Chapter 3

The Civilizations of the Greeks: Part I. The Bronze Age

Chapter 3, The Civilization of the Greeks

Early Greece The Greeks in a Dark Age (c. 1100­c. 750 B.C.) The World of the Greek City­States (c. 750­ c. 500 B.C.) The High Point of Greek Civilization: Classical Greece Culture and Society of Classical Greece

Geography of Greece

Mainland Greece Rocky and Mountainous Fertile plains No navigable rivers Limited natural resources Long coastline with many harbors

Aegean Islands The Cycladic Islands Crete

Bronze Age Greece

Heinrich Schliemann, the Trojan War, and the recovery of Bronze Age Greece _______________ Greece _______________ Crete

King Minos, Queen Pasiphaë, the Minotaur, and the Labyrinth Sir Arthur Evans and the excavation of Knossos

Which civilization came first?

Minoan Crete, c. 2000­1450 B.C. Palaces

Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia, etc. Control of sea trade Wall Paintings Religion Thera (?Atlantis!) Literate – Linear A Peaceful

No fortifications

Mycenaean Greece, c. 1600­1200 B.C.

Palaces Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, Thebes, Athens, etc. Fortified citadels • “Cyclopean” masonry

______________ Warrior Burials Conquest of Minoan Crete Trojan War Agamenmon of Mycenae

Literate – _______________

The End of the Bronze Age Mycenaean citadels destroyed c. 1200 B.C. What could have happened? • ______________? • ______________? • ______________?

Connection with the end of the Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean (Hittites, Egypt) _________________

The Trojan War

[Mycenaean] Greeks vs. Troy, c. 1200 B.C.

Troy Level VII A, c. 1250 B.C.

Chapter 3

The Civilizations of the Greeks: Part II

Dark Ages through Archaic Period

Ancient Greece Bronze Age – 2 nd millennium B.C. Minoan Crete Mycenaean Greece

Dark Age, 1100­750 B.C. Archaic Period, 750­500 B.C. Classical Period, 500­323 B.C. High Point of Greek Civilization

Depopulation – from 12 th to 9 th centuries Possible invasion of new peoples

Dorian­speaking Greeks Collapse of agricultural production

More herding, less farming Disappearance of Mycenaean Way of Life

No _____________ No _____________ No _____________

Some Greeks migrate across the Aegean Ionians Aeolians

Dark Age Greece, c. 1100­750 B.C.

Material culture poorer than Mycenaean times crude painted pottery

Oral poetry handed down from Mycenaean times Homeric epics and other myths

Dark Age Greece, c. 1100­750 B.C.

Homer, c. 8 th century B.C. Blind bard Oral Transmission

The Iliad Trojan War Achilles The Homeric Ideal, Spielvogel, p.56 • “________________”

The movie Troy, 2004 The Odyssey – Odysseus’ voyage home To what era do the stories belong?

Homer and Homeric Greece, c. 1100­750 B.C.

Homer

Rise in population Improvements in agriculture Economy shifted from _______ to _______

_____ replaced ______ Competition for resources Revival of trade Phoenicians trading with Greece

__________ re­introduced

End of the Dark Ages: Major changes in the 8 th cent. B.C.

The Polis (plural Poleis) = City­State Urban Center Acropolis Agora (market) citizenship

Poleis varied in size, natural resources, wealth Each polis had unique government, art, society, religious developments Community in which all _______ were entitled to participate at some level

The Rise of the Polis, c. 750 B.C.­500 B.C.

Our word “politics” comes from polis, but the polis is much more than politics: Economic Social Religious • Each polis had a patron god or goddess

Best known poleis = Athens and Sparta Competition! Olympic Games, 776 B.C.

The Rise of the Polis, c. 750 B.C.­500 B.C.

Monarchy Typical Bronze Age Government Few monarchies survived past the Bronze Age

Aristocracy aristos = best; cratos = rule

Oligarchy oligos = few; archos = power

Tyranny Democracy

Governments of the Poleis, c. 750 B.C.­500 B.C.

Three changes in society led to political change: 1. Wealth

• From farming, trade 2. _____________ 3. _____________

Developments in Archaic Greece, c. 750­500 B.C.

Overpopulation Motives:

Economic frustration Political frustration

New poleis founded throughout the eastern Mediterranean

Colony Mother­city

Trade and commerce Cultural diffusion

1500 Greek city­states Alphabet Art Architecture Coinage

Greek Colonization, c. 750­550 B.C.

Bronze Age warfare – chariots and heavily armed soldiers Early Iron Age warfare ­ cavalry Military Change in the 8 th century: Hoplites Heavily armed infantrymen • Helmet, breastplate, leg guards, shield • Thrusting spear • Sword Phalanx formation • 4 to 8 rows deep

A New Military System

Aristocrats in power Excluded people Poor Middle class The new rich

What could those excluded from power do about it? Political tension Refusal to fight to support the polis Support alternative leaders

Outgrowth of the Changes = Political Changes

The ancient Greek Tyrant, a ruler who: Seized power by force (coup d’etat) Ruled like a monarch (i.e., above the law) Held powers that became hereditary Was supported by the groups who were opposed to the aristocratic oligarchies Was backed by the hoplites

Important stage in the development of the polis Freed the citizens from the outdated aristocratic system

Tyranny was over by the end of the 6 th century B.C.

Tyranny

Laconia Conquered Messenia, c. 730 B.C. Helots Lycurgus Spielvogel, p. 60

Military Service

Sparta: The Military Ideal

Dual kings Council of elders (gerousia) 28 citizens over 60 years old

Ephors 5 magistrates elected annually to supervise education and serve as judges

Assembly of all male citizens (apella)

The Spartan Government (Oligarchy)

Society Spartiates Perioeci (“those who live around”) Helots

Family Life Boys Girls Marriage Wives and Mothers

The Spartan State

Spartan runner

Athens in the Dark Age Governed by 9 aristocratic archons Council of nobles (Areopagus)

Tensions in the 7 th century B.C. Debt slavery

6 th century – emerging democracy Draco, 620 B.C. Solon, 594 B.C.

Athens

Solon

Divided Athenians into 4 classes based on income:

“500 measure (bushel)­men” “300 measure men” “200 measure men” Laborers

Archons and Areopagus from the 2 highest classes 3 rd class participated in new council of 400, the boule All classes vote in the assembly and participate in law courts

= Emerging democracy

Solon, the Law­Giver, 594 B.C.

Athens: The Move to Tyranny Pisistratis

Tyrant 560 ­556 B.C.; 546­527 B.C. Very popular Athens very peaceful and prosperous

Succeeded by unpopular sons Hippias and Hipparchus (assassinated in 514 B.C.)

Hippias forced into exile in 510 B.C.

The Reforms of Cleisthenes, 508­501 B.C.

Weaken the power of localities and regions Ten new tribes, a cross section of the population Council of 500, fifty representatives from each tribe Democracy (demos, “people,” and kratia, “power”)

Greek Culture in the Archaic Age Lyric Poetry Sappho • Spielvogel, p. 64 Hesiod • Spielvogel, p. 63

Greek Culture in the Archaic Age Sculpture Kouros Kore