EARLY GREEKS
• Early Greek civilization was built around farming and agriculture.
• Even though most land in Greece was rocky, valleys between
mountains provided enough fertile soil to farm with.
• In Greek society, landowners were considered upper class
because:
• Could support themselves
• Had money to buy weapons and shields
• Could serve in army and protect homeland.
• Merchants and poor were seen as class below in comparison.
EARLY GREEKS
• In order to survive, Ancient Greeks became skilled sailors &
shipbuilders due to the sea’s that surrounded them.
• Rowboats were made for warships while sailboats were made for
trade.
• The seas offered the following to those who lived by them:
• Trade routes among Greeks and other civilizations.
• Food source.
• Protection from other empires in Middle East.
EARLY GREEKS
• Greece didn’t produce much grain, but did produce surplus’ of
olive oil, wine, wool, and fine pottery.
• Greeks would use the surplus’ to trade for lumber, grain, animal
hides, and slaves.
• Greek merchants would sail around the Black Sea and
Mediterranean Sea in search of markets.
• Greeks often traded with Egypt and Italy, due to close proximity.
EARLY GREEKS
• The first organized city/civilization in Greek history was Mycenae.
• The city was located on the peninsula of Peloponnesus and was
surrounded by a huge wall capable of withstanding any attack.
• A king ruled the city and surrounding villages and farms and the
culture was based around trade.
• Mycenaean’s were known for their metal work, which they used to
create fine gold jewelry, pottery, and bronze weapons.
EARLY GREEKS
• Mycenaean culture was around for 800 years before collapsing in
1200 B.C.
• After the fall of the Mycenaean’s, Greek culture declines and
written records are no longer taken.
• Nothing written about Greek culture from 1200 – 750 B.C.
• Around 740 B.C., Greek culture begins to grow again, following the
lead of another Greek city called Phoenicia.
EARLY GREEKS
• Phoenicia was located on the eastern coast of Greece and, like the
Mycenaean’s, were based around trade.
• In order to keep good records of trades made, the Phoenicians
created an alphabet of 22 characters.
• Phoenicians also learned about the use of coins in trading with
other cultures and adopted that idea for themselves.
• By 500 B.C., most of Greece were making their own coins for trade
purposes.
HOMEWORK #1 – 1/14/13
1. What class of people were landowners considered to be?
2. What did Greeks become skilled at, due to their surroundings?
3. What was the first organized city in Greece?
4. What did the Phoenicians create to help keep better records of
trades made by merchants?
5. What was most of Greece doing by 500 B.C.?
EARLY GREEKS
• Greece civilization began to advance with the advancements started
by Phoenicia.
• Due to geography, Greek people were often isolated from each
other, giving rise to city-states*.
• * - Greek word for city-states were “polis”.
• City-states (much like Mesopotamia) were states created around a
city and included surrounding villages.
EARLY GREEKS
• Most Greek city-states were small due to geographic features
(mountains) that limited their size.
• Typical Greek city-states were about 50-500 square miles big and
had populations smaller than 20,000.
• Because of the small populations, city-states were typically closeknit communities.
EARLY GREEKS
• Center of the city-state was called the agora.
• People of the city-state came here to conduct business and have public
gatherings.
• Male citizens would meet at the agora to discuss politics or to hear
speeches from politicians.
• The agora was also used for:
• Festivals & athletic events.
• Place for statues, temples, & other public buildings.
EARLY GREEKS
• Each city-state was independent and practiced whatever form of
gov’t worked best for them.
• City-states varied between 4 different types of gov’t:
• Monarchy
• Aristocracy
• Oligarchy
• Tyrant
EARLY GREEKS
• The earliest form of city-state gov’t was a monarchy*.
• Gov’t where king/queen have supreme power.
• Was most common; Greek city-states started with this form, but slowly changed
to other types.
• Aristocracy is a type of gov’t in which the upper class/nobility rule
the city-state.
• Upper class would rule city-state, not one person.
