Ch.4 Greece and Iran 1000-30 B.C.E.

Main Idea Details Notemaking Ancient Iran Geography and Resources The “land of the Aryans” links west and central Asia. Indo-European language speaking people. Mountains in the west and north. Deserts to the south and southeast and seas to the north and south. A lack of barriers in the northeast made it vulnerable to attack from nomads of Central Asia. Lacking river valleys, ancient Iran never had a dense population. Used irrigation to develop agriculture. Salt and mineral wealth. Crossroad of trade between East, Central and West Asia. -

Iranian Geography

Main Idea Details Notemaking The Rise of the Persian Empire 550-387 B.C.E. Imperial Organization and Ideology Cyrus the Great united Persian tribes circa 550 B.C.E. Conquered Mesopotamia and Anatolia. Cyrus was known for his benevolence and tolerance of other cultures. Darius I extended Persian control east into the Indus Valley and west into Europe. Promoted maritime routes. Empire stretched from Europe to Pakistan and Russia to Sudan. The largest and most cosmopolitan empire the world had yet seen. Darius divided the empire into 20 provinces called satrapies ruled by satraps (governors). Decentralized rule Built royal roads Used propaganda to convince others to join the empire. Darius created a body of laws, but each culture could live with its own traditions.

Persian Empire

Main Idea Details Notemaking Religion Some say the Perisan religion of Zoroastrianism was the first monotheistic religion and heavily influenced both Judaism and Christianity. The supreme leader Ahuramazda is engaged in a battle between good and evil but ultimately good prevails.

Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism’s Most Famous Member, Freddie Mercury lead singer of Queen

go Main Idea Details Notemaking The Rise of the Greeks 1000-500 B.C.E. Geography & Resources Greece is a resource poor region which meant they had to turn abroad to access materials. Dry and arid terrain with no navigable rivers. Viewed the sea as a connector to the outside world instead of a barrier. Mediterranean climate (dry summer, wet winters) favorable for growing olives, grapes and wheat. Mountainous terrain and scarce resources led to lack and unity and warfare between the Greeks. go

Greek Geography

go Main Idea Details Notemaking The Emergence of the Polis & Politics Arrival of the Phoenicians in 800 B.C.E. ended Greece’s isolation and exposed them to the alphabet which opened them to more widespread literacy. Population growth led to increasing urban centers and overseas colonization which led to the spread of Greek culture. The Greeks referred to themselves as Hellenes to distinguish themselves from the barbarians. Hellenistic refers to the spread of Greek culture but the Greeks were also exposed to many news ideas as a result of colonization. The polis (city-state) consisted of an urban center and surrounding agricultural lands. Most urban centers had a hilltop acropolis (fortress) used for protection during attack and religious purposes. An agora was an open market place where citizens gathered. Hoplites were heavily armed Greek infantrymen (foot soldiers)who marched in tight phanlanxes carrying shields for protection. go

go Main Idea Details Notemaking The Emergence of the Polis & Politics Religion Intellectual Tyrants (people who seize power by force) ruled most city-states. Then oligarchs (the wealthy few) seized power and finally in Athens democracy (rule of the people) was created by Pericles in 450 B.C.E. Polytheistic, worshipped many Gods and Goddesses that represented forces of nature. Homer’s epic poems The Iliad and Odyssey gave deities distinctive personalities. Sacrifice was performed at altars and oracles were used to predict the future. Humanism (emphasis on the individual’s talents and worth) and rationalism (the explanation of natural events using science rather than religion) developed at this time. Herodotus, the father of history, believed events not only need to be recorded but explained. Why did something happen? go

Acropolis & Oracle of Apollo

go Main Idea Details Notemaking Athens and Sparta Sparta Society Environment Society Economy Politics Resource poor. Focused on warfare to conquer neighboring agricultural lands. Turned war captives into slaves called helots. Militaristic (constant preparing for war) led to best soldiers in Greece. Boys were taken from families at age 7 and forced to steal their own food, beaten, sleep on twigs, and no underwear. Women exercised naked in public to prepare for childbirth. No art, poetry or literacy. Coinage was banned and commerce was forbidden in an attempt to make everyone equal. Isolationist, did not want to engage in foreign policy. go

Athens VS Sparta

go Main Idea Details Notemaking Athens Economy Politics Intellectual Environment Economy Politics Intellectual Fertile plains and large populations with urban centers. Close to the sea. Commerce and overseas trade were important. Wealth led to the construction of beautiful monuments. Used money to become an imperial power. Democratic, all adult male citizens could vote and hold office. Economic advantages led to emergence of philosophers. Traveling teachers called Sophists (wise men) provided instruction in logic. Socrates challenged the wisdom of the sophists, claiming he was the wisest of all because he knew nothing. Used questioning and answering to arrive at the truth (Socratic Method). Unpopular with authority and put on trial and convicted for corrupting the minds of youth and sentenced to death. Sophocles tragic play Oedipus Rex tells the tale of a boy who tries to avoid his fate of killing his father and marrying his mother, but ends up doing it anyway. go

Socrates “The unexamined life is not worth living.” -Socrates (Athenian wise guy)

go Main Idea Details Notemaking Athens Society Technology Extremely unequal. One third of the population were slaves (usually domestic servants). Unlike Sparta, women were confined to the home. Marriage was usually arranged between a young girl and a much older man for the purposes of procreation. Love was seen as more likely to exist between two men than a man and a woman. Men spent most of their time with other men. Bisexuality was extremely common and relationships with older men and younger boys were common. Mastery of naval technology transformed Greek warfare and politics. Trireme, a sleek fast warship powered by 170 rowers became premier warship. Athens was able to continually dominate other communities because of its naval strength. go

Hoplite and Trireme

go Main Idea Details Notemaking Warfare with Persia Peloponnesian War Frequent conquest with Persia began in 546 B.C.E. with Cyrus’ conquest of Anatolia. A failed Greek revolt led to the Persian Wars where Darius wanted to punish Athens. But a small Greek army defeated the Persians at the battle of Marathon. Xerxes then sent a huge force of troops. At the battle of Thermopylae, 300 Spartans gave their lives to allow their troops to escape. 431 B.C.E. war broke out between Athens and Sparta. Dragged on for three decades with a great loss of life and drain of resources. Sparta ultimately won thanks to the Persian financing of their naval force. Internal conflict with the Greeks made them vulnerable to outside attacks and in 336 B.C.E. the Macedonians from the North under Alexander the Great would conquer the Greeks. go

Hollywood VS. History (Xerxes was not an 8 ft Hollywood VS. History (Xerxes was not an 8 ft. tall transsexual with multiple body piercings)