Classical Mediterranean
Societies - Greece and Rome
A.P. World History
Basic Overview
Greece
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Indo-European people
Balkan Peninsula and Aegean Sea
Commerce/Manufacturing through empire
Agriculture basis
Minoan Civilization
• 2800- 1450 BCE Crete
• Sailed to southern
Greece, Egypt for trade
• Ruled by king
• Evidence of archives,
art, opulent buildings
• Destroyed by tidal way
or invasion
• Historians unsure
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Mycenae
• 1600-1100 BCE 1st Greek state
• Alliance of powerful monarchies living
within stone walls
• Warrior culture; established commercial
network
• King to remember- Agamemnon
• Knowledge comes from Homer’s poetry
• Collapse b/c fight each other, earthquake
Layout of Mycenae
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Greek ‘dark ages’
• 1100 – 750 BCE: few records
• Immigrated to Ionia (western Turkey)
• Iron replace bronze, adopt Phonecian
alphabet
• Epic poem- long poem of hero’s deeds
• Iliad: Trojan War; Paris kidnapped Helen (wife
of king of Sparta), follow hero Achilles
• Odyssey- Odysseus’ 10 year return home
Political Structure
• Formed City-states, polis
• 1st Democracy
• Most formed on hilltop, with marketplace,
surrounded by agriculture
• Athens
• Sparta
Social Structure
• Only free, land owning, native-born men
could be citizens entitled to the full
protection of the law in a city-state
• 3 groups
• Citizens with political rights (adult males)
• Citizens without political rights (women, child)
• Non-citizens (slaves, aliens)
Tyranny comes to city states
• Wealthy classes seize power, aristocrats
fight back
• Peasants support tyrants who promised
reform, control
• Hired soldiers, built new walls,
contradicted Greek political ideas
• By 600s BCE city states turn to
democracies and oligarchies
Sparta
• 800-600 BCE: need more
land, turn to conquest
• Conquered people became
serfs
• Women live at home, men in
barracks
• more freedom, job to
raise healthy warrior sons
• Oligarchy- king and council
vote, no discussion
• Frowned on travelers, new
ideas, art
• Main focus: military training
and conquest
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Athens
• Originally: Ruled by oligarchy of aristocrats
with land
• Economic and political troubles
• After several reforms, leaders council of 500
propose laws; all citizens authority to pass
laws after debate
• Age of Pericles (461-429 BCE): democracy,
culture, power thrive
• Turned to direct democracy
Pericles
Pericles introduced several reforms.
1.Strengthen Greek democracy by
paying people in public offices.
- This way everyone could afford
to work for the gov’t. and not just
the rich.
2. Increased Size of Navy
- Protect trade vessels
- 200 ships
Spent large amounts of money
- Parthenon (Dedicated to
Athena)
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Influence
• Philosophy
• Aristotle- science, politics; observation, investigation;
best government: constitutional government
• Plato- nature of reality, truth, beauty; ideal ruler
philosopher-king
• Socrates- questions
• Stoicism- what’s the point of life? To achieve
happiness; moderation
• Art
• Architecture: Acropolis
• Drama: plays (Sophocles - Oedipus Rex, Antigone)
• Religion
• Greek Mythology
Greek Architecture
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Greek Architecture
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The Parthenon
Athens vs. Sparta
• 431BCE: Peloponnesian War- war
between Athens & Sparta(w)
• Athens try to stay behind protected
walls, held for 20yrs
• Alexander the Great
• Crushed rebellions after father’s
(Philip II of Macedon) reign
• Spread Greek language and culture
to Africa and Asia
• Blended culture called Hellenistic,
or greek-like
• Hellenism
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Ancient Rome
Geography
• centrally located in the Mediterranean Sea;
allowed for sea trade
• the Alps mountains provided defense to the
north
Early Roman History
• Earliest settlers were the Greeks, Latins
and Etruscans (Northern Italy)
• Etruscans dominate Italian peninsula from
635-509 BCE
• Traded with Greeks and Phoenicians
• Monarchy that becomes corrupt over time
• 509 BCE: kick out last Etruscan king
• Romans establish a republic
• “Res Publica” - the Affairs of the Public
Roman Society
• Twelve Tables- code of law
• First written law form in Rome that acknowledged the
status of the Plebeians
• Two groups form:
• Patricians: rich, powerful landowners
• Plebeians: own little or no land; treated like 2nd
class citizens - Many will try to change this!
