Chapter 4- Greece
World History
Geography of Greece
I.) Geography was a major fact in the development of the Greek
civilization. Greece was a small mountainous peninsula that
was only 45,000 square miles of total territory. These mountains
that ranged from 8,000 to 10,000 feet high kept the Greeks
isolated from other Greeks and caused them to develop into many
city states and have difficulties uniting.
The Greeks were also influenced by the 85 miles of coastline. This
encouraged sea travel and trade with other civilizations. The
Greeks not only traded with others but began to set up colonies in
the areas around the Mediterranean Sea. Greece was broken up
into several areas, the Peloponnesus (location of Sparta), northeast
of Peloponnesus was Attica, the location of Athens, and to the north
was Macedonia which is the home of Philip II who will conquer
the Greeks in 338 B.C.
Ancient Greece
II.) Minoan Crete: 2700 to 1450
B.C.
The earliest Greek civilization was known as
the Minoans found on the island of
Crete (southeast of Greek mainland).
The civilization was discovered by Arthur
Evans in the early 1900s. Evans
unearthed the palace at Knossus which
belonged to Minos, the legendary king of
Crete.
Achievements of the Minoans:
1.) a rich and prosperous culture
2.) Sea empire with large commercial trade
with other civilizations like the Egyptians
3.) The palace served as a home for the king and
his family. It contained numerous private living
areas and workshops for making vases, figurines
and jewelry. The palace even had bathrooms
and a sophisticated drainage system. There
were storage rooms filled with jars of oil, wine
and grain.
End of the Minoans:
No one is completely sure what caused the
end of the civilization but they do agree
that it was a sudden and catastrophic
collapse of the civilization around 1450
B.C. The most popular beliefs are that a
tsunami hit the island or the island was
invaded by the Mycenaeans from the
main land of Greece.
III.) Mycenaeans: 1600-1100 B.C.
The Mycenaeans were an early civilization
from mainland Greece discovered by
Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. This group
is named after their main city of their
civilization known as Mycenae.
Mycenaeans achievements;
1.) strong kings
2.) fortified palaces built on hills and surrounded by gigantic
stone walls
3.) a population of warrior people
4.) Commercial trading network throughout the Middle East
and Egypt
5.) Attacked the city of Troy in the Trojan War which was
written about in Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey.
The end of the Mycenaeans started around 1190 B.C. when the
city of Mycenae was burned. By 1100 B.C., the Mycenaeans
culture was coming to an end due to the invasions of a new
group of people known as the Dorians. The Dorians were
less advance than the Mycenaeans and the other Greeks and
the land of Greece went through a dark period known as the
Dark Ages.
IV.) The Dark Ages:
The Dark Ages lasted from 1050 to 750 B.C. During this
time, the population and food production decreased.
In addition, there were very few written records of
the time period due to the decline of the written
language. At this time, many Greeks left Greece and
moved to other areas like Asia Minor known as Ionia.
The Dorians established themselves in southwestern
Greece. When trade and other economic activities
began to recover, the Greeks in the 8th century adopted
the Phoenician alphabet and started a new system of
writing. This started the end of the Dark Ages for
Greece.
V.) Homer:
Homer is considered one of the greatest poet or
story teller in Greece. His two epic poems of The
Iliad and The Odyssey are stories of Greek history.
The Iliad is about the Trojan War. The wife of the
Greek King of Sparta is taken to Troy, a war breaks out
between them. The war continues for ten years. The
story focuses on Achilles and his wrath. The Odyssey
is a story of the hero Odysseus who returns home after
the end of the Trojan War, 10 years later. Both these
stories are considered to be true history of the Greeks
and were studied as such by the Greeks. In the stories,
Homer stresses the values of courage and honor and
the importance of striving to be a hero.
VI.) Development of the Greek
City-States 750-500 B.C.
During the Dark Ages, Greece began to establish
independent city-states known as Polis. A Greek
Polis was a political unit with its own identity. Each
polis had its own government, culture and religion.
Each polis also had its own meeting place which was
often on a hill known as an Acropolis. Below the
Acropolis would be an Agora, which was a market
place that as served as a place where the citizens of the
polis would gather. Citizens were very loyal to their
city state and this caused tensions between the Greek
city states.
Polis’ Army
Each polis also had their own army. The army had
change from just the aristocratic cavalrymen
to be open to all men. The new formation was
known as a hoplite infantry formation. The
hoplite was made up of heavily armed
infantrymen who wore bronze helmets with a
shield, sword and a spear. They would march
into battle as a unit known as a phalanx. A
phalanx was a tight rectangular formation
eight men deep. The men had to supply their
own armor and this allowed farmers to fight
side by side with the aristocratic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnxlhajOolw
Polis’ economy
Each polis established trade and many began to
start colonies throughout the Mediterranean which
helped to spread the Greek culture. This growth in
commercial and industry led to the ruling of the polis
by tyrants. These tyrants were supported by the
aristocrats who were making money from the
commercial trading. The word tyrant does not have to
mean all bad, it just means that a person took power
and is not subject to follow the laws. These new tyrants
did build new marketplaces, temples and walls to
protect the city. The tyrant period ended by the six
century but it did change the Greek history by ending
the rule of the aristocratic oligarchies. This allowed
more people in the government process.
