Part 1: Map Quiz Part 2: Order in Ancient Greece Theme: Different approaches in different city-states Lsn 17

Part 1 Map Quiz

Part 2 Greece

Agenda Government Philosophy Sparta Athens Corinth Socrates Plato Aristotle Others

Government Sparta, Athens, Corinth

Sparta Sparta

Sparta: Helots Helots were servants of the Sparta state Not chattel slaves, but not free either By the 6th Century B.C., helots probably outnumbered Sparta citizens by 10 to 1 The large number of helots allowed the Spartans to cultivate their region efficiently, but also posed the threat of constant rebellion Sparta responded for the need for order by military means

Sparta: Society In theory, all Spartans citizens were equal To discourage economic and social distinctions, Spartans observed an extraordinarily austere lifestyle as a matter of policy No jewelry, elaborate clothes, luxuries, or accumulation of great private wealth Even today, “spartan” means Practicing great self-denial Unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment Resolute in the face of pain or danger or adversity

Sparta: Society What distinctions did exist in Spartan society were based not on wealth or social status, but on prowess, discipline, and military talent Spartan educational system cultivated such attributes from an early age Boys left their homes at age seven to live in military barracks under a rigorous regime of physical training At age 20 they went into the military where they served until retirement

Sparta: Society “Come back with your shield - or on it” was the reported parting cry of Spartan mothers to their sons.

Sparta: Government Highly unusual government that contained elements of democracy, timocracy, monarchy, and oligarchy King Leonidas ca. 530 BC-480 BC

Sparta: Government Oligarchy Rule by a few Power was in the hands of five men called Ephores who were elected annually by the Council of Elders Timocracy Government by people of honor All Ephores were over the age of 60 and had completed their military career The Ephores controlled all daily life in Sparta

Sparta: Government Monarchy Rule by a hereditary sovereign Under the five Ephores there were two Kings that came from the two noble families of Sparta With divine approval, shown in an oracle or an omen, the Ephores had the power to force the Kings' abdication Democracy Election based on numerical majority Under the Kings were the Council of the Elders. The council passed laws and elected the five Ephores Beneath them all you had the rest of the free Spartan men who voted for the Council of Elders

Athens

Athens Whereas Sparta tried to establish order by military means, Athens instead tried a government based on democratic principles Sought to negotiate order by considering the interests of the polis’s various constituencies Citizenship was restricted to free adult males, but government offices were open to all citizens Broadened the political base

Athens: Solon As tensions developed between aristocrats and less privileged classes, Solon devised a compromise Aristocrats were allowed to keep their lands, but at the same time Solon cancelled debts, forbade debt slavery, and liberated those already enslaved for debt To prevent future abuses, he provided governmental representation for the common classes by opening the councils of the polis to any citizen wealthy enough to devote time to public affairs, regardless of lineage

Athens: Pericles Solon’s reforms gradually transformed Athens into a democratic state, but the high tide of Athenian democracy was reached under the leadership of Pericles from 443 to 429 B.C. His government included hundreds of officeholders from common classes Pericles boasted that Athens was “the education of Greece”

ballots made from pieces of pottery Ostrakaphoria Each year Athenians would decide whether to hold an election to banish someone from the city for 10 years Means to prevent politicians from dividing the community and to stop tyrants before they seized power First ostrakaphoria held in 487 B.C. ostraka, ballots made from pieces of pottery

Corinth Periander, second tyrant of Corinth

Corinth Founded in the 10th Century B. C. Strategically located Guards the narrow isthmus that connects the Peloponnesus to the mainland and hosts the important harbors of Lechaeum and Cenchreae Became the richest port and the largest city in ancient Greece

Corinth The two seaports were only four miles apart Lechaeum, the western harbor in the Corinthian Gulf was the trading port to Italy and Sicily Cenchreae, the eastern harbor in the Saronic Gulf, was the port for the eastern Mediterranean countries

Corinth: Diolkos Periander constructed a five foot wide rock-cut tract for wheeling small ships and their unloaded cargo from one gulf to the other By 400 B.C., a double wall ran from Corinth to Lechaeum to protect a two mile rock paved street, about 40 feet wide, leading to the port

Corinth: Government With increased wealth and more complicated trade relations and social structures, some city-states overthrew their traditional hereditary kings Corinth, the richest city-state, led the way Instead of developing long-term solutions to the societal and economic problems, ambitious politicians or generals called “tyrants” seized power by irregular means and ruled without being subject to the law

Corinth: Government Tyrants were not necessarily oppressive despots Many were quite popular, in part due to the public works programs they established The word “tyrant” comes from how they gained power rather than how they governed Maintained order by reinforcing the state's centralization by consolidating power with the tyrant and encouraging individuals to identify with the state through their capacity as citizens and building a common consciousness.

