Early Greece
Minoan Civilization
Sir Arthur Evans discovered ancient ruins on
the island of Crete in 1878.
He named the civilization after the legendary tale
of King Minos and the Minotaur.
The Minoans were advanced in many ways,
one included the use of indoor plumbing.
Minoans Cont.
On the island of Crete the palace of
Knossos, there is a palace with frescos
depicting:
Sailing
Fishing
Trade
Bull Jumping
Women Priests
Minoan Language
Linear A was the language the Minoans used;
however, scholars cannot translate it.
This is the reason why the Minoan Civilization still
remains to be a great mystery to historians and
archeologists.
Michael Ventris deciphered Linear B, and it is
the earliest form of Greek.
Linear B is associated with the Mycenaean
Civilization.
A Mysterious Disappearance
After 1628 BC, much of the Minoan
Civilization is reduced to ruins.
On the island of Thera/Santorini, a volcano erupted
causing world wide upheaval. According to scientists,
the volcano ranked at a VEI-6 or 7.
• The destruction at Akrotiri may be the origins of Atlantis.
• There also may be a connection to the Biblical Exodus in
Egypt.
The civilization lingered until about 14001250 BC, until the Mycenaeans conquered
what was left of the Minoan civilization.
Mycenaeans Civilization
“Historians consider the Mycenaeans the first
Greeks, because they spoke a form of the
Greek language.”
While the Mycenaeans copied many aspects
of the Minoans they were sharply different.
They were more war-like
• Trojan War in Homer’s Iliad (Trojan Horse)
Powerful Kings dominated city-states
Built monuments like the Lion’s Gate
Downfall to Dark Ages
Many theories exist on why the Mycenaeans
failed, but some include:
Drought and Famine
Invasion by the “Sea Peoples”
Collapse of Trade
The Greek Dark Ages (1200 – 800 BC)
Decrease in population
Towns and cities were abandoned
Writing and Trade ceased
The Emergence of Greek City-States
Geography of Greece
Greece is mountainous!
Greek communities
often times developed
independently because
of the mountains, thus
they were diverse
As a result, they had
their own government,
laws, and customs.
Greek Polis
Around 800 BC, Greece stabilized!
Polis- City State
• Each polis was unique, and developed separately.
Acropolis- a walled “high area” containing
fortifications and temples and located in the
center of a polis
Agora- an open area that served as a meeting
place & market in early Greek city-states
• Agoraphobia- fear of open spaces.
The two major city-states were Athens and Sparta.
Athens was the first democracy.
Democracy: type of government where people vote.
Athens was a direct democracy where people vote on
everything. However, only citizens could vote
Breakdown of Athenian Social Structure
Adult Male Citizens with political rights
Women, children with no political rights
Non-citizens, slaves, resident foreigners
Sparta
Sparta was an oligarchy: rule by the few!
Sparta was ruled by two kings
Helots outnumbered Spartans 7 to 1! This was
the main reason for the strict war-like society…
• Breakdown of Spartan Social Structure
Spartiates
Perioeci (Perioikoi)
Helots
Sparta
Sparta was an isolated
city-state that was
culturally and politically
different from Athens.
Great military, army
feared by other nations.
Fighting Machines!
During the
Peloponnesian War
Sparta sacked Athens.
Greek Military
This is a hoplite, a
Greek infantry
soldier.
Hoplites were
middle class
freemen who had to
pay for their own
weapon and shield.
Greek Military: Phalanx
Soldiers get in a tight
box. They each have a
large shield and a 9 foot
long spear.
Was used in the Battle
of Marathon in 490 BC.
The Athenians defeated
the Persians with this
tactic.
Greeks were Polytheistic!
The Golden Age of Greece
A Revolt leads to War!
Persia wants all of
Greece in their
possession.
Certain Greek citystates in Ionia have
come under Persian
rule. Growing tensions
erupt into a revolt.
The revolt leads to a
war of epic
proportions between
Greece and Persia.
Where is Persia?
The Beginnings of the Persian War
(490 – 479 BC)
The cause of the Persian Wars started with
the Ionian Revolt in started the war in 499
BC. Athens sent troops to support the cause!
The Persian put down the revolt easily, but
the actions of Athens angered King Darius.
It took several years to get the full Persian army
gathered, but he sent them to Greece in the year
of 490 BC.
The Major Battles of the Persian War
The First Invasion
Battle of Marathon (490 BC)– Persians landed on the
shores at Marathon, and the Greeks heard of this and
rushed to meet the Persians.
• Greeks used the military tactic, the phalanx.
• Victory for Greeks!
Significance of Marathon
• Greeks fight off a clearly more powerful enemy, and
after this Greece becomes a dominant power in the
ancient world.