Chapter 4 Vocabulary
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Polis
acropolis
agora
hoplites
phalanx
democracy
oligarchy
helots
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ephors
direct democracy
ostracism
oracle
philosophy
Socratic method
Hellenistic Era
stoicism
VII.) Sparta and Athens-Two most
famous Poleis
Sparta was located in the southwestern
Peloponnesus of Greece. Sparta was in a need
of more land and they conquered many of
their neighbor poleis, Laconians and Messenians.
These people were forced to serfdom known as
helots, a Greek word means capture. Sparta
became a military polis to keep control of their
big population of helots. The laws were very
strict and meant to keep everything organized.
Spartan Military
Spartan boys were taken from their moms at the
age of seven to start their military training by the state.
They lived in barracks where they were taught to be
“men”. They were trained to be disciplined and
tough. By the age of twenty, the men were put into
the military service. These men live in the military
barracks and ate all their meals with their fellow soldiers.
They were encouraged to marry but they lived in the
barracks. At the age of thirty, the men were allowed
to vote in the assembly and could live at home with
their wives. But the men were still part of the military
until the age of sixty.
Spartan Women
Spartan women lived at home while their
husbands lived in the barracks. Their responsibilities
included taking carry of the home and raising good
Spartan children. The Spartan women were given
more freedom than any other polis. They were
physical trained in sports like gymnastics, wrestling
and boxing. They were encouraged to be physical fit
so they could bear strong Spartan children. The
Spartan women raised their sons to have the qualities of
bravery and courage to fight for the Spartan polis.
Women managed the family’s estates while the
husbands were away. Women could not vote but they
had an important role in society. They were allowed to
go shopping, to dinner with a non-family member and
could own their own property. They were even
allowed to express their opinions.
Sparta Government
Sparta Government was known as an oligarchy.
An oligarchy is a government where a group of people
are in control of the polis. In Sparta, there were two
kings who were in charge of the army and their military
affairs. They shared their powers with a council of
elders, known as the Gerousia. The Gerousia
contained 28 members who were over the age of sixty
and served for life. The Gerousia’s main job was to
prepare proposals that would be presented to the apella,
which was an assembly of all Spartan male citizens
over the age of 20. Their main job was to vote on
proposals from the Gerousia and to elect the
members of the Gerousia.
Sparta’s control
Sparta kept a tight control of the amount of foreigners
who were allowed to enter the polis or the number of
citizens allow to leave the polis. Sparta limited contact
with the outside world to keep control over their population
Sparta feared new ideas from outsiders. They also did not
want their people to travel to different areas and discover
new ideas. They felt that new ideas were a threat to the
stability of their polis. Sparta even limited the type of
course that was taught in their schools. Many subjects like
philosophy, literature and art were thought to encourage
new thinking so they were not taught.
Sparta’s military was so strong that they dominated the
area. They formed an alliance known as the Peloponnesian
League with other poleis. Sparta control the policies formed
from the Peloponnesian League.
Athens:
Early Athens was ruled by a
monarchy, by the 7th century, the
aristocrats in Athens possessed all the
power in politics and religious life. Athens
went through a rough economic period
where many farmers found themselves
being sold into slavery when they could
not pay their debt. On the road toward a
democracy, Athens was changed by
many reformers.
Athens’ Reformers
Solon, a reform minded aristocrat came to power and
outlawed the practiced of using humans as collateral. He also
canceled the debts and redistributed land which helped Athens
have commercial and industrial growth. Solon also opened the
doors of government to allow more people to participate in the
ruling of Athens.
Cleisthenes, another aristocratic reformer, helped the
common people by backing them and not allowing the aristocrats
to reestablish control. He created the Council of 500. The
Council of 500 was responsible for the foreign and domestic
affairs of Athens. It also prepared the business that the assembly
would handle. The assembly was made up of all male citizens in
Athens who had the power to pass laws after debates. Cleisthenes
established the citizens as Athens as a center role of political
system which was the foundation of Athens democracy.
Life in Athens:
The polis was a male community. In
Athens, the male citizens took part in every
public life. Women, slaves, and all foreign
residents which is roughly 85% of the
population were left out of the democracy. The
family was the central part of Athens life.
