CHAPTER 2 Section 1 Study Notes
I.
Early Greek Civilization (pages 51-53)
A.
The mountains and the seas were important geographic influences on Greece. The
many mountain ranges separated the small, independent Greek communities,
causing them to develop different ways of life.
B.
The presence of a long seacoast with bays, inlets, and harbors encouraged sea
trade.
C.
Mycenaean civilization was named for the fortified site, Mycenae, first
discovered by Heinrich Schliemann. The Mycenaean civilization flourished
between 1600 and 1100 B.C.
D.
The high point of the civilization was 1400-1200 B.C. Powerful monarchs lived in
fortified palaces built on hills and surrounded by stone walls.
E.
Hundreds of years later, Homer recorded the military adventures of the
Mycenaeans in his epic poems, the Iliad and Odyssey.
F.
Mycenaean civilization collapsed around 1100 B.C. Greece then entered a Dark
Age when population declined and there was less food. Few records remain from
this period, which lasted from 1100 to 750 B.C.
G.
The works of Homer appeared at the end of the Dark Age. The Iliad and Odyssey
are epic poems. They tell the story of the kings of Troy and Mycenae, the Trojan
War, and several Greek heroes.
H.
The Greeks regarded the Iliad and Odyssey as history. Homer gave the Greeks an
ideal past peopled with heroes. Generations of Greek males used these poems as
models of heroism and honor.
Discussion Question
Who are the heroes of American history? Have those heroes remained constant or have
different generations required different heroes? (Student answers may or may not include
traditional figures such as Washington and Lincoln. Ask students to come up with a
definition for a hero.)
II.
The Polis: Center of Greek Life (page 53)
A.
By 750 B.C., the polis, or city-state, had become the central focus of Greek life.
The polis was the town, city, or village and its surrounding countryside. The
people met for political, religious, social, and economic activities.
B.
The main gathering place was usually on a hill, topped with a fortified area called
the acropolis. This was a refuge and sometimes a place for religious or other
public buildings. Below was the agora, an open area for people to assemble, often
used as a marketplace.
C.
City-states varied in size. Most were between a few hundred and several thousand
people. Athens was one of the largest, with a population of more than three
hundred thousand by 400 B.C.
D.
The polis was a community of people who shared a common identity and
common goals. There were three classes: citizens with political rights (adult
males), citizens without political rights (women and children), and noncitizens
(slaves and resident aliens).
E.
Greek states developed different forms of government. Some city-states became
democracies, ruled by many. Others became oligarchies, ruled by the few. Two
of the most powerful city-states, Athens and Sparta, illustrate the differences.
Discussion Question
The Greeks felt that rights also meant responsibilities. What might be some
responsibilities of a citizen in a Greek city-state? (Student answers may include that
citizens should participate in government, pay taxes, defend the polis, and provide for
others.)
III.
Sparta (page 54)
A.
Between 800 and 600 B.C., the lives of the Spartans were rigidly controlled and
disciplined. Boys learned military discipline, entered the military at age 20, and
lived in the barracks until they were 30.
B.
At 30, Spartan males were allowed to vote in the assembly and live at home, but
remained in the army until the age of 60.
C.
Spartan women lived at home while their husbands lived in the barracks. Spartan
women had more power than women in other Greek city-states. Spartan women
supported Spartan values, expecting their husbands and sons to be brave in war.
D. Two kings who led the Spartan army headed the oligarchy. Five men known as
the ephors were responsible for education and the conduct of citizens. A council
of elders, made up of two kings and 28 citizens over 60 years of age, decided on
issues the assembly of male citizens would vote on. The assembly did not debate,
but only voted.
E. Sparta closed itself off from the outside world. Foreigners and travel were
discouraged. Spartans frowned upon new ideas and the arts. Only the art of war
mattered.
Discussion Question
Why did Sparta feel it was important to remain closed off from the outside world? (Answers may
include that being open to new ideas and influences could be a basis for criticizing society and
the government.)
IV.
Athens (pages 54-55)
A.
A king ruled early Athens. By the seventh century B.C. it was ruled by an
oligarchy of aristocrats who owned the best land and controlled political life.
B.
Near the end of the seventh century, economic problems led to political turmoil.
Many Athenian farmers were sold into slavery for nonpayment of their debts to
aristocrats. Cries arose to cancel the debts and give land to the poor. Civil war
threatened.
C.
The aristocrats gave power to Solon in 594 B.C. Solon favored reform. He
canceled the debts but did not give land to the poor. This left the aristocrats in
power and the poor unable to obtain land.
D.
In 508 B.C., Cleisthenes, another reformer, gained the upper hand. He created a
new council of five hundred to supervise foreign affairs, oversee the treasury, and
propose laws. He gave to the Athenian assembly, composed of male citizens,
authority to pass laws after free and open debate. For this reason, Cleisthenes'
reforms laid the foundation for Athenian democracy.
Discussion Question
What was the difference between Solon's reforms and those of Cleisthenes? (Solon
attempted to appease the poor and the aristocrats. Cleisthenes created a new system that
put problem-solving in the hands of the people.)
V.
Classical Greece (pages 55-56)
A.
Classical Greece is the name given to the period from 500 to 338 B.C. During this
time, the Greeks fought two wars. The first war was against the Persians, who
were defeated by the unified Greeks.
B.
Athens took over the leadership of the Greek world after the Persian War. Under
Pericles, the dominant figure in Athenian politics from 461 to 429 B.C., Athens
expanded its empire, while democracy flourished at home.
C.
Pericles created a direct democracy. Every male citizen could participate in the
general assembly and vote on major issues. This period was called the Age of
Pericles.
D.
