Ancient Greece –
Science, Politics, Philosophy and
Religion
Greek Science
Found a way to
measure circumference
of the earth.
Organized Geometry
into one set of books.
Proved that the earth revolves
around the sun.
Greek Science and Olympics
The Greeks developed the Olympics.
They Greek Olympics were held every four years.
Only men could participate.
They included events like a race, a javelin throw, and
discus throw.
Their scientists studied the best way to perform
sports.
Olympics Today
• Today we participate in the Olympics every 4
years.
• Both men and women compete.
• There are hundreds of events, but they still
include races, the javelin throw and the discus
throw.
Greek Science
Greek Influences Today
Use the diagrams under “Greek Astronomy” on
Read pages 230-231 and answer the following.
page 228 and answer the following.
_____1. According to Ptolemy, where is the sun located?
a. In the center
b. Between Venus and Mars
c. Next to Jupiter
_____2. Which of the 3 theories was most accurate (correct)?
a. Eratosthenes’
b. Aristarchus’
c. Ptolemy’s
_____3. What is circumference?
a. Distance between planets
b. Distance around the earth
c. Distance between the sun and the earth
_____4. Which is true?
a. Our solar system is part of the universe
b. The sun is the center of the universe
_____5. What was the focus of Aristarchus’ astronomy?
a. The earth
b. The sun
c. The universe
_____1. In the past, what event was held in Olympia?
a. The Olympics b. The Hundreds
c. The Architects
_____2. Who could compete in the early Olympics?
a. Men
b. Women
c. Both men and women
_____3. Ancient Greeks strived for the ideal in what area?
a. Architecture only
b. Art only
c. All areas of life
_____4. Why were columns important in architecture?
a. They lend a sense of authority to the building
b. They provided a row of protection for the building
c. They made the building bigger
_____5. Which word does NOT describe Greek architecture?
a. Geometry
b. Ideal
c. Photography
_____6. How many qualified jurors were required for a trial?
a. As many as 6,000
b. As many as 500
c. As many as 12
_____7. Jurors were selected by using rows of what?
a. Marble plates
b. Stone plates
c. Metal plates
_____8. In the United States, who makes up a jury pool?
a. Adult citizens
b. All adults
c. All males
_____9. How many people usually make up a jury pool?
a. 6-12
b. Less than 6
c. More than 12
____10. What do the jury systems of Ancient Greece and America have in
common?
a. Number of jurors required
b. Type of selection process used
c. That jurors are paid
Political terms
• Parts of Greece were a
democracy a type of
government where people
vote.
• Most of Greece was a
monarchy a type of
government ruled by a king or
queen.
• Sparta was an oligarchy,
government ruled by a few.
They had 2 kings.
Politics: The first democracy
• Athens was a direct
democracy where people
vote on everything.
• All male citizens were
allowed to participate in
anything that required a
government decision.
Democracy Today
Today in America we have a
Representative Democracy
We vote for people to make
decisions for us.
Greek Philosophy
• Greeks developed
study of basic truths.
Greek Philosophers
Forced people to think by asking question after
question. Now called the Socratic Method.
Socrates’ student. Started a school called the
Academy. Forced people to think by writing
dialogues – conversations.
Plato’s student. Started a school called the Lyceum.
Tutored Alexander the Great.
_____1. How long did Socrates live?
a. 99 years
b. 71 years
c. 40 years
Socrates
Read “History Makers” on page 227 and
answer the questions to the left.
_____2. What won him many followers?
a. His wealth b. His appearance
c. His intelligence
_____3. Socrates claimed he knew a great deal about things.
a. True
b. False
_____4. People were always happy with Socrates’ teachings?
a. True
b. False
_____5. Where did Socrates live?
a. Athens
b. Socrate
c. Clouds
_____6. Socially, Socrates was _____.
a. Famous
b. Wealthy
c. A King
_____7. Socrates was well groomed.
a. True
b. False
_____8. “Clouds” is ___.
a. A comedy about Socrates
b. A tragedy about Socrates
c. A novel about Socrates
_____9. Socrates felt he was smarter than everyone else he knew.
a. True
b. False
_____10. People followed Socrates because he was
a. Smart
b. Charismatic
c. Wealthy
d. A&B
e. B & C
Greek religion was polytheistic - they
worshiped many gods.