Government
• Romans allowed all citizens the right to vote;
allowed conquered peoples citizenship
• Roman Assembly: place of government;
three-house body
Roman Assembly
• Senate: only patricians allowed (served for
life); controlled taxes & spending; could veto
any bill passed by assembly
• Assembly of Centuries: only soldiers
allowed; could vote on laws but had no veto
power; chose consuls (2) who carried out
the laws
• Assembly of Tribes: made up of plebeians;
could only make laws for plebeians; had no
veto power; chose tribunes (10) to look
after the rights of the plebeians
Punic Wars: Rome vs.
Carthage
1st Punic War (264 BCE)
• rivalry developed because Carthage
prevented Roman trade in W. Mediterranean
• Carthage surrendered after 20 years of
fighting
• Rome took Sicily & cash from Carthage
Second Punic War (218 BCE)
• Hannibal (Carthage) led 50,000 men & 60
elephants over the Alps mountains in surprise
attack against Rome
• Scipio Africanus (Rome) attack Carthage;
Hannibal returned to defend the city
Second Punic War (218 BCE)
• Battle of Zama: Rome defeated
Carthage
• Rome received Spain & gold; later, Rome
took Greece, Macedonia, Asia Minor
Third Punic War
• Romans sent army to destroy Carthage
because they wanted the land for farming
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Problems of Roman Expansion
• Population increase
• Senate gained power
during Punic War,
plebeians lost power
• No manufacturing
• People lost morals
Attempts at reform
• Tiberius Gracchus:
• proposed limiting land ownership & dividing up land
of some large landowners
• Gaius Gracchus:
• proposed 1st welfare system for the poor
• Both stabbed to death by Roman Senators
Roman Civil War
Marius vs. Sulla
• Marius: Roman general
• Sulla: Roman general supported by Senate
• Sulla won; became dictator for 3 years then
retired
First Triumvirate
• Caesar, Pompey, Crassus
• Caesar went to fight in Gaul (France); sent
back his Commentaries detailing only his
victories (“Venni, Vetti, Vicci”)
• Senate told Caesar not to cross Rubicon River
with his army
Second Roman Civil War
Caesar vs. Pompey & the
Senate
• Caesar defeated Pompey in
Greece, then Egypt
• Rome took control of Egypt
(Cleopatra), Middle East
• 45 BCE: Senate voted
Caesar dictator for life
Caesar Institutes Reform
• Allowed plebeians in senate; Caesar retained
veto power
• Land redistribution: gave land of patricians to
plebeians
• Provided jobs for unemployed
Ides of March
March 15, 44 BCE
• Caesar assassinated in Forum by Brutus
& Cassius for wanting to become king
Second Triumvirate
• Octavian, Marc Antony,
Lepidus
Octavian - great - nephew of Julius Caesar; Also known as Caesar
Augustus
Third Roman Civil War
Octavian vs. Marc Antony
• Octavian defeated Marc Antony at
Battle of Actium, won war
Roman Empire
• Roman Rule: empire had population between 70-100 million
• Pax Romana (Roman Peace): 27 BCE - 180 CE
• Established by Augustus in response to problems faced by
the growing empire
• Tried to restore the glory of the former republic
• Most power was in hands of Emperor, very little power given
to the Senate
• Golden Age of Rome - focused on trade, increasing the
standard of living and achievements in the arts
• Extensive road system built - 53,000 square miles of
road(Via Appia)
Roman Empire
• Economy: based on trade of goods from as
far as E. Africa, S.E. Asia & China
• public amusements: gov’t offered free bread
& free entertainment (chariot races,
gladiators)
Roman Empire
Architecture: built Circus Maximus,
Colosseum, Pantheon (temple for all the
gods), Appian Way (road connected Rome &
southern Italy), aqueducts
Decline & Fall
• Political instability
• Economic decline
• Barbarian invasions
• Visigoths: captured & sacked Rome
• Huns: plundered cities of northern Italy
• End of Roman Empire
• 455 CE: Vandals raided, sacked Rome
• 476: Roman Empire fell