Classical
Greece
Chapter Objective: Study the history and culture of classical Greece and analyze its impact
On the modern world.
Section 1/2 Notes go on
page 12 of IWHN
Section 1 Objectives
• Identify the ways geography and climate shaped
Greek Life.
• Explain the rise and development of Mycenaean
civilization.
• Describe how Homer and Greek myths contributed
to early Greek culture.
Write Out!
Learning Target 3: I will be able to summarize,
examine and evaluate historical maps, data, charts,
graphs, photos, audio, clips and video footage to
explain and understand the shifts from nomadic
tribes to complex civilizations.
Task #1: To learn this I will be able to assess
how the geography of Greece, using a map,
influenced its culture.
Setting the Stage
Greece was not always a unified country but
was rather a collection of separate societies.
The largest society was that of the Minoans
who lived on the large island of Crete- until
people from all around the Mediterranean
began to migrate and settle in mainland
Greece (inland).
Geography of
Greece
• It’s a mountainous
peninsula {piece of land
that juts out onto a body
of water} surrounded by
the Mediterranean Sea
• Also Includes 2,000
islands in the Aegean
and Ionian Seas
• Also included lands on
the eastern edge of the
Aegean Sea
How did the Sea shape
Greek Culture
CAUSES
Greeks had to travel
more than 85 miles
to reach the coastline
Greeks lacked natural
resources like timber,
metal, and usable
farmland that was
found on their own
land
Sea
What do you think
then is the EFFECT
of each of these
causes?
How did the Sea shape
Greek Culture
CAUSES
Greeks had to travel
more than 85 miles
to reach the coastline
Greeks lacked natural
resources like timber,
metal, and usable
farmland that was
found on their own
land
What do you think
then is the EFFECT
of each of these
causes?
Greeks became
skilled sailors
Sea
The sea became a
link to other societies
and allowed them to
trade for the
resources they
needed
How did the land shape
Greek Culture
CAUSES
Rugged mountains
covered 3/4th of Greece
and divided the land into
different regions
Uneven terrain made
land transportation
difficult.
Only a small part, 1/4th
of the land was arable,
or fertile for farming.
Difficulties of the
land made it hard to
support a life of
luxury
Land
What do you think
then is the EFFECT
of each of these
causes?
How did the land shape
Greek Culture
CAUSES
Only a small part, 1/4th
of the land was arable,
or fertile for farming.
Difficulties of the
land made it hard to
support a life of
luxury
then is the EFFECT
of each of these
causes?
Instead of a single
government, they
developed small
independent communities.
Rugged mountains
covered 3/4th of Greece
and divided the land into
different regions
Uneven terrain made
land transportation
difficult.
What do you think
Land
Little roads existed hat
could connect different
communities. Made them
isolated.
Could not support
large populations
Motivated Greeks to
seek new sites for
colonies.
How did the climate shape
Greek Culture
What do you think
then is the EFFECT
of each of these
causes?
CAUSES
Greece had a varied
climate from winter to
summer
Climate
How did the climate shape
Greek Culture
What do you think
then is the EFFECT
of each of these
causes?
CAUSES
Greece had a varied
climate from winter to
summer
Climate
Allowed for an outdoor life
and men spent much of
their time at outdoor public
event
Mycenaean
Civilization Develop
• Mycenaeans were IndoEuropean immigrants who
settled on the Greek
mainland around 2000 B.C.
that comes from the name
of their leading city
Mycenae.
• Mycenae was located in
Southern-Greece on a rocky
ridge with a protective wall
20 feet thick.
• A warrior-king to rule the
surrounding villages and
farms.
• These kings dominated from
about 1600 to 1100 B.C.
Contact with
Minoans
• Either through trade or war
the Mycenaean’s came into
with the Minoans.
• What did they learn from
them?
• They showed the
Mycenaean’s the value of
seaborne trade.
• They started to sail through
the eastern Mediterranean
making stops at the
Algerian islands, costal
Anatolia and the ports of
Syria, Egypt, Italy, and
Crete.
• They adapted the Minoan
writing system to the Greek
language
• Decorated vases with
Minoan designs
• Formed core of Greek
religious practice
The Trojan War
• During the 1200’s B.C. the
Mycenaean’s fought a ten-year
war against Troy, a trading city
located in Anatolia known as the
Trojan Wars
• They did so by sneaking in a
giant wooden horse and attacking
the city while they were asleep.
