The GreeksThe Greeks

MinoansMinoans• Around 2,000 B.C.E. the Minoan civilization

developed on the Mediterranean island of Crete • They were influenced by the Egyptians and the

Phoenicians, but they were very different in many ways

• At Knossos they build lavish palaces with plumbing and drainage systems for their rulers – these palaces indicate a very sophisticated society

• We know a great deal about the Minoans from the frescoes they painted

• They developed a style of writing called Linear A, which uses symbols to form syllables.

• Gradually Crete became the center for Mediterranean trade

• About 1700 B.C.E. an earthquake destroyed the Minoan society

• The Cretans rebuilt their palaces, but their wealth attracted foreign invaders

• By 11000 B.C.E. the Minoans had been taken over by invaders

MycenaeanMycenaean• About 2,200 B.C.E. an Indo-European group of

nomads settled the Greek peninsula• The Mycenaeans emerged in present day Greece

and transformed Linear A to Linear B. • They expanded their influence and ventured

beyond Greece to Sicily, southern Italy, and Crete• About 1,200 B.C.E. they became involved in a

struggle with the city of Troy in Anatolia• This war was the source of Homer’s Iliad• After 1,100 B.C.E. the Mycenaean civilization fell

into decline• Between 1,100 and 800 B.C.E. is known as the

Dark Ages

Archaic Period 800 – 480 B.C.E.Archaic Period 800 – 480 B.C.E.• With no central authority the Greeks developed

independent city-states • Unlike the Chinese or Persians the Greeks did not

develop a centralized state – they preferred poleis• These poleis became the centers for population

and trade• By the end of the dark Ages several had emerged

as large and powerful• Most notably Athens and Sparta

SpartaSparta• Sparta, located in the Peloponnesus, used their

prisoners as helots, or slaves, and these slaves soon outnumbered the Spartans.

• The helots were not chained but they were not free either

• The role of the helot was to provide the Spartans with a constant food supply

• Due to this, the Spartans were forced into a life dictated by military stature to ensure their power and minimize the chance of slave revolts.

• The Spartans maintained a simple, austere lifestyle

• They did not accumulate wealth, nor did the women wear jewelry

• Success in Spartan society came from military endeavors and heroism

• Boys left their families at seven to live in military barracks

• At 20 they became soldiers and remained soldiers until they retired

• At 30 they could leave the barrack and live with their wife

AthensAthens• Both Athens and Sparta grew rapidly. However,

Athens was dominated by a government for the people and was not driven by discipline and sacrifice like the Spartans

• The political process was limited to a small number of the people, making their democracy very different than modern day democracies.

• Only a few adult males could participate in politics and not all Athenians were citizens

• Gradually, to ease social problems more people were allowed to participate

• Democracy– Demos (People) and Cracy (Rule)

• With a limited amount of farmland the Athenians were forced to use the sea and establish colonies

• Athenians prospered because of trade which made the wealthy even wealthier

• Gradually the aristocrats purchased all the small plots of land

• Poor people who fell into debt could sell themselves into slavery to pay off the debt

• With a growing population and increasing social problems Athens was forced to address the problems debt and land shortages

SolonSolon• Athens grew very rapidly, as did the gap between the

rich and poor.• In response, Solon negotiated a compromise that

cancelled all debts of poor farmers and outlawed the process of selling yourself into slavery, but he let the aristocracy keep their land

• He also gave the lower class more political rights, setting examples for future peoples

• He allowed any person with enough time the opportunity to participate on the councils – in reality only the wealthy had the spare time!

• Eventually commoners did receive payment for participation in the government

Classical period 480 – 323 B.C.E.Classical period 480 – 323 B.C.E.• Solon’s reforms help move Athens towards a

democracy, but the greatest changes would be made by Pericles

• Pericles was an aristocratic leader committed to democratic ideals. He appointed hundreds of ordinary people to government positions.

• He was the leader of Athens from 443 B.C.E. until his death in 429 B.C.E.

• Under his leadership Athens flourished

Greek ExpansionGreek Expansion

• The Greeks grew rapidly and thus branched out across the Mediterranean, often staying close to the sea.

• They exchanged ideas on the coastal waterways through trade.

• This had a huge effect on the rest of the world as Greek ideologies and language spread throughout the world.

The PersiansThe Persians

• The Persians had also created a large empire in Anatolia and felt threatened by the Greeks.

