Chapter 4
Ancient Greece
1900 – 133 B.C.
Location of Greece within Europe
Key Events• Athens and Sparta emerged as the
leading Greek city-states• The Greek military defeated the
Persian army• Greek Theatre, arts, and architecture
flourished during the Classical Age• Greek Philosophers such as Socrates,
Plato, and Aristotle established the foundations of Western Philosophy
The Impact Today• The Olympic games are held every 2
years• Greek architecture is still considered the
classical model of grace and symmetry• Greek plays continue to be performed
throughout the world• Current democratic systems of
government and citizenship are based on ideas originally developed by the Greeks
Timeline• Chapter covers almost 1800 years of ancient Greek history
• 1900 B.C. through 133 B.C.
Chapter Preview• Pericles Addresses Athens• Speech at public funeral during war between the Greek states of Athens and Sparta• Similarities with U.S. Constitution
Section 1
The First Greek
Civilizations
Greek Geography• A mountainous peninsula and
many islands (About the size of Louisiana)
• Mountains and sea played important roles
• Mountains isolated Greeks from one another – different communities developed their own ways of life
Map of Greece
Greek Geography (Continued)
• Communities became independent– Small size encourage participation in
politics– The rivalry led to warfare that
devastated Greek society• Greeks also lived on many
islands surrounding the mainland• There were many harbors along
the coastlines
The Minoan Civilization• Flourished between 2700 and
1450 B.C.• Was located on the large
island of Crete (Southeast of mainland)• Sea empire based on trade• An advanced civilization
The End of the Minoan’s• Sudden and catastrophic collapse in 1450 B.C.• How?–Tidal Wave (tsunami)–Invasion of Mycenaeans from the mainland of Greece–Historians do not agree
The Minoan’s and Mycenaean’s
The First Greek State: Mycenae
• Flourished between 1600 and 1100 B.C.• Made up of powerful monarchies–Resided in a fortified palace center–Built on hills and surrounded by gigantic stone walls
The Mycenaeans•Warrior people, proud of battle accomplishments• Mycenaean states fought one another• Major earthquakes caused significant damage• By 1100 B.C. Mycenaean civilization collapsed.
The Greek Dark Age• Approximately 1100 to 750
B.C.• Population declined and food
production dropped• Few records of what
happened exist• Significant developments
(use of iron; adoption of Phoenician alphabet; works of Homer)
Homer• Creator of epic poems – The Iliad and the Odyssey• Taught courage and honor (arete) through poems• Had some historical basis, but they also gave Greece an ideal past to serve as a model for future generations
Homer’s Iliad
Video:
Analyzing the Myths Surrounding the Trojan War (Discovery Education) – 5 Minutes
The Trojan War
Homer’s Odyssey
Video:
Homer’s Odyssey (Discovery Education) – 7 Minutes
Section 2
The Greek City-States
The Polis: Center of Greek Life
• By 750 B.C. The City State (Polis) became the central focus of Greek life
• Gathering place typically a hill • Fortified area called a acropolis• Below the acropolis was an agora• Community with common
identity and common goals
Greek Hoplites
Hoplites in a Phalanx Formation
Greek Colonies• Between 750 and 550 B.C.
new Greek colonies established in southern Italy, southern France, eastern Spain, and northern Africa• Review of Page 117 Map
Tyranny in the City-States
• Greek tyrants were rulers who seized power by force from the aristocrats• Although it did not last, the rule
of tyrants had ended the rule of the aristocrats in many city-states.• Development of democracy and
commitment to oligarchy
Sparta (The Spartans!)• Conquests
created captured people (helots).• A Military State
(Read & Discuss: Young People in Greece - Page 118)
Government of Sparta• Oligarchy headed by 2 kings• Ephors (5 men elected each
year)• A council of Elders (2 Kings
and 28 citizens over age 60)• Assembly of male citizens• Remained Isolated from rest
of world
Athens• Political
turmoil leads to drastic change and the creation of the Athenian democracy
Ancient Athens
Section 3
Classical Greece
The Challenge of Persia• The Persian Wars (499 – 479
B.C.) – Review of map on page 122
• Legend of Athenian Runner. Today’s marathon is based on this heroic story.
• Relate to The Movie “300”• Ultimately the Greeks defeat
the Persians ending the war
The Growth of the Athenian Empire
• After the defeat of the Persians, Athens takes over the leadership of the Greek world.
