ANCIENT GREECE
Ancient Greece
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2000 B.C. – 300 B.C.
Chapter 5
Section 1
Cultures of the Mountains and the Seas
Geography Shapes Greek Life
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Three geographic features that shaped
Greek life:
1. The Sea
2. The Land
3. The Climate
The Sea
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Three seas surround
Greece:
1. Ionian
2. Aegean
3. Mediterranean
How did living close to the sea
impact Greek life?
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A lot of people were fishermen.
A lot of people traveled by Sea.
Sea Travel:
- Linked parts of Greece together.
- Connected Greece to other
societies.
- made trade easier.
The Land
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Mountains covered ¾
of Greece.
Only ¼ of Greece
was arable or suitable
for agriculture.
Land of Rugged Mountains
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Mountainous Terrain has an effect on politics and
population:
- Small independent communities
develop within each valley and its
surrounding mountains.
- uneven terrain made land travel
difficult.
- land was stony, so only small parts were
suitable for farming
The Climate
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Greece’s climate is mild, with moderate
temperatures.
Men spent time outdoors, where they met
to discuss politics.
-this shaped Greek political life.
Minoan Civilization
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Remember the island
in the Mediterranean
Sea – Crete. King
Minos and The
Minotaur.
Came in contact with
the Mycenaeans after
1500 BC.
Minoan Civilization
Achievements:
 They had highly
developed art. Beautiful
frescos.
 Written language
 Craftsmen and traders.
Palace at Knossos
Mycenaeans
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Indo –Europeans settled
in Southern Mountains of
the Peninsula.
Dominated by strong
warrior kings from 1600
BC to 1100 BC.
Mycenaeans adapted the
Minoan language into
Greek, and Minoan
culture influenced art,
religion, politics, and
literature.
The Lion’s Gate
Homer wrote the legend of the
Trojan War
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Homer a legendary Greek poet
lived around 750 to 700 BC.
Legendary Greek poet
credited for writing the Iliad ( the
story of The Trojan War) and the
Odyssey. These stories represent
much of Greek mythology.
The Trojan War was one of the last
Mycenaean battles.
The Trojan war took place around
1200 BC, it lasted 10 yrs.
Mysteries_Surrounding_
the_Trojan_War.wmv
Troy – Real or Fiction?
For thousands of years Troy was a legend. However,
using clues from the Iliad, an amateur
archaeologist named Heinrich Schliemann
discovered the location of Troy at Hisarlik, Turkey
in 1871.
The Nine Cities of Troy
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In total, there were nine
cities built at the location of
Troy, each on top of the
other.
The sixth city is the most
grand and resembles the
Troy in Homer’s Iliad, but it
was destroyed by an
earthquake, not by war, in
1250 BCE.
The seventh layer of the city
appears to be the legendary
Troy and has been dated to
1180 BCE.
Its towers and walls can still
be seen in the ruins and
there are arrowheads lying
in the streets.
Troy, archeological ruins
of two small walls.
The Dorians -1150 BC to 750 BC
The Mycenaean citystates became weak
from constant
warfare. In 1150 BC,
the Dorians from
southwestern
Macedonia, invaded
the Mycenaean citystates. Around 1100
BC Mycenaean
civilization collapsed.
The Greek Dark Ages
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The Dorian period represented
a decline in Greek culture.
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Population declines.
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Great civilizations lose contact
with each other.
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Economy and Trade
disappeared.
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Lack of History indicated no
form of writing.
Stories told through the
spoken word.
Homer creates the Iliad and
the Odyssey around 750 to
700 BC.
Greeks create Myths which
are traditional stories about
gods and goddesses used to
explain nature & natural
events.
The Greek Pantheon of Gods
Mt. Olympus
The summit of Mt. Olympus
There are many gods in Greek mythology. The
Greeks believed that the gods lived on Mount
Olympus.
The Greek Gods of Olympus
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Zeus: king of the gods, god of sky and thunder.
Hera: wife and sister of Zeus and goddess of marriage.
Poseidon: god of the sea.
Ares: god of war.
Hermes, the messenger of the gods, was also the god of
orators, literature and poets.
Hephaestus: god of blacksmiths, craftsmen and artisans.
Aphrodite: goddess of love.
