Ancient Greece

Chapter 4

1900 BCE

133 BCE

0

Where are we?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Greece-satellite-map.jpg

Geography of Greece

• Long indented coastline• Low-lying rugged mountains• Leads to

– Fractured political system– Reliance on the sea– http://www.carlos.emory.edu/ODYS

SEY/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_NaRmA5FKo

Minoan Civilization

• 2500 – 1450 BCE• Seafaring nation whose

power and influence peaked around 1600 BCE

• Knossos• Sudden and catastrophic

collapse around 1450– Legend of Atlantis?– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KWLrUcHfRA

– Invasion by Mycenaeans

Mycenaean Civilization

• Flourished 1600 – 1100 BC• Indo-European• Made up of a collection of small monarchies

– Tholos tomb• Warlike

– Agamemnon and Trojan War– Traders

The Dark Ages• 1100 – 750 BCE

– Population declines– Food production declines– Few written records– Migrations– Iron replaces bronze– Adoption of the Phoenician

alphabet (8th cent. BC)

Homer: Poet or Historian?• Sing O goddess, the anger of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the

Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a pray to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another

• The opening lines of the Illiad, an epic poem that tells the story of the Trojan War

• Plot summary– Paris (Troy) kidnaps Helen (Sparta) (The Face that launched

1,000 ships” Agamemnon (Spartan King’s brother) attacks Troy. 10 years pass and Achilles fights and dies. Finally the Spartans go away and leave a gift

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciQFUYg35xI

The Odyssey• Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who

travelled far and wide after he sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished from their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.

• Plot

– Odysseus tries to get home. He undergoes many problems and eventually makes it to find his wife waiting for him.

Why Homer Matters

• His version of history is accepted as factual• Provides an idealized history peopled by

heroes• Serves as tales to educate generations to core

values:• Courage• Honor• Arete – excellence / virtue – what Greek

heroes strive for.

Alcaeus on the Polis

• "Not houses finely roofed or the stones of walls well built, nay nor canals and dockyards make the polis, but men able to use their opportunity."

• Take a moment to ponder this. What does it mean?

776 BCThe first

Olympic Games are held signaling the

end of the dark ages

Olympia

The Polis (City State)

• By 750 BC the Greek polis had become the central focus of Greek life.

• What is a polis?– A city, town or village and its surrounding countryside– A meeting place for religious, political or social activities– A community of people who share a common identity and

common goals• Citizens had greater rights and greater responsibilities

– Great variation in size and population• Athens had > 300,000 people at one time

The Polis

The Polis

Non-citizens

Citizens withoutpolitical rights

Citizens withpolitical rights

males

The Acropolis and the Agora

• Most city states had a main gathering place that was on a hill. At the top of the hill was a fortified area called the acropolis

• Below the acropolis was and open area where people could meet and talk. It also served as a market area. This was called the agora

Impact of the Polis on Greek Culture

• Created a sense of community that bonded areas into tightly knit groups where people were committed to that community

• Citizen Soldiers– Hoplite– Phalanx– http://movies.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=701

88051&trkid=3446571

Something to ponder

• Between 750 and 550 BCE Greeks colonized the Mediterranean basin

• Come up with at least three reasons why this may have occurred.

Greek Colonies

• Between 750 and 550 BCE Greeks left their homeland in search of farmland and trade partners

• Each colony became a new polis

• Byzantium• Creation of wealthy merchant

class • Tyranny –rule by force

Byzantium

Athens and Sparta

• Tyranny fell out of favor• Two other forms of

government – Oligarchy– Democracy

• Athens represents democracy• Sparta represents oligarchy

Sparta – The First Totalitarian State?

• Sparta did not colonize – they conquered• State is rigidly organized and controls life from birth

– Newborns are examined at birth for “fitness” and if found to be wanting, killed

– Children are educated by the state• At 7 boys are removed from mother• At 14 they are organized into groups and forced to be self-

sufficient-living off inadequate rations plus what they could steal

• Compulsory military service 20 – 60• Must live in barracks till 30• At 30 they are allowed to vote in assembly

Tell Me What you Know

• What does it mean to live in “Spartan” quarters?

• What does the phrase “come home with your shield, or on it,” mean?

Spartan Government

• Oligarchy– Two kings– Ephors– 28 men over 60 along with kings formed council of

elders– Assembly of all male citizens– Limited outside contact

Spartan Women

• Occupied a secondary position in society• However

– Men live in barracks so they enjoy more freedom and autonomy then women in much of Greece

The Helot Problem

• Spartan society divided in to Spartans and helots (captured people)

• Helots did the work (farming etc.)• They outnumber the Spartans dramatically• Crypteia (secret police)• Spartans acted as if they were an invading

army in their own country and controlled the helots through terror and force

Athens – Democracy’s Birthplace?

