5.1
5.1 Cultures of the Mountains
and the Sea
The roots of Greek culture are based
on interaction of the Mycenaean,
Minoan, and Dorian cultures
Geography Shapes Greek Life
– Ancient Greece
Collection of separate lands where Greekspeaking people live
Includes mainland and about 2000 islands
– The Sea
The sea shapes Greek civilization
Proximity to sea, lack of resources
encourage sea travel and trade
Geography Shapes Greek Life
– The Land
Mountains slow travel, divide land into
regions
Lack of fertile land leads to small
populations, need for colonies
– The Climate
Moderate climate promotes outdoor life
Greek men, especially, spend much of their
time outside
Mycenaean Civilization Develops
The Trojan War
– Trojan War – fought by Mycenaeans
against city of Troy in 1200s BC
– Once though to be fictional,
archaeological evidence has been found
Greek Culture Declines Under
the Dorians
Dorians Replace Mycenaeans
– Mycenaean civilization collapses around
1200 BC
– Dorians – possibly relatives to the
Bronze Age
– Greeks – move into Greece
– Less advanced than Mycenaeans,
Dorians leave no written records
Greek Culture Declines Under
the Dorians
Epics of Homer
– Oral tradition grows, especially epics of
Homer – blind storyteller
– Epic – a narrative poem about heroic
deeds
– Homer’s Epic the Iliad, about Trojan
War, shows Greek heroic ideal
Greek Culture Declines Under
the Dorians
Greeks Create Myths
– Greeks develop their own myths – traditional
stories about gods
– Greeks seek to understand mysteries of life
through myths
– Greeks attribute human qualities – love, hate,
jealousy – to their gods
– Zeus, ruler of Gods, lives on Mount Olympus
with his wife, Hera
– Zeus’s daughter Athena is goddess of wisdom
and guardian of cities
Warring City-States
Chapter 5, Section 2
Section Opener
The growth of city states in Greece
lead to the development of several
political systems, including
democracy.
Rule and Order in Greek CityStates
By 750 B.C. the Greek city-state, or
polis, is the formal government.
A polis is a city and its surrounding
villages; 50-500 square miles.
Population of a city-state is often less
than 10,000.
Citizens gather in the marketplace
and acropolis—a fortified hilltop
Rule and Order in Greek CityStates
Greek Political Structures
– City-states have different forms of
government.
Monarchy-rule by a king
Aristocracy-rule by nobility
Oligarchy-rule by a small group of powerful
merchants and artisans
Rule and Order in Greek CityStates
Tyrants Seize Power
– Rulers and common people clash in
many city-states.
– Tyrants—nobles and wealthy citizens
win support of common people.
– They seize control and rule in the
interests of ordinary people.
Athens Builds a Limited Democracy
Building Democracy
– About 621 B.C., democracy—rule by the
people—develops in Athens.
– Nobleman, Draco, develops legal code
based on equality of citizens.
– Ruler Solon abolishes debt slavery;
Cleisthenes has citizens make laws.
– Only native-born, property-owning
males are citizens.
Athens Builds a Limited Democracy
Athenian Education
– Schooling only for sons of wealthy
families.
– Girls learn from mothers and other
female members of the household.
Sparta Builds a Military State
A Unique City State
– Sparta, isolated from much of Greece,
builds a military state.
Sparta Dominates Messenians
– Around 725 B.C., Sparta conquers
Messenia
– Messenians become helots—peasants
forced to farm the land.
– Harsh rule leads to Messenian revolt;
Spartans build a stronger state.
How the Spartans kept the
Messenians down! from Persian Fire by Tom
Holland
“Certainly, by the
time he finished the
agoge [training
period], a young man
would know for sure
whether he had been
marked out for future
greatness. To the
most promising
graduates was
granted the honor of
one final bloody
challenge.” (p. 85)
How the Spartans kept the
Messenians down! from Persian Fire by Tom
Holland
“Enrolled into a crack squad known
as the Crypteia, they would be sent
into the mountains, armed only with
a single dagger each, and ordered to
live off the land. This period of exile
from their city, however, was much
more than a mere endurance test.”
How the Spartans kept the
Messenians down! from Persian Fire by Tom
Holland
“Traveling alone, each member of the
Crypteia would inevitably cross the
Taygetos range and slip into
Messenia. There, advancing
soundlessly by night, as every
graduate of the agoge had been
trained to do, they would be
expected to prove themselves as
killers.”