Why does the phalanx work so well?
The Major Battles of the Persian
War cont…
The Second Invasion- In 486 BC Darius died but in 480
BC, Xerxes (Darius’ son) sent more powerful force by
land.
Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) – Victory for Persians
• Delayed by Spartans
• Athens captured & burned
Battle of Salamis
• Themistocles tricks Xerxes into leading his ships into the narrow
straight of Salamis. Persian ships are to big and are slow to maneuver.
• Persians defeated by Athenian navy
Battle of Plataea (479 BC) Persian army defeated at Plataea
Aftermath of the Persian War
Persia wasn’t as much of a threat to the Greeks, but the
Delian League was created just as a safe-guard.
Delian League was a band of city-states that sought to
maintain defense against Persia.
• Treasury was on the Island of Delos
Athens starts growing more powerful because it was the lead
city-state in the league.
• Athens begins to conquer neighboring city-states
• Treasury money used to rebuild Athens, at the other city-states
displeasure.
30 years peace, agreement made by all Greek city-states.
(This doesn’t last long!)
Makings of a Greek Civil War!
As Athens overstepped its
bounds on numerous
occasions.
Built Long Walls
Used treasury money to
rebuild city
Forced Delian League
membership
Sparta headed the
Peloponnesian League,
and tension mounted once
again. Only this time the
Greeks were battling each
other.
The Peloponnesian War (431- 404 BC)
First Phase
Athenian advantage: Large Athenian Naval
Fleet
• Sea Battle Advantage
Spartan advantage: Honed warrior society
• Land Battle Advantage
Athenian Long Walls
The Plague Emerges in Athens
Pericles, a skilled politician came up
with the idea to retreat within the city
walls of Athens.
Unfortunately, sanitation problems grew in
the city and many people started showing
signs of illness.
• Pericles dies from this mysterious illness
Athens is crippled, and a truce was formed
in 421 BC.
The End of the Peloponnesian War
Second Phase: Athens strengthens and fights
Sparta at the naval Battle of Aegospotami.
Athens losses 90% of ships
Sparta cuts trade lines and Athens can’t recover
from this deadly blow
Significance
Athens never regains former glory of the Golden
Age.
Allows a Macedonian king to gain importance, and
Phillip II of Macedon will conquer all of Greece.
Part Two:
Greek Achievements
Nature of Athenian Democracy
Three main bodies:
Assembly- all citizens eligible to take part in
government
The Council of 500- wrote the laws that would be
voted on by the Assembly
Complex Court Systems- 6,000 people from the
Assembly would hear trials and sentence criminals.
The Archon- served as chief of state (9 elected)
Head of both the Council of 500 and Assembly, elected
for one year term
Definition of Athenian Citizen
Only free men over the age of 30 who
completed military training.
Only about 10% of population could participate
in government affairs.
• Vote in all elections
• Serve in office if elected
• Serve on juries
• Serve in military during war
Overview of Athenian Democracy
Important Aristocrats (Noblemen)
Draco- reformed laws
• He believed that harsh punishment would solve unrest. Rich/Poor gap
grew!
Solon- revised Draco’s laws
• Overturn harshest laws:
– Debt Slavery abolished
– Allowed ALL men to participate in the Assembly, not all can hold office.
Peisistratus
• Tyrant- seized power by force
Cleisthenes- created the Council of 500 to break up aristocratic
family power
Greek Philosophy
Three Greatest Greek Philosophers
Socrates
• Sought truths about broad concepts such as truth, justice, and
virtue
Plato
• Most famous work is, the Republic.
– Timaeus and Critias (speak of Atlantis)
Aristotle
• Used logic and reason to study the natural world.
– Reason- is clear and ordered thinking
– Logic- the process of making inferences
Taught Alexander the Great
Greek Architecture
Parthanon
Dedicated to
Goddess Athena
Columns
Doric
Ionic
Corinthian
Greek Drama
Tragedies, plays that
told stories of human
suffering that usually
ended in disaster.
Aeschylus, Sophocles,
and Euripides
Comedies, humorous
plays that mocked
people or customs.
Aristophanes
Greek Art
Statues very lifelike
and active.
History & Science
History
Herodotus “first historian” or “father of
history”
Thucydides showed the need to avoid bias.
Medicine
Hippocrates & the Hippocratic Oath – all
patients must be treated regardless of class
Alexander the Great
The Rise of Macedonia
After the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta the
two city-states just tried to control each other.
While fighting continues amongst them a new empire called Macedonia
is on the rise.
• King Phillip II begins to establish his power by conquering Greece.
– Phillip is an accomplished assassin and kills off other
competitors for the throne
– He is captured by the Thebans 369-367, and learns Greek
military tactics here.
King Phillip the II was the father of Alexander the Great.