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Others Philosophy Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Others

Greek Philosophy Athens’ sophisticated and wealthy society provided time for thought Several great thinkers tried to construct a consistent system of philosophy based purely on human reason Rationally understand human beings and human behavior Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

Socrates (469 to 399 B.C.) Turned the course of philosophical enquiry around--from its earlier focus on natural science, to a focus on ethics or public morality Keenly interested in such subjects as justice, beauty, and goodness Optimistic Knowing the truly good would necessarily direct a person to act in line with this knowledge Human beings can lead honest lives

Socrates (469 to 399 B.C.) Insisted on the need to reflect on the purposes and goals of life “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Human beings have an obligation to strive for personal integrity, behave honorably toward others, and work toward construction of a just society

Socrates (469 to 399 B.C.) Posed questions that encouraged reflection on human issues, particularly on matters of ethics and morality “the Socratic method” Honor was more important than wealth, fame, or other superficial attributes Scorned those who preferred public accolades to personal integrity

Socrates (469 to 399 B.C.) Played the role of “gadfly,” subjecting traditional ethical teachings to critical scrutiny This tactic outraged some of his fellow citizens Socrates was brought to trial on charges of encouraging immorality and corrupting Athenian youth A jury of Athenian citizens found him guilty and condemned him to death Drank a cup of hemlock and died in the company of his friends

“Death of Socrates” by Jacques-Louis David Socrates (469 to 399 B.C.) “Death of Socrates” by Jacques-Louis David

Socrates (469 to 399 B.C.) Socrates did not write his thoughts down, but we know them through his disciple Plato Plato wrote a series of dialogues in which Socrates figured as the principal speaker “Socrates Teaching”

Plato (427 to 347 B. C.) Plato advanced from recording Socrates views to developing his own systematic vision of the world and human society The Theory of Forms or Ideas

Plato (427 to 347 B. C.) Plato was frustrated that he couldn’t gain satisfactory intellectual control over the world For example, generally speaking, virtue requires one to honor and obey his parents, but if parents are acting illegally, it is the child’s duty to denounce the offense and seek punishment. How can we understand virtue as an abstract quality if it is situationally dependent?

Plato (427 to 347 B. C.) There are two worlds The world we live in The world of Forms or Ideas Our world is a pale and imperfect reflection of the genuine world of Forms or Ideas Only by entering the world of Forms or Ideas can one understand the true nature of virtue and other qualities This world is available only to philosophers who apply their rational faculties to the pursuit of wisdom

Plato (427 to 347 B. C.) Allegory of the cave Prisoners only see the shadows cast on the wall, not the objects themselves

Plato (427 to 347 B. C.) In The Republic Plato described the ideal state in which rule was accomplished by philosopher-kings Advocated an intellectual aristocracy The philosophical elite would rule and other less intelligent classes would work at functions for which their talents best suited them

Aristotle (384 to 322 B.C.) Aristotle started out as a disciple of Plato but came to distrust the Theory of Forms or Ideas Very concrete and real as opposed to Plato’s abstract concepts Believed philosophers can rely on their senses to provide accurate information about the world and then use reason to sort things out

Aristotle (384 to 322 B.C.) Devised rigorous rules of logic to construct compelling arguments Logic is how we come to know about things Will have a profound effect on Christian philosophy in medieval Europe, especially through St. Thomas Aquinas Also wrote on biology, physics, and literature Literature should be structured to represent a complete and unified action with a beginning, middle, and end

Others Epicureans Skeptics Stoics Identified pleasure as the greatest good Skeptics Refused to take strong positions on contentious issues because they doubted the possibility of certain knowledge Stoics Individuals should focus their attention strictly on duties that reason and nature demanded of them In their own way, all three sought to bring individuals to a state of inner peace and tranquility

How was order maintained in Greece Government Sparta Athens Corinth Philosophy Socrates Plato Aristotle Others

How was order maintained in Greece? Government Sparta Military means Athens Democratic means Corinth Tyrants

How was order maintained in Greece? Philosophy Socrates Knowing the truly good would necessarily direct a person to act in line with this knowledge Plato The philosophical elite would rule and other less intelligent classes would work at functions for which their talents best suited them Aristotle Know about things through logic Others Epicureans Identified pleasure as the greatest good Skeptics Refused to take strong positions on contentious issues because they doubted the possibility of certain knowledge Stoics Individuals should focus their attention strictly on duties that reason and nature demanded of them

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