ANCIENT AND
CLASSICAL GREECE
CIVILIZATION COMES TO
EUROPE
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
The Land
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Mountains dominate land; cross land travel difficult
Fertile river valleys were center of settlement
River valleys formed basis of polis
No place more than a few miles from sea
Outdoor life common due to temperate climate
The Sea
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Greece is a series of peninsulas, islands
Sea travel easier than land communication
Most Greeks took to the sea
Economy
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Agriculture: Grains, honey, olives, grapes
Herding: Goats, sheep, cattle
Trade: Necessary to make up for lack of resources
PHYSICAL MAP OF AREA
MINOAN SOCIETY
Island of Crete
₋ From 2200 to 1450 B.C.E., center of Mediterranean commerce
₋ Received early influences from Phoenicia and Egypt
₋ Established colonies on Cyprus and islands in the Aegean Sea
Knossos
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Minoan society arose on Crete
Arose late 3rd millennium B.C.E.
Palaces at Knossos between 2000, 1700 B.C.E.
Linear A, a kind of written language, is found
Society
– Evidence of egalitarian society; women had rights
– Agriculture was important: grapes, olives, fishing, wheat
– Trade was very important: marble, artifacts, cloth
Decline of Minoan Society
₋ After 1700 B.C.E., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis
₋ After 1450 B.C.E., wealth attracted a number of invaders
₋ By 1100 B.C.E., Crete fell under foreign (Hellenic) domination
THE ISLAND OF CRETE
MYCENAEAN
GREECE
Mycenaean society
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Indo-Europeans settled in area, 2000 B.C.E.
Settled in Peloponnesus around Mycenae
Adapted Minoan Linear A into Linear B
Fortified agricultural settlements
Society resembled Aryan: emphasis on war, trade
Kingdoms ruled by strongest of nobles; constant strife
Chaos in the eastern Mediterranean 1100 to 800 BCE
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Mycenaeans engaged in Trojan war, about 1200 B.C.E.
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Troy may have been a Hittite city-state and trade rival
Tomb of Agamemnon, Troy excavated by von Schliemann in late 1700s
Recorded by Homer in the Illiad and the Odyssey
More invasions by Hellenic tribes
“Sea Peoples”
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Later Hellenic invaders moved by sea along coasts
Seemed to have raided into Palestine, Egypt as Philistines
ANCIENT GREECE
THE GREEK
DARK AGES
800 TO 500 BCE
– Called Dark Ages due to loss of writing
– Age remembered through oral traditions
• Likely the Age of Homer
• Oral traditions of Illiad and the Odyssey
– A period of migration and warfare
– Hellenes spread to Italy, Sicily, Asia Minor, Cyprus
The Hellenes
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Indo-Europeans who settled in area
Tribes include Dorians, Attics, Achaeans
Originally aristocratic societies
Warfare, slavery, and trade common
GREEK TRIBES
THE POLIS
• Greek City-State
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Polis = city-state; Poleis = city-states
Metropolis = city of polis
Acropolis = fortified center of city
Boundaries shaped by geography
Terms of politics come from POLIS
• Politics, politic, politician, polite, polity
• Police, metropolis, metroplex
• Most important
◊ Athens
◊ Sparta
MAP OF GREEK POLEIS
POLITICAL FORMS
• Archon: Greek for “ruler” – English “archy”
• Kratien: Greek for “to rule” – English “cracy”
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Demos: People – Democracy (direct election)
Aristos: The Best – Aristocracy (nobles)
Oligos: The Few – Oligarchy (rule by select few)
Monos: One – Monarchy (rule by a king)
Di: Two – Diarchy (Sparta’s state had 2 kings)
An: None – Anarchy (No government)
Theos: God – Theocracy (Rule by priests, religion)
Geron: Old Man – Gerontocracy (rule by elderly)
Pater: Father – Patriarchy (rule by males)
Mater: Mother – Matriarchy (rule by women)
Auto: Self – Autocracy (dictatorial rule)
Tyrannos: Tyrant – Tyranny (rule by an usurper with supreme power)
Ethnos: Ethnic or locals – Ethnarchy (rule by the local people)
The Development of Democracy in
Ancient Greece
Monarchy
Definition
Visual
Form of
government in
which ruling
power is in the
hands of one
person
Oligarchy
Form of
government in
which ruling
power is in the
hands of a few
leaders
Tyranny
Form of
government in
which ruling
power is in the
hands of a
person who has
seized control
Democracy
Form of
government in
which ruling
power is in the
hands of the
people
The Development of Democracy
Monarchy
Oligarchy
Tyranny
How was this
form of
government
practiced in
ancient
Greece?
Mycenaeans paid
taxes to king,
obeyed laws,
depended upon
them for protection
Political decisions
were made by
aristocrats and
selected members
of the middle class.
Ordinary citizens
had little say in how
the city-state was
run.