EARLY GREEKS
• Oligarchy was a form of gov’t that is ruled by a few individuals, not
one.
• Biggest difference between oligarchy & aristocracy was:
• Ruling power in oligarchy dependent on wealth/land ownership, not inherited
social class (aristocracy).
• Tyrants were people who took power without being of royal birth
(taking throne illegally).
• Tyrants would get power by appealing to lowest classes (most people)
HOMEWORK #2 - 1/15/13
1. What is a polis?
2. What limited the size of city-state’s in Greece?
3. What was an agora used for?
4. Define what an aristocracy is.
5. Define an oligarchy.
EARLY GREEKS
• Greeks create the idea of citizenship. States that:
• Citizens are loyal to their country.
• Entitled to protection from gov’t.
• As tyrants showed, lower classes could have influence over
governments.
• Because of this new-found power, lower classes demanded more
say in gov’t.
EARLY GREEKS
• Two men lead to the creation of democratic ideas in Ancient Greece:
• Solon
• Cleisthenes
• Solon elected to power in Athens in 594 B.C.; creates 4 social classes
based on wealth.
• Also allows ALL citizens of Athens to serve in the assembly
(lawmaking body).
EARLY GREEKS
• Cleisthenes elected to power in Athens in 500 B.C.; increases
power of citizens even more.
• Reorganizes assembly by taking power away from nobles; places
ALL citizens into 10 tribes based on where they lived.
• Not based on wealth or family lines.
• Creates the Council of 500 which helped assembly govern citystate.
EARLY GREEKS
• Council of 500 was made up of 50 men from each of the 10 tribes.
• Each member:
• Had to be at least 30 yrs. old.
• Chosen by lot (name drawn from hat)
• Served 1 year.
• Could be re-elected one time.
• High rate of turnover (1 year term) in council allowed for every
citizen to participate.
EARLY GREEKS
• Council members could suggest laws for the assembly to consider
making official laws.
• Council of 500 served as the beginning of democratic form of
gov’t.
• Council was a form of “direct democracy*”.
• * - where ALL members of society meet & vote on laws; U.S.
uses indirect democracy.
EARLY GREEKS
• Not all citizens were allowed to take part in Athens’ new gov’t.
• Women, slaves, & foreigners were not allowed to be members
of gov’t.
• Under direct democracy, Athenians were also:
• Expected to serve in army when needed.
• Served on juries.
HOMEWORK #3 – 1/17/13
1. What 2 ideas did citizenship state?
2. What class of people demanded more say in government because
of tyrants?
3. What 2 men helped create democracy of Athens?
4. How long did members of the Council of 500 serve? Why was that
beneficial to other people of the city-state?
5. What form of democracy was the Council of 500?
6. Who was NOT allowed to take part in the Council of 500?
7. What other responsibilities were Athenians expected to do under
a direct democracy?
EARLY GREEKS
• Myths have been used by civilizations to explain their beliefs of the
world around them.
• Greeks used myths to explain the creation of the world or beliefs
they had as a culture.
• Myths were also used to explain natural events that weren’t
controlled by man.
EARLY GREEKS
• Some examples of myths were:
• Pandora’s Box
• Theseus & the Minotaur
• Prometheus & Fire
• Atlas
• Greek mythology was also blended into the religion that most
Greeks believed in.
EARLY GREEKS
• Unlike other cultures, Greeks saw their gods/goddesses as part of
their everyday life, not a being that should be revered.
• Greeks believed that the Olympian gods/goddesses lived on top of
Mount Olympus.
• Was highest mountain in Greece.
• Each city-state chose a god or goddess to protect it; usually had
festivals to celebrate that specific god/goddess.