How the Spartans kept the
Messenians down! from Persian Fire by Tom
Holland
“How else, after all, save by the
careful pruning of the most able
Messenians, could the Spartans hope
to breed natural serfs? Just as they
condemned to the Apothetae the
dregs of their own city, so they
aimed to extinguish any spark of
talent or rebellion in their slaves.
Only the truly servile could be
permitted to reproduce.” (p. 86)
Sparta Builds a Military State
Sparta’s Government and Society
– Sparta government has four branches:
citizens elect officials
– Three social classes:
Citizens
Free non-citizens
Helots--slaves
Sparta Builds a Military State
Spartan Daily Life
– Spartan values: duty, strength, individuality,
discipline over freedom.
– Sparta has the most powerful army in Greece
– Males move into barracks at age 7, train until
30, serve until 60.
– Girls receive some military training and live
hard lives
– Girls are also taught to value service to Sparta
above all else
Role of Women in Sparta
from Persian Fire by Tom Holland
“Visions of female flesh, oiled and tanned,
glistened in the imaginings of many a
Sparta-watcher. The Spartans themselves,
sensitive to the mockery that labeled their
daughters ‘thigh-flashers,’ would retort
sternly, ‘that there was nothing shameful
about female nudity, nothing immoral in
the slightest.’ In fact, ‘since it encouraged
a sense of sobriety, and a passion for
physical fitness,’ precisely the opposite.”
Role of Women in Sparta
from Persian Fire by Tom Holland
“Yet paramount though the requirements
of Sparta’s eugenic program undoubtedly
were, an aura of the erotic still clung to
the training grounds nevertheless. The
fertility of a future mother was best
gauged, a Spartan might argue, by the
glowing of her skin and the perfection of
her [body]. Physical beauty—the long
blond hair and elegant ankles for which
Spartan girls were celebrated—provided
the readiest measure by which moral
beauty too could be judged. An ugly
daughter, inevitably, would cause her
parents alarm and distress.” (p. 83)
Description of Training of Boys
from Persian Fire by Tom Holland
“For it was the goal of instructors
not merely to crush a boy’s
individuality, but to push him to
startling extremes of endurance,
discipline and impassivity, so that he
might prove himself, supremely, as a
being reforged of iron.” (p. 84)
Description of Training of Boys
from Persian Fire by Tom Holland
“When, at the age of seven, a young
Spartan left his home to live
communally with other boys, it was
more than his sense of family that
was being fractured and reset: the
very notion that he possessed a
private identity was, from that
moment on, to be placed under
continuous assault.” (p. 84)
The Persian Wars
A New Kind of Army Emerges
– Cheaper iron replaces bronze, making
arms and armor cheaper
– Leads to new kind of army; includes
soldiers from all classes
– Phalanx—feared by all, formation of
soldiers with spears, shields
The Persian Wars
Battle of Marathon
– Persian Wars—between Greece and the
Persian Empire—begin in Ionia
– Persian Army attacks Athens, is
defeated at Marathon in 490 B.C.
Pheidippides Brings News
– Runner Pheidippides races to Athens to
announce Greek victory.
The Persian Wars
Thermopylae and Salamis
– In 480 B.C. Persians launch a new invasion of
Greece.
– Greeks are divided; many stay neutral or side
with Persians.
– Greek forces hold Thermopylae for three days
before retreating.
– Athenians defeat Persians at sea, near island
of Salamis.
– Victories at Salamis and Plataea force Persian
retreat.
– Many city-states form Delian League and
continue to fight Persians.
The Persian Wars
Consequences of the Persian Wars
– New self-confidence in Greece due to
victory.
– Athens emerges as leader of Delian
League.
– Athens controls the league by using
force against opponents.
– League members essentially become
provinces of Athenian empire.
– Stage is set for a dazzling burst of
creativity in Athens.
Democracy and Greece’s
Golden Age
Chapter 5, Section 3
Democratic principles and classical culture
flourish during Greece’s golden age.
Pericles’ Plan for Athens
Pericles as Leader
– Skillful politician,
inspiring speaker,
respected general
– Dominates life in Athens
from 461 to 429 B.C.
Pericles’ Plan for Athens
Stronger Democracy
– Pericles hires more paid public officials;
creates direct democracy
– Direct democracy—citizens rule directly,
not through representatives
Pericles’ Plan for Athens
Athenian Empire
– Takes over the Delian League; uses
money to strengthen Athenian fleet.
– Sparta and other cities resent Athenian
power.
