Ancient Greece Chapter Eight

Section One: Geography and the Early Greeks 1. Describe the geography of Greece and how that affected early settlement Peninsula (surrounded by water on three sides) Many islands Many mountains A lot of access to the Mediterranean, Ionian and Aegean Seas Early people built ships, ate seafood and had easy access to trade 2. Who were the Minoans? Early, advanced society in Greece on the island of Crete Shipbuilders Traded copper, gold, silver and jewels

The Early Greeks 3. Who were the Mycenaeans? First civilization to speak Greek Fortress builders Attacked the city of Troy and the legend of the Trojan Horse is from here 4. Define Polis The Greek word for city- state, these began the classical age in Greece

5. What was life like in a Greek City-State? Fortresses in a city surrounded by a large wall for protection Focused on the agora (marketplace) People felt safe in the city and contributed to the economy and government and felt “Greek” 6. Define acropolis A fortress that stood on top of a high hill

Early Greeks 7. What were some Greek colonies? Istanbul, Turkey Marseille, France Naples, Italy 8. Who did Greece trade with? Egypt and other cities around the Black Sea

Section Two: Government in Athens 9. Define Democracy A type of government in which people rule themselves 10. Define aristocrats Group of rich landowners They dominated Athenian society, had the most say in the government

Government in Athens 11. Define oligarchy A government in which only a few people have power 12. Define citizen People who had the right to participate in the government (non - aristocrats)

Government in Athens 13. Explain the government in Greece around 600 B.C. Aristocrats had power until some rebels tried to overthrow them and failed, because of the attempt a man named Draco created a new set of laws in Athens that were very harsh They were too strict so a man named Solon created new laws giving free men more freedom to participate in government and end the rule of aristocrats 14. Define tyrant A leader who held power through the use of force

Government in Athens 15. Describe the rise of tyrants in ancient Greece People were tired of the aristocrats ruling so a man named Peisistratus overthrew the oligarchy and was called a “tyrant”. He brought peace and prosperity to Athens, people liked tyrants, so they had lots of power 16. Describe democracy under Cleisthenes He created the world’s first democracy All citizens had the right to participate in government in the assembly (gathering of people) Everyone could speak their minds about political opinions They voted on things, needed 6,000 members to vote, sometimes it was too many people to get anything accomplished

Government in Athens 17. What changed in Greece under Pericles? He felt it was very important to participate in government, so he paid people who served in public offices or on juries 18. Who conquered Athens in the mid 330’s BC? Macedonia

Government in Athens 19. What is direct democracy? When all citizens could participate in the government Each person’s decision directly affects the outcome of a vote 20. What is Representative democracy? The citizens elect officials to represent them in the government This is what the United States has, Americans don’t vote on laws, congress does it for them

Section Three: Greek Mythology and Literature 21. Define mythology A body of stories about gods and heroes that try to explain how the world works 22. What did the Greeks think the gods could do? They could create events like thunder, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions Caused daily events like the seasons

Greek Gods Zeus, king of the gods Hera, queen of the gods Poseidon, god of the sea Hades, god of the underworld Demeter, goddess of agriculture Hestia, goddess of the hearth Athena, goddess of wisdom Apollo, god of the sun Artemis, goddess of the moon Ares, god of war Aphrodite, goddess of love Hephaustus, god of metalworking Dionysus, god of celebration Hermes, the messenger of God

Greek Mythology and Literature 23. Explain some ideas about Greek heroes Some were real people and some were not Some had special abilities and some faced monsters Theseus killed the Minotaur in Crete Jason sailed the seas and fought enemies Hercules fought monsters and had impossible strengths 24. Who was Homer and what did he write? He was a poet who wrote two famous epic poems called the Illiad and the Odyssey His poems are considered some of the greatest literary works ever produced

Greek mythology and literature 25. Who was Sappho and what did she write? She was the most famous lyric poet (she would strum an instrument called a lyre while reading) Her poems were beautiful and emotional about love and relationships with her friends and family A Hymn To Venus O Venus, beauty of the skies, To whom a thousand temples rise, Gaily false in gentle smiles, Full of love-perplexing wiles; O goddess, from my heart remove The wasting cares and pains of love. 26. Define fables and who was Aesop? He wrote fables (short stories that teach the reader lessons about life or give advice on how to live) Main characters were animals He wrote “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”

Greek Mythology and Literature 27. How did Greek influence our language? Many English words and expressions come from Greek mythology Example: The word “odyssey” comes from Odysseus “titanic” comes from the Titans The word “Europe” comes from Europa 28. How has Greek literature and art inspired artists long after their time? Painters and sculptors have used gods and heroes as subjects of their work Moviemakers have borrowed stories from ancient myths (ex. Hercules) Sports teams have used Greek names like Titans and Trojans