This story was believed to be
completely fictional until a new
archaeological discovery in the
1870’s found evidence that these
stories may have been based off
of real battles and people.
Legend says that a Greek army
besieged and attacked Troy
because a Trojan prince had
kidnapped Helen, the beautiful
wife of a Greek king.
Dorians Enter!
• Around 1200 B.C. the
Mycenaean civilization
collapsed when sea raiders
attacked and burned it
down…a new group called the
Dorians moved into the area
and they spoke a dialect of
Greek
• They were not as advanced
• Economy and trade collapsed
under their rule
• Temporarily lost the art of
writing : no written record exists
from 1150 to 750 B.C. (400
years)
Epics of Homer
• Because they lacked written records, they turned
towards learning history through the spoken word
that was passed on from generation to generation
• According to Greek tradition the greatest story teller
was a blind man named Homer.
• Little is known about his personal life
• Historians believe that he wrote his epics, or narrative poems
celebrating heroic deeds, between 750 and 700 B.C.
• Ex: One of his greatest epic poems is called the Iliad that is based
on the Trojan War
• Heroes are the fierce Greek Achilles and courageous Hector of Troy
who seeks to find the Greek ideal of arête meaning virtue or
excellence. A Greek could display this ideal on the battle field as
well as the athletic field.
The Odyssey
• Is one of two major ancient Greek
epic poems attributed to Home . It
is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad.
• The poem mainly centers on the
Greek hero Odysseus and his journey
home after the fall of Troy in the
Trojan Wars. It takes Odysseus ten
years to reach his home of Ithaca. In
his absence, it is assumed he has
died, and his wife Penelope and son
Telemachus must deal with a group
of unruly suitors, the Mnesteres who
compete for Penelope's hand in
marriage and overtake her home.
Find & Watch the 1997 version of the movie!
Write Out!
Learning Target 4: I will be able to summarize, evaluate
and construct connections (to myself, the world and/or
other topics we have studied) using a variety of primary
and secondary documents.
Task #1: To learn this I will be able to read and
annotate an excerpt of The Odyssey by Homer.
Task #2: To learn this I will be able to discuss
the purpose of The Odyssey and formulate
connections to myself and the world in a four
square document analysis chart on it.
Goes on page 13 of IWHN
In-depth look at The Odyssey:
Talking to the Text
• Step One: Hover over the text and just look
over it entirely. Use a highlighter to highlight
ALL the words that are new to you, you
don’t understand, or seem hard or cool to
you.
• Step Two: share out the words from your list
that you think you would absolutely need to
know to understand the text
• Must know words
• Cool to know words
Can you understand a
piece of reading without
understanding all the
words?
• Step Three: How do you talk to a text?
Odyssey Four Square: Goes on
page 14 of IWHN
What does the selection say? What is
the author’s claim?
What is the author’s purpose/intention?
For or against bias? Point of view?
How does the author support his/her
claim? Identify and cite specific facts
from the selection.
What connections can be made to me?
To the community? To the world? To
something else we have studied?
Greeks Create Myths
• Greeks developed myths, or traditional stories about their Gods
• Used them to make sense of the mysteries of nature (i.e. changing
seasons) and the power of human passions
• Attributed human qualities (i.e. love, hate) to Gods
• Fought with each other constantly
• Lived forever
• Zeus was ruler of the Gods along with his wife Hera
• Had a daughter named Athena who was goddess of wisdom and guardian of
cities (city of Athens was named after her)
Section 2 Objectives
• Identify the different political systems that
developed in the Greek city-states.
• Describe the government of Athens.
• Explain how Athenian and Spartan governments
differed.
• Summarize the battles and results of the Persian
wars.
Setting the Stage
During the Dorian Period, two things started
to change:
1. Dorians and Mycenaeans began to identify
less with the culture of their ancestors but
with the local area they lived in
2. Method of governing changed from
tribal/clan control to more formal
governments called city-states
Rule and Order in Greek CityStates
• By 750 B.C. the city-state,
or polis was the
fundamental political unit in
ancient Greece.
• It was made up of a city and
its surrounding countryside
which included numerous
villages
• controlled between 50 and
500 square miles of territory
• contained fewer than 10,000
residents.