• 700 BCE finds Athens a unified polis• Ruled by king• Evolves into an oligarchy• Economic crisis

– Debtors sold into slavery to repay their debts– Farmers are forced to give 1/6th of their crop to aristocrats– 620 BCE code of laws drawn up by Dracon (very harsh)– 594 BCE Solon is appointed archon (Chief Magistrate)

• Abolished debt slavery• Abolished 1/6th to aristocrats

From Tyranny to Democracy

• Five years after death of Solon Pisistratus takes power as a tyrant– A tyrant in Ancient Greece was simply a person who had

seized power from aristocrats but was neither a king nor a magistrate

• Psistratus succeeded by son, Hippias• Hippias is overthrown by Cleisthenes (with support of

Spartan army)– Created a council of 500 people that supervised foreign

affairs and the treasury and recommended laws to the Athenian assembly- all male citizens

– Assembly had central role in Athens- foundations of democracy had been established

Persian War• Conflict with Persia

– 499 unsuccessful revolt by Ionian cities helped by Athenian Navy

– 490 BC Darius invades battle at Marathon• Pheidippides “Victory, we win”

– 480 BC Xerxes invades battles at• Thermopylae

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ew4qCi--QY

• Salamis– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OZKYsFFzfw

• Plataea– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkQe8efbYDM

Major Battles of the Greco-Persian War

Why it matters

• Persian War ends with Athens as the dominant force in Greece– Athenian Empire

• Athens takes leadership role in Greek world forms Delian League which pursues war with Persia and frees most Greek states from Persian control

The Age of Pericles

• 661 – 429 BCE (A “Golden Age”)• Direct Democracy

– All male citizens > 18 (circa 43,000)– Meetings every 10 days near Acropolis

• Rich and poor had a voice• Officeholders were paid

Peloponnesian War• Athens and Sparta become

rivals – their systems are mutually exclusive– 431 War breaks out

• Athenian strategy get behind walls and wait

• Spartan strategy draw out Athenians

• 430 Plague breaks out in Athens• 405 Battle of Aegospotami ends

with destruction of Athenian navy

Sparta / Athens Use the following words to complete the Venn Diagram: polis, totalitarian, oligarchy, democracy, helot, Pericles, Solon, Leonides, “The 300”, ephors, tyranny, led Delian League, fought against Persia, expanded through conquest, expanded through colonization, strong army, strong navy

Sparta / Athens Use the following words to complete the Venn Diagram: polis, totalitarian, oligarchy, democracy, helot, Pericles, Solon, Leonides, “The 300”, ephors, tyranny, led Delian League, fought against Persia, expanded through conquest, expanded through colonization, strong army, strong navy

SpartaTotalitarian

LeonidesHelot

EphorsExpanded through

conquestStrong army“The 300”

AthensSolon

PericlesDemocracy

Expanded through colonizationStrong navy

Led Delian League

TyrannyOligarchyFought against PersiaPolis

Greek Religion

• Religion is central to Greek life– Not a force for morality– No real doctrine– Rituals matter– Shrines and oracles play a key role

• Gods lived on Mt. Olympus

The Olympians

Greek Gods• Zeus

– Chief god and father of gods

• Hera– Zeus’s wife

• Athena– Goddess of wisdom

• Apollo– God of sun and poetry

• Ares– God of war

• Aphrodite– Goddess of love

• Poseidon– Zeus’s brother and god of sea

and earthquakes

• Hestia– Goddess of the hearth

• Hephaestus– God of crafting and

metalwork

• Artemis– Goddess of the hunt

• Hermes– Messenger god

• Hades– God of the underworld

Greek Theater

• Tragedies– Dealth with universal themes of human existence

that are still relevant today• Good v. evil• Rights of individuals

• Examples– Oresteia (Aeschylus)– Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)– Medea (Euripedes)

• Comedies– Purpose is to entertain and provoke a reaction.

Could be used to poke fun at politicians• Examples

– The Frogs (Aristophanes)

Greek Philosophy

Aristotle

Plato

Socrates

Greek Philosophy• Philosophy– From Greek meaning “Lover of wisdom”

• Sophists– Traveling teachers who stressed rhetoric

• The “Big Three)– Socrates

• Goal of education is to improve the individual• Question everything (Socratic method)• The unexamined life is not worth living

– Plato• How do we know what is real?• Forms ((Allegory of the cave)• The Republic

– Philosopher Kings– Warriors– Masses

– Aristotle• Analysis by observation and investigation• Politics

– Monarchy– Aristocracy– Constitutional Government

Alexander and the Hellenistic Kingdoms

From Philip to Alexander

• Macedonia (barbarians)• Philip II (359 BCE)• Murdered at banquet• Alexander takes throne in 336 BCE (at age 20!)• Creates one of the largest land empires ever. • Dies in 323 at 32