With support from
the middle class,
tyrants seized
power to reform
laws, aid the poor,
and cancel debts.
Why did this
form of
government
decline in
ancient
Greece?
Mycenaean kings
lost power when
fighting rival
monarchs over land
and raw material.
Dorians also
destroyed the
Mycenaean
kingdoms.
Some oligarchs
ruled harshly and
their subject
rebelled. Others lost
the faith of their
supporters because
they could not solve
key problems such
as food shortages.
Some tyrants
became harsh and
greedy and were
overthrown.
Democracy
Athens was the
birthplace of
democracy. All
male citizens could
participate in
Athenian
government. The
Assembly made
laws and it was
enforce by the
Council of 500.
SPARTA
Sparta
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Situated in a fertile region of the Peloponnesus
Began to extend control during the 8th and 7th centuries B.C.E.
Reduced neighboring peoples to the status of helots, or servants
By 6th century B.C.E., helots outnumbered Spartans by 10 to 1
Maintained domination by a powerful military machine
Spartan society
Discouraged social distinction, observed austere lifestyle
Distinction was drawn by prowess, discipline, and military talent
Commitment to military values was strong
Society was a military aristocracy; state ruled by two kings
Young boys, girls educated in military barracks
After marriage, men still lived at barracks; women ran homes
Women: surprisingly free in comparison to other Greek women
All merchants were foreigners licensed by the state
LACONIA’s administrative capital was Sparta
LACONIA: SPARTA
• Athens
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ATHENS
Population growth, economic development caused political strain
Sought to negotiate order by democratic principles
Citizenship was open to free adult males
Foreigners, slaves, and women had no rights
• Athenian society
– Maritime trade brought about prosperity
– Aristocratic landowners were principal beneficiaries
_ Society valued education, philosophy and beauty.
• Class Conflict
– Owners of small plots began to sell lands
– Many debtors sold themselves into slavery
– Class conflict intensified, 6th century B.C.E.
• Solon and Athenian democracy
– Solon forged a compromise between the classes
– Opened polis councils for any male citizen
• Pericles (ca. 443-429 B.C.E.)
– The most popular democratic leader of Athens
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Ruled Athens during its Golden Age
ATHENIAN THASSALOCRACY
GREECE & THE LARGER WORLD
Greeks founded more than 400 colonies
– Controlled Black, Aegean, Adriatic, Ionian Seas
– Settled Sicily, S. Italy, Corsica, France, Spain, Africa
– Settled Coasts of Yugoslavia, Albania, Turkey, Cyprus
Effects of Greek colonization
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Facilitated trade among Mediterranean lands
Facilitate exchanges between peoples, cultures
Spread of Greek language and cultural traditions
Stimulated development of surrounding areas
Spread civilization to ancient, Neolithic areas
Warfare increased
Technology stimulated: naval, navigation, astronomy
THE GREEK WORLD
GREEK
MILITARY
• Based on citizen soldiers
– Lightly armed, armored foot soldiers (Hoplites)
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Carry shields, long spear
All citizens had to furnish own arms, armor
All citizens expected to fight in army, navy
All citizens had military training in school
– Fought in massed formations called Phalanx
• Very useful in rugged terrain; used 10’ long pikes
• Easily defeats massed cavalry favored by others
• Greek navy
– Rowed vessels called galleys
• Most famous was the trireme or three oar banked
• Rowed by free citizens
• Fought by ramming other vessels; than hand to hand
– Greek fleets included larger vessels
• Equites or mounted troops were aristocrats
THE PERSIAN WARS
(300)
• The Persian War (500-479 B.C.E.)
– Cyrus and Darius controlled Anatolia
– Greek cities on Ionian coast revolted, 500 B.C.E.
– Darius’ Invasion
• The battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.E.
• Greeks led by Spartans and Athens battled Persia to a draw
– Xerxes Invasion
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To fight Persians, Athenians build a wall of wood, or a navy
Xerxes seized, burned Athens
Athenian navy destroys Persian in the battle of Salamis, 480 B.C.E.
Persian army retreated back to Anatolia, 479 B.C.E.
• The Delian League
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Alliance among Greek poleis against Persian threat
Military force from Athens, finance from other poleis
As Persian threat subsided, poleis no longer wanted to participate
Athens uses navy to turn Delian League into Athenian Empire
MAPPING THE PERSIAN WARS
PELOPONNESIAN WAR
• Pericles Rebuilds Athens
– Athens experiences a Golden Age
– Pericles turns Delian states into Athenian colonies
• 30 Year Civil War (431-404 B.C.E.)
– Athens and Allies vs. Sparta and Allies
– Costly victories/defeats and plague wreck city
– Unconditional surrender of Athens, 404 B.C.E.
• Hegemony first by Sparta and then by Thebes
– Constant warfare between leagues, allies
– Spartan hegemony replaced by Theban
– Greece horribly weakened
– Athens remained intellectual center of Greece
THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR