the Ancient Greeks - 6th Grade Social...

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A ncient G reeks The c. 750 B. C. Greece’s Dark Age comes to an end c. 650 B. C. Tyrants over- throw nobles in city-states 480 B. C. Xerxes invades Greece 431 B. C. Peloponnesian War begins 700 B. C. 600 B. C. 500 B. C. 400 B. C. 700 B. C. 600 B. C. 500 B. C. 400 B. C. The Parthenon rises above the city of Athens. The people of ancient Greece built this temple to celebrate their goddess Athena. Vanni Archive/CORBIS

Transcript of the Ancient Greeks - 6th Grade Social...

Ancient GreeksThe

c. 750 B.C.Greece’s DarkAge comes toan end

c. 650 B.C.Tyrants over-throw noblesin city-states

480 B.C.XerxesinvadesGreece

431 B.C.PeloponnesianWar begins

700 B.C. 600 B.C. 500 B.C. 400 B.C.700 B.C. 600 B.C. 500 B.C. 400 B.C.

The Parthenon rises above the cityof Athens. The people of ancientGreece built this temple to celebrate their goddess Athena.

Vanni Archive/CORBIS

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Chapter Overview Visitca.hss.glencoe.com for a preview of Chapter 7.

The Early GreeksPhysical geography plays a role in how civilizations develop and decline.

Greece’s mountains, climate, and surrounding seas played a largerole in its history. The earliest civilizations in Greece were theMinoans and the Mycenaeans.

Sparta and AthensSystems of order, such as law and government, contribute to stable

societies. Athens and Sparta, the two major city-states in ancientGreece, developed different governments that emphasized oppositeaspects of society. Sparta focused on its military, while Athensfocused on trade, culture, and democracy.

Persia Attacks the GreeksConflict often brings about great changes. The Persian Empire gained

control of most of southwest Asia. However, when the Persianstried to conquer the Greeks, Athens and Sparta united to defeat them.

The Age of PericlesCivilizations with strong economies prosper and grow. Under the

leadership of Pericles, Athens became a powerful city-state with astrong economy and blossoming culture.

View the Chapter 7 video in the Glencoe Video Program.

Summarizing Information Make this foldable to help you organize andsummarize information about the ancient Greeks.

Reading and WritingAs you read the chapter,write information undereach appropriate tab. Besure to summarize theinformation you find bywriting only main ideasand supporting details.

Step 1 Mark themidpoint of a side edgeof one sheet of paper.Then fold the outsideedges in to touch themidpoint.

Step 2 Fold the paper in half again from side toside.

Step 3 Open thepaper and cut alongthe inside fold linesto form four tabs.

Step 4 Label as shown.Cut along the

fold lines on both sides.

TheEarly

GreeksPersia

Attacksthe

Greeks

Spartaand

Athens

TheAge ofPericles

333

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Good readers compare and contrast information as they read. Thismeans they look for similarities and differences. Comparing the ways inwhich people, places, or ideas are the same or different helps youunderstand how each is unique. Look for signal words in the text. Somecomparison signal words are same, at the same time, like, and still.Contrast signal words include some, others, different, however, rather, yet,but, and or. Read the passage about Persian religion and then look at thequestions that follow.

Comparing and Contrasting

Look for the compare and

contrast signal words when

you take tests.

334

1) Persian religion is beingcompared to Jewish religion.

3) Like signals a comparison,and however signals contrast.

2) The similarities are high-lighted in blue and the con-trasts in orange.

Like the Jews, Zoroaster believedin one god. He viewed this supremebeing as the creator of all things anda force of goodness. However,Zoroaster recognized evil in theworld, too. He taught that humanshad the freedom to choose betweenright and wrong, and that goodnesswould triumph in the end.

— from page 353

As you compare and contrast, ask these questions:1) What things are being compared or contrasted?2) Which characteristics can be compared or con-

trasted? 3) How are they similar, and how are they different?4) Are there any signal words?

