ancient greece

Ancient Greece

THE EARLY PEOPLE OF THE AEGEAN Section 1

Introduction

• Crete: The Cradle of Civilization• Crete helped spread ideas from east to west and it was a

bed of cultural ideas

Minoan Trade and Propserity

• Intro• Crete • It was home to a very early civilization that was brilliant • Unsure of what they called themselves

• The Minoans • Was at its height and greatest success between 1600 BCE and

1500 BCE• Success was based on trade and not conquest• They had science• Writing• Architecture

Minoan Art at Knossos

• Knossos was the Minoan capital city• The palace of Knossos • Housed rooms for family• Banquet halls• Working areas• Religious Shrines • (areas dedicated to honor of gods and goddesses)

Minoan Art at Knossos

• The palace of Knossos • On the walls there were colorful frescoes• Watercolor paintings done on wet plaster• Tell us a lot about the society • Women appeared freely in public• Garden life• Women rights

Minoan Civilization Disapears

• 1400 BCE it seems to have vanished• It is a mystery • Archeologist think part of it was a violent volcanic

eruption • Invasion • Mycenaean's were the enemies• They were the first Greek-speaking people

Trade and War with Mycenae Civilization

• Intro• They conquered the Greek mainland • They were Indo-European (Show map)

Trade and War with Mycenae Civilization

• Sea Trade brings Wealth• From 1400 BCE-1200 BCE the Mycenaean's dominated

the Aegean world• Sea Traders• They were similar to the Minoans• Adopted Writing• Learned many skills• Absorbed Egyptian and Mesopotamian customs

• Lived in separate city states on the mainland• Ruled by separate warrior kings who surrounded their

cities with huge walls

The Trojan War

• This is what the Mycenaean's are best remembered for• Took place around 1250 BCE• May have had economic origins between Mycenae and

Troy• Troy controlled many trading routes and vital straits• Narrow passages of water

The Trojan War

• The Kidnapping of Helen • Helen was the beautiful wife of a Greek king • The Mycenaean's went to fight for her• It was originally thought to be a romantic legend• However it was discovered that it is rooted in fact

• Heinrich Schliemann• He was a German Buisnessman • He discovered the truth of the site and found evidence of Troy

Homer

• Intro • Decline of the Mycenaean's• Invasion• Sea raiders called the Dorians• They were Greek speaking

• Power faded and they abandoned their cities • Greek civilization seemed to take a step backward

Homer

• Was a poet that lived around 750 BCE• Wrote the famous works called the Iliad and the Odyssey• Iliad• Was about the Trojan war• Achilles was a mighty greek warrior that was treated

unfairly by the commander• Achilles helped turn the tide of the Trojan war in the

greeks favor

Homer

• Odyssey• Tells the tale of the struggles of Odysseus• It is about his return journal after the war of Troy• He wants to go home to his wife Penelope• Stories of monsters and sorceress'

Homer

• Significance of his stories• The heroes display honor, courage, and eloquence, as

when Achilles rallies his troops • Eloquence- a manner of speech that is vivid and persuasive

• For over 3000 years is has inspired European writers and Artists

• Also shows a lot about Greek culture

Looking Ahead

• After the Dorians, Greece passed several centuries in darkness• There was not a lot of contact with the outside world

• Eventually the stories of the past Greek success would inspire Greek civilization

• It would go on to dominate the region and extend influence of Greek culture over most of the Western World

CONFLICT IN THE GREEK WORLDSection 3

The Persian War

• Intro• Who were the Persians?• How big was their empire?• They conquered a huge empire and the subjects included the

Greek city-states of Ionia in Asia Minor• Even though they were self governing, they resented their situation

• Ionians rebelled in 499 BCE and Athens sent shipt to help them

The Persian War

• Athenians Win at Marathon• Persians Crushed the rebel cities of the Ionians• Darius I• Was ticked off at Athens • Sent a mighty force to Marathon (North of Athens)

• Athens asked for help• No one really cared

• Athens beat the Persian force with few men• Persians were amazed

• Themistocles • He was the leader of the Athenians, but he knew it only just begun…• MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

The Persian War

• Greek City-States Unite• Darius died but his son Xerxes (490 BC) sent a much

larger force to conqur Greece• Athens convinced Greece to unite • Thermopylae• It was a narrow mountain pass where the great Warrior King