Greek Gods
• There were many Greek gods. Some were:
Zeus – Ruler of the gods
Hera – the wife of Zeus
Athena – goddess of wisdom
The Story of Medusa and Athena
Greek Inventions
• The Greeks
invented dice.
• The Greeks invented
the crane.
Greek Military
• Some Greeks were obsessed
with war.
• Boys were sent to military
school at a young age.
• Boys born deformed were
left to die on mountainsides
Greek Military - Soldiers
• A hoplite was a Greek
infantry soldier.
• Hoplites were middleclass freemen who had
to pay for their own
weapon and shield.
Greek Military - Inventions
• The Greeks invented the
catapult.
• It could throw 300 pound
stones at walls and buildings
• The Greeks used the
Flamethrower!
2900 BC 2900-2000 BC: The Bronze Age when Early Aegean cultures start to emerge
1200 BC The Trojan War and the destruction of Troy (Ilium)
1050 BC 1050-750 BC: The Dark Ages of Greece and the fall of the Mycenean culture
850 BC 850 - 700 BC: Development of the first Greek Alphabet
776 BC The First Olympic Games are staged
750 BC 750 -700 BC: Homer writes the Iliad and the Odyssey
730 BC 730-710 BC - the First Messenian War and the Spartans conquer southwest
Peloponnesia
621 BC Draco's code of law is introduced
600 BC Greek Coin currency introduced
500 BC 500-323 BC - The Greek Classical Period
505 BC Cleisthenes introduces democracy in Athens
490 BC Greek / Persian Wars led by Xerxes
468 BC Sophocles writes his first tragedy
461 BC 461-446 BC: The Peloponnesian Wars begins between Sparta and Athens
449 BC 449 -432: Construction of the Parthenon and the Acropolis in Athens
441 BC Euripides writes his first tragedy
443 BC 443 - 429 BC Pericles leads Athens
430 BC Outbreak of Bubonic Plague in Athens
431 BC Second of the Peloponnesian Wars between Sparta and Athens
420 BC 420 - 410: Construction of Temple of Athena Nike
399 BC Socrates is executed for his opposition to the Thirty Tyrants
386 BC Plato founds the Academy
384 BC Aristotle is born
359 BC Philip II becomes the king of the Greeks
356 BC Alexander the Great, son of King Philip II, is born
333 BC Alexander the Great defeats the Persians at Issus and is given Egypt by the Persian
Satrap where he builds a capital at Alexandria and founds the great library
323 BC Alexander the Great dies at Babylon
323 BC 323 -31 BC: The Hellenistic Period
224 BC Earthquake destroys the Colossus of Rhodes
200 BC 200 - 196 BC: First Roman victory over Greece
197 BC King Philip V of Greece loses to Roman forces at Kynoskephalai
86 BC The Roman General Sulla captures Athens
33 AD Crucifixion of Jesus and the origin of Christianity
267 AD The Goths sack Athens, Sparta, and Corinth
286 AD The Roman Emperor Diocletian divides the Roman empire in two forming modern
Greece (the Byzantine Empire)
641 AD The Slavs overrun Greece
Greek Timeline
Use the timeline to the left to answer these questions.
____1. Which happened last?
a. The Trojan War
b. The first Olympics
c. The Crucifixion of Jesus
_____2. What two things happened in the same year?
a. Alexander dies and The Hellenistic Period starts
b. Aristotle is born and Plato founds the Academy
c. Euripides and Sophocles write their first tragedies
_____3. Which happened first?
a. Greek coins were introduced
b. Bubonic Plague in Athens
c. The Greek alphabet was developed
_____4. Who led the Greek/Persian wars?
a. Draco
b. Xerxes
c. Phillip II
_____5. Where did Alexander build the great library?
a. Athens
b. Egypt
c. Rhodes
_____6. When was the Byzantine Empire formed?
a. 286BC
b. 286AD
c. 267AD
_____7. Where did Alexander the Great die?
a. Helen
b. Alexandria
c. Babylon
_____8. Which came first?
a. Dark Ages
b. Bronze Age c. Classical Period
_____9. How did Socrates die?
a. Natural causes
b. In battle
c. Executed
_____10. Who was born last?
a. Aristotle
b. Alexander the Great c. Jesus