Glorifying Athens
– Pericles buys gold, ivory, marble; hires
artisans to beautify Athens all with
money from the Delian League without
the whole league’s consent.
Glorious Art and Architecture
Architecture and Sculpture
– Pericles builds the Parthenon—a large
temple to honor the goddess Athena.
– Within temple, sculptor Phidias crafts 30
foot statue of Athena
– Sculptors create graceful, strong,
perfectly formed figures.
– Classical art—values harmony, order,
balance, proportion, beauty
The
Parthenon
from the
south.
Drama and History
Tragedy and Comedy
– Greeks invent drama as an art form; includes
chorus, dance, poetry
– Two forms of drama: tragedy and comedy
Tragedy—tells story of heroes’ downfall; themes of
love, hate, and war
Comedy—makes fun of politics and respected people;
slapstick humor
– Greek dramatists include Aeschylus, Euripides,
Aristophanes, Sophicles
Historians Herodotus and Thucydides
record and study past events
A Greek theater
Athenians and Spartans Go to War
War Begins
– 431 B.C. Sparta declares war on
Athens—the beginning of the
Peloponnesian War.
Peloponnesian War
– Sparta has a better army.
– Athens has a better navy.
– Plague strikes Athens in 430 B.C., kills
many—including Pericles.
– Sparta and Athens sign a truce in 421
B.C.
Plague in Athens Described
“People in good health were all of a
sudden attacked by violent heats in
the head, and redness and
inflammation in the eyes, the inward
parts, such as the throat or tongue,
becoming bloody and emitting an
unnatural and fetid breath. These
symptoms were followed by sneezing
and hoarseness, after which the pain
soon reached the chest, and
produced a hard cough……..”
Plague in Athens Described
“…..Externally the body was….reddish,
livid, and breaking out into small pustules
and ulcers….They succumbed, as in most
cases, on the seventh or eighth day, to the
internal inflammation…But if they passed
this stage, and the disease descended
further into the bowels, inducing a violent
ulceration there accompanied by severe
diarrhea, this brought on weakness which
was generally fatal….This disorder
.….settled in the privy parts, the fingers
and the toes, and many escaped with the
loss of these, some too with that of their
eyes.”
4th Century B.C. Hoplite
Athenians and Spartans Go to War
Sparta Gains Victory
– 415 B.C. Athens renews war, attacks
Syracuse on the island of Sicily.
– Athens is defeated in 413 B.C.
– Athens and its allies surrender to Sparta
in 404 B.C.
Battle of Syracuse in
Peloponnesian War
Philosophers Search for Truth
Rise of Great Philosophers
– After the war, thinkers emerge who are
called “lovers of wisdom.” This is from
the Greek words:
phileo-to love
sophia—wisdom
– Philosophers believe the universe is
subject to absolute and unchanging
laws.
– People could understand these laws
through logic and reason.
Philosophers Search for Truth
The Sophists
– The word means “the wisest,” so they were
proud of their supposed philosophical
knowledge.
– They claimed they could find the answers to all
questions.
– They used rhetoric to win arguments.
– They often charged fees for teaching their
skills and for arguing for others. They might be
considered a type of lawyer of the time.
– Sophist philosopher Protogoras questions the
existence of Greek gods.
Philosophers Search for Truth
Socrates
– He believes in questioning and teaches
through the method of questioning.
– He is believed to have said “The
unexamined life is not worth living.”
– He is convicted of “corrupting the youth
of Athens and sentenced to death in 399
B.C.
– He dies by drinking hemlock, a slow
acting poison.
Philosophers Search for Truth
Plato
– He is a student of Socrates.
– He writes The Republic, about an ideal
society ruled by Philosopher-Kings
– His writings dominate European
philosophy for 1,500 years.
Philosophers Search for Truth
Aristotle
– He was a student of Plato.
– He uses rules of logic for argument.
– His work provides the basis for scientific
method, still used today.
– He tutors 13-year-old prince who
becomes Alexander the Great
Alexander’s Empire
Chapter 5, Section 4
Philip Builds Macedonian Power
Macedonia
– Macedonia—Kingdom of mountain
villages north of Greece
– King Philip II—ruler, brilliant general;
dreams of controlling Greece
– Macedonians call themselves Greek;
rest of Greece does not
Philip’s Army
– Philip creates well-trained professional
army; plans to invade Greece
Philip Builds Macedonian Power
Conquest of Greece
– It was easy because “more than one
Greek city felt ambivalent about fighting
back.” (Bauer, p. 579)
– Some Greek cities invited Philip to
invade
– Athens asked Sparta for help against
invasion, but Sparta declined
– At the Battle of Chaeronea one
thousand Athenians were killed.
