UNIT 10 Ancient
Greece
The natural
environment
Ancient Greece was
composed of: Balkan
Peninsula, the
Peloponnese and
other islands in the
Eastern
Mediterranean. Asia
Minor (now Turkey)
later became part.
It had a privileged
position between
Asia and Africa.
Their proximity to the sea
and mountains
contributed to the
isolation and
independence of Greek
cities and they got the
products they needed
from many sea voyages.
2. The History of
Ancient Greece
2.1 The origins of
Greek civilization
- Greece was the origin of
Western civilization.
-7000 B.C prehistoric stone tools were found in different
places in Greece.
-Hellas was its ancient name (land of the Hellenes).
The Metal Age: It was divided in:
The Bronze Age:
1. Cretan or Minoan civilization (3000-1450 B.C.):
The center was the island of Crete.
King Minos ruled in the city of Knossos.
--Cretans knew about writing.
- Traded throughout the Mediterranean and exported
ceramics, textiles and bronze objects.
2. Mycenaean civilization
(1600-1200 B.C.)
- The center was the
Peloponnese Peninsula.
(Mycenae)
- Livestock, agriculture and
trading precious metals
was its economy base.
- Internal wars, the Dorian
invasion and earthquakes
destroyed its cities.
In actual fact, the origins of the Dorians, a pastoral people, are
necessarily obscure, but it appears they originated in northern
and northwestern Greece, i.e. Macedonia and Epirus. From there
they apparently swept southward into central Greece and then
into the southern Aegean area in successive migrations
beginning about 1100 BC, at the end of the Bronze Age. This new
people brought with it a new material, iron, which was of
Balkan origin.
Iron Age (1200-750 B.C.)
- We know little about
this period. Very few
remains (Greek Dark
Age)
- The Dorians
subjugated people
on the Peloponnese
Peninsula.
- The poleis (citystates) were formed
at the end of this
Age.
- After the Iron Age,
Greece is divided
into three periods:
Archaic, Classical
and Hellenistic.
2.2 Archaic Age: Colonisation (8th6th centuries B.C.)
-The poleiswere governed by kings/chiefs but they lost power to the
aristocracy.
-The aristocracy oppressed the weakest social groups.
- Tyrants took away the citizens rights and freedom on behalf
of the merchants, peasants and artisans.
- The population grew, so the Ancient Greeks established colonies
around the Mediterranean Sea to get more farmland.
2.3Classical Age (5th-4th centuries BC)
-Important city-states:
1. ATHENS: (7th
century)
- Polis protested of the
abuse of power of the
aristocracy.
- Reforms were
introduced:The
Citizens’Assembly(Ekk
lesia)was introduced by
Solon the Lawmaker.
DEMOCRACY WAS
ESTABLISHED IN ATHENS:
a. The Ekklesi elected magistrates and voted
on laws.
b. Magistrates carried out decisions and held
public office in administration and army.
c. The Council (Boule) were chosen by
drawing of lots.
2. SPARTA:
- There was an
Oligarchy(power held by
a small group of people).
- The polis was ruled by two kings,
twenty eight elders (Gerousia) and
five officials (ephors).
- Kings performed civil and religious
functions.
- Gerusia presented projects to the
Popular Assembly (Apella).
- The ephors represented the Apella
(controlled the actions of the kings
and made sure the laws were
obeyed).
- Lycurgus the Lawmaker wrote the
laws that ruled Sparta.
-Sparta was known for being
bellicose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLyW5UYPYYs
Horrible Histories Wife Swap: Athens and Sparta
(4:30)
Military
conflicts:
• a) The Persian
War (494-479
B.C.): Athens
organised the
Delian League
and sent
powerful fleet to
conquer the
Persians.
b) The Peloponnesian Wars
(431-404 B.C.):
The Greek states
fought each
other:
Athens wanted to
control the
Dellian League
and forced polis to
stay in the
association.
Sparta opposed:
some supported
Sparta and others
Athens. Sparta
won and imposed
an oligarchy over
Athens
2.4 Hellenistic Age (359-146BC)
In the 4th century B.C, the kingdom of Macedonia started to conquer Greek
cities(Macedonia was governed by a hereditary Monarchy).
