1. Philip of Macedonia

1. King of territory north of Greece (Macedonia)

2. Admired Greece.

  1. Wanted to destroy Persian Empire

3. United with many great city-states

  1. Defends in battle

  2. Bribes leaders

  3. Some volunteered 

4, Greeks unsuccessfully tried to fight back

B. Alexander takes over

1. Becomes King when Phillip is killed

2. Young but well trained

  1. Only 20 years old

  2. Experienced army commander

  3. Soldiers respected him

  4. Brave and skilled

3. Invaded Asia Minor (Turkey) and freed city-states  from Persia's rule in 334 BC

4. Defends Darius (Persian King) and takes over Pyria

5. Egypt follows

  1. City of Alexandria  

6. Took over Persia in 331 BC

7. Territory expands throughout the middle east


C. Alexander’s legacy

  1. Referenced as “The Great” because of his accomplishments by 32

    1. Courage and brave IN ACTION

    2. Huge empire

    3. Spread Greek language ideas, art, architecture

2. Hellenistic Era refers to the time when Greek culture spread

3. After his death, generals divided territories into 4 kingdoms

  1. Colonies continue to spread Greek culture

IV. Hellenistic Culture

  1. Hellenistic Arts

  1. Public building projects expanded the culture and empire

  1. New cities founded

  2. Old cities rebuilt

2. Streets lined with Greek theaters temples and baths

  1. Empire projects

3. New statues added

  1. More realistic, less “perfect”

4. Large amounts of literature was produced by talented writers

  1. Little survived

5. Athens remains the center of theater

6. “New” comedies are created

  1. No longer poke fun at political leaders

  2. Told stories of love and relationships

B. Thinker and Scientists

  1. Epicureans believe that happiness comes from seeking out pleasure.

    1. Stay out of political and public service

    2. Avoid pain

    3. Find physical pleasure

  2. Stoics believe that happiness results from using reason and sound thinking

  3. Many new theories developed in science

    1. Aristar-sun is the center of the universe/solar system

    2. Eratosthes - earth is round accurately measured circumstance

    3. Archimedes - physics and compound pulley

    4. Hippocrates - treats ailments separates medicine from religion

  4. Many developments in mathematics

    1. Euclid - how points, lines, angles, and surfaces relate to each other

    2. Archimedes - solid geometry, pi, 

C. Greek and Rome

  1. The hellenistic kingdoms slowly weaken

    1. Over time fought

2, Geek city states slowly break away from Macedonia 

3. Rome (city-state) becomes powerful

  1. Over time takes Greek mainland