Active Reading Note-Taking Guide
Chapter 4 The Ancient Greeks
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks
(Pages 116–123)
Main Idea
Setting a Purpose for Reading
Think about these questions
as you read:
• How did early Greek
kingdoms develop?
• What ideas developed in
Greek city-states?
p. 65
Geography of Greece
• Mainland Greece is a
mountainous peninsula – a
body of land surrounded by
water.*
• The Aegean Sea, the Ionian
Sea, and the Sea of Crete
• Ancient Greeks made a living
from the sea. They became
fishers, traders, and sailors.
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: The Geography of Greece
(Page 117))
Terms to Know
Peninsula: a body of land with
water on three sides
Academic Vocabulary
community: a group of people
living in the same place
p. 66
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: The Minoans
(Pages 118)
The Minoans
• Were not Greek , but they were
the first civilization in the
region that became Greece.
• They made their wealth from
trade*
• Around 1450 BC, the Minoan
civilization collapsed.
Minoans
Palace of Knossos
The First Greek Kingdoms
• The Mycenaeans invaded the Greek mainland
around 1900 BC and conquered the people
living there.*
• The center of each Mycenaean kingdoms was a
fortified palace on a hill.**
• They traded with the Minoans and replaced
them as the major power on the Mediterranean
in 1400 BC.
• They were even greater warriors, and their most
famous victory is the Trojan War.
• King Agamemnon used trickery to win that
war.
The Trojan Horse
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: The First Greek Kingdoms
(Pages 119-120)
People To Meet
Agamemnon: Mycenaean king who
won the Trojan War.
Places To Locate
Mycenae: the city in which a walled palace
was discovered by Heinrich Schliemann;
Peloponnesus: peninsula in southwest
Greece
p. 69
Dark Age of the Early
Greek Kingdoms
• Mycenaean civilizations collapsed by 1100
BC. Earthquakes and fighting among the
kingdoms had destroyed their hilltop forts.
• 1100 B.C. – 750 B.C. was a difficult time for
the Greek kingdoms.**
• It was not all bad though – a population shift
occurred that helped expand the Greek
culture.
• Dorians also invaded, bringing iron weapons
and farm tools that were stronger.***
A Move to Colonize
• The population rose quickly as
Greece recovered from its Dark
Ages.*
• Cities began sending people outside
of Greece to start colonies – a colony
is a settlement in a new territory that
keeps close ties to its homeland.**
• Colonies traded regularly with their
parent cities – shipping them grains,
metals, fish, timber, and enslaved
people.
• In return, the colonists received
pottery, wine, & olive oil from the
mainland.
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: A Move to Colonize
(Page 121)
Sum It Up
How did the new Greek colonies affect
industry?
The growth of trade between colonies
and parent cities led to a growth in
industry.
p. 71
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: A Move to Colonize
(Page 121)
Previewing
Skip
Terms To Know
polis: Greek city-state;
agora: open area in a polis that served as a
market and a place to meet and debate
Academic Vocabulary
vary: to show change;
debate: to argue or discus
p. 71
The Polis
• *By the end of the Dark Age,
many nobles who owned large
estates had overthrown the
kings.**
• Each city-state was known as a
polis and was like a small,
independent country.***
• Below the acropolis was as an
open area called the agora,
which was used for a market
area and a place to meet for a
debate.
What was Greek citizenship?
• Citizens are members of a
political community who treat
each other as equals and who
have rights & responsibilities.*
• Athens dropped the land
owning requirement, but slaves
& foreign-born residents were
still excluded.
• Citizens could choose officials &
pass laws. They had the right to
vote, hold office, own property,
& defend themselves in court.**
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks
(Pages 116–123)
As you read pages 122–123 in your textbook, complete this
diagram by filling in details about the polis.
made up of a
town or city and
the surrounding
countryside;
created by
nobles
Polis
like a tiny
independent
country
p.65
Main gathering
place was the
acropolis
The Acropolis
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: The First Greek Kingdoms
(Pages 119-120)
Outlining
I. What were the Mycenaean
Kingdoms like?
A. The center was a protected palace
on a hill surrounded by farms.
B. Artisans, workers, and government
officials all worked in the palaces.
p. 68
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: The First Greek Kingdoms
(Pages 119-120)
Outlining
II. Power From trade and War
A. Mycenaeans learned from the
Minoan culture.
B. The Mycenaeans replaced the
Minoans as the major power in the
Mediterranean.
p. 68
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: The First Greek Kingdoms
(Pages 119-120)
Outlining
III. What Was the Dark Age?
A. The Mycenaean civilization
collapsed by 110 B.C., and the Dark Age
began.