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As you read the chapter, choose threepairs of subjects to compare and con-trast. List the similarities and differ-ences using a graphic organizer, suchas the one above.

Read the passage and the directions below.

Read Section 2 and use a chart like the one below toorganize the similarities and differences between Spartaand Athens. In the first column, fill in the characteristicsthat you will compare and contrast. In the second andthird columns, describe the characteristics of each city-state.

335

Reread the passagelabeled Roles of Men andWomen in Section 4 ofthis chapter. Then writea short paragraphcomparing andcontrasting what lifewas like for men andwomen in ancientAthens.

Read to Write

Athens and Sparta, the twomajor city-states in ancient Greece,developed different governmentsthat emphasized opposite aspectsof society. Sparta focused on itsmilitary, while Athens focused ontrade, culture, and democracy.

— from page 333

Characteristic Sparta Athens

Spartan warrior

Foto

Mar

bur

g/A

rt R

esou

rce,

NY

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c. 2000 B.C.Minoans control easternMediterranean

c. 1200 B.C.Mycenaeancivilization declines

c. 750 B.C.Greece’s Dark Agecomes to an end

GREECE

Crete Knossos

Mycenae

2000 B.C. 1250 B.C. 500 B.C.2000 B.C. 1250 B.C. 500 B.C.

336 CHAPTER 7 • The Ancient Greeks

Early GreeksThe

Looking Back, Looking AheadIn Chapters 1 and 2, you learned

about Mesopotamia and Egypt. Thesecivilizations grew up in great rivervalleys with rich soil. Greece had nogreat river valleys. Instead, it hadmountains, rocky soil, and manymiles of seacoasts.

Focusing on the • The geography of Greece influenced

where people settled and what theydid. (page 337)

• The Minoans earned their living bybuilding ships and trading. (page 338)

• Mycenaeans built the first Greek king-doms and spread their power acrossthe Mediterranean region. (page 339)

• The idea of citizenship developed inGreek city-states. (page 341)

• Colonies and trade spread Greek culture and spurred industry. (page 343)

Meeting PeopleAgamemnon (A•guh•MEHM•nahn)

Locating PlacesCrete (KREET) Mycenae (my•SEE•nee)Peloponnesus

(PEH• luh•puh•NEE•suhs)

Content Vocabularypeninsula (puh•NIHN•suh• luh)polis (PAH• luhs)agora (A•guh•ruh)colony (KAH• luh•nee)

Academic Vocabularyregion (REE• juhn)culture (KUHL•chuhr)overseas (OH•vuhr•SEEZ)community (kuh•MYOO•nuh•tee)

Reading StrategyFinding Details Draw a diagram likethe one below. In each oval write onedetail about a polis.

polis

HistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH6.4 Studentsanalyze the geographic,political, economic,religious, and socialstructures of the earlycivilizations of AncientGreece.

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WH6.4.1 Discuss the connections between geography and the development of city-states in the region of the Aegean Sea, includingpatterns of trade and commerce among Greek city-states and within the wider Mediterranean region.

100 kilometers0Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection

100 miles0

20°E 30°E

40°N

30°E

20°E

A e g e a nS e a

Sea ofMarmara

M e d i t e r r a n e a nS e a

I o n i a nS e a

S e a o f C r e t e

M

e di t e r r a n e a n

Se a

Gulf of Corinth

G R E E C E

Crete

B A L K A NP E N I N S U L A

PELOPONNESUS

Mt. Olympus

M A C E D O N I A

A S I A M I N O R

Miletus

Sparta

Athens

ThebesDelphi

Corinth

Troy

Knossos

Mycenae

N

S

W E

Ancient Greece c. 750 B.C.

The Geography of GreeceThe geography of Greece influenced

where people settled and what they did.

Reading Connection Do you rake leaves in the fall?

Do you walk uphill to school? Your answers explain how

geography shapes your life. Read to learn how geogra-

phy shaped life in early Greece.

