Ancient Greece
Philosophers, Athenians, Spartans
Conquerors and Conquest
Greek
Philosophers
Greek Philosophers
Philosophers – “lovers of wisdom”
Sophists – “workers of wisdom”
– Teachers
phileo = love
sophia = wisdom
If sophia = wisdom and moron = fool, then a sophomore is a “wise
fool.”
Pythagoras
582-500 B.C.
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The universe could only be
understood thru numbers.
Sun, moon, and earth revolved
around a central fire.
Each planet produces a tone!
Famous for the Pythagorean
Theorem: a2 + b2 = c2
Pythagoras
582-500 B.C.
c2
a2
b2
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Pythagorean Theorem: a2 + b2 = c2
Protagoras
485 - 410 B.C.
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Most famous of the Sophists
Believed that reason and knowledge
should be used to achieve a comfortable,
safe, and happy life.
Teachings to equip citizens for life in
the polis:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Public speaking – oratory and rhetoric
Politics
Grammar – language
The art of being respectable
Plato named one of his dialogues after
him.
Hippocrates
460-377 B.C.
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Founded a school of medicine
Rejected that sickness comes
from the gods
Careful observations of
symptoms
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“Holistic” healing
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Acute
Chronic
Hygiene
Diet
Curative powers of nature
The Hippocratic Oath
Euclid
c.300 B.C.
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One of the most prominent
mathematicians
Wrote The Elements
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Widely used till about 1903.
2nd only to the Bible in numbers
of translations, publications, and
study
Greek – Arabic – Latin
Said to Ptolemy: “There is
No Royal Road to
geometry!”
Archimedes
287 - 212 B.C.
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Greek mathematician – Geometry
War machines and other devices
Theory of buoyancy - “Eureka!”
Law of the lever
Archimedean screw
Archimedean Screw
Modern application of the Archimedean Screw
The Three Most Famous
Philosophers
Socrates
Plato
Aristotle
Socrates
469 - 399 B.C.
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Critic of the Sophists
Encouraged students to think
Left no writings – skeptical
Dialectic method
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Conversational
Based upon reason and logic
Popular among the youth
a “gadfly” in Athens
Placed on trial for impiety and corrupting
the youth
Was executed in 399 – drank poison
hemlock
Socrates
469 - 399 B.C.
“The unexamined
life is not worth
living.”
- Socrates -
Socrates
469 - 399 B.C.
Socratic Method:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Admit ignorance.
Never rely on tradition.
Continuously question.
Formulate your own opinions.
Test your opinions with others.
Socrates
469 - 399 B.C.
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Socrates’ dialectic method was a
departure from earlier
philosophers.
Earlier philosophers were
interested in the nature of the
universe and basic elements.
Socrates’ approach was more
rigorous and was the forerunner of
logic.
Most famous student: Plato
Socrates
469 - 399 B.C.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Plato
427 - 347 B.C.
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Preserved and perpetuated the
work of Socrates
Most important source of info on
Socrates
Founded the Academy
Wrote dialogues
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Universal Forms was a recurring theme
The Republic – most important dialogue
“Those things which are beautiful are also difficult.”
Aristotle
384 - 322 B.C.
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Most famous student of
Plato
Most famous teacher of
Alexander the Great
Developed Logic as a field
of study
Devised a complex system of
classification
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Used in biology
Views on Government
Aristotle
384 - 322 B.C.
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Views on Government
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3 Good Governments:
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Monarchy
Aristocracy
Democracy
3 Bad Governments:
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Tyranny
Oligarchy
Mob Rule
Aristotle
384 - 322 B.C.
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“All things in moderation”
“Man is by nature a
political animal.”
Greek and Roman
Mythology
A Review
of
The Principal Gods and Goddesses
What is a myth?
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A traditional story rooted in primitive folk
beliefs of cultures
Uses the supernatural to interpret natural events
Explains the culture’s view of the universe and
the nature of humanity
In the beginning...
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…was Chaos (shapeless nothingness)
Chaos had two children:
Night (darkness)
 Erebus (death)
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“All was black, empty, silent, endless.”
Mysteriously, Love was born of darkness and
death.
And then...
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When Love was born, order and beauty began
to flourish.
Love created Light and Day.
Earth was created.
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She was the solid ground, but also a personality.
The Earth bore Heaven to cover her and be a
home for the gods.
The First Parents
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Mother Earth = Gaea (Gaia)
Father Heaven = Ouranos (Uranus)
They had three kinds of children:
Three monsters with 100 hands and 50 heads
 Three cyclopes
 The titans
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These were the first characters that had the appearance of life, although it was
unlike any life known to man.