– 338 B.C. Macedonians defeat Greece
Philip Builds Macedonian Power (cont.)
After the Battle of Chaeronea, Philip
changes his strategy and treats Athens
with great respect, releasing Athenian
prisoners of war.
As a result the Athenians then “chose to
pretend that Philip was now a friend of
Athens.” (Bauer, p. 580)
Philip makes a speech at Corinth
suggesting Greek submission to his
kingship would be good for Greece.
The Corinthian League is formed, led by
King Philip, with the intent of attacking the
Persians.
Murder of Philip
Philip married again, for a fifth time,
a Macedonian woman.
His son Alexander was legitimate,
but half Greek.
This marriage gave Attalus, one of
Philip’s generals, occasion to call into
question the legitimacy of a halfGreek prince inheriting the
Macedonian throne.
Murder of Philip (cont.)
Greek historian Diodorus tells us that Philip was
killed by his ex-lover Pausonius (who was one of
his guards) because Philip rejected him.
Some suspect, however, that Alexander was
behind the murder.
The 2004 film Alexander directed by Oliver Stone
puts the lays the blame at the feet of Olympias,
Alexander’s mother so that her own son would
become king and there would be no full-blood
Macedonian heir. The film depicts Alexander was
an innocent bystander.
This occurs in 336 B.C.
His son named king of Macedonia and becomes
Alexander the Great
Alexander Defeats Persia
Alexander’s Early Life
– Tutored by Aristotle
– Inspired by the Iliad
– Military training
– Becomes king when 20 years old
– Destroys Thebes to curb rebellion
Alexander Defeats Persia
Invasion of Persia
– 334 B.C. Alexander invades Persia with
a quick victory at Granicus River.
– Darius III, King of Persia, assembles an
army of 50,000-75,000 men.
– Alexander defeats Persians again, forces
King of Persia to flee.
Alexander Defeats Persia
Conquering the Persian Empire
– Alexander marches into Egypt and is crowned
Pharaoh in 332 B.C.
– At Gaugamela in Mesopotamia, Alexander
defeats the Persians again.
– Alexander captures cities of Babylon, Susa,
and Persepolis
– Persepolis, the Persian capitol is burned to the
ground.
– Ashes of Persepolis signal total destruction of
the Persian Empire
Alexander’s Other Conquests
Alexander in India
– Alexander fights his way across the
deserts of Central Asia to India
– Alexander conquers Indus Valley area in
326 B.C.
– Reluctantly returns to Babylon and dies
in 323 B.C.
Alexander’s Legacy
Alexander melds Greek and Persian
cultures.
He takes a Persian wife.
Empire becomes three kingdoms
– Macedonia, Greek city-states
– Egypt
– Old Persia, also known as the Seleucid
kingdom
The Spread of Hellenistic
Culture
Chapter 5, Section 5
Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria
Cultural Blending
– Result of Alexander’s Policies—a new
vibrant culture
– Hellenistic culture—Greek blended
with Egyptian, Persian, Indian culture
Trade and Cultural Diversity
– Alexandria—Egyptian city become the
center of Hellenistic civilization
Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria (cont.)
Alexandria’s Attractions
– Lighthouse, called the Pharos, stands
over 350 feet tall
– Museum contains art galleries, a zoo,
botanical gardens, dining hall
– Library holds masterpieces of ancient
literature; supports scholars
Science and Technology
Alexandria’s Scholars
– Scholars preserve Greek and Egyptian
learning in the sciences
Astronomy
– Astronomer Aristarchus proves sun is
larger than Earth
– Proposes planets revolve around sun;
not accepted for 14 centuries
– Eratosthenes uses geometry to
calculate Earth’s circumference
Science and Technology
Mathematics and Physics
– Euclid—mathematician; his work
Elements is the basis for courses in
geometry.
– Archimedes—scientist and
mathematician
He accurately estimated the value of pi (p).
He explained the law of the lever.
He invented the Archimedes screw—a
pump which raised water from one level to
another.
Philosophy and Art
Stoicism and Epicureanism
– Zeno founds Stoic school of philosophy
which promoted virtuous and simple
lives.
– Epicurus believes people should focus
on what the senses perceive.
Realism in Sculpture
– Colossus of Rhodes—Hellenistic
bronze sculpture over 100 feet tall.
– Sculptors move to non-classical, natural
forms; real people.