Leonidas held his men• Major battle between the Spartans and Persians• The Persians beat them eventually

The Persian War

• Greek City States Unite• Themistocles• Let a fleet of ships against the Persian navy• He drew the enemy in and then rammed them • Their ships had underwater battering rams

• Persian fleet sank• It was a huge fleet

• The Next year the Greeks defeated the Persians on land

Athens Leads The Delian League

• The Greeks began to feel even more super• The gods are protecting their way of life• Think about how it must of felt like

• After the first part of the War Athens was the most powerful city state

• Created an alliance- a formal agreement between two or more nations or powers to cooperate and come to one another defense • It was known as the Delian League

Athens Leads The Delian League

• Athens was the leader • They manipulated it• Used it to create an empire• Used the money collected to build its own city

• If People tried to leave it, Athens would force them to say• Athens was able to champion political freedom as home

though

The Age of Pericles and Direct Democracy

• Intro• Pericles • Led the golden age of Athens• Was a statesmen


• Athenian Democracy• Under Pericles Athens had a direct democracy• Citizens take part directly in the day-to-day affairs of

government• Athenian assembly met several times a month• Pericles believe all citizens should take part in government• Led to paying a stipend to people in the assembly• Fixed salary


• Athenian Democracy• Athenians served in juries• Jury- a panel of citizens who have authority to make the final

judgment in a trial• Unlike America, Juries could have hundred or even thousands

of people.• Athenians could ostracize a leader• Ostracism- banish or send away a person • It lasted for 10 years


• Culture Thrives in Athens• Buildings• Architecture • Philosophy• Etc.

The Peloponnesian War

• Intro• Many Greeks outside Athens resented their domination• To counter the Delian League the Spartans and other

enemies of Athens formed the Peloponnesian League• War broke out in 431 BCE and lasted for 27 years


• Sparta defeats Athens• Sparta had an advantage• They were inland• It made Athens strongest power (its navy) useless

• They Surrounded Athens and Pericles allowed everyone outside the city to come in its walls• What do you think happened then?• Yes, it even killed Pericles

• Sparta allied itself with Persia even• Persia helped them defeat Athens navy


• Greek Dominion declines• Athens fell, but eventually bounced back • However, Greek culture and spirit declined

• There were battles amongst themselves, no unity• What is this perfect for?• INVASION!!!!!!! • But we will get to that later….

THE GLORY THAT WAS GREECELesson 4

Philosophers: Lovers of Wisdom

• Intro• Philosophers• The lovers of Wisdom

• They were driven by curiosity and a belief in wisdom• Logic• Rational thinking


• Debating Morality and Ethics • Types of Questions• What is the best kind of government?• What standards should rule human behavior?

• Sophists • Questioned accepted ideas• To them, success was more important then moral truth• Developed skills in rhetoric- the art of skillful speaking


• Socrates Questions Tradition• Socrates• He was an outspoken critic of the Sophists• Stonemason and philosopher• Never wrote books• Learned everything through his pupil Plato

• Used the Socratic Method• He would pose a series of questions to a student or passing citizen

and challenge them to examine the implications of their answers


• Socrates Questions Tradition• Socrates was not well liked• He challenged commonly held beliefs and culture

• Death• When he was 70 he was arrested and put on trial. He was

accused of corrupting the youth


• Plato Envisions a Perfect Society • Plato• Student of Socrates• He was upset with democracy

• Through rational thought, he argued that people could discover unchanging ethical values• We can use that to make a perfect society


• Plato Envisions a Perfect Society• The Republic• It was one of h8is books• Rejected Athenian Democracy • The nation should regulate every aspect of its citizens lives in

order to provide their best interests • Society should be broken up into three categories• Workers• Soldiers• Philosophers -rulers• These would be in charge of making sure things are just


• Plato Envisions a Perfect Society • Women• Thought that in general men surpasses women but

some Talented women could serve the state


• Aristotle Pursues the Golden Mean • Aristotle- Plato's most famous student• Developed his own idea of government• Democracy and monarchy each had value• He favored rule by a single strong virtuous leader


• Addressed How people ought to live• The Golden mean• It is a moderate between two extremes• Reason• Is the guiding force

• He was very important in later ages

Idealism in Architecture and Art

• Monumental Architecture • Greek Architects sought to convey a sense of perfect

balance to reflect the harmony and order of the Universe

• Parthenon- the most famous example of Greek architecture• Temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena• Has been admired for centuries