The Titans (The Elder Gods)
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There were many of them.
Enormous size, incredible strength
Cronos (Saturn): Ruler of the titans
Rhea: Wife of Cronos
Ocean: River that encircled the world
Iapetus: Father of Prometheus,
Epimetheus, and Atlas (also titans)
The Principal Gods
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Cronos and Rhea were
parents of
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Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)
Poseidon (Neptune)
Hades (Pluto)
Hera (Juno)
Hestia (Vesta)
Demeter (Ceres)
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Other Olympians include
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Athena (Minerva)
Ares (Mars)
Hebe (Juventas)
Hephaestus (Vulcan)
Apollo (Apollo)
Artemis (Diana)
Hermes (Mercury)
Aphrodite (Venus)
Dionysus (Bacchus)
Persephone
The Olympians
Zeus
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Roman Name: Jupiter
(also Jove)
Supreme god of the
Olympians.
Fathered many
characters in
mythology
Zeus
Hera
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Roman Name:
Juno
Zeus’s sister and
wife
Jealous protector
of marriage
Punished the
women Zeus fell
in love with
Poseidon
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Roman Name:
Neptune
God of the Seas
and Waters
“The Earthshaker”
Hades
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Roman Name:
Pluto
God of the
Underworld/
Dead
Kidnapped
Persephone
Hestia
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Roman Name:
Vesta
Goddess of
Home
Powerful
Protector
Demeter
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Roman Name:
Ceres
Goddess of the
Harvest
A Goddess of
the Earth
Athena
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Roman Name:
Minerva
Goddess of
Wisdom and
War
Sprang from
Zeus’s head
Ares
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Roman Name:
Mars
God of War
Son of Zeus and
Hera
Bloodthirsty and
merciless
Hephaestus
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Roman Name:
Vulcan (Mulciber)
God of Fire/Forge
Son of Zeus and
Hera
Kind, unlike his
brother
Apollo
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Roman Name:
Apollo
God of
Light/Sun and
Music
Brother of
Artemis
Artemis
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Roman Name:
Diana
Goddess of the
Moon/ Hunt
Sister to Apollo
Hermes
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Roman Name:
Mercury
Messenger of
the Gods
Appears in more
myths than any
other character
Aphrodite
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Roman Name:
Venus
Goddess of
Love and
Beauty
Sprang from the
ocean foam
Dionysus
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Roman Name:
Bacchus
God of Wine
Patron god of the
Greek stage
A God of the
Earth
Persephone
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Roman Name:
Proserpina
Goddess of the
Underworld
Daughter of Zeus
and Demeter
Abducted by Hades
Hebe
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Roman Name:
Juventas
Goddess of Youth
Cupbearer to the
Gods
Restored youth to
the aged
Eros
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Roman Name:
Cupid
Young God of
Love
Son of Aphrodite
and Hephaestus
Iris
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Goddess of the
Rainbow
Messenger for
Zeus and Hera
Daughter of the
titan Thaumus and
the nymph Electra
The Muses
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Nine daughters of Zeus
and Mnemosyne
Inspired artists of all
kinds
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Goddesses who
presided over the arts
and sciences
“He is happy whom the
muses love.”
Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore,
Polyhymnia
The Graces
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Three Goddesses of
Grace and Beauty
“They give life its
bloom.”
Aglaia (Splendor)
Euphrosyne (Mirth)
Thalia (Good Cheer)
The Erinnyes (The Furies)
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Roman Name: Furiae or
Dirae (The Furies)
Three Goddesses of
Vengeance
Tisiphone
 Alecto
 Megaera
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They punish evildoers.
The Fates
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Roman Name: Parcae, Moirae
Three sisters
Clotho (“The Spinner”)
 Lachesis (“The disposer of lots”)
 Atropos (“The cutter”)
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They weave, measure, and cut the thread of life
for humans.
The Satyrs
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Gods of the woods and
mountains
“Shepherd gods”
Goat men (like Pan)
Companions of Dionysus
They like to drink, dance,
and chase nymphs.
The Gorgons
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Three snakehaired monsters
Medusa is most
well-known
Their look turns
men to stone.
The Centaurs
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Half man, half
horse
Savage creatures
(except Chiron)
Followers of
Dionysus
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Polis is the Greek word for city-state
which is essentially a town, city or village.
 In each city, usually at the top of a hill was
the Acropolis. It was a fortified meeting area
that was used for religious center or refuge
against attack.
 The Agora was an open area below the
acropolis that served as a market and
assembly area.
