Ancient Greece Chapter 9

Greek Geography Greece is a very mountainous land; it does not have any large rivers that are needed to flood its land. Because of mountains, there is very little farmland and the people were not easily connected to each other. Greece is on the Balkan Peninsula, on the Mediterranean Sea. Many Greek islands are also in the Aegean Sea.

Land Tied to the Sea Greece sits near the crossroads of Asia, North Africa, and Western Europe; they have all influenced its culture in some way Most people lived along the coast or near fertile land in river valleys. Many people were animal herders or grew grapes, olives, and barley. Trade allowed Greeks to discover an alphabet and coins

Independent Communities Uniting Greece under 1 government was difficult; mountains separated the regions and most people did not travel far. People developed small, independent communities, many of which grew into cities. Because of a pleasant climate many people spent time at outdoor marketplaces called agoras. Open-air theaters were common and religious services often took place outdoors.

Early Greek Civilizations 2500 BC, the people of Crete developed a written language, learned to weave cloth, and make pottery and jewelry. They became known as the Minoan Civilization, after King Minos. They controlled trade with the islands of the Aegean and other coastal areas; they traded as far as Syria and Egypt. Minoan ships patrolled the seas and protected the kingdom. Historians don’t know why the civilization weakened; some believe earthquakes destroyed their cities.

Mycenae Around 2000 BC the strongest city-state on mainland Greece was Mycenae It replaced Crete as the center of power in the area. The city was defended by walls that were 20 ft. thick. The Mycenaeans capture ships of other cities, taking their goods and treasure.

Section 2 – The Greek City-States

Power of Greek Myths and Legends Daily life in Greece focuses on keeping gods and goddesses happy. Trojan War – fight between Greeks and city of Troy (in Asia Minor) Sparta was home to Helen, who was carried off to Troy. This event started the war. War ended with Greek army sneaking into Troy using a giant, wooden horse. Greeks snuck out and opened the city gates to the Greek army. Homer wrote Iliad and Odyssey, two epic poems that detail the events of the war. These poems were passed down in the oral tradition; they were told by word of mouth over generations.

Gods of Mount Olympus Greeks believes most gods lived on Mount Olympus, located in northern Greece. They believed their gods were like humans; they looked & acted like humans, argued, fought, and fell in love. Gods were immortal and had special powers Every 4 years the Greeks held athletic contests in honor of Zeus; these events became known as the Olympic Games.

Democracy Begins in Greece City-states had different forms of government: Kings ruled in some Wealthy families controlled others. This is an aristocracy Around 500 BC, a government by the people, called democracy, developed in some cities Athens was the best example of democracy: All citizens older than 18 could vote; gathering was called the assembly When the assembly grew too large, 500 citizens were selected to serve on a council for 1 year. Their actions needed to be approved by the Assembly of citizens Democracy was limited to citizens; slaves, women, and workers born outside Athens were not citizens and could not vote, own property, or testify in court.

Athens vs. Sparta Citizens of Athens had to defend the city, serve on juries, and take part in political debates. Pericles was a great leader of Athens during their Golden Age Sparta was the opposite of Athens; citizens lived in a strictly rules military state. They invaded neighboring city-states, taking farmland and forcing the local people to become helots, or slaves. Spartan life centered on the army; once boys turned 7, they were sent to military camps to train for a lifetime in the army.

Women in Sparta Spartan women were expected to be strong and responsible; they ran, wrestled, and played other active sports. They did not see their husbands often because they were off at war. They had more personal rights than women in other city-states; they could own property and express opinions on important issues. They managed family estates while men were at war, but they could not govern the city-state

Section 3 – The Golden Age of Athens

Greeks Clash with the Persians 490 BC – Persia is the most powerful military in the world. Athens is a growing threat. A huge Persian army fought the Athenians on a plain NE of Athens, near Marathon. The army of Athens won, but they needed to warn the city of a possible naval attack. Legend says that Pheidippides ran the distance from Marathon to Athens (25 miles) to warn them. This is how the event was named.

Peloponnesian War During the Golden Age, Athens became the most powerful city-state. They formed an alliance (Delian League) and forced others to join. Athens used League money to construct buildings in Athens and their generals interfered in other cities. 431 BC – war breaks out with Sparta (Peloponnesian War). Plague kills 1/3 of Athens, including Pericles, their great leader. Athens surrenders in 404 BC Both sides are weak from fighting; Sparta is defeated by Thebes. Macedonia rises in the north.

Section 4 – Alexander the Great

Alexander’s Conquests King Philip II of Macedonia conquered Greece in the early 300s BC His son, Alexander, invaded the Persian Empire in 334 BC. He used different, aggressive battlefield tactics that caused the Persians to retreat, even when they had the advantage 332 BC – he conquered Syria and Phoenicia, as well as Egypt, where he was named pharaoh. After defeating the Persians in 331 BC, he led his armies east into India. He quickly turned back due to exhaustion. On the return trip, he fell ill and died at age 33. His empire stretched from Europe to Asia, including parts of Africa. He spread Greek culture throughout these areas. The combination of Greek and Asian/Persian cultures is called the Hellenistic Age.

Hellenistic Age 3 of Alexander’s generals took power after his death. During this period new Greek cities were founded all over the former empire. Cities modeled their laws after Greek law, buildings were built in the Greek style, and Greek writings were read throughout. Alexandria, in Egypt, became a center of trade and learning. Over 1 million people lived there and the city contained one of the greatest libraries in the world. Greek science and math were at their peak during this period. Hippocrates made medical discoveries and found natural causes of diseases. Archimedes, Pythagoras, and Euclid all made advances in mathematics.