Ancient Greece

Norms

Social Classes

Nobles ruled for a short time

Tyrants overthrew them with people support

Farmers borrowed money from nobles

In desperate cases they sold themselves into slavery

People could go up or down the social ladder

The Social pyramid: Top: Nobles/ Aristocrats Second Highest: Artisans/ traders(Middle Class) 3rd highest: Poor farmers/ Semi-free laborers (Helots) 3rd lowest: Women and children/ Male without citizenship 2nd lowest: Slaves/ Douloi Bottom: Foreigners

Definitions: Aristoi- top of the social class, and rich farmers

Helots; captive workers in Sparta

Douloi: people who had civil, military duties

Middle Class: Artisans/ Traders

Perioikoi: Poor farmers,Semi-free laborers (Helots),Women,children,Male without citizenship, Slaves,Douloi,Foreigners

Slaves, Foreigners, and Women could not have citizenship

There are more laborers than slaves; laborers couldn´t be sold and lived with their own families

Slaves were important to Greek society; slaves were acquired through war and conquest and were inferior to others

Every citizen had slaves

For slaves there was hope they would be free someday

Foreigners brought skill such as pottery and metal-working

Foreigners had to register their residence to become a class called metics; metics had to pay additional taxes

There were time foreigners become full citizens

Men

Sparta Men lived in the barracks

Sparta Men over 30 were able to be in the assembly

they voted on laws and Ephors

Ephors were people who enforced and managed laws

Athenian Men taught boys how to read, write, do arithmetic, play instruments , sing, and play sports

Boys finished school at 18

Males had the best position in society

Women

Girls in Sparta were trained in sports such as running wrestling, and juvenile training

Sparta women lived at home and were more free than other Greek Women

They could own property and go wherever they wanted

Athenian girls stayed home

They were taught spinning, weaving, and other household duties

Wealthy families had girls taught to read, write, and play the lyre(Greek Instrument

Other Norms

All greeks participated in parties, hunting and chariot racing

Sparta helped defend Greek but fell behind other city-states in trade

Values

After the rule of tyrants, most city-states became oligarchies or democracies

Oligarchy- few people held power

Democracy- all citizens held power

Spartan Men had to enter war at 20, cam back at 30, but stayed in the army till 60

The Spartan Government was an oligarchy

Which included 28 citizens

The Spartan Government discouraged foreign visitors

Banned travel (except military travel)

The Olympic Games was highly valued and were between city-states

The Athenian Government was also an oligarchy

With an assembly with few powers

Peisistrats and Cleisthenes were tyrants who came to power

Peisistrats created a new council of 500 people who proposed laws, dealt with taxes, and treasury

The council was chosen in a lottery with every citizen( non- citizens were excluded)

Most of the oligarchs were rich

They favored the rich

They used the army to take control of common people

Elections only played a small part in Athenian democracy

It was mainly chosen by lottery/ sortition

Any citizen could be in the lottery( to become the leader{Ho Boulomenos}) and attend the Ecclesia( the place where governing happens)

The boule(500 member governing council) setted the agenda and evaluate proposals

100s of jurors and magistrates handled legal matters

Between 10% and 20% of people got citizenship

Athens was both an oligarchy and democracy

Athens formed the Delian League with other city-states

Athens was an direct democracy

The people had faith in it

People gathered in mass meeting to make laws about 43,000 people were in the government

But only fewer than 6000 actually came to power

Beliefs

Farmers believed that Solon will help them

Solon canceled farmers debts and freed slaves

Greek Mythology has 12 olympians- named Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus

Greek myths expressed their beliefs

Gods controlled nature

They acted as humans with special powers

Greeks followed rituals; gave them gifts and hoped gods would give them good fortune in return

Greeks believed in a prophecy (the future)

To find out about the future they would go to the oracle( an area where a priest or priestesses spoke to a god)

When someone asks about their future the priests or priestesses would give an answer in a riddle after speaking with the gods

They answered questions on a tripod