ancient greece land and history. overview geography & environment archaic period & the rise...
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Ancient GreeceAncient GreeceLand and HistoryLand and History
OverviewOverview
• Geography & Environment
• Archaic Period & The Rise of The Polis
• Colonies & Tyrants• Athens & Sparta• The Persian Wars• The Peloponnesian Wars• Alexander the Great
Oracle at Delphi
Rise of the GreeksRise of the Greeks• Greeks were resource
poor– Poor soil– Mountain chains– No large river systems
• Consequences– Oriented to the ocean– Stimulated geography,
history– Rivalry with Persian Empire
ancient Greek shipping
PersianKing
Darius III
MediterraneanThe Middle SeaThe Middle Sea
– Uniform ecozone: climate, plants, animals
– Hot summers, stormy winters
– Easy to travel• sea as
connector, not barrier
GeographyGeography• Aegean Sea
coastlines• Empire included
– Mainland Greece– Many islands– Ionia: western Asia
Minor
• Exploiting the sea– Fishing– Trading– Mercenary soldiers
Environment• Unstable geology
– Volcanic zone• European and African
tectonic plate contact• Frequent earthquakes
– Consequences• Religion of oracles
• Deforestation– Probably during Iron Age
(800 BC)– Consequences
• Used stone for building
Oracle of Apollo at Delphi
Ephesus Valley
Resources By LandResources By Land• Arable land
– Thin topsoil, limited rainfall, no large river systems
• Limited carrying capacity
– Dry farming• Barley, olives, grapes• Sheep, goats
• Building stone– Marble
• Clay for pottery• No timber, metals Marble quarry - Naxos
Resources By SeaResources By Sea• Coastline with natural harbours
– Difficult travel overland
• Ports of Call– Northern Aegean
• timber– Anatolia
• gold, iron– Cyprus
• copper– Western Mediterranean
• tin– Black Sea, Egypt, Sicily
• grain
Early HistoryEarly History• MinoanMinoan
– Crete 2000 - 1450 BC– Palaces, writing, statuary
• Mycenaean– 1600 - 1150 BC– Palace states, centralized
economy, fortifications
• Extensive tradeExtensive trade– Mediterranean ports– Wine, oil, metals, grain– Piracy and conquest
Minoan and Minoan and MycenaeanMycenaean
Palace of Minos - KnossosLion Gate - Mycenae
Atlantis and Atlantis and Santorini
• Plato’s legend• Atlantis lost civilization that
sank beneath the sea
• Minoan period Santorini– volcanic eruption 1600 BC– destroyed island of Thera– caused climate change,
decline of Minoan civilization
Archaic Period• Dark Ages
– 1150 - 800 BC– collapse of empires eastern
Mediterranean– loss of trade & knowledge,
isolation
• Phoenician traders– arrived 800 BC– brought trade, writing
system– population explosion
• Intensive farming• Available imports
Phoenician traders
The Rise of the Polis
• Polis = City-State– Urban centre and rural
territory– Rising population -
villages merge into cities– Specialized labour -
crafts, commerce, religion
• Independent Cities– Fiercely jealous– Created rivalry, political
and economic conflict
Hoplite Warfare
• New warfare – hoplite: heavily armed
citizen foot soldier– phalanx: tight, square
formation of hoplites
• Relation to agriculture– Clash of hoplite lines =
quick decision– Survivors returned to
fields
Colonization• Population pressure
– People left or forced out
– founded colonies in• Aegean• Black Sea• Libya• Southern Italy, Sicily
• Impact: new– Markets– Urban planning– Forms of government– Ideas Colony at Samos
An Age of Tyrants
• Feudal kings of Dark Ages replaced with aristocratic councils
• Society included– Merchants & craftsmen– Peasant farmers– Debt slaves
• City-State Tyrant– 7th - 6th cent BC– Held power contrary to established
community traditions– Backed by middle class, hoplite forces
• Rejection of Tyrant Families– transition from oligarchy - power by
wealthy families– to democracy - power by free adult
males
Sparta• conquest, not colonies
– 7th cent BC shortage of land– Attacked Messenia in west
Peloponnese– Reduced population to status of helots (landless farmers)
• fear of uprising– Sparta as military camp– Soldiers owned land, helots
worked it– Best army in Greece through
training• Huge personal price
• Peloponnesian League– Defensive alliances– Isolationist, thus no cultural
development
Spartan hoplite
The Peloponnese
Athens• Solon
– Appointed lawgiver 594 BC: crisis over population, oligarchy
– Created 4 social classes• Based on farm income• Top three: held office• Bottom: vote only
– Abolished debt slavery
• The Tyrant Pisistratus– Seized power 546 BC– Created public buildings, festivals
• Temple of Athena• City Dionysia – drama festival• Panathenaea - religion, athletics,
poetry– Overthrown by 500 BC
Solon
Athenian Democracy• Pericles transferred power to
– Assembly - legislature– Council of 500 - executive– People’s Courts
• Public Office: all men eligible– Elected office
• Public finance• Defence
– Some offices filled by lot– Paid public servants
• Assembly of All Citizens– Public debate of issues– Decisions openly made
Periclesof Athens
The Persian Wars
• Cyrus conquered Anatolia 546 BC– Put down Ionian revolt 499 BC
• Invasion of Greece– Athens defeated Persians at Marathon
490 BC– Invasion by Xerxes 480 BC
• Battle of Thermopylae - 300 Spartans under Leonidas held off army of thousands
• Sack of Athens• Battle of Salamis - Themistocles &
victory at sea– Persian defeat at Plataea 479 BC
• Provisioning large army in the field• Tactical errors at Salamis• Superiority of hoplite arms & training
Battle of Thermopylae
Battle of
Salamis
Height of Athenian
Power• Delian League
– Defensive alliance under Athens• Freed Ionia from Persia• Later dominated by Athens
• Athenian Navy– Reinforced democracy
• Rowers were from lower classes– Controlled large occupied
territory• Tribute paid for works like
Parthenon (Athena), development of arts & sciences
– Promoted commercial interestsParthenon
The Peloponnesian Wars
• Rise of Athens– Control over Delian League– Reaction to sacking
• Fortification of city– Double wall linked city with port
of Piraeus, supplies by sea• New strategy: delay, refusal to
join battle
• Sparta– Earthquake & helot revolt 462
BC– Withdrew from conflict
• Peace of Nicias 421 BCSpartan hoplite
Alexander the Great• Battle of Chaeronea 336 BC
– Philip II of Macedonia defeated Thebes, Athens
– Corinthian League & loss of democracy
• Alexander, son of Philip II– 334 BC invasion of Persia– Conquest of Persia, India, Egypt– Established local rule, Greek-style cities– Died 323 BC
• Division of Empire– Seleucids in Persia– Ptolemies in Egypt– Antigonids in Macedon & Hellas
• Spread of Hellenistic culture
The Hellenistic Age• Greek domination of Middle East
– Long lasting impact• Diffusion of Greek culture
– Privileged class of soldiers, scholars, administrators
– Integration with local culture• Greek Cities
– Alexandria• Library, Museum, Lighthouse
– Greek Gymnasia• Taught alphabet, writing
Alexander Gate - Jerusalem
The Lighthouse - Alexandria
Next Lecture
• Ancient Greece - Cities