Alexander’s mother Olympias dreams of an auspicious future for the
child in her womb.
Greek World in 363 BC
Phillip’s Death
After Phillip’s death Alexander inherits the throne
at the age of 20.
He was taught military tactics by Aristotle.
Greece revolts! They no longer want to be ruled
by Macedonians.
Thebes was made example of:
• Alexander crushed its army, and sold the people into slavery
and burned the city to the ground.
Beginnings of an Empire!
Alexander wanted all
of Persia, and started
a campaign after he
dealt with all Greek
revolts.
He would find himself
at odds with Darius III
of Persia.
Alexander’s Army
Small
Well Trained
Fiercely Loyal to
Alexander
Persian Army
Large
Disorganized
No common
language
Alexander’s Major Battles
Battle of the Granicus River, 334 BC.
Darius III didn’t take Alexander seriously, and sent a
general in his stead.
• Alexander came very close to dying in battle, but he overcame
his injuries to be victorious.
Battle of Issus, 333 BC.
Darius III now is angered and will confront him at the
Battle of Issus. However, he still doesn’t take Alexander
seriously, and even brings his family to the battle site.
• Darius loses the battle and flees without his family. Alexander
captures them as prisoners of war, but treats them very well.
Battle of Issus Map
Alexander’s Famous Conquests
Siege at Tyre
Alexander wanted to
sacrifice to the Gods for his
victories, but Tyrians refuse
to let him into the city.
• They feared he would take
over the city, so they would
not let him sacrifice an
offering at the temple.
• This angers him, and he
decides to conquer the island.
Alexander takes Persia
Alexander is able to take Persia, and begin
his empire.
Alexander burns Persepolis “Persian capital” to
the ground.
He pushes on into India where his
campaign turns sour.
His soldiers are starting to doubt him.
Bucephalus
Alexander the Greats’
horse, and he tamed the
wild stallion himself.
As the story goes the horse
was afraid of its own
shadow, Alexander realized
this and made blinders for
the horse.
It died at the Battle of
Hydaspes, the last battle
Alexander would ever
fight in.
Army Revolts!
The soldiers are tired of fighting and want
to return home to see family and friends.
Alexander tries to persuade the army to
continue on, but the men are ready to return
to Macedonia.
Alexander becomes sick and dies!
Many have debated whether his death was
intentional or natural.
Poison is a possible answer because troops
were ready to return home.
Malaria is another possibility because of the
climate in India; misquotes are present in high
numbers.
No Successor for Alexander
The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire
Hellenistic Greece
Alexander’s Empire on the year of his death
What does mean to be Hellenistic?
Hellenistic - The blending of Greek
cultures with those of Persia, Egypt, and
Central Asia following the conquests of
Alexander the Great.
Question to Consider: What is an empire?
Give the definition and explain how
Alexander the Greats’ conquests apply.
Blending Cultures
Best way to encourage cultural exchange is
through marriage.
Alexander married Roxana of Bactria and Stateira of
Persia.
He also did this to legitimize his claims to the Persian
Empire.
• Roxana bore Alexander a posthumous son (child born after
the death of a parent). She named the child Alexander IV;
unfortunately, he never reaches adulthood because he was
murdered in a political plot.
Blending Cultures Cont…
Another great way to gain cultural exchange is
through trade and education.
When Egypt built the city of Alexandria the most
important achievement was the Library of Alexandria,
which contained information on:
•
•
•
•
•
Philosophy
Literature
History
Science
Medicine
Life in the Hellenistic World
What was the most
significant change in
Hellenistic society?
Recall: the main
political unit of Greece
was the city-state.
After Alexander
conquers much of the
known world the
political unit switches
to kingdoms.
City States
Kingdoms
Hellenistic Achievements
Philosophy
Cynicism- rejected the ideas of pleasure, wealth, and
social responsibility. Instead, they should live
according to nature. Withdrew from society.
• Many gave away possessions and became vagrants or
wanderers. They were like homeless people in today’s
society.
Epicureans- sought out pleasure, developed close
friendships with those that shared similar beliefs
• Pleasure- Good
• Pain- Bad or Evil
Stoicism- placed emphasis on reason, self-discipline,
emotional control, and personal morality.
Hellenistic Achievements cont…
Art and Literature
Art pieces conveyed
emotion and
movement.
• Nike of Samothrace
was carved in a flowing
style.
Literature focuses on
everyday lives.
Hellenistic Achievements cont…
Science and
Technology
Euclid “Father of
Geometry”
• Formulated many of the
ideas about geometry
that we still use today.
Eratosthenes
• Calculated the size of
the Earth
Archimedes
• Great Inventor:
compound pulley &
Mechanical screw for
drawing water
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