If you fly over Greece today, you will seea mountainous land framed by sparklingblue water. To the west is the Ionian (eye •OH • nee • uhn) Sea, to the south is theMediterranean Sea, and to the east is theAegean (ih • JEE • uhn) Sea. Hundreds ofislands lie offshore, stretching across to Asialike stepping-stones. Mainland Greece is a

peninsula (puh • NIHN • suh • luh)—a body ofland with water on three sides.

Many ancient Greeks made a living fromthe sea. They became fishers, sailors, andtraders. Others settled in farming communi-ties. Greece’s mountains and rocky soil werenot ideal for growing crops. However, the cli-mate was mild, and in some places peoplecould grow wheat, barley, olives, and grapes.They also raised sheep and goats.

Ancient Greeks felt deep ties to the land,but the mountains and seas divided themfrom one another. As a result, early Greekcommunities grew up fiercely independent.

Cause and Effect How didgeography discourage Greek unity?

Ancient Greece

KEY

Mountains and seasplayed an important role in Greek history.

1. Location What body of water liesdirectly east of the BalkanPeninsula?

2. Movement What transportationwas probably most useful to theearly Greeks?

Find NGS online map resources @www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

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WH6.4 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Ancient Greece.

WH6.4.1 Discuss the connections between geography and the development of city-states in the region of the Aegean Sea,including patterns of trade and commerce among Greek city-states and within the wider Mediterranean region.

Minoan calendar

This wall painting from Knossos shows Minoansparticipating in a dangerous sport called bull leaping.Who discovered the palace at Knossos?

338 CHAPTER 7 • The Ancient Greeks

The MinoansThe Minoans earned their living by

building ships and trading.

Reading Connection Imagine what it would be like

to uncover a building that is more than 5,000 years old.

Read to learn how such a discovery unlocked clues to

Greece’s ancient past.

The island of Crete (KREET) lies southeastof the Greek mainland. There, in 1900, anEnglish archaeologist by the name of ArthurEvans made the find of a lifetime. Evansuncovered the ruins of a grand palace thathad been the center of Minoan (muh •NOH •uhn) civilization. The Minoans were notGreeks, but their civilization was the first toarise in the region that later became Greece.

The palace at Knossos (NAH • suhs) re-vealed the riches of an ancient society. Itstwisting passageways led to many differentrooms: private quarters for the royal family

and storerooms packed with oil, wine, andgrain. Other spaces were workshops formaking jewelry, vases, and small ivory stat-ues. The palace even had bathrooms.

The Minoans made their wealth fromtrade. They built ships from oak and cedartrees and sailed as far as Egypt and Syria.There they traded pottery and stone vasesfor ivory and metals. By 2000 B.C., Minoanships controlled the eastern MediterraneanSea. They carried goods to foreign portsand kept the sea secure from pirates.

About 1450 B.C., the Minoan civilizationsuddenly collapsed. Some historians thinkundersea earthquakes caused giant wavesthat washed away the Minoans’ cities.Others think the cities were destroyed by a group of Greeks from the mainland.These invaders were called the Mycenaeans(MY • suh •NEE •uhns).

Explain How did theMinoans become a trading civilization?

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WH6.4 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Ancient Greece.

WH6.4.1 Discuss the connections between geography and the development of city-states in the region of the Aegean Sea,including patterns of trade and commerce among Greek city-states and within the wider Mediterranean region.

The First Greek Kingdoms Mycenaeans built the first Greek

kingdoms and spread their power across theMediterranean region.

Reading Connection What is the most important build-

ing in the area where you live? Is it a government building,

a grocery store, or a hospital? Read to find out what build-

ing was most important in the Mycenaean civilization.

The Mycenaeans were originally fromcentral Asia. They invaded the Greekmainland around 1900 B.C. and conqueredthe people living there. The Mycenaeanleaders became the first Greek kings. Theirwarriors became nobles who ruled the peo-ple they had conquered. In the late 1800s, aGerman named Heinrich Schliemann (HYN•rihk SHLEE • MAHN) discovered one of theirwalled palaces in Mycenae (my • SEE • nee).He named the people of this civilization theMycenaeans.