• Form a defensive alliance called the Delian League
• Athens creates an empire under Pericles
• Democracy flourishes (Age of Pericles)
Age of Pericles• Creation of a direct democracy (In
Athens all male citizens participated and voted)
• City officials ran the government daily
• Development of ostracism – Banning of a harmful political figure from the city for 10 years
• Massive rebuilding after Persian war
Age of Pericles
The Great Peloponnesian War
• Between Athenian Empire and Sparta (Very different societies)
• Athens eventually surrenders• Overall the Greek City states were
significantly weakened• Map review (Page 124)• Primary source reading (Plague in
Athens – Page 991) Read & Discuss
Daily Life in Classical Athens
• 5th Century B.C.–150,000 Citizens in Athens• 43,000 Were adult males with political
power–35,000 foreigners with law protection–100,000 Slaves (Common in Athens)
• Economy based on farming and trade
• The family and the role of women
Eyewitness to History• Read Together and discuss:
An Athenian Husband Explains His Wife’s Duties (Page 126)
Section 4
The Culture of Classical Greece
Greek Religion• Greek Gods and Goddesses (Mount
Olympus)• Zeus (The Chief God and Father of
the Gods)• Greek Religious rituals involved
prayers often combined with gifts to the gods based on the principle “I gave so that you will give”
Greek Religion (Continued)• Festivals Honored the Gods– First Olympic games held at the Olympic
Festival in 776 B.C. (Read and Discuss – Page 130 “The Way it Was”)
• Learned the will of the gods through an oracle (sacred shrine where a god or goddess revealed the future through a priest or priestess)
Olympic Games
Greek Drama• Plays were in outdoor theatres in the
form of tragedies. Presented as trilogies (set of 3 plays with a common theme)
• Greek Playwrights – Aeschyius, Sophocles, and Euripides
• Themes – – Good and Evil - Nature of Human
Beings– Nature of Divine forces - Individual Rights– Comedy (After tragedies)
Greek Philosophy• Socrates – The Socratic Method
(Question and Answer format to lead people to their own reasoning). Sentenced to death for “Corrupting youth”
• Plato – Great Philosopher. A student of Socrates. Explained views of government in “The Republic”.
• Aristotle – A student of Plato. Differing view of government.
Greek Architecture• Temples dedicated to a god or
goddess– Center walled rooms
(statues/treasures/gifts)– Surrounded by columns
• Most famous temple (The Parthenon)– Located in Athens– Built around 440 B.C. – Dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess
of Athens
The Parthenon
Section 5
Alexander and the
Hellenistic Kingdoms
The Threat of Macedonia• Macedonia (North of Greece)
emerged as a powerful kingdom by the end of the 5th Century
• Greeks looked down on the Macedonians as uncivilized foreigners
• King Philip II and his powerful army defeated several united Greek states in 338 B.C.
• King Philip was assassinated in 336 B.C.
Alexander the Great• King Phillip II had wanted to go after
Persia next • Alexander was the son of King Philip
II and took over as King of Macedonia at the age of 20
• Alexander took over the quest of attacking the Persian Empire
Alexander’s Conquests• By 332 B.C. Syria, Palestine, and
Egypt were under Alexander’s control
• He built Alexandria as the Greek Capital of Egypt.
• In 331 B.C. He turned East and defeated the Persians at Gaugamela and took possession of the rest of the Persian Empire.
Alexander (Continued)• Over the next 3 years he tried to
move further east but his army was weary of fighting and insisted on heading home.• Alexander returned to Babylon,
where he planned more campaigns, but died in 323 B.C. from wounds, and fever at the age of 32.
The Empire of Alexander
What Made Alexander Great!
• Great Leader and a master of strategy
• Brave and reckless fighter who was willing to risk his life and lead his men into battle
• Tried to imitate Achilles (The warrior hero of Homer’s Iliad)
• Kept a copy of the Iliad and a dagger under his pillow
Alexander the Great
• Due to his conquests, Greek language, architecture, literature, and art spread throughout Southwest Asia and the Near East.
The Hellenistic Kingdoms• Alexander created the Hellenistic Era
(To imitate Greeks)• Although the united empire created
by his conquests fell apart soon after his death, Greek language and ideas spread throughout the area of the empire
• 4 Hellenistic Kingdoms emerged:– Egyptian - Macedonian– Pergamum - Syrian
Hellenistic Culture• Significant accomplishments
especially in science and philosophy but also in architecture and sculpture
• Alexandria had the largest library of ancient times and also a museum for scholarly research
• Pergamum, the most important city in Asia Minor, also became a leading cultural center
Alexander the Great
Video:
Alexander the Great (Discovery Education) – 6 Minutes
Chapter 4Ancient Greece
Wrap Up and Review
Living in Ancient Greece
Chapter Review Video:
Living History: Living in Ancient Greece (Discovery Education) – 20 Minutes
Key Events (Re-visited)• Athens and Sparta emerged as the
leading Greek city-states• The Greek military defeated the
Persian army• Greek Theatre, arts, and architecture
flourished during the Classical Age• Greek Philosophers such as Socrates,
Plato, and Aristotle established the foundations of Western Philosophy
The Impact Today (Re-visited)
• The Olympic games are held every 2 years
• Greek architecture is still considered the classical model of grace and symmetry
• Greek plays continue to be performed throughout the world
• Current democratic systems of government and citizenship are based on ideas originally developed by the Greeks
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