Greece and Iran, 1000-30 B.C.E.
Ancient Iran, 1000–500 B.C.E. Geography and Resources Mountainous edges; salty interior deserts; sloping plateaus limited natural (water/food) resources = limited population; plentiful but underexploited mineral resources The Rise of the Persian Empire Cyrus (r BCE) – Anatolia (Lydia) & Mesopotamia Cambyses (r 530-522 BCE) – Egypt, Nubia, & Libya Darius (r 522-486 BCE) – Indus Valley & Europe (Thrace) Imperial Organization 20 provinces/20 “satraps” Royal roads and garrisons Opulent Royal Court Susa & Persepolis Ideology and Religion Propaganda contrasts with that of Assyrians; emphasizes cooperation and abundance Zoroastrianism
The Rise of the Greeks, 1000–500 B.C.E. Geography and Resources Homogeneous climate but varied terrain: limited arable land in south, greater agricultural production in north Little timber & few metal deposits; abundance of stone & clay Coastline includes many natural harbors; overland travel difficult The Emergence of the Polis “Archaic” period following “Dark Age” (ca. 1150-800 BCE) included: Greek alphabet & increased population densities Emergence of the independent polis, which featured an acropolis and agora Hoplite defense forces; citizen militias Safety valve “colonies” Hellenes vs. Barbaroi Coinage Land-based aristocracies replace kings; rise of tyrants Anthropomorphic deities with power over nature State-sponsored festivals involving sacrifice
New Intellectual Currents Poetry emphasizing individuality Flowering of Natural Philosophy Prose-based Logography Herodotus as the “father of history” Athens and Sparta Spartan military state; isolationist and centered in Peloponnese Athenian society’s evolving “democracy”; located in Attica
The Struggle of Persia and Greece, 546–323 B.C.E. Early Encounters Ionic Rebellion (499 -494 BCE) Spartan-led Hellenistic League (480- 479 BCE) Athenian-led Delian League (ca 477-457 BCE) The Height of Athenian Power Imperialist naval power (Trireme) based in Pireaus Greek philosophy: Socrates, Plato (The Academy), & Aristotle (The Lyceum) Transition from oral to literary culture
Inequality in Classical Greece Democratic participation extended to free adult males of pure Athenian ancestry Exploitation of Slaves Position of women varied greatly across Greece but males had absolute authority over households Failure of the City-State and Triumph of the Macedonians Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) Phillip II of Macedonia (r 359-336 BCE) Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE)
The Hellenistic Synthesis, 323–30 B.C.E. The Hellenistic Kingdoms Seleucid = Western Asia Ptolemies = Egypt and Palestine Alexandria Antigonids = Macedonia