EARLY GREEKS
• The 12 Olympian Gods were:

Zeus – Supreme ruler of gods; Rain God & Cloud gatherer

Hera – Zeus’ wife (& sister); goddess of childbirth & marriage

Poseidon – Zeus’ brother; God of water

Hades – Zeus’ brother; god of the underworld/death

Hestia – Zeus’ sister; Goddess of the Hearth

Ares – Zeus & Hera’s son; God of War
EARLY GREEKS
• The remaining Olympian Gods:
• Athena – Zeus’ daughter; Goddess of reason, intelligence,
art, & literature
• Apollo – Zeus’ son; God of music, archery, light, & healing
• Aphrodite – Zeus’ daughter; Goddess of love, desire, & beauty
• Hermes – Zeus’ son; fastest god & messenger of Zeus
• Artemis – Zeus’ daughter; Goddess of hunt, moon, chastity
• Hephaestus – Zeus & Hera’s son; God of fire and forge
EARLY GREEKS
• City states honored the gods & goddesses using:
• Holy Festivals
• Olympics
• Fearing an angry god would punish their city-states, Greeks would
hold festivals honoring their specific god/goddess.
• Sacrifices, public ceremonies, building statues/temples, and poetry
recitals were common in honoring festivals.
EARLY GREEKS
• Olympics were also included in the religious festivals.
• Olympics were:
• Every 4 years
• Honoring Zeus, not other gods
• Took place in Olympia (near base of Mt. Olympus)
• The oldest records of Olympic winners dates back to 776 B.C.;
games were going on for centuries before that.
EARLY GREEKS
• Only men were allowed to compete in the athletic contests;
women were not allowed to compete (or even attend games).
• Some of the events that the men participated in were:
• Javelin – throwing spears for distance/accuracy
• Foot races – both short & long distances
• Wrestling – unarmed, hand-to-hand combat
• Boxing – competitors fight with ox hide-wrapped hands
• Long Jump – measures distance of jump
• Discus – throwing disc for distance/accuracy
• Pancratium – mix between boxing & wrestling
EARLY GREEKS
• While Olympics became source of city-state pride, games were
generally used to identify the best soldiers in Greece.
• Winners of the events are rewarded by city-states; usually
involved:
• Olive-leaf wreath (good luck)
• Parade welcoming them back as heroes
• Free food & land for a year
• Extra land for farming
HOMEWORK #4 – 1/28/13
1. What are myths used for in past civilizations?
2. Where did Greek Olympian gods/goddesses live, according to
beliefs?
3. What 2 methods did Greeks use to honor gods/goddesses?
4. How often were the Olympic games held?
5. How many women from each city-state were allowed to compete
in the Olympics?
6. What were the Olympics used for, besides athletic competition?
EARLY GREEKS
• The two dominant city-states of Greece were:
• Sparta
• Athens
• While Athens promoted fairness throughout their city, their main
rival Sparta practiced a more military-like city-state.
• When Sparta defeated other cities or villages, the enslaved people
were known as helots.
EARLY GREEKS
• Government in Sparta was run by 2 kings.
• The government was managed by 5 elected supervisors
• Laws were proposed and passed by a Council of Elders (30 citizens
typically 40 years or older).
• The main goal of Spartan civilization was to have the best military
possible.
EARLY GREEKS
• Sparta consisted of 3 social classes:
• Citizens – spent time training to be soldiers.
• Noncitizens – no political rights; lived on outskirts of city.
• Helots – Provided the workforce as citizens given time to train.
• At age 7, Spartan boys moved away from their families into military
houses called barracks.
• Spartan boys stayed at military barracks until age 20 when they
joined the army; served until age 60 (forced to retire).
EARLY GREEKS
• Even if married, Spartan soldiers were expected to eat and sleep in
military barracks, not at home with their families.
• Spartan education focused on:
• Discipline
• Duty
• Strength
• Military skill
• Spartan boys were taught to read just a little, most were
uneducated.
EARLY GREEKS
• Roles of women in Sparta was to be tough, physically and
emotionally.
• Mothers/Wives told their soldiers to “Come back with your shield
or come back on it”
• Dead Spartan soldiers were carried back on their shields.
• Education for Spartan women was focused on making them
strong.
• They spent time training on making themselves physically strong.
