Ancient Greece

Geography Ancient Greece - Collection of separate lands where Greek-speaking people live Geography shaped Greek traditions and customs The Land - Mainland was a mountainous peninsula Mountains resulted in slow travel and land was divided into regions Small independent communities Lack of fertile land resulted in small populations Lack of arable land created a need for colonies

The Sea and Climate The Sea - The sea shaped Greek civilization People lived around the sea Lack of resources encouraged the need for sea travel and trade 48 degrees in the Winter/ 80 degrees in Summer What would you do if this was our weather?

Mycenaean Civilization Mycenaeanians- who settled on Greek mainland in 2000 B.C. Took their name from their leading city, Mycenae Mycenaean warrior-kings dominated Greece from 1600– 1100 B.C. After 1500 B.C., Mycenaeanians came into contact with the Minoans Adopted the Minoans sea trade and culture Adopted the Minoan writing system

Trojan War Trojan War (1200 B.C.) – Mycenaeanians fought a ten year war against city of Troy Greek army besieged and destroyed Troy because a Trojan Prince had kidnapped Helen (Beautiful Wife of a Greek King Once thought to be fictional, archaeological evidence has been found One of the last Mycenaean battle campaigns Trojan Horse Scene

Dorians Arrive 1200 B.C. - Mycenaean civilization collapsed Sea traders attacked and burned many Mycenaean cities Dorians moved into the war torn region Less advanced than Mycenaeans, Dorians left no written records

Culture under the Dorians Oral tradition grew Especially epics of Homer—a blind storyteller Wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey Epic—a narrative poem about heroic deeds

Excerpt from the Iliad “ My dear husband, your warlike spirit will be your death. You’ve no compassion for your infant child, for me , your sad wife, who before long will be your widow… As for me, it would be better, if I’m to lose you, to be buried in the ground..” Great Hector replied, “ Wife, all this concerns me, too. Bt I’d be disgraced, dreadfully shamed…, if I should slink away from war, like a coward. For I have learned always to be brave, to fight alongside Trojans at the front, striving to win great fame for my father , for myself.” _- Homer, Iliad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW256O1uK74

Mythology Greeks developed their own myths—traditional stories about gods -Greeks sought to understand mysteries of life through myths Greeks attributed human qualities—love, hate & jealousy to their gods Zeus, ruler of Gods, lives on Mount Olympus with his wife, Hera She was often jealous of his relationships with other women Zeus’s daughter Athena is goddess of wisdom and guardian of cities

Warring City- States The growth of city-states in Greece leads to the development of several political systems, including democracy.

Rule and Order in Greek City-States 750 B.C. - the Greek city- state, or polis was the formal government Polis - A city and its surrounding villages 50 to 500 square miles Population of a city-state was often less than 10,000 Citizens gathered in the agora, marketplace, and acropolis (a fortified hilltop)

Government City-states had different forms of government Monarchy—rule by a king; Aristocracy—rule by nobility Oligarchy—rule by small group of powerful merchants and artisans Many city states experienced clashes between the rulers and common people Tyrants—Nobles and wealthy citizens who won support of common people They seized control illegally and ruled in the interests of ordinary people Were not considered harsh or cruel Often established building projects to provide jobs and housing for their supporters