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Between 750 and 550BC the Greek settled other
land besides Greece and became as independent
as the Mother cities they came from.
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Main Setting Areas: Aegean Sea & Black Sea
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Hellespont
Bosporus
 Byzantium (Constantinople-Istanbul)
Main Settling Areas: Mediterranean Sea
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Italian Coasts
Spanish Coasts
Sicily Coast
Egyptian Coast
 The
300
 Located
on the Peloponnesus
 Captured the Messenians and Laconians
who become Helots – captured.
 Sparta is a Military State- created to
control the helots.
 The lives of the Spartans were very rigid
and organized (Spartan means highly selfdisciplined).
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Agoge - Spartan boys were taken to military training
camps at age 7 and officially joined the army at age
20.
Spartan men were allowed to marry at 20 but were
often away either living in the barracks until age 30,
after joining the military at age 20, or being away at
war. Men served in the army until age 60.
Since their husband were gone so much, Spartan
women had greater freedoms than most women in
Greece at the time.
They were also expected to stay fit to bear and raise
healthy children. The girls were trained in javelin
throwing, wrestling and running.
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Oligarchy – Two Kings
Ephors – A group of 5 men who were elected every
year.
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Council of Elders – 2 Kings and 28 Citizen over age 60.
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Responsible for the education of the youth and the
conduct of all citizens.
They decided and voted on issued. They did not debate.
The Spartan government discouraged visitors and
traveling abroad for the fear that new ideas might be
introduced into the Spartan culture.
Spartan were all about war.
 Located
on the Peninsula of Attica.
 Early on it was ruled by a king but later
became an Oligarchy under the control of its
aristocrats. They owned the best land.
 Problems arose in the late 7th century BC
when many farmer were sold into slavery to
pay debts.
 The poor demanded they all debts be
cancelled and land be given to the poor.
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Solons Reforms
Cancelled all debts but didn’t give land to the poor.
 Aristocrats still powerful and poor could not get land. This
conflict eventually led to Tyranny.
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Pisistratus
Aided trade as a way of pleasing merchants and gave land to
the poor and a way to gain their favor.
 The people didn’t like his son when he took over so they
rebelled and threw him out ending the tyranny.
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Cleisthenes
Created an assembly of 500 to oversee the Athenian
government.
 They passed laws after open debate.
 Created the basis for Athenian democracy.
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The Persian Wars
Greece’s Finest Hours
The Rise of Sparta
• Ever since Messenian Wars Sparta followed an aggressive policy of
expansion, partly through war and partly through diplomacy.
• By the beginning of the 5th century Sparta owned the whole of
southern Peloponnese, and dominated the rest as the leading power.
• The armies of Sparta already had a reputation of invincibility
• Successful reforms in the 7th century had spared Sparta of the worst
social/economic/political problems that other Greek cities faced in the
7th and 6th c.
• While the rest of the Greek world was facing tyranny, poverty and
upheaval, Sparta was enjoying prosperity, stability, and
political/military success.
Where is Persia?
The Rise of Achaemenid Persia
Cyrus II and the Foundation
• Between 550 and 530 BC Cyrus
II, establishes a vast empire
• First he incorporates Media and
Persia, then the Assyrian
Empire, and then many lands on
the east of Iran
• He establishes a rule based on
local diversity, respects local
religions and customs
• His son and heir Cambyses II
conquered Egypt.
Darius I (the housekeeper)
• Darius was a pretender, who prevailed
after a bloody succession war.
• He expanded the empire to the East,
and tried to incorporate Europe,
including Greece
• His European campaigns were mostly
a failure
• He organized the Empire, cut new
coins (darics), and introduced new
laws.
• His generals were defeated by the
Athenians at Marathon.
Why Fight?
• Greeks had been settling on the west coast
of Asia Minor (Persia)
• Persia conquered these colonies
• In 499 B.C. Greeks in these colonies
revolted against Persian rule (they were
used to ruling themselves—democracy)
• Athens sent troops to support the revolt
Crushing the Revolt
• Emperor Darius of Persia crushed the revolt
rather quickly
• He decided to punish Athens for helping the
colonies
• After training for a few years Darius sent
troops to invade Greece
• Sailed on to the Bay of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon
• Athens asked Sparta to help, but Spartan
troops would not arrive for 9 days (they
were in the middle of religious festivals)
• Other jealous city-states decided not to help
Athens against the Persian Empire
• So Athens took on the mighty Persian
Empire by themselves
A Serious Mismatch
• Persian troops—100,000
• Athenian troops—20,000
• Did Athens really have any hope against
these odds?
