ANCIENT GREECE

María Jesús Campos

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ORIGINS OF THE GREEK CIVILIZATION

The Greek civilization

developed in the eastern part

of the Mediterranean Sea, in

the Balkan Peninsula, in the

islands of the Aegean Sea

and the coast of Asia Minor.

Greece was not a unified

country as it was

geographically and politically

fragmented

However, it is considered a civilization as all the

people living in that area had the same language,

religion and they considered themselves as

members of the same culture.

THE ECONOMY OF ANCIENT GREECE

Not very fertile land.

Agriculture based in olives,

vineyards and wheat.

Livestock bases in goats and

sheeps.

Because of their poor

agriculture and farming,

Greeks developed a

prosperous commerce

through the Mediterranean

Sea to obtain the products

they needed.

Good sailors and traders, they sometimes

established colonies on the coasts of the

Mediterranean sea to foster trade.

ANCIENT GREECE’S POLITICAL EVOLUTION

Political stages:

Origins and the Dark Ages:

Minoans, Achaeans or

Myceneans and Dorians. 3000

BC to 800 BC

The Archaic Age: poleis

(oligarchy vs democracy). 800

BC to 490 BC

Classical period: 490 BC to 334

BC

Helenistic Age: 334 BC to 30 BC

Origins and the Dark Ages

3000 BC to 800 BC

Greeks were the result

of the intermingling of

different people that

migrated to the area

and mixed into the

existing population:

Minoans: developed a

prosperous civilization

in Crete where they

built impressive palaces

such as Knossos or

Festos

Achaeans or

Mycenaeans: entered

through the north of the

Balkan Peninsula around

2000 BC. They conquered

the Peninsula and Crete

and established their capital

in Mycenae.

Dorians: also came from

the north around 1200 BC

conquering the territory.

The Archaic Age:

800 BC to 490 BC

Greece was politically fragmented

in different poleis (city-states).

Each polis was independent and

had its own government, laws,

army, customs, etc.

It comprised of the main city and

the surrounding area and villages.

Some of them expanded through

the Mediterranean coasts

founding different colonies that

depended on them.

Each polis had its own

currency and army.

The polis was divided

in two parts:

The acropolis: upper

part of the city with the

main religious buildings.

The lower part where

the people lived.

Urbanism was

organized around the

agora (main square).

Types of government:

Oligarchy/ Aristocracy: the government was in the

hands of a few. They were usually rich people. Sparta.

Democracy: the goverment was controlled by the

citizens who met in assemblies to make decissions,

choose their representatives,etc. Athens

Between the 8th and the6th centuries BC, someGreeks migrated and established coloniesaround the Mediterraneancoast.

Reasons: not veryproductive lands, poorliving conditions, demographic growth thatcould not be sustained.

Colonies were founded in the coast so as to tradewith the nearby nativepopulation around and send the products easily tothe metropolis.

Colonies were founded in high ground and had thesame traditions, organization and beliefs of theirmetropolis.

They were culturally and commercially linked tothe metropolis although they were independent.

Consequences: Greeks mixed with other people;

Greek culture, belief, customs and knowledge expandedthrough the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea (potter’swheel, ironworking, currency, writing…);

The polis received the products they needed and became prosperous.

The Greeks founded many colonies in the Iberian

Peninsula: Rhode, Emporiae, Hemeroscopium and

Menace.

The Classical Age:

490 BC to 334 BC

During the Classical

period, Athens and

Sparta were the

dominant poleis. War

was frequent in this

period.

Sparta

Military state based on hig physical standards: Shortly after birth, the mother of the child bathed him in

wine to see wether the child was strong and sometimesleft it on the front door to spend the night. If the childsurvived he was brought before the elders of the tribe, who decided if he was strong enough to be a Spartanwarrier. If not the baby was killed.

Until the age of 7, the boy was educated at home and taugh to fight his fears. Then he was tutored by the state, who breed him and taught him to be a strong warrior.

At the age of 20, Spartans began their military service.

At the age of 30 they could exercise their full rights and duties of a citizen

Political organization: The state was ruled by 2 hereditary kings of the Agiad

and Eurypontid families. Powers:

Military

Judicial

Religious

As time went by kings kept only the military power while the rest passed to the: Gerousia or Council of Elders: 30 citizens over the age of 60

elected by the Apella or popular asembly (only Spartan citizens) among the aristocrats who were in charge of presnting motions and laws to the Apella that voted them without a debate. The Apella approved or dissaproved measures. The Gerousia had the power to veto the decissions of the Apella.

Ephors: 5 citizens anually elected by the Apella whose functions were to preside over meetings of the Gerousia and the Apella, to attend civil trials, to organize taxation, establish the calendar, attend on matters of foreign policy and military training. They could not run for re-election.

Athens

In the 5th century, thanks to the protests of Athens’ citizens, their political system evolved from Aristocracy to Democracy.

Democracy: the citizens participated in politics and were protected by the law, elected public representatives and decided between peace and war. Ecclesia: assembly that voted laws, budgets and made

decisions on wars.

Magistrates: elected by the citizens to control certain matters (foreign policy, the army, trials, religious ceremonies…)

Public courts: 6000 citizens over 30 years old elected annually.

Boule: 500 citizens chosen at random who made laws and oversaw the magistrates.

Social groups in Athens:

Citizens: free adult men

whose father was a citizen and

whose mother was an

Athenian. They participated in

politics, served in the army and

payed taxes.

Women: had some rights if

they were daughters or wifes

of citizens, but were not

considered citizens. Depended

on their fathers or husbands

and if widows on their eldest

son. Almost secluded at home.

Metics: the rest of the

population. Were free but

not considered citizens.

Did not participate in

politics. Worked as

peasants, craftsmen…

Slaves: no rights.

Captured in wars or

because of debts.

THE CONFLICT BETWEEN ATHENS AND SPARTA

During the Classical

Age, there was a

constant struggle

between Sparta and

Athens to obtaing the

hegemony over Greek

poleis:

Persian Wars

Peloponnesian Wars

Persian Wars (494-479

BC): the Persians from

Asia Minor tried to

conquer Greece. Athens

organized an alliance of

poleis, the Delian

League and sent a

powerful fleet that

defeated the Persians.

This gave Athens a lot of

influence over the rest of

the poleis

Peloponnesian Wars (431-

404 B.C.): there was a

struggle among different

poleis for the control of the

Delian League. Some poleis

supported Sparta while

others supported Athens.

Sparta won the war.

The Hellenistic Age

334 BC to 30 BC

From the 4th century B.C, the

Kingdom of Macedonia in the

north, ruled by King Philip II,

began to conquer the Greek

poleis.

Macedonia was an hereditary

monarchy so when King Philip

II died, his son Alexander

inherited the throne at the age

of 20.

Alexander was a strong warrior

who had been educated by

Aristotles (philosopher).

Alexander wanted to create a big empire so he unified the

Greek poleis and confronted the Persian Empire.

In 10 years, Alexander conquered from Greece to India

passing through Egypt. He was called Alexander the

Great.

Alexander the Great, expanded Greek culture but

intermingled it with Oriental culture. This mixture is

known as Hellenism.

When Alexander died at the age of 33, his empire was

divided among his generals. Different kingdoms were

created: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Macedonia…they were

known as the Hellenistic Kingdoms.

Between the 2nd

and the 1st

centuries B.C.,

Rome, which was

creating its own

empire, conquered

the Greek

territories.

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