Idealism in Architecture and Art

• Artists Craft lifelike Human Forms • Early Greeks• Sculpted figures in rigid poses• Rigid is stiff, unbending; severe

• 450 BCE• Sculptors began to emphasize more natural forms• Lifelike• Idealistic• Showed people or goddesses with perfection

Greek Literature

• Intro • It began with epic poems such as Homer

Greek Tragedies (Tragic Drama)

• Greek plays were one of the most important elements of Greek Society

• They bean out of religious festivals to honor gods and goddesses• Performed in large outdoor theaters • Often based on popular myths and legends• Assignment will be about this

• Greatest Athenian Playwrights • Aeschylus• Sophocles• Euripides


• These individuals wrote tragedies• Plays that told stories of human suffering that usually

ended in disater • Example• Oresteia• Showed a poerful family torn apart by betrayal, murder, and

revenge• Showed how people can suffer or be part of the gods wrath • Written by Aeschylus


• Example• Antigone• Written by Sophocles• What happens when an individuals moral duty conflicts with laws of the state• Antigone is a young woman whose bro was killed leading a rebellion• It was illegal to burry the brother• She did it anyway

• The Trojan Women• Euripides• He stripped the glory of war by telling the horrors of the Trojan war from

women standpoint

Greek Comedies

• Comedies• Humorous plays that mocked people or customs

• They ridiculed individuals of the day• Could be rulers• Types of people (Spartans)

Writers of History

• Herodotus• He began to write historical events. • What word does Herodotus relate to?

Alexander the GreatSection 5

Introduction

• 338 BCE• Athens fell to the Macedonian army• Greek city states lost their independence• There culture began to spread through the empire

though.

The Empire of Alexander the Great

• Intro• To the Greeks, the Macedonians were half civilized• It was like the hillbillies

• They were Greek though• Philip II• He was a king that traveled around Greece• Hired Aristotle to tutor his young son Alexander


• Philip II Conquers Greece• Built a powerful army• Through threats, bribes, diplomacy he conquered

Greece• He even conquered Sparta and Athens

• Dreamed of conquering Persia• He was assassinated at his daughters wedding • Assassination- the murder of a public official


• Alexander Takes Persia• Shared his fathers ambition• Persia was weak with Darius II• There were numerous rebellion• Yet it was still a large empire

• He attacked the Persians (334 BCE) and was undefeated• He would actually lead his troops in battle

• Conquered Persia (330 BCE)

Empire of Alexander the Great

• Advanced into India• Went into India and still won battle after battle• His troops encountered enemies on elephants• His troops were tired and refused orders to continue


• Alexanders early Death• Thirty-two• He fell victim to a sudden fever

• His generals decided to split the empire• Often fought each other

• Three main generals • The empire lasted for the next 300 years

Legacy of Alexander

• Cultures Combine• All throughout the empire, Greek temples were built• There were athletic competitions• Local people assimilated (absorbed) Greek ideas• Alexander encouraged the blending of eastern and

western cultures• During the blending something new came about

(Hellenization)

Legacy of Alexander

• Alexandria: The Cultural Capital• This was the Alexandria, Egypt• It was the cultural capital of the WORLD

• Alexander and his generals encouraged the building of Museums and Libraries

• Library of Alexandria• Held scrolls from all over the world• Scholars would come there to study

Legacy of Alexander

• New Roles for Women• Women were no longer restricted to their homes during

the Hellenistic period• There were more that were educate

Hellenistic Arts and Sciences

• New Philosophies• Stoicism• Was the most influential• Founder was Zeno• Preached high moral standards• Avoid desires and disappointments by accepting what ever life

brought you calmly • All people were morally equal (not legally)


• Advances in Math and Astronomy • Pythagoras• Derived a formula to calculate the relationship between the

sides of a right angle• Aristarchus• Argued that the Earth rotated on its axis and orbited the sun• Theory called heliocentric- sun centered solar system• Was not accepted by most scientist till almost 2000 years later


• Advances in Math and Astronomy • Archimedes• Applied physics to make practical inventions• Like a pulley• A lever

• Improving Medical Practice • 400 BCE Hippocrates studied the causes of illnesses

and looked for cures

ancient greece

Education