• Citizens gathered at the
acropolis (i.e. agora,
marketplace, or fortified
hilltop)to discuss matters of
city politics.
Greek Political Structures
Monarchy
Aristocracy
Oligarchy
• State ruled by a single
person, called a king
• Rule is hereditary
• Some rulers claim
divine right
• Practiced in Mycenae
by 2000 BC
• State rules by a small
group of noble,
landowning families
• Rule is hereditary and
based on family ties,
social rank, or wealth
• Social status and
wealth support rulers’
authority
• Practiced in Athens
prior to 594 BC
• A government ruled by
a few powerful people
• Started when trade
allowed for a new class
of wealthy merchants
and artisans to
emerge; they became
unhappy with the
nobility so they took
power or shared it
with people
• Ruling group controls
military
• Practiced in Sparta by
500 BC
Write Out!
Learning Target 2: I will be able to explain and
analyze the growth of civilizations from early
nomadic tribes to complex societies like Greece.
Task #2: To learn this I will be able to
compare and contrast the city states of
Athens and Sparta in both a T-chart and
double-bubble map.
On page 15 of the IWHN, create the following
table and take notes on Athens and Sparta
using the book on pages 128-131
Athens
Take notes on:
- How their government was
organized; who was the leader, how
were they chosen, who could
participate in government
- How citizens received their
education: who was allowed, what
were they taught, at what age
- The basis of their economy
- Their social life: literature, religion,
arts, sports
- How people spent their daily lives
- Whether they had social classes or
not
Sparta
Page heading: Athens v. Sparta
Goes on page 16 of IWHN
Double Bubble: Athens vs. Sparta
• Compare and contrast the two Greek city-states
• You are expected to do MORE THAN three per side
ATHENS
SPARTA
SIMILARITIES
Page 17 of IWHN
The Persian Wars: 131-133
• Read the following pages of the book
• As you read pay special attention to
• words in blue (vocabulary words)
• Paragraph headings: help to organize thinking
• Maps and pictures on the sides: help to visualize information
• Answer guided questions:
• Do not have to be in complete sentences
• Answers do have to be thorough: meaning with LOTS of
details and explanations
• Consider presenting your answers as graphic organizers
[thinking maps] and lists [bullet points]
• Consider using different color pens and highlighters
Section 3 Objectives
• Identify the three goals of Pericles.
• Describe Greek art and architecture.
• Summarize the work of Greek dramatists and
historians.
• Explain the major conflicts in the Peloponnesian
Wars.
• Identify Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
Setting the Stage
For about 50 years from 477 to
431 B.C., Athens experienced a
growth in intellectual and
artistic learning called the
Golden Age of Athens.
Page 18 of IWHN
Divide and Conquer
• Section 3 has been
divided into eight topics:
1. Pericles’ Plan for Athens
2. Glorious Art and
Architecture
3. Drama and History
4. Athenians and Spartans
go to War
5. Philosophers Search for
Truth
6. Socrates
7. Plato
8. Aristotle
• Depending on your table
# will determine what
topic you have
• You must summarize your
topic according to the
guidelines given to you.
• ONE person from your
table must come up and
present your topic to the
class
• As each team is
presenting, you are all
filling out your notes
Notes on page 19 of IWHN
Section 4 Objectives
• Describe Philip’s conquest of Greece.
• Explain how Alexander the Great defeated the
Persian Empire.
• Summarize Alexander’s conquests and their
impact on future cultures.
Setting the Stage
Peloponnesian War weakened Greek
city-states militarily and economically.
King Philip II, of nearby Macedonia [who
considered themselves Greek too],
wanted to:
• control Greece
• use it to invade Persia
• avenge Persian invasion of Greece in
480 B.C.
Macedonia
• Located north of
Greece
• Rough terrain; cold
climate
• Lived in mountain
village not city-states
• Did not have great
philosophers, artists, or
writers
• But had fearless kings!
King Philip II
• Became king in 359 B.C. @ 23
years old
• Turned peasants into a welltrained and professional army
• Organized them into phalanxes
16 men across and 16 men deep
each armed with an 18 foot pike
• Won against the Greece in his
338 B.C. invasion at the battle
of Chaeronea and ended
Greek independence
• Never got the chance to
invade Persia because he was
stabbed to death by a former
guardsmen at his daughter’s
wedding. His son took over.
