Ancient Greece

What is a city-state?

• It is a city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit

In Classical Greece (2,000-300 B.C.) city states were separated from each other by geography

Mountains Islands

Since these city-states were separated from each other, they were independent from each other and rarely united which each other.

Ruins of an ancient Greek city-state

The design of these city-states usually included either :

An acropolis:

a fortified hilltopor

An agora:

a marketplace

Trojan War

During the 1200’s B.C. the Mycenaeans fought a ten year war against the Trojans over a woman. According to legend, a Greek army besieged and destroyed Troy because a Trojan prince kidnapped the beautiful Helen. Greek stories suggest that Troy was overthrown when invaders hid inside a hollow wooden horse.

• First Greek city-state to move toward Democracy

• Originates from the Greek words “demos” meaning people and “kratien” meaning rule

by (hence, rule by the people)• Citizens of Athens participated directly in

discussions and decisions related to the the city.

Athens

“The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.”

Winston Churchill

Do you agree with this? Why or why not?

Sparta

This Greek city built a military state

•Created the most powerful army in Greece

•Had Spartan boys train from age 7 –30

•Used successful military strategy

*Use advanced military technology

We Are …….

The Battle of Thermopylae (480 B.C.)

While King Leonidas led 300 Spartan warriors against over 300,000 Persian warriors at Thermopylae…

Themistocles fought against the Persian fleet and succeeded in sinking or capturing at least 200 Persian ships.

Greek Philosophers

Aristotle 384-322 B.C.

Opened his own school in Lyceum

Plato 427-347 B.C.

founded the “Academy” and wrote

“The Republic”

Socrates 470-399 B.C. created the Socratic

Method to gain knowledge

Alexander the Great 365-323 B.C.• Extremely successful military leader from Macedon

• His conquests included Anatolia, Syria, Phoenicia,

Judea, Gaza, Egypt, Bactria and Mesopotamia, and

he extended the boundaries of his own empire as far

as Punjab, India.

• By the time time of his death he had conquered most

of the known world

• Was responsible for spreading Hellenistic Culture