Ancient GreeceAncient GreeceLand and HistoryLand and History

OverviewOverview

• Geography & Environment

• Archaic Period & The Rise of The Polis

• Colonies & Tyrants• Athens & Sparta• The Persian Wars• The Peloponnesian Wars• Alexander the Great

Oracle at Delphi

Rise of the GreeksRise of the Greeks• Greeks were resource

poor– Poor soil– Mountain chains– No large river systems

• Consequences– Oriented to the ocean– Stimulated geography,

history– Rivalry with Persian Empire

ancient Greek shipping

PersianKing

Darius III

MediterraneanThe Middle SeaThe Middle Sea

– Uniform ecozone: climate, plants, animals

– Hot summers, stormy winters

– Easy to travel• sea as

connector, not barrier

GeographyGeography• Aegean Sea

coastlines• Empire included

– Mainland Greece– Many islands– Ionia: western Asia

Minor

• Exploiting the sea– Fishing– Trading– Mercenary soldiers

Environment• Unstable geology

– Volcanic zone• European and African

tectonic plate contact• Frequent earthquakes

– Consequences• Religion of oracles

• Deforestation– Probably during Iron Age

(800 BC)– Consequences

• Used stone for building

Oracle of Apollo at Delphi

Ephesus Valley

Resources By LandResources By Land• Arable land

– Thin topsoil, limited rainfall, no large river systems

• Limited carrying capacity

– Dry farming• Barley, olives, grapes• Sheep, goats

• Building stone– Marble

• Clay for pottery• No timber, metals Marble quarry - Naxos

Resources By SeaResources By Sea• Coastline with natural harbours

– Difficult travel overland

• Ports of Call– Northern Aegean

• timber– Anatolia

• gold, iron– Cyprus

• copper– Western Mediterranean

• tin– Black Sea, Egypt, Sicily

• grain

Early HistoryEarly History• MinoanMinoan

– Crete 2000 - 1450 BC– Palaces, writing, statuary

• Mycenaean– 1600 - 1150 BC– Palace states, centralized

economy, fortifications

• Extensive tradeExtensive trade– Mediterranean ports– Wine, oil, metals, grain– Piracy and conquest

Minoan and Minoan and MycenaeanMycenaean

Palace of Minos - KnossosLion Gate - Mycenae

Atlantis and Atlantis and Santorini

• Plato’s legend• Atlantis lost civilization that

sank beneath the sea

• Minoan period Santorini– volcanic eruption 1600 BC– destroyed island of Thera– caused climate change,

decline of Minoan civilization

Archaic Period• Dark Ages

– 1150 - 800 BC– collapse of empires eastern

Mediterranean– loss of trade & knowledge,

isolation

• Phoenician traders– arrived 800 BC– brought trade, writing

system– population explosion

• Intensive farming• Available imports

Phoenician traders

The Rise of the Polis

• Polis = City-State– Urban centre and rural

territory– Rising population -

villages merge into cities– Specialized labour -

crafts, commerce, religion

• Independent Cities– Fiercely jealous– Created rivalry, political

and economic conflict

Hoplite Warfare

• New warfare – hoplite: heavily armed

citizen foot soldier– phalanx: tight, square

formation of hoplites

• Relation to agriculture– Clash of hoplite lines =

quick decision– Survivors returned to

fields

Colonization• Population pressure

– People left or forced out

– founded colonies in• Aegean• Black Sea• Libya• Southern Italy, Sicily

• Impact: new– Markets– Urban planning– Forms of government– Ideas Colony at Samos

An Age of Tyrants

• Feudal kings of Dark Ages replaced with aristocratic councils

• Society included– Merchants & craftsmen– Peasant farmers– Debt slaves

• City-State Tyrant– 7th - 6th cent BC– Held power contrary to established

community traditions– Backed by middle class, hoplite forces

• Rejection of Tyrant Families– transition from oligarchy - power by

wealthy families– to democracy - power by free adult

males

Sparta• conquest, not colonies

– 7th cent BC shortage of land– Attacked Messenia in west

Peloponnese– Reduced population to status of helots (landless farmers)

• fear of uprising– Sparta as military camp– Soldiers owned land, helots

worked it– Best army in Greece through

training• Huge personal price

• Peloponnesian League– Defensive alliances– Isolationist, thus no cultural

development

Spartan hoplite

The Peloponnese

Athens• Solon

– Appointed lawgiver 594 BC: crisis over population, oligarchy

– Created 4 social classes• Based on farm income• Top three: held office• Bottom: vote only

– Abolished debt slavery

• The Tyrant Pisistratus– Seized power 546 BC– Created public buildings, festivals

• Temple of Athena• City Dionysia – drama festival• Panathenaea - religion, athletics,

poetry– Overthrown by 500 BC

Solon

Athenian Democracy• Pericles transferred power to

– Assembly - legislature– Council of 500 - executive– People’s Courts

• Public Office: all men eligible– Elected office

• Public finance• Defence

– Some offices filled by lot– Paid public servants

• Assembly of All Citizens– Public debate of issues– Decisions openly made

Periclesof Athens

The Persian Wars

• Cyrus conquered Anatolia 546 BC– Put down Ionian revolt 499 BC

• Invasion of Greece– Athens defeated Persians at Marathon

490 BC– Invasion by Xerxes 480 BC

• Battle of Thermopylae - 300 Spartans under Leonidas held off army of thousands

• Sack of Athens• Battle of Salamis - Themistocles &

victory at sea– Persian defeat at Plataea 479 BC

• Provisioning large army in the field• Tactical errors at Salamis• Superiority of hoplite arms & training

Battle of Thermopylae

Battle of

Salamis

Height of Athenian

Power• Delian League

– Defensive alliance under Athens• Freed Ionia from Persia• Later dominated by Athens

• Athenian Navy– Reinforced democracy

• Rowers were from lower classes– Controlled large occupied

territory• Tribute paid for works like

Parthenon (Athena), development of arts & sciences

– Promoted commercial interestsParthenon

The Peloponnesian Wars

• Rise of Athens– Control over Delian League– Reaction to sacking

• Fortification of city– Double wall linked city with port

of Piraeus, supplies by sea• New strategy: delay, refusal to

join battle

• Sparta– Earthquake & helot revolt 462

BC– Withdrew from conflict

• Peace of Nicias 421 BCSpartan hoplite

Alexander the Great• Battle of Chaeronea 336 BC

– Philip II of Macedonia defeated Thebes, Athens

– Corinthian League & loss of democracy

• Alexander, son of Philip II– 334 BC invasion of Persia– Conquest of Persia, India, Egypt– Established local rule, Greek-style cities– Died 323 BC

• Division of Empire– Seleucids in Persia– Ptolemies in Egypt– Antigonids in Macedon & Hellas

• Spread of Hellenistic culture

The Hellenistic Age• Greek domination of Middle East

– Long lasting impact• Diffusion of Greek culture

– Privileged class of soldiers, scholars, administrators

– Integration with local culture• Greek Cities

– Alexandria• Library, Museum, Lighthouse

– Greek Gymnasia• Taught alphabet, writing

Alexander Gate - Jerusalem

The Lighthouse - Alexandria

Next Lecture

• Ancient Greece - Cities