-King Philip II began the expansion of
Macedonian´s territory including Greece.
- His son Alexander The Great created the
biggest empire in the Ancient World.
- The empire (after the death of Alexander the Great) was divided into
three Hellenistic kingdoms:
a. Macedonia and Greece.
b. Asia Minor, Syria, Mesopotamia and the Old Persian Empire.
c. Egypt.
- Between the 2nd and 1st century B.C. Rome made up a great empire and took
control of the Greek territories.
3. Life in Ancient Greek city
states
• In the centre of Ancient Greek cities was an acropolis (a
religious space, which was fortified and stood on the
highest part of the city)
• The cities inhabitants met in the agora (the public
square) to talk about politics and buy and sell
products.
AGORA
3.1 The Economy
• Agriculture (mainly vines and olives) was very important.
The Greeks also kept bees and livestock: sheep, goats, pigs,
donkeys and mules.
• Crafts: Greek artisans were good at metal and leather but
also made pottery, textiles and perfumes.
• Products were sold in the market. There was also trade with
the colonies which brought a lot of money to the cities because
of the taxes charged on the goods that went through the
ports.
3.2 Society
• There were two main groups in society:
• CITIZENS: aristocrats, merchants and farmers who
could vote, be elected to hold public office and
take part in political life. They had also to pay taxes.
• NON-CITIZENS: foreigners with no political
rights (mainly artisans or traders) who had to pay
special taxes, could go to the public gymnasium, serve in
the army and buy goods.
• There were also SLAVES who were not free (worked in
agriculture, crafts and domestic service)
Women
• Greek women
could not hold
political
positions.
•They had
more freedom
in Sparta than
in Athens
4. Religion
• The greeks believed in many gods (according to
mythology, the gods lived in Mount Olympus)
• They believed in heroes
• They also believed in oracles (messages sent from the
gods that only the priests could interpret)
• They made offerings to and worshipped their gods
(each city their own)
• The temple was the house of the gods
• The Olympic Games were held every four years in honour of
the God Zeus
*(See book for definitions)
Greek Gods
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJCm8W5RZes
5. Arts and sciences
• 5.1. Arts
- Philosophy: Greek thinkers tried to explain the origin
of human beings and everything that surrounded them.
- Literature: the Greeks invented the theatre and also
wrote epic poems (like the Iliad and the Odyssey)
- History appears for the first time in Ancient Greece
5.2. Sciences
The Greeks had a great knowledge of
the following sciences:
- Mathematics (Pythagoras)
- Physics (Archimedes)
- Medicine (Hippocrates)
- Astronomy (Aristarchus of Samos
proved that the Earth was spherical
and orbited the sun)
6. Architecture and art
• 6.1. Architecture:
Columns provided support for a building. They were made in white
stone and later coloured. Depending on the type of column there
were three styles of Greek architecture.
Doric
Ionic
Corinthian
The Greeks built many types of
construction:
• Temples: dedicated to the gods
• Tombs: where people were buried
• Theatres: where they showed comedies and
tragedies
• Stadiums: where they held races and fights
between athletes.
• Hippodromes: where there was horseracing and charriot-racing
• Gymnasiums: places where they did
physical exercise.
Temple
Theatres
Gymnasium
Stadium
Some Greek cities had a gridlike layout, colonnades and
arcades.
6.2. Sculpture
• Greek sculpture focuses on the human
form and shows and ideal of beauty,
proportion and balance.
• It developed over the three periods:
Archaic Classical Hellenistic
Sculpture (evolution)
ARCHAIC PERIOD: made of stone; rigid
posture; big eyes; geometrical.
CLASSICAL PERIOD: made of bronze and
marble and later painted in bright colours.
Gods, goddesses, and athletes; proportional;
expression and movement
HELLENISTIC PERIOD: made of marble.
Scenes of daily life; portraits of every day
people, politicians and philosophers. Very
expressive and tragic.