B. The Dorians invaded Greece,
bringing more advanced technology,
resulting in farming, trade, and a new
p. 68
alphabet.
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: The First Greek Kingdoms
(Pages 119-120)
Sum It Up
What changes occurred during the Dark
Age in ancient Greece?
Changes include slowing of trade, poverty, a
decrease in learning and craftwork, and a
population shift.
p. 70
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: The Polis
(Pages 122-123)
Determining The Main Idea
Skip
Terms To Know
colony: group that settles in a distant land
Academic Vocabulary
culture: traits, beliefs, and behaviors
shared by a group of people
overseas: located across the sea
p. 70
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks: The Polis
(Pages 122-123)
Terms To Review
City-State (Ch. 1): Greek city-states were
like tiny, independent countries.
Sum It Up
How did citizenship make the Greeks
different from other ancient peoples?
The Greeks were the first to treat a group of
people (citizens) as equals who had rights
and responsibilities. Other cultures treated
most people as subjects with no rights. p. 71
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks
(Pages 116–123)
Section Wrap Up
How did early Greek kingdoms
develop?
The Mycenaeans built the first Greek
kingdoms. They invaded the Greek
mainland and conquered the people living
there. They built palaces and developed
trade as they spread their power across the
Mediterranean region.
p. 72
Chapter 4, Section 1
The Early Greeks
(Pages 116–123)
Section Wrap Up
What ideas developed in Greek
city-states?
The Greek city-states were the first to
develop the idea of citizenship.
They developed armies of ordinary
citizens.
p. 72
Chapter 4
Section 2
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens
(Pages 124–130)
Main Idea
Setting a Purpose for Reading Think
about these questions as you read:
Why did Spartans conquer and control
groups of people?
How were the people of Athens
different from the people of Sparta?
p. 73
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens (Pages 124–130)
Reading Strategy
As you read pages 125–130 in your textbook, complete this graphic organizer
comparing and contrasting life in Sparta and Athens.
conquered and enslaved
neighbors; controlling
government; trained
boys and men for
war; girls were trained played key roles in
defending Greece
in sports; oligarchy;
discouraged foreign
visitors and travel;
frowned upon study;
fell behind in trade
set up colonies; valued
education for boys;
girls learned
household duties;
reforms lead to
democratic ideas;
allowed male citizens
to vote; included a
council and assembly
p. 73
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Tyranny in the City-States
(Pages 125–126)
Summarizing
Small farmers
merchants
1. ______________,
______________,
and
artisans
_____________
all wanted a part in Greek
government. Their unhappiness led to the
tyrants
rise of ______________,
men who took power
by force. These tyrants took power away from
nobles
the ______________.
citizens
2. Most Greeks wanted all ______________
to be
a part of the government. So most city-states
became either ______________
or
oligarchies
democracies
______________.
p. 74
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Tyranny in the City-States
(Pages 125–126)
Academic Vocabulary
Structure: the way parts are put
together to form a whole
participate: to take part in
something
p. 74
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Tyranny in the City-States
(Pages 125–126)
Terms To Know
Tyrant: someone who takes power by
force
Oligarchy: government in which a small
group of people holds power
Democracy: government in which all
citizens share in running the
government
p. 74
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Tyranny in the City-States
(Pages 125–126)
Sum It Up
Why were tyrants so popular in the
city-states?
Small farmers, merchants, and artisans
wanted change. The tyrants could
overthrow the nobles with the backing of
the common people. They built new
marketplaces, temples, and walls.
p. 75
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Sparta
(Pages 126–127)
Drawing Conclusions
Skip
Terms To Know
helots: people who were conquered and
enslaved by the ancient Spartans
Academic Vocabulary
enforce: to make someone obey by
p. 75-76
using force
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Sparta
(Pages 126–127)
Terms To Review
Oligarchy( Ch.4): In an oligarchy, the
government is run by just a few people
Sum It Up
Why did the Spartans stress military training?
Spartans wanted to conquer their neighbors
and control the large helot population.
p. 75-76
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Sparta
(Pages 126–127)
p. 75-76
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Athens
(Pages 128–130)
Connecting
Skip
*People To Meet
Solon: a noble, trusted by both farmers and
nobles, who canceled farmers debts and
freed enslaved people
Peisistratus: a tyrant who seized power in 560
B.C.; he provided for the poor
Cleisthenes: the most important leader of
Athens following Peisistratus; he gave the
people more power in government
p. 76
Athens
• Early Athens was ruled by landowning
nobles during the 600s BC.
