Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece was a civilization that flourished from the 8th century BC to about 600 AD. It is known for its influential culture, philosophy, art, and the establishment of city-states like Athens and Sparta. Key contributions include democracy, theater, and significant advancements in science and mathematics. Notable figures include philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The period is often divided into the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic eras.

|| Geography;

Mountains created valleys.

Rocky Islands extended from the coast.

Independent City-States formed in these isolated islands and valleys.

Ancient Greece I

|| Minoans

• Sea = Important

• Frescoes (wet plaster, colorful paintings)

• Traders (Posts in Aegean)

  Why did they vanish? - 1400 BCE - (Speculation)

• Volcano

• Earthquake —> big wave

• Mycenaean Invasion (First Greek speaking people. Learned writing from Minoans. Lived in city states on mainland invasion)

|| Epic Poems

• The Iliad

• The Odyssey

|| Major cities

Polis - Greek city-state

Acropolis - locations of temples dedicated to gods.

Sparta; Stressed military virtues and strong discipline

• Boys in Sparta started military training at 7 years old.

• They would live in army barracks until 30.

• Required to exercise and be strong.

• Trade, wealth, and art are unimportant.

Social Class

• Spartan born men and women

• Non Sparta born

• Slaves

Athens; Glorified the individual and extended rights to more citizens.

• Boys learned how to read and write the Greek language.

• Wealthy boys also studied music, poetry, and public speaking.

• Democracy

• Only citizens (Land owning men born in Athens)

|| Women

• Women could not participate in government.

• Participated in sacred ceremonies.

• Richer women would work in the house.

• Poorer women would work outside.

|| Greek City-State Similarities

• Spoke same language

• Prayed to same gods

• Shared a sense of superiority over foreigners.

|| Artemis

Roman name: Diana

Family: Zeus (Father) Leto (Mother) Apollon (Twin)

Special Powers/Control: Perfect aim with the bow and arrow - ability to turn herself and others into animals - control of nature - talking to animals - the center of the universe

Weakness: Too brave, with animal like instincts she doesn’t think before she acts.

Story of Birth: Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. When Zeus got Leto pregnant, Hera, as she always did, became angry. The queen of the gods banned Leto from giving birth anywhere on solid land. Leto came across the island of Delos. Hera was furious, and kidnapped Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth, so she could not help Leto have the bastard children. Leto was in great pain giving birth to Artemis, so Artemis helped Leto bore her twin brother.

Major Myths: Artemis and Actaeon. Because Artemis saw the pain her mother ensued, she swore to remain a maiden forever. One day while she was bathing in a spring, a hunter spotted her. This hunter was named Actaeon. Artemis was offended by his eyes on her. She tuned the man into a stag. His new form made him unrecognizable to his hunting dogs, who soon after tore him apart.

Artemis and Orion. A brave hunter by the name Orion heard the tale of Actaeon’s demise at Artemis’s hands. He however, didn’t care. One day he approached seven nymphs in white tunics. One screamed as she was grabbed, alerting Artemis. She turned them into doves so they could escape. The goddess of the hunt was impressed by this speed and strength. The two soon became friends, they would challenge each other and hunt together. At night, the forests would fill with their laughter. Unknowing to them, her twin brother Apollo soon became jealous of their relationship. He wondered how his sister could ever love a mere mortal. Artemis considered betraying her maidenhood. Apollo sent a scorpion to kill Orion. Orion battled with it, but could not piece its armor. He attempted to run away. Apollo told Artemis someone had attacked a forest priestess and was now trying to escape using the sea. She was angered by this, aiming her bow at the man in the distance, a man she didn’t recognize as her lover. She swims out to sea once she realizes Apollo had deceived her. he had manipulated her, knowing that if she were to betray her maidenhood Zeus would be furious. Artemis begged the god of medicine to bring him back, but Zeus denied on his behalf, claiming bringing back the dead was giving mortals immortality. Artemis turned him into the constellation Orion, giving him immortality among the stars.

Artemis and Adonis. Adonis was a famed hunter. He was often said to be helplessly in love with Artemis, as many men were. Through Artemis was not romantically interested in him in the slightest, she did take interest in him. Adonis made the foolish decision of claiming he was more powerful than her. She was offended by this, sending a wild bore to slaughter him.

A river god had taken interest in her. Though as always, she did not share that interest.Once he realized he could never capture her heart, he opted to capture her instead. She became suspicious of his motives. She hid in a bog and covered her face in mud, becoming unrecognizable to him.

Items associated: The bow - the quiver - the hunting knife - deer - the cypress

Rank among gods: The ONLY gods stronger than Artemis are the sons of Kronos; Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. She is however most likely not stronger than the primordial deities, like Chronos and Uranus.

|| Philosophers

Sophists - Questioned accepted ideas (things caused by gods)

• Used observation and reason

• Emphasize math and logic (Rational thinking)

• Used rhetoric (Skillful speaking)

|| Socrates

Socratic Method: Taught by asking questions.

|| Plato

• Student of Socrates

• Started a school called ‘The Academy"

• Against democracy

|| Aristotle

• Student of Plato

• Favored rule by single leader

• Believed good conduct meant pursing “Golden Mean”

  • Where you’re in the middle of excess and deficiency

|| Historians

Herodotus - “Father of History” method of collecting info.

Thucydides - Wrote about pelonnesian war. Hates Bias.

Greece became fragmented.

They needed the trade of other city-states

Greece underestimated Macedonia

• Phillip II is strong

• Greece knows there going to attack, but can’t rally troops.

• Phillip studies the Greeks and steals the formation.

• Conquered Greece

• Wanted to take over Persia, but was killed at his daughters wedding,

Alexander the Great

• Alexander the Great is Phillips.

• Took over at 20.

• He wanted better for everything.

• Conquered Persia

• He wanted the people he conquered to be happier

• Wanted Macedonia to be like Greece.

• Alexander is taught by Aristotle.

• Extended his empire as far as India

• Died at 32

  Hellenistic Era

• Spread Greek culture.

• Women are no longer restricted from learning

• Conquered Persian Empire

• Sun centered solar system.

• Pythagoras.

• Improved medicine (Hippocrates)