Classical Greece and Hellenization

Classical Greece ( BCE) Independent and combative city-states (polis) – Suspended conflict every four years for the Olympic games Isolated by geography – Mountains and poor soil limited food production – Colonies for iron and food: Black Sea, Italy, Spain

Greek Colonization

Classical Greece

Greek Government Solon and Cleisthenes removed power from Athenian aristocracy in the 500s BCE – Strengthened democracy: rule by the people Tyrant: occasional ruler who seized power Assembly was center of public life for citizens Public officials chosen by lot and paid Citizenship: all free, adult Greek males who had completed military service (10% of population)

Greek Women and Slaves Athens – Women had no political rights, restricted to the home – Slaves were 1/3 of the population, almost every household owned slaves Sparta – Women were revered for having children – Women governed Sparta while men are at war – Helots: conquered and enslaved peoples owned by the state, outnumbered Spartans 10:1

Greco-Persian Wars ( BCE) Ionian cities revolted against Persia – Supported by Greeks – Persia invaded twice Battle of Marathon (490 BCE) – Darius was defeated Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis (480 BCE) – Xerxes was defeated

Greco-Persian Wars ( BCE)

Golden Age of Athens ( BCE) Athens used victory to build an empire Greek theatre thrived Massive building projects

Greek Mythology Gods had human characteristics – Represented specific aspects of life Mount Olympus, Cult of Dionysus Rise of history, philosophy in 5 th Century BCE began to erode the importance of the gods

Greek Rationalism Emphasized argument, logic, questioning of assumptions – Confidence in human reason Relied on observation and evidence (instead of the gods) to explain the world

Greek Philosophers Socrates (ca BCE) – Constantly questioned his students’ logic – Challenged wealth and power, favored wisdom and virtue – Charged with “corrupting” Athenian youth Plato ( BCE) – Championed rule of society by highly- educated elites Aristotle ( BCE) – Valued empirical observation – Wrote about nearly every subject

Greek Thinkers Herodotus – Tried to explain history without using the gods Pythagoras – Proponent of spherical earth and heliocentric model of the solar system Democritus – Believed matter was formed by tiny, uncuttable particles Hippocrates – Imbalance in the “four humors” caused sickness, diagnosed epilepsy

Four Humors/Temperaments Phlegmatic – Phlegm – Water, Melancholic – Black bile – Earth Choleric – Yellow bile – Fire Sanguine – Blood – Air

Greek Drama Tragedy and comedy – Used to mock vanity of leaders, show interactions between gods and men Greek playwrights: Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles

Greek Art

Peloponnesian War ( BCE)

Sparta fought against growing Athenian empire Sparta and its allies defeated Athens – All of Greece was weakened

Alexander the Great ( BCE) Macedonian king and general – Became king of Macedon at age 20 Defeated the Persian Empire Extended empire as far as the Indus River Never lost a battle Adopted Persian customs and dress – “Shahanshah” and proskynesis – Incorporated Persians into his army – Required generals to marry Persian women

Alexander’s Military

Battle of Issus (333 BCE)

Alexander’s Empire

Hellenization Spread of Greek culture and fusion with local cultures Over 20 cities founded – Monuments, theatres, markets, assemblies, gymnasia – Alexandria in Egypt: bustling port, library Greek became the language of culture, the elite Greek immigration throughout the Middle East

Hellenistic Cultures Greeks became the ruling class throughout the Middle and Near East Ptolemy: ruled Egypt as a pharaoh – Preferential laws for Greeks in Egypt Seleucus: ruled Mesopotamia Menander: later Greek ruler of Bactria who converted to Buddhism

Division of Alexander’s Empire

Influence on Art Greek influence on Indian art – Buddha was first shown in human form – Clothing and face resembled Greek god Apollo