Victory
• The Athenian army was well-trained and
did not break formation as they charged the
Persian lines
• The organized charge surprised the large
but scattered (and poorly organized) Persian
army
• The Persian soldiers turned and ran from the
oncoming Athenians
A Slaughter
• The Athenian army almost drove the
Persians back to the sea
• Final tally
– Persians—6, 400 dead
– Athens—192 dead
– Darius returned to Persia never to return
Connection to the Past
• The modern marathon has its roots in the Battle of
Marathon
• A Greek soldier, Phidippides, ran from Marathon
to Athens (26 miles) to tell the Athenians of the
Greek victory and to warn them that the Persians
may try to attack
• Phidippides died from exhaustion after delivering
his message
• Today’s 26 mile marathon races remember his
heroic act of martyrdom
Back for Revenge
• The Persian Emperor Darius never returned,
but his son Emperor Xerxes did
• In 480 B.C. the Persians returned to Greece
• They brought even more men this time
around
Xerxes
• 486: Darius dies: Xerxes
becomes king
• 484: Egypt revolts
• After the suppression of the
revolt Xerxes prepares for a
campaign against Greece.
• 480: Xerxes personally leads
an invasion of Greece
The Fictional Xerxes
The real Xerxes
• A sophisticated, fun-loving
womanizer, better suited for the
luxuries of the court than the
battlefield.
• Xerxes inherited the Greek
campaign from his father.
• During his reign, a new
imperial capital was built,
intended to glorify Persian
might
Persepolis: The Great Palace of Xerxes
The Invasion of Xerxes
The Battlefield of Thermopylae
The Battle of Thermopylae
• Persians met a force of Greeks at
Thermopylae
• This was a small mountain pass that
controlled access to all of Greece
• For two days 7,000 Greeks held the
Persians back, but…
The Battle of Thermopylae
• 480: Although strategically it was a hopeless
undertaking, the stand of king Leonidas and his
personal guard at Thermopylae, encourages the
fighting Greeks.
• The Athenians, with an equal spirit of bravery,
retreat and allow the city to be burnt to the ground.
• This is the limit of Xerxes’ successes in Greece
The Downfall
• A Greek traitor showed the Persians a secret
passageway
• This allowed the Persians to sneak up from
behind and attack the Greeks
• Most of the Greek defenders ran away
A Heroic Act
• About 300 Spartans stayed behind and
fought to their deaths
• This allowed the other Greeks to escape
capture or certain death
Here come the Persians
• The Persians poured into Greece
• They got their revenge by wreaking havoc
• They even burned Athens to the ground
• What were the Greeks to do?
The Battle of Salamis
• As their city-state burned the Athenian
people and the army escaped to the island of
Salamis
• The Persians were quick to follow the
retreating Greeks to Salamis
Those Clever Athenians
• The Greeks ships first sailed from shore like they
were fleeing the island
• They then turned quickly around and began
ramming the Persian ships
• Before the Persians knew what had happened half
of their fleet was on the ocean floor
• The Persians once again retreated back to Persia
Battle of Salamis (480)
• In the narrow waters of
Salamis the Athenian-led
Greek fleet destroys the
Persian navy.
• Xerxes, for fear of being
cut off, leaves for Asia
• His general Mardonius is
left behind with much of
the land army
The Final Battle
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The Battle of Plataea
The Greeks and Persians at equal strength
Athens and Sparta fought side by side
Greek military superiority won out and
Persia retreated for good
The battle of Plataia (479 BC)
• In the battlefield of Plataia the Spartan
army, led by Pausanias, regent for the son
of Leonidas, wiped out the Persian land
forces.
• Spartan victory was so swift and decisive
that the more populous Athenian army
did not even get the chance to get to the
battlefield on time.
• This ended Persian threat against Greece.
In future, the Greeks would be the
aggressors against Persia.
How did the Greeks do it?
• Three reasons
– Inherent advantage of the defender
– They were better soldiers
– They used the element of surprise
 Athenians
formed a defensive alliance with
other Greek city-states.
 Headquarters was on the island of Delos.
 Led by Athenian commanders and treasurers.
 The Delian armies chased the Persians and
liberated nearly all Greek states from the
Persians.
 The Athenians then moved the treasury to
Athens and proceeded to control the League,
thus making an Empire.
 Pericles
was the dominant figure in Athenian
politics from 461-429BC.
 Direct Democracy – the people participate
directly in the government decision making
process through mass meetings.
 All male citizens participated in government
by voting.
 Not all males over 18 participated in the
mass meetings where laws were made and
officials were elected.