The Aftermath

• Empire breaks up into 4 Kingdoms– Ptolemaic– Antigonid– Seleucid– Greece

• Hellenistic means “Greek like”

Hellenistic Culture

• Cultural Diffusion!• Architecture / sculpture

– Maintained technical skill but moved to more emotional themes• Literature - prolific

– Argonautica• Science - Astronomy / mathematics

– Eratosthenes– Euclid– Archimedes

• Philosophy– Epicureanism– Stoicism

From Greece to Rome• http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greecevsrome/ss/GreecevsRome.htm• http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year7links/romans_worksheets.shtml• http://www.historyonthenet.com/Lessons/worksheets/romans.htm• http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=baldwin&book=fifty&story=horatius&PHPSESSID=0dca0986393bb07545cb9897b2dcdc59

• http://earth.google.com/rome/

Where are we?

Adriatic SeaMediterranean SeaTyrrhenian SeaPo RiverTiber RiverRubicon RiverAlpsApenninesMt. EtnaMt. VesuviusCorsicaSicilySardiniaRomeOstiaCarthage

Adriatic SeaMediterranean SeaTyrrhenian SeaPo RiverTiber RiverRubicon RiverAlpsApenninesMt. EtnaMt. VesuviusCorsicaSicilySardiniaRomeOstiaCarthage

• 750 miles long• 120 miles wide• Apennine

mountains less rugged than those of Greece

• More and better farmland

• Rome located on natural ford of Tiber River• 18 miles from sea• “7 Hills of Rome”

Origins of Rome

Origins of Rome• “Latins” arrive in Italy between 1500 and 1000

BCE• Etruscans and Greeks arrive after 800 BCE• Both have influence on Roman Development• Romans overthrow Etruscan king in 509 BCE

and establish a Republic • This Republic expands through conquest and

by 264 BCE they controlled almost all of the Italian Peninsula

Methods of Roman Expansion• Roman “Confederation”

– Some people (Latins) had full Roman citizenship– Others were “allies” who could run their own affairs but

had to provide soldiers and tribute. These allies could, if they proved themselves, become citizens

• Why Rome Succeeded– Think Horatius

• Great warriors who had a strong sense of duty, courage and discipline

– Dogged and persistent as well as great strategists (Fortified towns linked by good roads)

• Great diplomats– They knew when to be cruel and when to be kind

• They were practical engineers

The “Glory” That Was Rome

• Roman government– Patricians – great landowners– Plebeians – small landholders, craftspeople,

merchants, small farmers– Two Consuls run government and

lead army– Senate

• 300 Patricians who served for life

– Centuriate Assembly • Elected consuls and praetors • Organized by wealth and class

Praetor• In charge

of civil law

The Struggle of the Orders

• For more than 200 years plebeians and patricians struggled for power– 471 BC council of the plebs– Tribunes of the plebs– Plebeians can become consuls– 287 BC council of the plebs passes laws for all

Roman citizens– Senate still dominates Roman politics

The real “Glory”• Roman Law

– Twelve Tables (450 BC)• Appropriate for simple farming society• Becomes more complex as Rome expands• Applied only to Roman citizens

– Law of Nations • Product of Roman expansion (how do we treat non-

citizens?)• Viewed as a “universal’ or “natural” law based on reason

– Innocent till proven guilty– Accused get to defend themselves in front of a judge– Judge weighs evidence

Further Roman Expansion• Rome v Carthage

– Carthage founded by the Phoenicians in 800 BC– Grows into a powerful trading state in western

Mediterranean– First Punic War 264 - 241 BC– Second Punic War 218 – 201 BC

• Hannibal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VPkHytuyKQ• Battle of Cannae 216 BC• Romans invade Spain in 206 BC• Battle of Zama 202 BC

– Third Punic War 151 – 146 BC• Other Wars

– Macedonia and Greece– By 129 BC Rome controlled all of Mediterranean

From Republic to Empire• Rome loses its way

– Senate increases its power • Rebellion (Gracchus brothers)

– Military changes• Marius (107 BC)

– Personal loyalty– Incentive for military to become involved with politics

• Sulla (82 BC)– Conflict between Senate and Council of the Plebs

– Struggle for power (82 – 31 BC)• The First Triumvirate (60 BC)

– Crassus (richest man in Rome) Given command in Syria– Pompey (successful general) Given command in Spain– Caesar (successful general) Given command in Gaul

Rome From Republic to Empire

• Ancient Rome – Expansion and conquest http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=88945A76-DC57-4A6C-B249-15A6194C4809&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

