 Government
 Geography
 Economics
 Ideas
 People
 Minoans
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were the following:
First Greek Civilization
Located along the island of Crete
(Knossos)
3000-1400 B.C.E. (1100 B.C.E.)
Trading community
Developed a writing system
Worshipped mainly goddesses
Civilization ended possibly at the hands
of the Mycenaeans
 The
Mycenaeans were the following:
-Located on Mainland Greece
-Height of their power around 1400 B.C.E.
-Conquest and Trade
-Defeated the city of Troy (during the Trojan
War)
-Controlled the Mediterranean Sea
-Defeated the Minoans
-Iliad and Oddyessey written about the
Mycenaeans
- Writing system showed early form of Greek
 Items Greece
• Oil
• Gold
• Timber
• Iron
• Grains/Barley
• Wool
• Copper
Imported were
Greece Exported:
Grapes, Pottery, Silver, Olives
Monarchy
Tyranny
2000-800 B.C.E. in Greece
Ruled by King (one person)
Holds all the power
No Queens in Greek times
Inherited Power
Advisors to help but limited Power
Mid 600s B.C.E. Greece
Ruled by one person (Tyrant)
Military Leader
Seized power through force
Popular at first (helped out the
people)
Kept Control by force
Abused power through history
Oligarchy
Democracy
800s B.C.E. Greece
Rule by a few (Shared power)
Rich Aristocrats
Land owners who had all the control
Made laws for wealthy
Rich became richer, Poor became
Poorer
500s B.C.E. in Greece (Athens)
Rule by the people (citizens)
People have a say in government
Direct and Representative
Democracy
Vote
Pass and discuss laws
Rights and Responsibilities
 Democracy
= rule by the people
 Direct democracy = all citizens meet
together in one place to make decisions
and laws (Greece)
 Representative democracy=citizens elect
representatives to make decisions and
laws FOR them This is the USA also
called a Republic
 On
a narrow strip of land connecting
Peloponnesus and Northern Greece
 48 miles from Athens
 Monarchy
 Huge Unemployment problem (Public
works jobs created)
 Isthmian Games-like the Olympic Games
but every 2 yrs and it included musical and
poetry contests
 Coins for currency (Pegasus) and an Agora
 Earthquakes destroyed the city twice
 Set up the Greek colony Syracuse in Sicily
Persian Wars
A series of wars fought between the Persian Empire and the Greek citystates from 499-479 B.C.E.
Polis
The name for a Greek city-state
Allies
States that agree to help each other against a common enemy
Athenian
Someone from Athens
Spartan
Someone from Sparta
Corinthian
Someone from Corinth
Persian
Someone from Persia
Hoplite
Greek civilian/soldier named after the shield that they would carry.
Persian
Empire
The largest empire the world had seen
up to its time. Persia ruled over Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Cavalry
Soldiers who fought on horseback
Trireme
An ancient Greek wooden warship with 3 rows of oars on each side of the ship
Phalanx
A close knit fight formation perfected by the Greeks where they would interlock their shields and
march/fight shoulder to shoulder with one another
Hellespont
The strait between the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara that separates Europe and Asia. Area
where Persia set up pontoons and crossed into Greece.
(Present day called the Dardenelles)
Colonies
Settlements set up in distant lands
Ionian Revolt A rebellion by Greek colonies set up in Asia Minor to not follow the rule of the Persian Empire. Led
to the Persian Wars.
King Darius
King of the Persian Empire who invaded Greece at the start of the Persian
wars. Led Persia at the Battle of Marathon
King Xerxes
King of the Persian Empire after Darius.
Led Persia at the Battle of Thermopylae and all the battles that followed.
Miltiades
Athenian General who helped lead the Greek city-states to victory at the Battle of
Marathon
Leonidas
King of Sparta who led 300 Spartans and other allies at the Battle of Thermopylae
Herodotus
Famous Greek Historian who wrote about the Persian Wars. Also known as the
“Father of History.”
Pheidippides
Greek messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens to warn them about the
Persian invasion.
Themistocles
Famous Athenian Naval Commander and politician who helped lead Greece to
victory at the Battle of Salamis
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Athens and Sparta had worked together to defeat the
Persian Empire
Athens in control of the Aegean Sea
Sparta in control of Peloponnesus
30 Years’ Treaty (agreement not to attack one another)
Lasted 27 years
Started when Thebes attacked Plataea
Thebes part of Sparta’s alliance (Peloponnesian League)
Plataea part of the Athenian alliance (Delian League) Sparta
won victories at the early stages of it including 422 B.C.E. at
Amphipolis
Athenian leader Nicias negotiated peace (Treaty of Nicias)
Only lasted 6 years
Athens tried to expand into Sicily (crushing defeat)
Sparta the victor and negotiated harsh terms for Athens