What Were Mycenaean Kingdoms Like?The centerpiece of each Mycenaean king-dom was a fortified palace on a hill. Theruler lived there, surrounded by giant stonewalls. Beyond the palace walls lay largefarms, or estates, that belonged to thenobles. Slaves and farmers lived on theestates and took shelter inside the fortressin times of danger.

Mycenaean palaces hummed with activ-ity. Artisans tanned leather, sewed clothes,and made jars for wine and olive oil. Otherworkers made bronze swords and ox-hideshields. Government officials kept track ofthe wealth of every person in the kingdom.Then they collected wheat, livestock, andhoney as taxes and stored them in the palace.

Power From Trade and War Soon afterthe Mycenaeans set up their kingdoms,Minoan traders began to visit from Crete.

As a result, Mycenaeans learned muchabout Minoan culture. They copied theways Minoans worked with bronze andbuilt ships. They learned how theMinoans used the sun and stars to findtheir way at sea. The Mycenaeans evenstarted worshiping the Earth Mother, theMinoans’ chief goddess.

Around 1400 B.C., the Mycenaeansreplaced the Minoans as the major poweron the Mediterranean. They traded widely,sailing to Egypt and southern Italy. Some

CHAPTER 7 • The Ancient Greeks 339

The ruins at Mycenae includedthis gate. What layoutside the walls of aMycenaean palace?

Gold mask of Agamemnon

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historians think they conquered Crete andnearby islands.

Although trade made the Mycenaeanswealthy, they were prouder of their deedsin battle. Their most famous victory is prob-ably the Trojan War. In the next chapter, youwill learn the legend of how the Mycenaeanking Agamemnon (A • guh • MEHM • nahn)used trickery to win that war.

What Was the Dark Age? By 1200 B.C., theMycenaeans were in trouble. Earthquakesand fighting among the kingdoms haddestroyed their hilltop forts. By 1100 B.C.,Mycenaean civilization had collapsed.

The years between 1100 B.C. and 750 B.C.were difficult for the Greeks. Overseas tradeslowed, and poverty took hold. Farmers grewonly enough food to meet their own family’sneeds. People also stopped teaching othershow to write or do craftwork. Before long, theGreeks had forgotten their written languageand how to make many things. As a result,historians call this time the Dark Age.

The changes that took place in the DarkAge were not all bad, however. One posi-tive development was a huge populationshift. Thousands of Greeks left the main-land and settled on islands in the AegeanSea. Other Greeks moved to the westernshores of Asia Minor, to what is now thecountry of Turkey. This wave of movementexpanded the reach of Greek culture.

Meanwhile, a Greek-speaking peopleknown as the Dorians (DOHR • ee • uhns),who lived in Greece’s northern mountains,began to move south. Many settled in thesouthwest on the Peloponnesus (PEH • luh •puh • NEE • suhs). The Dorians brought ironweapons with them, giving Greece moreadvanced technology. Iron weapons andfarm tools were stronger and cheaper thanthose made of bronze.

Gradually, farmers began to produce sur-plus food again. As a result, trade revived.One benefit of the increased trade was a newway of writing. As you read in Chapter 3, theGreeks picked up the idea of an alphabetfrom the Phoenicians, one of their tradingpartners who lived on the coast of the easternMediterranean.

The Greek alphabet had 24 letters thatstood for different sounds. It made readingand writing Greek much simpler than everbefore. Soon people were writing down talesthat had been passed down by storytellersfor generations.

Identify Why were theMycenaeans able to become a major power in theMediterranean region?

WrittenName

EnglishSound

GreekLetter

alphabeta

deltagamma

epsilonzeta

theta

kappa

mu

omicronxi

eta

iota

lambda

nu

rhopi

psi

phi

tau

chi

upsilon

sigma

omega

ab

dg

ez

th

c, k

m

ox

e

i

l

n

rp

ps

ph

t

ch

y, u

s

o

The Greek AlphabetThe Greek Alphabet

The Greek alphabet was based on the Phoenician alphabet. What happened to Greek writing during the Dark Age?