The main job of the family was to produce
more citizens for Athens. The definition of
citizenship was started in the 5th century, that a
citizen was a byproduct of a marriage
between two Athens citizens.
Women in Athens
For women in Athens, their main job was to
bear children and take their family. By the
age of 15, young girls were married. Women
were not given any formal education but
many of them were taught to play musical
instruments. Women were allowed to
participate in most religious cults and
festivals, but for the most part the women
were not allowed to be in public. If a woman
left the house, she had to be escorted by a
chaperone.
Athens’ Boys
For the young boys of Athens, the wealthy
family paid for tutors to teach their sons. The
boys attended school from the age of 7 to 18.
They mainly studied the Ilaid and Odyssey
with arithmetic, Geometry, drawing, music and
rhetoric-public speaking. Most of the
educational experience for the young men came
from their time in the agora where they
practiced public speaking. At the age of 18,
the young men entered the military.
Athens’ economy
Another feature of life in Athens was male
homosexuality. The relationship was between an
older male and a younger male. This relationship
often started between a teacher/mentor and
student. Many saw this relationship as a way to
get the young man introduced to the political and
military world of Athens.
The Athenian economy was based on
agriculture and trade. They grew grains,
vegetables, and fruit for the polis and grapes and
olives were made into wine and oil which were
used for trade.
VIII.) The Persian Wars:
Background: As Greece continued to spread, they
came into conflict with the Persian Empire. Athens
gave naval assistance to the Greeks (Ionian Greeks)
living in Asia Minor when they revolted against the
Persians. The leader of Persians was Cyrus the Great
or known as Cyrus II. He was looking for new land to
add to his empire. The Persians were not happy with
the mainland Greeks for helping the Ionians.
In 490 B.C., the Persian leader, Darius attacked
mainland Greece for revenge. A Persian fleet of
warships anchored off the coast about 26 miles from
Athens. Even though the Athenians and their allies
were clearly outnumbered, they were able to defeat
the Persians.
The Persian Wars:
After the death of Darius, Xerxes, in 480 B.C.
attacked the mainland again. Sparta had built an ally
system, but Athens did not join, instead they built up
their navy. The Persian brought with them a force of
150,000 troops and 700 naval ships. Sparta had a
force of 9,000 soldiers who fought to the bitter end.
After destroying the Sparta army, the Persians marched
to the polis of Athens. The population of Athens
evacuated the city to hide in the mountains, while
their soldiers went out on to their boats. The Persians
burned the city and were ready to leave when they
noticed the Athenian navy was ready to battle. The
Persian navy was defeated by the Athens navy.
The Persian Wars:
In 479 B.C., Sparta and the other
Greeks were able to build up another
army and decisively defeated the
Persian army. After this defeat, Athens
created a defensive alliance against the
Persians known as the Delian League.
The league was controlled by the polis of
Athens. The League attacked the Persians
in Asia Minor and ended the threat from
the Persians.
To be continued …
IX.) The Age of Pericles:
Pericles was a young aristocrat who became a
dominant figure in Athens for 30 years. During the
Age of Pericles, there were many changes in Athens.
One of these changes was the expanding of
democracy, Pericles allowed lower class citizen to be
eligible for public offices. The assembly which now
included all male citizens over the age of 18, met every
10 days on the hill near the Acropolis. The assembly’s
job was to pass all laws and make final decisions on
war and foreign policies. In addition, there was a mass
rebuilding program under Pericles in Athens. The
wars with the Persians had done its damage to the city.
Pericles referred to Athens as the “school of Greece”.
Soon the other poleis were jealous of Athens and
competition started to grow.
X.) Peloponnesian War:
Background: After the end of the Persian Wars, the
Greek mainland was divided into two teams, Athens and
Sparta. These two poleis were on opposite end of the
spectrum and they did not like the other. This competition
led to a war in 431 B.C.
War: At the beginning of the war, Pericles ordered the
population of Athens and their military to remain behind
the protective wall of the city. Pericles knew that the
Sparta army was too strong so he believed the best way to
win the war was to stay behind the wall. During the 2nd year
of the war, a plague swept through Athens and killed 1/3
of their population including Pericles. The war lasted for
another 27 years, the final crushing blow to the polis of
Athens was the defeat of their navy in 405 B.C. The polis was
besieged and surrendered in 404 B.C.
