Early Greece

Geography of Greece Greece is a small country located on a peninsula in Southern Europe with many islands. Peninsula ~ area of land surrounded by water on three sides (like Florida). While the earliest civilizations developed on fertile river valleys, a very different set of geographic conditions influenced the rise of Greece. Mountains divide the peninsula into isolated valleys that separate the Greek city-states. The Sea were very important to Ancient Greeks – most people used the sea to make a living. Most Greeks were fisherman and sea-traders who exported olive oil and wine. Greece is surrounded by the Ionian sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Aegean Sea.

Early People of the Aegean The earliest civilization to settle in Greece were the Minoans. The Minoans were successful sea-traders who lived on the Island of Crete. The rulers of this trading empire built the palace of Knossos with elaborate frescoes (water color paintings) on the walls. The Minoans suddenly vanished around 1400 B.C. – probably a volcano or earthquake. Around 1400 B.C., the Mycenaeans conquered mainland Greece and established a sea-trading empire. The Mycenaeans lived in separate city-states with a warrior-King.

The Trojan War In 1250 B.C., the Mycenaeans fought the Trojan War against the economic rival Troy (in Turkey). The war lasted 10 years, until the Greeks seized Troy and burned the city to the ground. Most of what we know about the Trojan War comes from two great epic poems written by Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Iliad ~ story of the Trojan War with a talking horse. The Odyssey ~ tells the story of Odysseus on his way home after the Trojan War to his wife.

The Greek City States

Governing the City States As the Greek world expanded after 750 B.C., the Greeks developed a new version of a city state called a polis and new forms of government. Polis ~ a city and its surrounding countryside. Each polis had an acropolis, or high city, with a large marble temple. New Forms of Government The earliest form of government in Greece was monarchy. A monarch is a king or queen who has supreme power. A monarchy is a government that is ruled by a king or queen. Most Greek city-states started out as monarchies but changed over time to other forms of government. #1 Monarchy Sparta and other city-states developed a political system called oligarchy. Oligarchy means “rule by the few”. In an oligarchy, people rule because of wealth or land ownership. #2 Oligarchy

#3 Tyranny Poor people were not part of government in monarchies or oligarchies. Poor people came to resent this, and began rebellions. A wealthy person who wanted to seize power made use of that anger. He would ask poor people to support him in becoming a leader. Such leaders were called tyrants. In Greece, a tyrant was someone who took power in an illegal way. #4 Direct Democracy Athens and some other city-states began to develop a democratic form of government, in which citizens had a more active role in the government. Direct Democracy is a government in which the citizens work together to decide on the laws, vote in elections, and sit on juries Indirect Democracy is a type of government in which the citizens make political decisions through elected representatives. In an Indirect Democracy, people elect representatives to make laws. The United States is an example of an indirect democracy. #5 Representative Democracy

Athens and Sparta Two very different city-states came to dominate Greece: Athens and Sparta. Athens: Birth Place of Democracy Athenian government began as a monarchy and evolved into an aristocracy. However, people were not happy and Athens moved towards a democracy. The first direct democracy was developed in Athens. In 507 B.C., Cleisthenes created the Council of 500 a legislature (law making body) made up of any male citizen over 30 years old. This allowed citizens to play a role in law-making. However, women and slaves were not considered citizens and could not vote and had no rights. Athenians valued government, philosophy, art, and education. In Athens, boys attended school, but girls did not.

Sparta: The Military Ideal Unlike Athens, Sparta developed a powerful military city-state ruled by two kings and a council of elders. The government of Sparta was an oligarchy ruled by a few elite people. Spartans had MANY slaves, called Helots, who outnumbered the rulers. Therefore, Sparta set up a brutal system of strict control over the Helots. A Spartan’s life revolved around the military and discipline. Every newborn was “inspected” and sickly children were abandoned to die. At the age of 7, boys began very difficult training for the military and continued to serve in the military until they were 60 years old! Spartan women could inherit property, but had few other rights. Their main duty was to produce strong warriors.

The Hellenistic Age

Conflict in the Greek World The Persian Wars In 499 B.C., the Ionian Greeks rebelled against Persian Rule. The Greek city-states declared war against Persia - the Greek city-states win!! After the Persian Wars, Athens formed an alliance among the city-states called the Delian League. The Delian League was meant to unify the city-states, promote peace, and defend Greece from invaders. The Peloponnesian Wars In 431 B.C., war broke out between Athens and Sparta because many Greeks disliked Athenian control. Who do you think will win??? Sparta wins!! Signals the end of Athenian control of the Greek World

Greek Achievements Despite political trouble and wars, Greek thinkers, writers, and artists made many important achievements. Philosophy and Government In Athens philosophers used rhetoric, or skillful speaking, to advance their careers. The 3 famous Greek philosophers were: Socrates ~ developed the Socratic method to find truth and self-knowledge. Plato ~ described an ideal government in The Republic and advocated the rule of a philosopher-King. Aristotle ~ tried to find the best form of government and promoted the idea of the “golden mean” – a government that is not too extreme. One of the greatest Greek rulers was Pericles, who helped poor Athenians participate in government by paying citizens for their government work.

Art and Architecture The Greeks also made advances in art and architecture – promoting balance, order, and beauty. The greatest piece of Greek Architecture was the Parthenon, a temple for the Goddess Athena. Literature and Drama Tragedies ~ plays that told stories of human suffering and ended in disaster. Greatest playwrights were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Greek writers composed tragedies and comedies. Actors played the roles wearing masks. Comedies ~ plays that were humorous and made fun of people and customs. The most famous comedian was Aristophanes. History Greek historian, Herodotus, was called the “father of history.”

Philip II Unites Greece In 338 B.C., Athens fell to the Macedonian army led by King Philip II – this marked the end of Ancient Greece. King Philip united all of the Greek city-states under his rule for the first time in history!! The conflicts among the Greek city-states made them weak and vulnerable to invaders. King Philip dreamed of conquering the Persian Empire. However, he was assassinated before he could pursue his dream. His son, Alexander the Great, became King at the 20 years old. He would pursue and achieve his father’s dream. Alexander was very smart and was tutored by Aristotle in Greek literature, math and science. He was also one of the greatest military geniuses!