• Around 600 BC, the Athenians began
to rebel against the nobles.*
• To help with the situation, nobles
turned to the one man both sides
trusted: a noble named Solon.**
• A tyrant named Peisistratus seized
power in 560 B.C.***
• The most important leader after
Peisistratus died was Cleisthenes****
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Athens
(Pages 126–127)
Academic Vocabulary
nonetheless: however
process: a series of actions leading to
an end result
Terms To Review
democracy( Ch.4): In an democracy, many
people can vote and have a vote in their
government
p. 77
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Sparta
(Pages 126–127)
Sum It Up
How did Cleisthenes build a democracy in
Athens?
He reorganized the assembly to play the
central role in governing and created a new
council to help the assembly carry out daily
business.
p. 77
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens
(Pages 124–130)
Section Wrap Up
Why did Spartans conquer and control
groups of people?
The Spartans needed more land to
grow, so they conquered and enslaved
their neighbors. They used military
force to keep the people they had
conquered from rebelling.
p. 77
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens
(Pages 124–130)
Section Wrap Up
How were the people of Athens
different from the people of Sparta?
The Athenians valued learning as well as
sport. Boys were educated. Girls learned
household duties. Athenians also allowed
citizens a voice in government.
p. 77
Chapter 4, Section 2
Sparta and Athens: Guided Reading 4-2
(Pages 124–130)
I.
II.
Tyrants
oligarchies; democracies
A. Few
B. citizens
III. Sparta
A. Helots
1. seven
2. sports
B. Government
1. Kings; elders
1.
2.
2.
28; 60
assembly
30
1.
2.
Voted
ephors
IV. Democracy
A. Solon; debts
B. Peistratus
C. Cleisthenes
1. Assembly
2. 500
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks
(Pages 131–137)
Main Idea
Setting a Purpose for Reading Think
about these questions as you read:
• How did the Persian Empire bring together
such a wide area?
• What role did Athens and Sparta play in
defeating the Persians?
p. 78
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks
(Pages 131–137)
Reading Strategy
Ruler
Accomplishment
Cyrus
united Persians into powerful kingdom;
captured Babylon; treated all subjects well
Darius
reorganized government to make it
work better; divided the empire into
states; defeated in the Battle of Marathon
Xerxes
launched invasion of Greece to avenge his
father
p. 78
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Empire
(Pages 132–133)
Outlining
I. The Rise of the Persian Empire
A. Cyrus’s armies conquered many lands
to build an empire.
B. Other leaders added territory and
built miles of roads to connect their
holdings.
p. 79
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Empire
(Pages 132–133)
Outlining
II. What Was Persian Government Like?
A. Darius reorganized the government
to make it work better.
B. The government paid full-time
soldiers to protect the king’s power.
p. 79
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Empire
(Pages 132–133)
Outlining
III. The Persian Religion
A. The Persian religion was called
Zoroastrianism.
B. Zoroaster believed in one god and
taught that humans had the freedom
to choose between good and evil.
p. 79
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Empire
(Pages 132–133)
Terms To Know
Satrapies: states that formed the empire.
Satrap: an official that ran a Satrapy
Zoroastrianism: the religion of Persia
People To Meet
Cyrus the Great: leader who united the
Persians into the largest empire in the world
p. 79
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Empire
(Pages 132–133)
Academic Vocabulary
vision: mystical experience of seeing the
supernatural
dominate: to control or rule by superior power
Terms To Review
Nomads (Ch. 1): Hunters and gatherers were
nomads because they had to move from
place to place to find food.
Empire (Ch. 1): Persia conquered many lands
to build its great empire.
p. 80
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Empire
(Pages 132–133)
Sum It Up
Why did Darius create
Satrapies?
The empire was very big and
difficult to manage.
Dividing it into smaller
states made the government
work better.
p. 80
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Wars
(Pages 134–137)
Sequencing
5 Greek army crushed the Persian army at Plataea
1. ____
2 Persian fleet landed 20,000 soldiers on the plain
2. ____
of Marathon
1 Athenian army helped the Greeks in Asia Minor
3. ____
rebel against Persian rulers
4 Xerxes launches invasion of Greece
4. ____
6 Alexander invades the Persian Empire
5. ____
3 Darius dies
6. ____
p. 81
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Wars
(Pages 134–137)
Places To Locate
Marathon: plain where the Persian army was
defeated by the Greeks;
Thermopylae: a narrow pass through the
mountains where the Greeks fought bravely
against the Persia.
Salamis: a narrow strip of water where the
Greeks destroyed almost the entire Persian
fleet.
