Jan+20+%5BPt.+2%5D+-+The+Ionian+Revolution%2C+Herodotus

CLA160 Introduction to Classical Studies

• Instructor: Dr. Matt Ludwig

• Date: Mon. Jan. 20, 2025

• Topic: The ‘Ionian Revolution’, Intro to Herodotus

Greek Terms from Archaic Greece (750 -480 BCE)

Key Terms

• Polis:

  • Definition: A ‘city-state’ responsible for its own governance.

• Tyrannos/oi:

  • Definition: Individuals who attain unconstitutional power within a polis.

  • Connotation: The term was not negatively perceived during the Archaic period, as good and bad tyrants existed.

• Xenia:

  • Definition: Traditional value describing the host-guest relationship emphasizing reciprocity.

  • Significance: Often symbolized through gift exchange (xeneia) and could lead to multi-generational alliances between families.

The ‘Ionian Intellectual Revolution’ (Late 7th to 6th c. BCE)

Overview

• Description:

  • Period of rapid intellectual and cultural advancement centered in Ionia.

  • Served as a crucial transition between Archaic and Classical periods.

• Significance:

  • The rise of the Ionian city-state, particularly Athens, can be traced back to this intellectual revolution.

Map Overview

• Locations of significance include:

  • Epidamnus, Apollonia, Corcyra, Dodona among others in the regions of Epirus, Illyria and Macedonia.

  • The relationships between various polities and geographic features are noted, indicating a diverse and complex Ancient Greek landscape.

Mythos and Logos

Central Concepts

• Mythos (‘Story’) vs. Logos (‘Reasoned Argument’):

  • Importance of inherited narratives and reasoned arguments based on human experience during the Ionian revolution.

  • Myths remain important for things like hero cults and legitimization of aristocracy.

• Gradual Emphasis on Humanism:

  • Focus shifts toward the individual's relationship with the cosmos, grounded more in nature's laws rather than divine whims.

  • Introduction of a protoscientific and observational approach to uncovering truths.

Miletus: Center of the Revolution

Characteristics

• Description:

  • A bustling cosmopolitan center facilitating cultural exchange.

  • Home to influential Ionian physikoi (naturalists/philosophers).

• Emphasis on ‘First Principles’ (archai) and ‘Causes’ (aitia):

  • Adoption of observational methods (autopsy) to discuss natural phenomena.

  • Use of tools from didactic epics to develop prose writing qualitatively.

The Milesian Physikoi

Important Thinkers

• Thales (Late 7th, Early 6th c. BCE):

  • Claims the fundamental arche (principle) is water. Noted as a poet/engineer.

• Anaximander (Early 6th c. BCE):

  • Proposed the fundamental arche is apeiron (the boundless). Raises questions about existence.

• Heraclitus of Ephesus:

  • Known for the concept of panta rhei (‘all is flux’).

• Anaximenes (Mid 6th c. BCE):

  • Asserts that air is the fundamental arche.

Herodotus of Halicarnassus (c. 484-425 BCE)

Contributions

• Developed techniques of earlier thinkers (the Milesians) to create an extensive investigation (historiē) in prose.

• Main Subject:

  • Explores the conflict between Greeks and Persians during the 5th c. BCE, focusing especially on the years 490-480.

  • Investigates causes (aitions), starting from the Trojan war and moving to significant figures like Croesus (King of Lydia).

• Notable Characteristics:

  • The work contains numerous digressions and ‘pedimental compositions’ such as the ‘Egyptian excursus’.