Athena: goddess of wisdom, strategy, and war.
Apollo: god of the sun.
Artemis: goddess of the moon and hunting.
Hestia: goddess of the hearth and the family.
Demeter: goddess of agriculture.
Dionysus: god of wine, civilization and peace.
Hades: god of the underworld.
Persephone: goddess of the underworld.
Let’s Review:
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1. Why did the population in most city-states stay
relatively small?
The lack of arable (farmable) land.
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2. Why did Greece not unite under one government? Why
were there many small local governments?
Because the mountains divided Greece into different regions and the
terrain made land transportation difficult. The people identified
more with the people in their local region.
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What 3 geographic factors help shape Greek life?
1. The Sea
2. The Land
3. The Climate
Warm up:
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Greek communities thought of themselves
as individual countries even though they
all had the same language and heritage.
How do you think the geography of
Greece contributed to this idea? Answer
on your own paper.
Section 5.2
Warring City-States
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The period generally known as Ancient
Greece began around the first Olympic
games in 776 BCE.
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It marks the end of the Greek Dark Ages.
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This is the time of the great Greek citystates of Athens and Sparta.
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It is also known as the Archaic Period.
Rule and Order in the City-States
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*Remember, a city-state is a city and it’s surrounding lands
controlled by a strong government---- the Greeks did not unite into
an empire- but a league of loosely united city-states
Greek city-states, called polis, developed selfrule.
The English word "politics" comes from the Greek
polis.
Most city-states, or polis, controlled between:
-50 to 500 miles
-less than 10,000 residents
-Citizens gathered at the agora (marketplace)
or the acropolis (fortified hill-top) to discuss
city government.
The Acropolis in Athens
The Acropolis in Athens Today
Each city state was unique
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All of the city-states
spoke Greek.
Each city-state
developed a unique
culture and system of
government.
The city-states were
also made up of
different groups of
people, such as the
Dorian, Ionian,
Mycenaean, and
Achaean people.
City-state government
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Greek city-states had many forms of
governments:
Monarchy or government ruled by a king.
Aristocracy or a government ruled by a small
group of noble, landowning families.
Oligarchy or a government ruled by a few
powerful people. They were usually wealthy
merchants and artisans who were dissatisfied
with aristocratic rule.
Sometimes the citizens revolted. They would be led by a
"tyrant." In ancient Greece, the word had a different
meaning than today. A tyrant was anyone who
overturned the established government of a city-state.
Question:
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What is the difference between a tyrant
today and the tyrants of ancient Greece?
Today tyrants are considered harsh and cruel. Tyrants
of ancient Greece gained the support of the common
people by setting up building programs and agreeing to
provide jobs to their supporters.
Athenian Democracy
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Democracy means "rule by
the demos” (people).
In some city states of
Ancient Greece every
citizen could participate
directly in every decision.
Only free men who had
never committed a murder
were citizens.
Slaves, foreigners, and
women were not allowed to
participate in the
democratic government.
Draconian Law 621 BC
1st step toward democracy:
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The ancient Athenian court system
had two legal codes, the
Draconian and the Solonian Codes
of Law.
Draconian law was named after
Dracon, a lawgiver.
Under law code all citizens were
equal, rich and poor.
The punishment for all offenses
was death.
No matter how small the crime,
Dracon believed a person who
broke the law should die.
Today we call cruel and harsh
laws Draconian.
DRACON
2nd step toward Democracy
Solon reforms the government of Athens
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594 BC
Outlawed debt slavery.
Organized 4 social classes.
Only top 3 classes could hold
political office, but all could
participate in Athenian
assembly.
Abolished Draconian laws
except when dealing with
murder.
Any citizen could bring
charges against a
wrongdoer.
Solon on the Nebraska State
Capital Building
3rd step toward Democracy
Cleisthenes – 500 BC
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Broke the power of nobility by dividing citizens
into 10 groups based on where they lived not
wealth.
Increased power of assembly by allowing all
citizens to submit laws.
Created the Council of Five Hundred (this body
proposed laws and counseled the Assembly –
members were chosen at random.)
Review: Forms of Government
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Monarchy – a single person, KING, ruled the government.
Aristocracy – ruled by a small group of noble, land-owning
families.