Platea: location of the battle where the Greeks
crushed the Persian army, convincing the
Persians to retreat.
p. 81
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Wars
(Pages 134–137)
People To Meet
Xerxes: son of Darius who vowed revenge
against the Athenians and launched a new
invasion of Greece
Themistocles: Athenian general
Academic Vocabulary
Internal: located inside
p. 81-82
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Wars
(Pages 134–137)
p. 81-82
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks: The Persian Wars
(Pages 134–137)
Sum It Up
What led to the Persian Wars?
Greeks setting up colonies in the
Mediterranean area often clashed with the
Persians. In 499 B.C., the Athenian army
helped the Greeks in Asia Minor rebel
against their Persian rulers. King Darius
decided that the mainland Greeks had to be
stopped from interfering in the Persian
Empire.
p. 82
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks
(Pages 131–137)
Section Wrap Up
How did the Persian Empire bring together
such a wide area?
Cyrus united the Persians into a powerful
kingdom and sent armies to take over
Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Syria, Canaan,
and the Phoenician cities. Cyrus’s merciful
rule helped hold the empire together
p. 82
Chapter 4, Section 3
Persia Attacks The Greeks
(Pages 131–137)
Section Wrap Up
What role did Athens and Sparta play in
defeating the Persians?
The Athenians defeated the Persians at the
Battle of Marathon. Then the Athenians
and Spartans united to defeat the Persians
when Xerxes launched an invasion. Sparta
sent the most soldiers. Athens provided the
navy.
p. 82
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles (Pages 138–146)
Main Idea
Setting a Purpose for Reading Think about
these questions as you read:
• How did Athens change under the rule of
Pericles?
• What happened when Sparta and Athens
went to war for control of Greece?
p. 83
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles (Pages 138–146)
Reading
Strategy
As you read pages 139–144 in
your textbook, create a circle
graph showing how many
citizens, foreigners, and
enslaved people lived in
Athens in the 400s B.C.
Citizens
150,000
Foreigners
35,000
Enslaved
People
100,000
p. 83
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles: The Athenian Empire
(Pages 139–140)
Evaluating Skip
Terms to Know
Direct democracy: system of government in which
people vote firsthand to decide government matters
and make laws and policies
Representative democracy: system of government
in which people elect a smaller group of people to
make laws and decisions on their behalf
• Philosophers: people who pursue wisdom p. 84
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles: The Athenian Empire
(Pages 139–140)
Places To Locate
Delos: island serving as headquarters to the Delian
League
People To Meet
Pericles: leading figure in Athenian politics after the
Persian Wars
Academic Vocabulary
behalf: in the interest of
achieve: to carry out with success
p. 84-85
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles: The Athenian Empire
(Pages 139–140)
Sum It Up
What is the difference between a direct
democracy and a representative
democracy?
In a direct democracy, individuals have a
direct voice in their government. In a
representative democracy, individuals
elect people to make decisions on their
behalf.
p. 85
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles: Daily Life in Athens
(Pages 142–144)
Questioning
Skip
People To Meet
Aspasia: well-educated woman in Athens who shaped
the ideas of Plato and was consulted by Athenian
leaders
Academic Vocabulary
economy: a system of producing and managing wealth
philosophy: a system or group of thoughts or beliefs
p. 85-86
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles: The Athenian Empire
(Pages 139–140)
Sum It Up
How did Athenian men and women spend their
time?
Men worked in the morning, then exercised or
attended meetings of the assembly. Upper
class men enjoyed all-male gatherings in the
evenings. Women took care of household
duties and rarely went out. They could leave
the house only with a male relative. Women
had no political rights. Poor women might
also work.
p. 85
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles: The Peloponnesian War
(pages 144–146)
Predicting
Skip
Academic Vocabulary
framework: structure for supporting something else
cooperate: to work together toward a common goal
Terms To Review
• Colony (Ch. 4): Each colony in America was
originally part of England.
p. 87
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles: The Peloponnesian War
(pages 144–146)
Sum It Up
What effects did the Peloponnesian War have
on Greece?
The Spartans tore down the Athenian empire in
their victory. The long war weakened all the
major Greek city-states. Many were dead and
left without farms or jobs, and the Greeks
could no longer unite to fight together.
p. 88
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles (Pages 138–146)
Section Wrap Up
How did Athens change under the rule of
Pericles?
Athens dominated the Delian League. The
government became more democratic.
Culture blossomed. Artists, architects,
writers, and philosophers were supported.
p. 88
Chapter 4, Section 4
The Age of Pericles (Pages 138–146)
Section Wrap Up
What happened when Sparta and Athens went
to war for control of Greece?
Ultimately, all of Greece was weakened by the
long war. The Spartans surrounded Athens
for more than 25 years. Many died, lost farms,
and lost jobs. Ultimately the victors, the
Spartans destroyed the Athenian empire. But
the city-states rebelled against Spartan
control.
p. 88