Alexander the Great
• Took over @ 20 years old
• Was a student of Aristotle: learned
Science, geography, and literature
• Inspired by Homer’s descriptions of
Achilles in the Iliad
• Learned how to be a soldier at a young age
• When he became king, Greek city of Thebes
revolted: he destroyed it, killed about 6000 and
sold the rest to slavery
• All other city-states gave up any idea of a rebellion
Invasion of Persia
In 334 B.C, he led
35,000 troops into
Anatolia
Met an army of
40,000 at the
Granicus River
Alexander led the
first attack and
smashed the
Persian
King Darius and his
army ran away
Alexander broke
through a weak point
and attacked city of
Darius directly
Persia King Darius III
raise an army between
50-75,000 and met
them at a place called
Issus
Conquering the Persian Empire
Darius tried to
make peace: offers
all the lands west
of the Euphrates
River
Alexander, after
such an easy
defeat, rejects and
sets out to
conquer all of the
Persia
Marched into Egypt:
welcomed as a
liberator and crowned
Pharaoh, or god-king
Darius fled: ended
Persian empire
Met at Gaugamel:
attacked with
phalanxes and cavalry
The moved east into
Mesopotamia to meet
Darius who had an
army of 250,000
Then conquered
Babylon, Sa, and
Persepolis: Persia’s
royal capital
Alexander’s Other Conquests
• Alexander more interested in expanding his empire
than governing it
• Kept pursuing Darius east until he found him near
the Caspian Sea murdered by one of his governors
• For three years, he kept moving East across central
Asia hoping to read the farthest edge of the
continent
• 326 B.C.: reached Indus River; fought off Indian
army and marched 200 miles after
• After 11 years, his soldiers had low morale, tired, and
wanted to go home. Alexander agreed
323 B.C.
• Alexander returns to Babylon with plans to organize
and unify his empire
• Wanted to construct new cities, roads, harbors, and conquer
Arabia
• But he became ill with a fever and died a few days later at the
age of 32
• His general fought for control and divided the empire:
• Antigonus: became King of Macedonia and Greek-City states
• Ptolemy: seized Egypt, became pharaoh and made a dynasty
• Seleucus: took more of old Persian empire and it became the
Seleucid Empire.
• All governed with complete power over their subjects contrary to
the democratic traditions of Greece
Section 5 Objectives
• Describe Hellenistic Culture.
• Identify the achievements of Hellenistic scholars.
• Summarize the major philosophies and artistic
styles of the Hellenistic period.
Setting the Stage
During his military campaign, Alexander
wanted to combined the culture of the
Persian to his Greek culture. He adopted
Persian dress and customs and married a
Persian woman. He started new cities as
administrative centers of Greek culture
like Alexandria in Egypt. After his death,
trade a shared Greek culture, and a
common language kept the cities linked.
The Spread of Hellenistic Culture:
Page 20 of IWHN
146-149
• Read the following pages of the book
• As you read pay special attention to
• words in blue (vocabulary words)
• Paragraph headings: help to organize thinking
• Maps and pictures on the sides: help to visualize information
• Answer guided questions:
• Do not have to be in complete sentences
• Answers do have to be thorough: meaning with LOTS of
details and explanations
• Consider presenting your answers as graphic organizers
[thinking maps] and lists [bullet points]
• Consider using different color pens and highlighters
Write Out!
Learning Target 2: I will be able to explain and
analyze the growth of civilizations from early
nomadic tribes to complex societies like Greece.
Task #3: To learn this I will be able to
evaluate the conditions that contributed to
the stability and achievements of Greece and
determine the factors that led to its decline.
Greece
Page title:
SAD CYCLE: Greece
Make sure you include notes on all
four categories:
•
•
•
•
Construction Projects
Advances in the Arts
Advances in the Sciences
Empire Building
Make sure you include notes on all
three categories:
•
•
•
Government
Economy
Social Structure
Draw this out in your notebook ON
PAGE 21 OF IWHN and fill it out
with everything we learned about
the Greek Civilization.
Draw this out in your notebook ON
PAGE 22 OF IWHN and fill it out
with everything we learned about
the Greek Civilization.
Page title:
CONFLICT: Greece
Conflict over beliefs and
values
Racial and Ethnic Conflict
1.
1.
Conflict in
Greece
Territorial and Environmental
Conflict
1.
Conflict over political power
1.