• http://www.ovguide.com/tv/ancient_rome_the_rise_and_fall_of_an_empire.htm

Beginnings of Empire

• Crassus killed in battle (53 BC)• Senators back Pompey and order Caesar to give up

command• Caesar refuses and marches n Rome (“Crossing the

Rubicon”)• Caesar victorious. Declared dictator in 45 BC

– Gives land to poor– Increases Senate membership to 900 (packing with

supporters)– Assassinated in 44 BC

The Second Triumvirate• Octavian (Caesar’s nephew and heir)• Antony (Caesar’s ally and friend)• Lepidus (Caesar’s cavalry commander)• Lepidus is quickly marginalized and Roman world

split between Antony and Octavian• Conflict ensues

– Alliance with Cleopatra– Battle of Actium

• 31 BC Octavian becomes sole ruler of Rome– “Restoration of Republic”– Declared “Augustus in 27 BC– Declared “Imperator”

• 28 legions (legion = 5,000 men - must be citizens)• 130,000 auxiliary troops• 9,000 “Praetorian Guard”

Empire• Octavian gains power to name his successor

– Tiberius– Caligula – Claudius– Nero

• “Five Good Emperors”– Nerva (96 – 98 AD)– Trajan (98 – 117 AD)– Hadrian (117 – 138 AD)– Antonius Pius (138 – 161 AD)– Marcus Aurelius (161 – 180 AD)

Culture and Society• Rome borrowed heavily from the Greeks

– “idealistic” v “realistic”• Romans were builders (architects and engineers)

– Greek style continued (columns and rectangular buildings)

– Arch, dome and vault become widely used– Concrete used on a massive scale– Roads (50,000 miles!)– Aqueducts (at least 12 for Rome alone!)

• Literature– Virgil– Horace– Livy

• Family Life– “Paterfamilias”– All expected to learn to read– Males are adults at 16– Women can marry at 12, men at 14 (usually later)

• Slavery – Rome came to rely heavily on slavery

• Initially small scale• Growth of empire created huge supply• Greeks used as tutors and doctors, most worked extremely hard

– Spartacus (73 BC)• Rome

– 1 million people– Villas and insulae– Bread and circuses

The Development of Christianity

A clash between the kingdom of heaven and those on earth.

Greek and Roman GodsGreek god Roman god RoleAres MarsZeus JupiterHera JunoAphrodite VenusArtemis DianaAthena MinervaHermes MercuryHades PlutoPoseidon NeptuneHephaestus Vulcan

Greek GodsGod RoleAresZeusHeraAphroditeArtemisAthenaHermesHadesPoseidonHephaestus

Roman Ways

• Religion and state work together• State priests performed rituals that led to

good times• Syncretic and tolerant

Jews in the Roman Empire• Jews given relative freedom in Hellenistic period• Rome gains control and appoints a procurator to

govern province• Split between

– Sadducees• Priestly class who favored cooperation with Rome

– Pharisees• Scholarly class who believed that close observance of Jewish

religious law would protect their identity– Essenes

• Separatists who lived communally waiting for God to save them from oppression

– Zealots• Called for violent overthrow of Roman rule

Christianity• Jesus preached inner spiritual salvation rather than

outward expression of ritual• Ethical characteristics

– Humility– Charity– Love

• God first• Your neighbor as yourself second

• Jesus crucified on order of Roman procurator Pontius Pilate and followers clam that he rose from dead – identified as the Messiah

Spread of Christianity• Role of Apostles

– Simon Peter (fisherman)– Paul (educated Roman Jew) spread message to

Gentiles. Preaches Jesus as savior, Son of God, Christos

• Initial teaching is oral but as letters (epistles) are written a record of Jesus’ life and teachings are collected in the Gospels (Good news). They form the core of the New Testament

Rome’s Reaction

• Initial response is tolerance or ignoring• Christianity becomes seen as dangerous as it

grows– Refusal to worship state gods and emperors seen

as treasonous• Persecution begins during the reign of Nero

Christianity Triumphant• Despite persecution Christianity grows quickly

– Clergy• Priests• Bishops

– Laity• Reasons for growth

– Personal religion gives meaning and purpose to life– Offers immortality as the result of the sacrificial death of a savior-

god– Sense of community

• Constantine (first Christian Emperor)– Edict of Milan 313 ad official tolerance

• Theodosius the Great– Declares Catholic Christianity the official religion of the empire

380 ad

Empire’s End• Death of Marcus Aurelius 180 AD

– 13 years of civil war – Emperor Septimius Severus (pay your soldiers, and ignore everyone else)

– 235 – 284 a time of constant struggle and civil war – 22 emperors

• Problems– Military

• Invasions from without• Civil wars• Use of mercenaries

– Economic• Decline in trade• Decline in farm production• Labor shortage resulting from Plague

Diocletian and Constantine

• Diocletian (284 – 305– Breaks empire down into 4 administrative units– Last persecution of Christians

• Constantine (306 – 337)