Ancient Greece 1750 BC – 133 BC

Crete Home of the Minoans, an early Greek civilization The Minoans were named after Mino, a legendary king of Crete Was a dominant Greek civilization between 1600 BC and 1500 BC Was known for being successful traders

The Minoans The Minoans emerged as a trading empire Set up trading outposts throughout Mesopotamia and the Middle East Rulers of the empire lived in a palace at Knossos By 1400 BC the Minoans had vanished Natural disaster and invasion ended the Minoans

The Mycenaeans The first Greek-speaking people of whom we have written record Conquered the Greek mainland and Crete Were sea traders like the Minoans Consisted of separate city-states, each was ruled by a warrior-king and was built like a fortress

The Trojan War The Mycenaeans are known for their role in the Trojan War (1250 BC) Troy vs. the Mycenaeans What may have happened: war due to economic competition Greek legend: Helen, the wife of the Greek king is kidnapped by the prince of Troy Result= 10 year war, Troy is burnt to the ground

Trojans vs. the Greeks Homer’s The Iliad Epic about the Trojan War Was regarded as a legend, now evidence proves that Troy existed and was destroyed by fire

Greek Origins The Mycenaeans were eventually conquered by the Dorians Greek civilization diminished as a result Centuries later, the Greeks would make stories of the Mycenaeans and the Minoans as a part of their heritage

Rise of Greek city states

Geography Greece is a part of the Balkan peninsula, surrounded by the Mediterranean sea Mountains divide the peninsula into isolated valleys Consisted of small city-states separated from one another The coast provided for safe harbors, allowing the Greeks to become skilled sailors

The Greek Polis Greeks created their own version of a city-state, called a polis Included a major city and surrounding countryside A Greek polis consisted of two levels The acropolis on the top (“high city”) Lower level (market, theater, public buildings, homes)

Gov’t Originally, Greek city-states were run by kings (monarchy) Eventually power shifted to the noble landowners Aristocracy- rule by landholding elite Extension of trade leads to an oligarchy

Sparta A warrior society, centered around warfare Daily life ruled by discipline Spartan boys prepare for military life Strict discipline results in excellent soldiers Women were required to exercise and maintain physical fitness Spartan logic: strong women make strong babies Run the household while husband was at war

A Spartan Life Birth- the child is examined, if he or she is sick or deformed then they are left to die 7 years old: the child is taken for military training 7-17 years old: learned reading, writing, and physical training 18-19: learned army tactics and survival techniques 20-29: rigorous military training 30+: became full citizens

Athens Athens evolved from a monarchy to an aristocracy Landowners held power Wealthy Athenians controlled society, making the ordinary unhappy Eventually Athens became a democracy “Gov’t by the people, for the people”

A Limited Democracy Only citizens can participate in gov’t, and citizens are landholding men Athens still gives more people a say in gov’t than any other ancient civilization

Athenian women Manage the household in wealthy homes, rarely go out in public Cook, clean, raise children Was not educated Poor women worked outside of the home

Education Boys went to school if they could afford it Learned to read, write, study music Receive military training and participate in athletics

Persian and Peloponnesian Wars CONFLICT! Persian and Peloponnesian Wars

The Persian Wars The Persian Empire was the largest empire at that time In 499 BC, Ionian Greeks rebelled against Persia with the help of Athens Darius I was furious at the role Athens played in the rebellion Persia crushed the rebel cities, and sent a huge force to punish Athens

Battle of Marathon The Persian army landed at Marathon, north of Athens The Greeks were greatly outnumbered by the Persians The Greeks beat the Persians using hand to hand combat Major upset

The 300 Darius I died before he could attacked Greece again His son Xerxes sent a larger force to conquer Greece The Persians and the Spartans meet at the narrow pass at Thermopylae King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight the Persian force The Spartans are defeated, but are successful in uniting Greece to fight a common enemy

Battle of Salamis The Athenians and Themistocles build a fleet of ships to fight the Persian navy at the strait of Salamis Athenian warships could damage Persian ships with underwater battering rams Xerxes navy is defeated, soon after the Greeks defeat the Persians on land in Asia Minor

Bragging Rights and the Golden Age Following the victory, Athens emerged as the most powerful city-state Allied with other city-states Delian League Pericles created a more democratic gov’t Direct democracy- the citizens=gov’t Used a jury in the legal system Could banish a public official Ostracism

Peloponnesian War Sparta formed the Peloponnesian League Due to rivalries between the two leagues, Sparta and Athens engaged in a 27 year war Athenians were forced to crowd inside the city, creating a plague Sparta sided with Persia for their navy Both civilizations are nearly eliminated, however Sparta is victorious