The Greek world was divided between the Athenian Empire and Sparta. Athens
and Sparta had built very different societies and they distrusted each other. After a
series of disputes, the second war of the Classical Greece period, the Great
Peloponnesian War, broke out in 431 B.C.
E.
The civil war lasted 27 years, until 405 B.C. Athens surrendered when the
Athenian fleet was destroyed.
F.
The Great Peloponnesian War weakened the Greek city-states and ruined any
hope of unity among them. For the next 70 years, Sparta, Athens, and Thebes
struggled for domination. These internal struggles caused the Greeks to ignore the
growing power of Macedonia, an oversight that cost the Greeks their freedom.
Discussion Question
Can you think of any contemporary nations whose different forms of government or
society have caused them to be distrustful of each other? (Student answers will vary. They
may include China and Taiwan, Cuba and the United States.)
VI.
The Culture of Classical Greece (pages 56-59)
A.
The standards of classical Greek art dominated most of Western art history.
Classical Greek art was concerned with expressing eternal ideals. The style was
based on reason, moderation, balance, and harmony. Art was meant to civilize the
emotions.
B.
The most important architectural form was the temple. The greatest example is
the Parthenon, built in the fifth century and dedicated to the patron goddess of
Athens, Athena. The Parthenon exemplifies the principles of classical
architecture: calm, clarity, and freedom from unnecessary detail.
C.
The classical style of Greek sculpture depicted idealized, yet lifelike, male nudes.
Greek sculptors did not seek to achieve realism.
D. The dramas we see today are the descendants of Greek drama. Plays were
presented as part of religious festivals. The original Greek dramas were tragedies,
presented in trilogies around a common theme. Only one complete trilogy
survives today, the Oresteia by Aeschylus. It tells the story of Agamemnon, a
Trojan War hero, and his return home.
E. Greek tragedies examined such universal themes as the nature of good and evil,
the rights of individuals, the role of the gods in life, and the nature of human
beings.
F. Philosophy ("love of wisdom") refers to an organized system of rational thought.
Early Greek philosophers were concerned with the nature of the universe.
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are considered to be three of the greatest
philosophers of the Western world.
G. Socrates developed the Socratic method. This was a question-and-answer format
to lead pupils to understand things for themselves. It was based on Socrates' belief
that knowledge is already present within each of us. The task of philosophy is to
call forth knowledge.
H. Socrates said "the unexamined life is not worth living." The belief in the
individual's ability to reason was an important contribution of Greek thought.
I. Plato was one of Socrates' students and considered by many to be the greatest
Western philosopher.
J. Plato explained his views on government in a work entitled The Republic. Plato
believed that people could not achieve a good life unless they lived in a just and
rational state.
K. The ideal state has three groups—rulers, warriors, and commoners. Led by a
philosopher-king, men and women would have the same education and equal
access to all positions.
L. Plato established a school in Athens called the Academy. His most important
pupil was Aristotle, who studied at the academy for 20 years.
M. Aristotle had wide-ranging interests including ethics, logic, politics, poetry,
astronomy, geology, biology, and physics.
N. After studying and observing existing governments, Aristotle found three forms
of government that would rationally direct human affairs: monarchy, aristocracy,
and constitutional government. Aristotle preferred the latter.
Discussion Question
Does Socrates' statement, "The unexamined life is not worth living," have validity today?
(Student answers may include that we have the technology to look at things differently, social
sciences have developed disciplines such as psychology. It appears that individuals today agree
with Socrates.)
VII.
Alexander the Great (pages 59-60)
A.
The Greeks viewed the Macedonians to the north as barbarians. In 359 B.C.,
Philip II became king of Macedonia. He admired Greek culture and wanted to
unite all of Greece under Macedonian rule.
B.
At the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 B.C., Philip's army crushed the Greeks. He
united the Greek city-states in a league under his control and planned to conquer
Persia. Philip was assassinated before he could fulfill his goal.
C.
Alexander the Great, Philip's son, became king of Macedonia at age 20. In 334
B.C. Alexander began his invasion of the Persian Empire and by 331 B.C., he had
conquered all of the Persian Empire.
D.
Alexander was not content. By 327 B.C. he had moved through modern Pakistan
into India. His exhausted soldiers refused to go any farther.
E.
Returning to Babylon, Alexander died there in 323 B.C. He was only 32 years
old.
Discussion Question
Why is Alexander considered great? Do you think he deserves such a title? (Answers may
vary. Some students may feel his accomplishments warrant the title, others may say that
he destroyed cultures as he advanced Greek culture.)
VIII.
The Hellenistic Era (page 60)
A.
The Hellenistic Era, created by Alexander, was the expansion of Greek language
and ideas to the non-Greek world of Southwest Asia and beyond.
B.
Alexander's united empire fell apart after his death as his generals fought among
themselves for power. Four Hellenistic kingdoms emerged: Macedonia, Syria,
Pergamum, and Egypt. All were eventually conquered by the Romans.
C.
Hellenistic rulers encouraged Greek colonization in Southwest Asia. The new
Greek cities recruited architects, engineers, dramatists, and actors, as well as
civilian administrators and soldiers. The Greek cities helped to spread Greek
culture as far as modern Afghanistan and India.
D. The Hellenistic era saw considerable cultural accomplishment. An important
cultural center was Alexandria, home to scholars of many different kinds.
E. Founding and rebuilding cities created opportunities for Greek architects and
sculptors in the Hellenistic kingdoms. Thousands of statues were erected.
Hellenistic sculptors moved away from classical ideals and created more
emotional and realistic art.
Discussion Question
What factors may have contributed to the development of more realistic and emotional art?
(Styles change as artists experiment or are exposed to different art forms.)