Oligarchy – ruled by a few powerful people (a new class of
wealthy merchants dissatisfied with nobles took over power)
Democracy – rule by the people, directly or through
representatives.
Direct Democracy – a government ruled by the people
directly rather than through representatives.
Tyrants – powerful leaders who gained support of common
people after agreeing to set up building programs and provide
jobs for their supporters.
Question:
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In Athens what was citizenship based on?
Only free adult male property owners born in
Athens were considered citizens.
* Women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded
from citizenship and had few rights.
Sparta Builds a Military State
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In 725 BC Sparta conquers Messenia.
Turns Messenians into helots – peasants forced
to stay on land & give the Spartans half their
crop.
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The Messenians revolt.
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Spartans just barely put down revolt.
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Shocked – they dedicate Sparta to becoming a
strong military state.
Sparta’s Military Operations
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All men served in the army until age 60.
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Boys took from home at 7 and lived until the age of 30
in military barracks – where they trained daily.
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Girls received some military training – so they could
have healthy male babies.
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All put Service to Sparta above everything else.
-Iron weapons affordable to all
-New army of foot soldiers – hoplites.
-Formation called phalanx – the most
feared force in the ancient world
-assisted Greeks in the Persian Wars.
Persian Wars 490 to 479 BC
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In the 5th century
BCE, the Persian
Empire, the largest
known at the time,
attempted to
conquer Greece.
The battles, called
the Persian War.
The invasion by
Persia united
Spartans, Athenians,
and all Greeks to
fight against Persia.
Plan of Thermopylae, 480 BCE
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Persia forms a force of
100,000 to crush Athens.
7,000 Greeks & 300
Spartans block the
Persians way at a
mountain Pass at
Thermopylae.
The Greeks stop the
Persians for 3 days.
A traitor ended their brave
stand
The Spartans held the
Persians back while other
Greek forces retreated.
All 300 Spartans were
killed.
The Phalanx
Peloponnesian War
Sparta vs. Athens – 431 BC
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Athens grew wealthy & powerful,
this angered Sparta.
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Sparta had stronger army. Athens
stronger navy.
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Athens weakened (during 2nd year
because of plague)
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421 BC signed truce.
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415 BC Athens attacks Sicily (an
ally of Sparta) In 413 BC Athens
experiences a crushing defeat.
404 BC Athens and their allies
surrender to Sparta.
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Video Athens vs. Sparta
As a group you must decide a dispute, basing your decision
on what form of government you receive , either a monarchy,
aristocracy, oligarchy, or direct democracy.
DISPUTE:
The dispute is between a wealthy landowner named, Philipus, and
one of his poorer neighbors Emaeus. Emaeus claims the landowner
wants to take part of his land to increase the nobleman’s own
estate. Philipus says his expenses have increased and he needs
the additional land.
QUESTIONS EACH GROUP MUST CONSIDER:
1.
2.
3.
Who in each group has the power to make a decision and what
is the basis of that power?
Which side in the dispute is their form of government likely to
favor and why?
What is their judgment likely to be?
Each group will explain their decision basing that decision on facts about
their form of government. The other students will be filling out their Unit
Study Guide Sec. 5.2 , the graphic organizer on different governments.
Warm up:
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The word democracy comes from the
Greek word demos, which means
“people,” and kratein, which means “to
rule.” Why do you think the term
democracy is an appropriate name for our
system of government?
Write your answer on your own paper.
Democracy and Greece’s Golden
Age – 477 to 431 BC
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Chapter 5 Section 3
The Age of Pericles, 461-429BC
Pericles was born in
Athens in 495 BCE
to a noble family.
Pericles had 3 goals:
1. To strengthen Athenian Democracy
2. To hold and strengthen the empire
3. To glorify Athens.
video
Pericles built the Acropolis, including the Parthenon during
his time.
Pericles’ Plan
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To strengthen democracy Pericles
increased the number of paid public
officials – so all citizens – even poor could
afford to serve if elected.
Direct Democracy where citizens rule
directly not by elected officials was an
important legacy of Periclean Athens.
Question:
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Is the US a Direct Democracy?
No, we are a representative
democracy.
