Chapter 11 Section 2 Classical Greece and Rome

Polis A city-state or independent communities, composed of villages and surrounding farmland.

Polis Greek root word for “politics” These Polis made up Greece.

Aristocracy Government run by the nobility, or group of powerful landowners. The nobility ruled the city-states of Greece.

Democracy Government ruled by the people, citizens play an active role. Developed around 700 B.C., coming from the Greek words demo (people) and kratos (rule).

Athens The most famous city-state of ancient Greece. By 450 B.C. about 225,000 people lived in Athens.

Athens Athens was a great seafaring power, it became rich with trade. Athens had a strong democracy.

Sparta Was more inland and did not have a sea for trade. By 600 B.C. it had conquered and enslaved all the people around it.

Sparta The military and fighting was very important to Spartan culture. At age seven boys were sent to camps to learn how to fight. Sparta did not have a democracy and was ruled by nobility.

Greek Wars Darius, the ruler of Persia, decided to invade Greece in 490 B.C. Greek soldiers defeated Darius and the Persians at Marathon.

Greek Wars Ten years later, Darius’s son Xerxes, again attempted to conquer Greece

300 Battle of Thermopylae thər-MOP-i-lee Occurred in August or September 480 B.C. A group of 300 Spartans held against the Persian forces of Xerxes that number by ancient accounts in the millions for 7 days.

Greek Wars Athens and Sparta joined together to defeat the Persians at the sea battle of Salamis.

Peloponnesian Wars By 431 B.C., fearing the growing power of Athens, Sparta launched a series of attacks against the city. 404 B.C. Athens surrendered to Sparta and the age of Greek Democracy died.

Phillip II He attacked the Greek city-states and crushed their combined forces at the Battle of Chaeronea (kehr uh NEE uh) in 338 B.C.

Phillip II 336 B.C. he is murdered.

Alexander the Great He was barely 20 years old when his father Phillip II is murdered. Alexander becomes king and goes on an 11 year conquest of Asia

Alexander the Great Alexander leads a combined Macedonian and Greek force of over 35,000 across Asia.

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Alexander’s End In 326 B.C. Alexander and his army reached India. His troops had fought enough and they refused to continue

Alexander’s End Alexander died of fever in 323 B.C. during the return to Macedonia. He was 32 years old.

Rome’s Location The city of Rome located on the Tiber River gave it access inland as well as to the sea. Rome

Rome’s Cultural Origins Rome first settled around 750 B.C.

Roman Government In 509 B.C. the Romans established a republic.

Republic A nation in which power is with the citizens. It was not a true democracy, it was run by representatives elected by Roman noblemen.

Roman Society Society was divided into three different classes:

Patricians (puh TRIH shuhns) The highest class made up of the wealthy. Claimed they could trace their roots to the founding of Rome.

Plebeians (plih BEE uhns) The middle class, ordinary working citizens. They had the right to vote but could not hold office.

Enslaved Romans At the bottom of society, they had no rights at all

Rome Ever Expanding By 146 B.C., Rome controlled all of the land around the Mediterranean Sea.

Julius Caesar Famous Roman general who took control of Gaul (present day France), parts of present day England, and Germany. He then made himself its dictator.

Julius Caesar The Roman Republic collapsed and Caesar was appointed dictator of all of Rome.

Dictator a leader who rules a country with absolute power, usually by force.

Caesar’s End Caesar was popular with many but upset many partricians. March 15, 44 B.C. several senators stabbed Caesar to death outside the senate building.

Caesar’s End Caesar’s great nephew, Ocatvian became Rome’s new dictator Later changed his name to Caesar Augustus

Rome’s Technological innovations One of Rome’s primary strengths were their technological breakthroughs and accomplishments.

Roman Roads The Romans developed a system of making concrete out of a mix of lime and volcanic ash.

Roman Roads The roads primary purpose was to allow Rome’s armies to move quickly but they also carried goods and ideas along their paths.

Roman Roads

Aqueducts A series of tunnels and bridges that transported water to Roman cities.

Aqueducts The aqueducts allowed Romans to settle areas that otherwise could not be settled due to the distance from a water source.

Aqueducts

Fall of the Roman Empire In the third century A.D. the Roman Empire was split in two. With Rome being the seat of power in the west and Constantinople in the east

Fall of the Roman Empire In 476 A.D the western empire fell to invaders from present day Germany The eastern empire, or Byzantium Empire, lasted another 1,000 years.