EARLY GREEKS
• Because husbands were frequently training/at war, spouses spent
much of their time apart.
• With families often apart, women were given more freedom, such
as owning property.
• If men were at war, women were expected to watch over his
property while he was gone.
HOMEWORK #5 – 1/29/13
1. What did the Council of Elder’s do?
2. What was the main goal of Spartan civilization?
3. What were the 3 levels of Spartan civilization?
4. What age did Spartan’s enter the army?
5. What were women allowed to own?
EARLY GREEKS
• Contrasting to Sparta, Athens used a democracy to rule their citystate.
• However, only free Athenian men could vote.
• Athenian civilization was divided into 4 categories:
• Citizens
• Women
• Noncitizen Free people
• Slaves
• Each class, like citizen’s, also included several levels usually based
on wealth.
EARLY GREEKS
• 1/3 of population in Athens were enslaved people who worked in
all parts of Athenian society.
• Slaves would sometimes work alongside their masters and also
have the opportunity to earn wages
• Some eventually were able to buy their freedom.
EARLY GREEKS
• Education was important to Athenian citizens.
• Boys started school between the ages of 6-7 and was designed to
prepare the boys to become good citizens.
• School focused on studying logic, public speaking, math, writing,
reading, poetry, & music.
• Athletic training focused on developing strength and coordination.
EARLY GREEKS
• Women weren’t allowed to take part in Athenian gov’t.; they were
expected to be good wives and mothers.
• These roles were respected because women kept families strong,
which strengthened society as well.
• Compared to Spartan women, women in Athens had much less
freedom.
• Athenian women could not:
• Own property, only inherit it if their fathers had no sons.
• Attend school (Learned household chores from mothers).
• Read and write.
EARLY GREEKS
• Persians, under command of Darius, conquer Anatolia (part of
Greece) as part of their conquest to rule the world.
• In 499 B.C., some Greeks in Anatolia revolt against Persian rule.
• In support of revolt, Athens sends ships & troops to help the
Greeks.
• Persia puts down the revolt and decides to punish Athens for their
role in the fight.
EARLY GREEKS
• In 490 B.C., Persia arrives on the plains of Marathon outside
Athens.
• A runner is sent from Marathon to Sparta to get more support, but
it came too late.
• Athenians draw Persians out, surround them, then attack in close
quarters where Athenians were more effective.
• After the battle, Persians lost 6,400 men while Athens lost only
192.
• Following victory, runner is sent to Athens to tell of victory.
• Runner ran 26 miles to city, told the news, collapsed and died.
EARLY GREEKS
• In 480 B.C., Persia invaded Greece again, under command of
Xerxes (Darius’ son), hoping to conquer the lands for their own.
• Greek city-states unify against Persians and form a plan to beat
them.
• An army of 300 Spartans guarded a narrow pass at Thermopylae
against an army of roughly 250,000 Persian troops to prevent
them from reaching Athens.
• Spartans held off Persians for 3 days until they are overtaken by
Persian forces.
EARLY GREEKS
• As Persia moved closer to Athens, Athenian soldiers lured the
Persians towards the sea, turning the ground war into a naval
battle.
• The battle took place on a narrow body of water where the
smaller, quicker Athenian ships could move better than the large
Persian boats.
• 300 Persian boats are sunk as Persia loses the battle and goes on
to lose the war in 479 B.C.
HOMEWORK #6
1. Who was allowed to vote in the Athenian democracy?
2. What was 1/3 of the Athenian population made up of?
3. What subjects did Athenian boys study while at school?
4. Why were women respected because of being good wives and
mothers in Athens?
5. What 3 things were women not allowed to do in Athens?
6. Who was the leader of the Persians when they attacked Greece in
490 B.C.?
7. Who won at the battle of Marathon?
8. Who was Xerxes?
9. How many Spartans were left to fight at Thermopylae against the
Persian army?
10.Why were Athenian boats more effective than Persian boats in the
narrow body of water?