Art and Architecture
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Parthenon – temple
built to honor Athena
(goddess of wisdom
and protector of
Athens)
Greek Sculpture –
Classical Art (harmony, order,
balance & proportion)
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Sculptors aim to create
figures that were
graceful, strong, and
perfectly formed.
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Faces show only serenity.
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Tried to capture human
body in motion.
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Portray ideal beauty, not
realism.
Drama
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Two kinds of drama:
1. Tragedy – serious drama
about love, hate, war, or
betrayal.
2. Comedy – filled with
slapstick situations and
crude humor – usually made
fun of politics and respected
people.
Greek Philosophy – 3 major Greek
philosophers was Socrates, Plato,
and Aristotle.
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Socrates 470-399BC
Encouraged students to
examine beliefs.
Absolute truth and justice do
not exist.
Question & answer approach
to teaching –called Socratic
Method.
At 70, he is brought to trial for
“corrupting the youth of
Athens” & “neglecting the
Gods.”
Condemned to death. He dies
by drinking Hemlock, a poison.
Socrates video
Plato – 427 to 347 BC
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Student of Socrates
Wrote down the conversations of Socrates.
Most famous work “The Republic” – his vision of a
perfectly formed society.
Perfect society was not a democracy.
Believed in 3 groups of people – farmers & artisans,
warriors, and the ruling class.
Person with greatest insight & intellect from the ruling
class would be crowned philosopher-king.
Founded a school called “The Academy”, lasted
for 900 years.
Aristotle-384 to 322 BC
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Student of Plato.
Questioned the nature of the world & of
human belief, thought, & knowledge.
Invented rules of arguing that form the
basis of the Scientific Method.
His most famous pupil was Alexander the
Great.
Review:
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What were Pericles’ goals for Athens?
1. strengthen Athenian democracy
2. hold & strengthen the empire
3. glorify Athens.
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What is a direct democracy?
Where citizens rule directly, not by elected
officials.
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What is Socrates question and answer method called?
The Socratic Method
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Did Plato believe that a democratic society was ideal?
No, he thought the ruler should be a philosopherking.
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What method of arguing did Aristotle invent?
Scientific Method.
Warm up:
Socrates taught his followers by asking
them questions rather than lecturing to
them. Do you think asking questions
might be a better way to teach than
lecturing? Why or why not?
Answer on your own paper.
Alexander’s Empire
Chapter 5
Section 4: Alexander’s Empire
Section 5: Spread of Hellenistic Culture
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KINGDOM OF MACEDONIA
Reminder: The Greek city-states were weakened by the
Peloponnesian War.
•Macedonia located just north of Greece – rough terrain & cold
•Macedonians were hardy people they lived in villages, not
city-states.
•Macedonians thought of themselves as Greek.
•Greeks thought of them as uncivilized b/c they had no
philosophers, sculptors, or writers.
* What they did have was shrewd & fearless kings.
Phillip II
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King at 23 years old
Brilliant general and a
ruthless politician
Turned the peasants into
a strong professional
army
- Phalanxes to break
through enemy lines.
- Fast moving calvary to
crush opponents.
The sarissa and the
Macedonian Phalanx
The Phalanx was the primary fighting unit of all large armies.
Philip designed and trained his troops with the sarissa, a six
meter (18 foot) spear with a double pointed pike. The
length of the sarissa kept away hoplites who used shorter
weapons. This allowed the Macedonian army to dominate
Greece under Philip.
Phillip’s Plans
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Attacked & easily defeated the Greeks
- City-states could not agree on anything
-Athens and Thebes united, but it was too late
- Began centuries of foreign control of Greece.
Philip’s plan was first to defeat Greece.
Persia would be next.
Philip was never able to complete his plans b/c he was assassinated at his
daughter’s wedding ( he was literally stabbed in the back)
Phillip’s son Alexander proclaims himself King.
Alexander crushes an early rebellion by Thebes
- 6,000 killed – survivors sold into slavery and the city of Thebes
destroyed.
Who was Alexander?
video
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Phillip’s 20 year old
son.
Educated by Aristotle
in science,
geography, and
literature.
Military training
throughout his
childhood by his
father.
Alexander marched on Persia
and conquered Egypt
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Alexander marched on Persia,
crossing the Hellespont with
about 35,000 soldiers. He
conquered the Persian capital
at Sardis.