 Ostracism
– People would write a name f a
person on a piece of pottery and that person
was banned for 10 years if they were named
by 6000 members.
 Pericles created rebuilding programs that
built new temples and statues that had been
destroyed by the Persians.
 The city them flourished and became the
“school of Greece.”
 Based
on farming and trade.
Grew grains, fruit and vegetables for local us
 Grew olives and grapes for local use and trade.
 Raised sheep and goats for wool and milk
products.
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 Because
of the high-level of trade, Athens
built a port near Piraievs making them the
largest trade center in the Greek world.
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Family was very important: husband, wife and
children.
Also included were other relatives and slaves.
 The families job was to produce new citizens.
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Women had few rights outside the home.
Participate in religious festivals.
 Could not own property.
 Always had a male guardian:
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Unmarried – Father
Married – Husband
Widowed – Son or male relative
 Primary
roles as a wife was to be a good wife
and bear children (esp. males).
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All housework was either done by her or the
slaves.
 Women
married young and had to learn
responsibilities fast. Most didn’t get a formal
education
The Arrival Of Macedonia:
Phillip II And Alexander The
Great
The Northern Greeks: The
Macedonians
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Kingdom of Macedonia was
north of Greece
Macedonians were considered
barbaric and not worthy of
Greek attention
Macedonians had their own
problems dealing with
invasions from Europe and
constant fighting amongst
themselves
Phillip II
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359 B.C. Phillip Of
Macedonia assumes power
Skilled politician and master
of Greek warfare who seeks
to exploit weaknesses of
many Greek poleis
He is skilled and daring
enough to seize the entire
Greek Peloponnese
Phillip II
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Army of Macedonia had
many strengths
Army was based on heavy
and light cavalry supported
by hoplite phalanxes
 Macedonian Phalanx
consisted of Greek soldiers
in a tight formation of
shields and long lances
(Sarissa)
 Macedonians breed for war
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Phillip II
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Phillip of Macedonia
controls Greece by 339 B.C.
through conquest and by
promising to remove Persian
presence from Greece
He assassinated before
daughters wedding in 338
B.C. (alleged that Alexander
had role in his death)
Alexander assumes throne at
20 years of age
Alexander The Great
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Alexander is an
experienced commander
and determined to prove
himself
Calls for Greek troops but
is ignored by Greek poleis
Massacres the polis Thebes
in 335 B.C.to send a
message
His army swells with Greek
troops who fear him
Alexander The Great
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Alexander invades Persia and
at Battle of The Granicus
334B.C. defeats an army of
110,000
He moves into Egypt and is
proclaimed pharaoh
Builds the famous lighthouse
of Alexandria
Considered one of the Seven
Wonders of the World
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Alexander The Great: The
Persian Conquest
Alexander seeks to conqueror
Babylon in 334 B.C.
Persian Emperor Darius fails to
stop the Greeks from moving into
the heart of his kingdom
331 B.C. Battle of Issus Alexander
crushes the Persian army led by
Darius who flees the field of battle
Darius is eventually killed by own
troops to appease Alexander
Alexander The Great: The
Persian Conquest
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Alexander conquerors the
Persian empire and becomes
infatuated with Persian life
Convinced he is destined to
conqueror the world
He conquerors Afghanistan and
Pakistan until he ventures into
India past the Indus River Valley
India proves to be more than a
challenge
Alexander the Greats Victory at
Hydaspes River, 326 B.C.
Alexander The Great: The
Persian Conquest

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
Alexander’s army refuses to
go any further
He seeks to punish his men
by returning through the
deserts of Pakistan and loses
50% of his men
Returns to Babylon by 324
B.C. and seeks to merge the
Greek and Persian empires
into one
Alexander The Great: The
Persian Conquest




323 B.C. Alexander
seeks to cross into
Arabia and beyond
The Greek army is
exhausted and on the
brink of mutiny
Alexander mysteriously
dies before his plans are
complete
Death is a mystery
The Significance Of Alexander



A magnificent general and
leader whose
accomplishments of war are
still studied
He helped spread Greek
culture throughout the
Middle East
He built over 70 cities along
trade routes using Greek
style including bathes and
gymnasiums which
contribute to cultural exchange
The Significance Of Alexander



Introduced the Hellenistic Age
it was the mixture of Greek
and Persian culture that
produced new ideas on
civilization
This lead to the birth of
cosmopolitan cities
Shortcoming was that he was
not concerned with ruling an
empire
Alexander the Great
356 -323 B.C.
Alexander the Great
356 -323 B.C.