340 CHAPTER 7 • The Ancient Greeks

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WH6.4.1 Discuss the connections between geography and the development of city-states in the region of the Aegean Sea, includingpatterns of trade and commerce among Greek city-states and within the Mediterranean region.WH 6.4.2 Trace the transition from tyranny and oligarchy to early democratic forms of government and back to dictatorship in ancient Greece, including the significance of the invention of the idea of citizenship (e.g., from Pericles’ Funeral Oration).

The PolisThe idea of citizenship developed in

Greek city-states.

Reading Connection Did you know that the word “poli-

tics” comes from polis, the Greek term for a city-state? Read

to find how the Greeks also created the idea of citizenship.

By the end of the Dark Age, manynobles who owned large estates had over-thrown the Greek kings. They created city-states. Like the Mesopotamian city-statesyou read about in Chapter 1, those inGreece were made up of a town or city andthe surrounding countryside. Each Greekcity-state, known as a polis (PAH • luhs), waslike a tiny independent country.

The main gathering place in the poliswas usually a hill. A fortified area, called anacropolis (uh •KRAH •puh • luhs), stood at thetop of the hill. It provided a safe refuge incase of attacks. Sometimes the acropolisalso served as a religious center. Templesand altars were built there to honor themany Greek gods and goddesses.

Below the acropolis was an open areacalled an agora (A•guh•ruh). This space hadtwo functions: it was both a market and aplace where people could meet and debateissues. Just beyond the agora lay the farm-land that belonged to the city-states.

City-states varied in size. Because of themountains and seas, most city-states weresmall and very independent. A few wereonly a few square miles in size, but somecovered hundreds of square miles. Theyalso varied in population. Athens was byfar the largest. By 500 B.C., nearly 300,000people lived there. Most city-states weremuch smaller than Athens.

What Was Greek Citizenship? EachGreek city-state was run by its citizens.When we speak of citizens, we mean mem-

bers of a political community who treateach other as equals and who have rightsand responsibilities. This was very differ-ent from ancient Mesopotamia or Egypt.There, most people were subjects. Theyhad no rights, no say in government, andno choice but to obey their rulers.

The Greeks were the first people todevelop the idea of citizenship. Today, theword applies to almost everyone in a society.However, in most Greek city-states, only freenative-born men who owned land could becitizens. From their point of view, the city-state was made up of their lands, and it wastheir responsibility to run it.

Some city-states, such as Athens, eventu-ally dropped the land-owning requirement.

CHAPTER 7 • The Ancient Greeks 341

Athenian Soldier’s Oath

In the Greek city of Athens, soldiers took this oath:“I will not disgrace my sacredarms nor desert my comrade,

wherever I am stationed. . . .I will obey the ruling magis-trates who rule reasonably.And I will observe theestablished laws and

whatever laws in thefuture may be reasonably

established. If any personseek to overturn

the laws. . . .I will oppose him.I will honor the

religion of myfathers.”

—Athenian Ephebic Oath,Clarence A. Forbes, trans.

Identify six things each soldier promisesto do in taking the oath.

Greek soldier

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Slaves and foreign-born residents, however,continued to be excluded. Women and chil-dren might qualify for citizenship, but theyhad none of the rights that went with it.

What exactly were the rights of Greek cit-izens? They could gather in the agora tochoose their officials and pass laws. They hadthe right to vote, hold office, own property,and defend themselves in court. In return,citizens had a duty to serve in governmentand to fight for their polis as citizen soldiers.

Citizens as Soldiers In early Greece, warswere waged by nobles riding horses andchariots. As the idea of citizenship devel-oped, however, the military systemchanged. By 700 B.C., the city-states hadbegun to depend on armies of ordinary cit-izens called hoplites (HAHP • LYTS).