Alexander crushed Darius'
army at Issus in 333 BCE.
Darius himself fled the battle.
He conquered Egypt and was
made Pharaoh.
Alexander founded his
Egyptian capital at Alexandria
in 331 BCE.
Phrygia
Alexander’s Conquests
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Anatolia – Darius had run away
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Darius wants to negotiate with Alexander.
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Darius offers to give Alexander all land west of
the Euphrates River, Alexander declined and
vowed to conquer Persia.
Mesopotamia – Again, Darius had 250,000 men,
again they fled. This ended the empire.
Was Persia Enough?
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NO WAY!!! He wanted to control All of Asia.
India mounted a huge offensive – the two militaries
meet in the Indus Valley.
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Alexander wins the battle.
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The army was tired
- 11 Years
- 11,000 miles
-climate changes-deserts, monsoons, etc.
Alexander in India
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Alexander’s army finally neared the Ganges river in India.
His army, exhausted from years of fighting, mutinied and
refused to march farther into India. Alexander agreed to
return back to Babylon. Alexander the Great had conquered
an empire larger than anything the world had seen before
or since
Problems with Alexander’s Empire
Politics were neglected
 After agreeing to turn back he planned to
strengthen and unify his lands.
- Roads, cities, harbors
- Conquer Arabia.
Alexander never got to carry out this plan.
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Alexander the Great died at
Babylon, 323 BCE
Alexander the
Great died of a
mysterious
illness in
Babylon, June 10
- 11 , 323 BCE.
He was 32 years
old.
The Empire After Alexander
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Divided among three generals
They ignored the traditions of the Greek polis
and ruled as dictators.
Cultural impact
Alexander adopted many Persian customs.
Included Persians in his army.
Marries a Persian woman.
A new culture emerges – the blending of Greek
and eastern emerged.
The Empire of Alexander the
Great
After his in 323 BCE, the empire was divided
among his most powerful generals.
Hellenism, the culture of Classical Greece, spread
from the year 333 BCE throughout the Empire of
Alexander the Great until circa 63 BCE when
Rome conquered the territory. Greek culture
strongly influenced Rome in the areas of politics,
science, philosophy, religion, and architecture
Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria
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As a result of Alexanders policies, a new culture
emerges.
The blending became known as Hellenistic.
Hellenistic culture blends Greek, Egyptian,
Persian, and Indian influences.
Why was this blending of cultures
important to Alexander? He desired to
preserve culture. He wanted to unify his
empire.
Hellenistic Culture
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Koine – popular language used in
Hellenistic cities, was a result of blending.
Koine came from Greek word “common.”
Dialect of Greek.
This language enabled educated people
and traders from diverse backgrounds to
communicate in cities throughout the
Hellenistic world.
What were some of the reason’s
Alexandria may have been a
popular tourist destination during
the Hellenistic period?
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It was a beautiful city with wide streets
lined with marble statues of Greek gods.
Royal palaces, Alexander’s tomb,
lighthouse, library, and museum (zoo),
and botanical gardens.
Why might Alexander have founded
a library in Alexandria?
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He was educated by the Greek
philosopher and teacher Aristotle, who
taught him to love learning.
Achievements in Hellenistic Society
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Astronomy – Astronomers came up with two new theories: The sun was 300 times
larger than the earth and the earth and other planets revolved around the sun.
Geometry – Euclid wrote book called Elements, proposed 465 geometry
propositions and proofs – still the basis for courses in geometry today.
-Archimedes – value of pi, ratio of the
circumference of a circle to its
diameter.
Philosophy – Two major philosophies developed
1. Stoicism – stoics proposed people should live perfect
lives in harmony with the will of god or
the natural laws that God established.
2. Epicureanism – Only real objects were what the five
senses perceived. Greatest Good and
highest pleasure came from virtuous condut
and the absence of pain.
Art – Sculpture flourished. The Colossus of Rhodes bronze statue more than a 100 ft.
high. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Hellenistic sculptors moved
away from harmonized and idealized forms of the classical age. Instead of a perfect
body, Hellenistic sculptors created a more natural work. The sculptors carved
ordinary people.