• Darius, a Persian king, sent a force to destroy the Greeks but was defeated at the Battle of Marathon.

• His successor Xerxes also set out to destroy Greece, but after he successfully burned Athens he was defeated at the Battle of Salamis.

The Delian LeagueThe Delian League• After the Persian War Athens was supreme

a) strong navyb) democratic institutionsc) excellent cultural lifed) prosperous trade

• Sparta withdrew returned to isolationism• Athens assume control of the Delian League

a) liberate Ionian citiesb) be prepared for war

• Athens supplied 200 shipsOthers paid cash

• Other city-states that protested were punished by Athens

• Pericles even used Delian League money was used to build the Parthenon in Athens

• The situation continued to get worse until several of the poleis combined to fight back

The Peloponnesian WarThe Peloponnesian War• The two powerful leaders were Athens and Sparta.• The war started in 431 B.C.E. but neither side

could gain an advantage• Athens controlled the seas and could continually

supply the city – Sparta controlled the land but could not force the Athenians to fight

• Sparta lay siege to Athens and in 404 B.C.E. a massive plague hit the city, the Athenians was forced to surrender. However, the Spartans soon realized that their government was not well suited to oversee such a large area.

Philip of MacedoniaPhilip of Macedonia

• Philip II rose to power in 359 B.C.E., building up the military to make himself the undisputed king of the Macedonians.

• He was power hungry and soon attacked the Greek city-states one by one. Slowly, they fell and all of Greece was under the control of Macedonia.

Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great• After the assassination of Philip II, his son, Alexander

succeeded him as king. • Alexander loved Greek culture and had been tutored

by Aristotle• He soon amassed an empire from Macedonia to the

Himalayas in India, controlling Egypt, Greece, and Persia.

• After taking his troops to India he was forced to return when they mutinied and refused to go any further

• In 323 B.C.E. Alexander died at the age of thirty-three• He had created the greatest empire the world had seen

Hellenistic Age 323 – 30 B.C.E.Hellenistic Age 323 – 30 B.C.E.• Alexander had spread Greek culture and influence

as far as India and opened the door to the Hellenistic Age

• After his death the empire was divided into three large states

• Antigonid – Greece and MacedoniaPtolemaic – EgyptSeleucid – the Persian empire

Greek Rationale ThoughtGreek Rationale Thought• Thales - water was the source of all things• Empedocles - earth, air, water, fire• Democritus - atoms• Heraclitus - constant motion theory• Pythagoras - all things were mathematical

relationships• Protagoras - “man is the measure of all

things”• Movement away from the supernatural

•Hippocrates of Cos - Father of Medicinestressed observation and experimentationtreated the symptoms

•Sophists - turned from the natural to the humanitinerant teacherslectured on rhetoric and composition

• Socrates, a famous philosopher, employed the Socratic method in which he asked his pupils questions, making them think to gain the answer.

• Not a sophist - stonemason• Basic views of western philosophy• “The unexamined life is not worth living”• Arrested for corrupting the youth and not

believing the gods• Socrates believed in arete - excellence• Socrates committed suicide by drinking hemlock

Socrates

PlatoPlato• Student of Socrates• Founded the academy• Disliked democracy• Wrote republic• “Good life”

AristotleAristotle• Student of Plato• Tutored Alexander the Great• Good man-good life• Moderation in all things• Wrote Politics - polis• Systemization of knowledge• Theories lasted until the 17th century

HistoryHistory• Herodotus - Father of History, wrote

History of the Persian War• Thucydides - more analytical and

honest

Greek SocietyGreek Society

• Greek trade relied heavily on wine & olive oil because these grew easily in areas with little fertile soil in the mountains.

• The Olympic games, first held in 1896, were a huge part of the culture, allowing individuals to maintain their identity.

• Women were not really free• They had to raise children and manage the

house• Men spent their time at the gymnasium• Divorces and marriages arranged by males• Girls were not usually educated at the

Academy• Boys also had two years of military service• sound in mind and body

ReligionReligion• The Greeks were polytheists • Elements of nature were represented by gods • Unlike the Egyptians the Greeks did not worry

about life after death• Greek deities had human form and had to deal

with human emotions such as love• The gods often fought each other in heavenly

battles

SlaverySlavery

• Slavery was very popular in Greek society.• They were highly prized, especially those

with educated backgrounds.• Though slaves were not considered

citizens, they could purchase their own freedom and petition for citizenship.