Unable to afford horses, the hoplitesfought on foot and went into battle heavilyarmed. Each soldier carried a round shield, a short sword, and a 9-foot (2.7-m) spear. Rowupon row of soldiers marched forwardtogether, shoulder to shoulder in a formationcalled a phalanx (FAY • langks). With theirshields creating a protective wall, they gavetheir enemies few openings to defeat them.

Hoplites made good soldiers because, ascitizens, they took pride in fighting for theircity-state. However, “hometown” loyaltiesalso divided the Greeks and caused them todistrust one another. A lack of unity alwaysexisted among the Greek city-states.

Explain How did citizenshipmake the Greeks different from other ancientpeoples?

500 kilometers

500 miles0

0

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection

N

S

WE

0° 20°E

30°N

50°N

50°N

40°E

MediterraneanSea

Black Sea

Red Sea

EuphratesR.

Tigris R.

Nile

R.

ATLANTICOCEAN

Corsica

Sicily

CreteCyprus

ASIAMINOR

A F R I C A

GREECE

ITALY

EGYPT

SpartaAthens

Troy

Tyre

Greek Colonies and Trade 750–550 B.C.

1. Movement Which islands werehome to Greek colonies?

2. Location On which continentscould Greek colonies be found?

Trade routeGreeceGreek colonies

KEY

342 CHAPTER 7 • The Ancient Greeks

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WH6.4.1 Discuss the connections between geography and the development of city-states in the region of the Aegean Sea, includingpatterns of trade and commerce among Greek city-states and within the wider Mediterranean region.

Reading SummaryReview the • Geography influenced the way

Greek communities developed.

• The Minoan civilization on theisland of Crete built ships andbecame wealthy from trade.

• The Mycenaeans created thefirst Greek kingdoms.

• After the Dark Age, the Greeks setup colonies and trade increased.

• The idea of citizenship developedin Greek city-states.

1. What made the Minoanswealthy?

2. How was a Greek city-statedifferent from a city?

Critical Thinking3. Compare Create a Venn dia-

gram to compare the Minoansand Mycenaeans.

4. How did earlyGreek civilizations use theirnatural surroundings to prosperand grow?

5. Citizenship Skills Namethree rights granted to Greekcitizens that American citizenshave today.

6. Economics Connection Whydid the use of money helptrade to grow?

7. Comparing andContrasting Write an essaythat compares and contraststhe Mycenaeans and theDorians. Look for clues in thetext that will help you makethese comparisons. CA 6WA2.2

CA HI6.

CA 6RC2.3

CA CS3.

CA 6RC2.2

What Did You Learn?

Minoan Both Mycenaean

CHAPTER 7 • The Ancient Greeks 343

A Move to ColonizeColonies and trade spread Greek culture

and spurred industry.

Reading Connection If you read labels, you know

that your food and clothing come from all over the

world. Read to find out where the early Greeks got

their goods.

As Greece recovered from its Dark Age,its population rose quickly. By 700 B.C., city-states could no longer grow enough grainto feed everyone. As a result, cities begansending people outside Greece to startcolonies (KAH • luh •nees). A colony is a settle-ment in a new territory that stays closelylinked to its homeland.

Between 750 B.C. and 550 B.C., adventur-ous Greeks streamed to the coasts of Italy,France, Spain, North Africa, and westernAsia. With each new colony, Greek culturespread farther.

Colonists traded regularly with their“parent” cities, shipping them grains, metals,fish, timber, and enslaved people. In return,the colonists received pottery, wine, and oliveoil from the mainland. Overseas trade got anextra boost during the 600s B.C., when theGreeks began to mint coins. Merchants weresoon exchanging goods for currency ratherthan for more goods.

By importing grain and other foods fromtheir colonies, many city-states could supporta much larger population. This made it veryimportant to protect their colonies, otherwisepeople would starve. Trade also led to thegrowth of industry. As the demand for goodsgrew, producers had to keep pace. People indifferent areas began specializing in certainproducts. For example, pottery became pop-ular in places with large amounts of clay.

Cause and Effect How didthe founding of new colonies affect industry?

Study Central Need help understanding theimportance of geography in ancient Greece? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

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