Peloponnesian War
Negatives of the Peloponnesian War:
1.) City states declined, fields and
orchards were destroyed, people began to
move
2.) City states lost the ability to govern
themselves
3.) Lost in faith of the democracy
XI.) Greek Culture:
a.) History: The history that we know today is due to the
Greeks. Herodotus was the first historian. He analysis the events
that caused the Persian War. Thucydides was considered the
greatest historian of the ancient world.
b.) Greek Drama: Plays done on outside stage by three
actors during religious festivals. The Greek tragedies are what
the Greeks are most remembered for in the area of Drama.
c.) Greek Art and Architecture: The Greeks stressed
harmony, classic style, symmetry and balance. The most
significant formal element in Greek architecture was the shape and
size of columns. There were three types of Greek columns, Doric,
Ionic, and Corinthian. One of the greatest examples of Greek
Architecture is the Parthenon in Athens. Greek sculptors focused
on status of people who were relaxed, self-assured and smooth
muscles.
Greek Philosophy
d.) Greek teachings of Philosophy: The teaching of
wisdom was very important to the Greeks especially the
population of Athens. A group of teachers known as
Sophists traveled around main land Greece offering
their teaching services to families with sons. They
taught rhetoric ( the art of persuasive speeches)
which was a critical skill in Athens to win a debate and
sway an audience. Their teachings taught their students
to question the traditional values of their society.
They also believed that there was no right or wrong
answer. Some people viewed the Sophists as harmful
to society especially to the young people.
Athens Teachers
Athens was the leading intellectual center of
Greece. They had famous teachers like
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
Socrates: 469-399 B.C.: He believed that
the goal of education was to improve the
individual. His approach was known as the
Socratic Method which is a question-answer
method which makes the students think on
their own. He questioned authority and
supported open debate which led to his arrest
and conviction.
Plato
Plato: 429- 347 B.C.: He is thought of as
the greatest philosopher of the Western
civilization. Plato kept very detailed records of
his thoughts and teachings. He loved the
question, “How do we know what is real?”
He also believed that men and women should
have the same education and equal access
to all positions in society. He questioned
democracy and believed in the Republic. He
started the School of Athens.
Aristotle
Aristotle: 384-322 B.C.: He was a pupil of
the School of Athens. He loved to analyze,
classify information through research and
investigation. He believed that the best
forms of government were monarchy,
aristocracy and constitutional government.
His ideas influenced the political ideas of the
Middle Ages. He believed that women were
biologically inferior to men. He said that they
were subordinated to men and should obey
their husbands.
XII.) Rise of Macedonia and
Alexander the Great:
The people of Macedonia were viewed as
barbarians until the 5th century when their leader
known as Philip II (359-336 B.C.) came to the throne.
He build a strong army and became very powerful in
the Greek world. In a battle with the Greeks in 338 B.C.,
he defeated the Greeks. The Greeks joined together in
the Corinthian League where they agreed to not take
up arms against Philip. Philip was preparing to take over
Asia, but he was assassinated leaving the empire to his
son Alexander.
Alexander the Great
Alexander was just 20 years old when he
became king of Macedonia. He had been taught
by Aristotle. Alexander took control very
quickly after his father’s death and prepared to
attack the Persians in 334 B.C. with 37,000
men. Alexander and his men were successful in
two major battles with the Persians. After
these victories, Alexander turned toward the
south and took over Syria, Palestine and
Egypt. As Alexander took control of area after
area, he started new cities, named after him,
Alexandria and he spread the Greek culture.
Alexander the Great
Alexander continued to take over areas when
he moved into the Mesopotamia area and took
over Babylon. He continued as far as modern
day Pakistan and India. His men grew weary
of all the fighting and wished to return home.
Alexander decided to return home, but the trip
home across the deserts in Iran in the hot sun
caused many of his men their lives. Alexander
planned to return to his campaigns but in 323
B.C., he died at the age of 32 due to excessive
alcohol consumption.
http://gtmmedia.discoveryeducation.com/videos/25237/ch
p915338_256k.asf
Achievements of Alexander the
Great:
1.) He created a new age known as
the Hellenistic era- the word Hellenistic
means to imitate the Greeks. He
helped to spread the Greek language,
art, architecture and culture.
2.) He inspired other leaders after
him, including the Romans
3.) Built one of the most importance
cities even today, Alexandria in Egypt.
Alexander’s empire
Alexander’s Empire after his death: Shortly after his
death, Alexander’s generals began to battle internal
with each other for control of the empire. Alexander’s
empire was divided into four parts which were later all
conquered by the Romans. Even though agriculture
was still the primary economic, trade grew
considerably during this expansion.
Major change in the Hellenistic culture was their
treatment of upper class women. Women were
involved in the business of selling slaves, buying and
selling property. This was similar to the treatment of
women in Sparta.
XIII.) Hellenistic Culture:
a.) Produced a famous library with over 500,000
scrolls in the city of Alexandria
b.) The comedy in drama replaced the tragedy,
which was done for amusement instead
of
making a political statement
c.) There was an outpouring of historical and
biographical literature
d.) Growth in the area of science, Archimedes
was the most famous scientist of the time period. He is
known for his work in geometry and the value of pi.