Greece

Unit 6

Geography

• In southeastern Europe.• It is a peninsula. • Contains mountains, with

many gulfs and bays. • Forests also fill some

areas of Greece.• Much of Greece is rocky. • Some areas are suitable

for growing wheat, barley, citrus, and olives.

3 Geographic Regions

• Northern Greece: Contains the largest plains area in Greece. It is almost surrounded by mountains.

• Central Greece: Has more mountains than northern Greece. had a poor soil, but a long coastline favoring trade.

• Peloponnesus: Contains a plateau over mountain ranges.

• Plus various Islands.

Relative Isolation

• Various famous city-states are separated by water and mountains.

• This allows various different cultures to flourish and grow.

• It also affects the types of economy each city-state would have.

The First Greeks

• 1st people were the Minoans and the Myceneans.

• Advanced civilizations based on trade in the Aegean sea.

• They built huge palaces and temples.

Minoans of Crete

• Lasted nearly 2000 B.C.E.

• Great sailors. • Created many colonies. • Basic plumbing• Women had major roles,

depict many priestesses. • Linear A- writing system

we can not decipher. • Fell- Volcanic Eruption.

Athens

• Athens was ruled by kings at first.

• Over time Aristocrats took their place who had both money and power.

• Most people in Athens were poor.

• Rich and poor gap grew leading to conflict.

Mycenaean• Conquered Minoans.• Built small kingdom that fought

often with each other. • Considered 1st because they

spoke a form of Greek Language.

• Traded with and copied Minoan writing to develop their own (we have deciphered their writing).

• Intense competition, warfare, powerful kings.

• Taxed trade and farming to build.

• Believed to be the ones responsible for the fall of Troy.

• Droughts, famines, invasion, and war between selves.

City-State• City-state: A self-governing state consisting of a city and

its surrounding territory.• Developed because Greece’s rugged terrain made travel

and communication difficult. • Built around area called the acropolis.• Included an agora, a marketplace. • Sparta and Athens were one of the mightiest City-States.

Athens

• Draco: a ruler of Athens tried to solve this with harsh punishments but this failed.

• Solon: revised laws again, overturning Draco. • Outlawed debt slavery, reduced poverty with

trade. • Allowed all men to take part in the assembly that

governed the city and serve on juries. • Only wealthy could run for or hold political office.

Governrment

• Peisistratus: (py-sis-truht-uhs) was a tyrant and ruled with force but was popular by pushing the aristocrats out of office and increased trade.

• Cleisthenes: (klys-thuh-neez) took over and set reforms that brought democracy. Broke into 10 tribes of where they lived for election basis.

• Tribes elect 50 to serve on council of 500.

• Proposed laws and elected generals.

Democracy

• Athens now ruled by the people• Only free males over the age of 20 who

completed military training. • Women, children, and immigrants cannot. • They

– Vote in all elections– Serve office if elected– Serve on juries– Serve in the military during war

Three main bodies• Assembly all eligible

made all laws and decisions. (direct democracy)

• Council of 500 had to write the laws which assembly voted for.

• Complex series of courts. • Some special office like

generals, chief of state (archons) and had 1 term but elected as many times as it wants.

Sparta

• Once surrounded by small towns but they were conquered by Sparta.

• Made some into helots or state slaves. • Slaves given to work on farms so citizens

can train for war. • War was seen as the only way to keep

order. • Helots outnumbered them and were always

ready to rebel.

Spartan Government

• Led by two kings who served as military commanders.

• Decisions fell increasingly to and elected council of elders.

• Felt on honor to serve on the council.

• A few families run everything, is called an oligarchy.

• kept very tight control on its people.

Athens Culture

• Athens was a very creative city state. • They believed in a good education.

(for boys)• You could go into the army or navy if

you wanted to. (if you were a boy)

Spartan Culture

• Sparta was very focused on obedience and war and the people did not have any luxuries.

• Boys did not have to work or be educated but trained to be warriors from a young age.

• Boys had to join the Spartan army.

Athens Girls

• Girls were not regarded as important by the Athenians.

• Girls could be taught at home. (if they had rich parents)

• Girls were not allowed to take part in anything to do with war, business or education.

Spartan Girls• Girls in Sparta were

to grow up to be the mothers of warriors.

• Although they were not allowed to fight, girls took part in all the training because fit ladies produced fit babies, who would fight!

Greek Philosophy • Three great philosophers.

• Socrates: first of them, what we know come from the writings of his students. Concepts of truth, justice, and virtue. What made good people and societies. (What is Truth?)

• Plato: student of Socrates. Truth, the ideal form of government. Only the best could lead.

• Aristotle: use of reason and logic to study the natural world. Rational thought, and helped develop science and biology.

Greek Medicine

• The Greeks believed that illness was a punishment sent by the gods…& they prayed for cures.

• Asclepius-(As-KLEE-pi-us) the god of medicine

• Herbal remedies, special diets & exercise were used for treatment

• Sophisticated medical treatments for all kinds of diseases were created

• Hippocrates-(HIP-POH-CRAH –TIS) remembered as father of modern medicine

literature

• Homers Epics: two epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey, telling the stories and heroes of the Trojan war.

• Poems: descriptive poetry that describes peasants and Gods. Lyric poetry dealing with emotions and desires.

History

• Herodotus: first major Greek writer of History. He described major events.

• Thucydides: more critical of his sources

• Xenophon: described famous men.

Plays

• Drama: roots in Athens and developed playwriting from religious festivals.

• Explored basic questions about people. • They tell us all about Greek culture and

beliefs. • Aeschylus • Sophocles: Oedipus • Euripides• They also created the comedy.

Architecture and Art

• Built temples, theaters, and added fine works of art to enhance.

• Marble temples and bronze statues.

• Parthenon took 14 years to build.

• Sculpted the human form and were life like. And made sure all were of beautiful people without imperfections.

Alexander

• Taught by Aristotle. • Warrior at 14• A general at 18• King at 20• Died at 32

Hellenistic culture• Alexander believed in

cultures mixing.• He had the city of

Alexandria built.• When he died, his

generals split up his lands.

• Ptolemy (TAHL-uh-mee) took control of Egypt.

• He started a dynasty of Pharaohs in Egypt who were not really Egyptian.

• This line included Cleopatra and was in the control of Greece and eventually Rome.

Hellenistic World

• Appointed people from various cultures to help rule.

• Government changes from democracy back to monarchies.

• Women now allowed some rights to women for education and property (but still not equal)

• Greek philosophy and ideas spread throughout the world.

• Art conveyed more emotion and used women more.

• Archimedes: one of the great science and technology achievements like compound pullies, mechanical screw for drawing water.

Persian Wars.

Peloponnesian War