1. Ancient Greece
1900 – 133 B.C.

2. Definition of An Empire
A large political unit, usually under a single leader, that controls many peoples or territories.
Empires grow from the conquest of one people by another-an empire is the extension of political rule by one people over others
An empire has roads, common currency, army, colonies, centralized government
Is the U.S. an empire?

4. Physical/Human Geography
Greece is a small area-size of Louisiana
Peninsula is mountainous/arable land limited
Mountainous terrain prevented unification/city-states/many small city- states
Coastline-depended on trade
Greeks were seafarers
Lack of arable land-forced Greeks to look for colonies
Unifying Greek factors-common lang., religion and Olympics
Did you watch the Olympics?

7. The Minoan Civilization
By 2800 B.C., a Bronze Age civilization that used metals, especially bronze, in making weapons had been established on the large island of Crete, southeast of the Greek mainland.
Called the Minoan civilization, it flourished between 2700 and B.C.-named after Minos-legendary king of Crete
Collapsed around 1450 B.C.-maybe due to a tidal wave or invasion

8. Mycenae
Mycenae was one of a number of centers in a Mycenaean Greek civilization that flourished between 1600 and 1100 B.C.
The Mycenaean Greeks were Indo-European who spread into southern and western Europe, India and Iran.
Warrior people
Traded & spread out militarily
By 1100 B.C.-Mycenaean civilization collapsed

9. The Greeks In A Dark Age
After the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, Greece-difficult period in which the population declined & food production dropped ( B.C. “Dark Age”) no records
During the Dark Age, large numbers of Greeks left the mainland and sailed across the Aegean Sea to various islands.
Traded & some economic activity besides agriculture
Iron replaced bronze in construction of weapons
In the 8th century B.C., the Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet to give themselves a new system of writing.

11. The Polis: Center Of Greek Life
By 750 B.C., the city-state-or what the Greeks called a polis-became the central focus of Greek life
Our word politics is derived from the Greek word polis
As a community, the polis consisted of citizens with political rights (adult males), citizens with no political rights (women and children) and noncitizens (slaves and resident aliens).
Rights were coupled with responsibilities
Greece divided into fiercely independent city-states
New military system
Wars used to be fought by aristocrats, but by 700 B.C., the military used heavily armed soldiers-marched in a phalanx

12. Greek Colonies
A desire for rich farmland and the growth of trade were two factors in the people’s decisions to move-750 and 550 BC
Colonization also led to increased trade and industry. The Greeks on the mainland exported pottery, wine and olive oil.
In return, they received grains and metals from the west and fish, timber, wheat, metals and slaves from the Black Sea region

13. Tyranny In The City-States
The creation of a new group of rich men (trade and industry) fostered the rise of tyrants
The tyrants gained power through hired soldiers
Fell out of favor by the end of the 6th century B.C., due to the fact that the Greeks believed in the rule of law
More people were allowed to participate in government which led to the development of democracy-rule by the people in some city-states
Other city-states remained committed to an oligarchy-rule by the few

14. SPARTA vs. ATHENS Authoritarian MILITARY STATE (entered at 20 exit 60)
Could 20 30
2 kings led
Travelers were discouraged
-may bring in new ideas-no trade
Girls trained to be mothers of soldiers
From childhood-Spartan boys
were trained to be soldiers
Women obeyed men
Women owned property
Limited Democracy
Laws made by assembly
Only male citizens in assembly
Trade with other city-states
Education for boys
Women inferior
*Athens went through several changes in government until it finally became a democracy. In a democracy, the citizens have the power to make government decisions by voting.

15. Persian Wars B.C.
As the Greeks spread throughout the Mediterranean, they came in contact with the Persian Empire to the East
Persian ruler Darius seeks revenge after an unsuccessful revolt in Ionian city-states
Persians landed at Marathon, but were defeated by the Greeks 490B.C.
Xerxes (new Persian ruler) vowed revenge-Athenians prepared by building ships
Persians 180,000 troops and thousands of ships
Thermopylae-300-traitor tells Persians how to outflank the Greek force
Island of Salamis-Greek Navy defeats the Persian Navy
479 B.C. Greek Army defeats the Persians at Plataea

16. PELOPONNESIAN WAR B.C.
Age of Pericles-Athens takes over leadership of Greek World after the defeat of the Persians-under Pericles Athens expands its new empire-height of Athenian power and brilliance
Peloponnesian War-Between Athens and Sparta-they did not trust each other
Athenians lost
Lasted 27 years

17. HOMER Greek Poet He wrote the Iliad And The Odyssey
Heroic Epic Poems-an epic poem is a long poem that tells the deeds of a great hero. The Iliad and the Odyssey were based on stories that had been passed from generation to generation.

18. GREEK PHILOSOPHERS
PHILOSOPHY REFERS TO AN ORGANIZED SYSTEM OF RATIONAL THOUGHT
PHILOSOPHERS
SOCRATES
PLATO
ARISTOTLE

19. SOCRATES TAUGHT FOR FREE
BELIEVED THE GOAL OF EDUCATION WAS TO IMPROVE THE INDIVIDUAL’S SOUL.

20. PLATO SOCRATES STUDENT FOCUSED ON REALITY
HE EXPLAINED IDEAS OF A GOVERNMENT IN THE REPUBLIC (3 GROUPS)
RULERS – MOTIVATED BY WISDOM
WARRIORS – BY COURAGE
COMMONERS – BY DESIRE

21. ARISTOTLE
INTERESTED IN CLASSIFYING THINGS BY OBSERVATION AND INVESTIGATION
ASTRONOMY, GEOLOGY, BIOLOGY, AND PHYSICS

22. Alexander the Great King of Macedonia at 20 yrs old
Sought to control Persia
Had many Conquests
Sought to imitate Achilles-warrior hero of Homer’s Iliad
Spread Greek language, art, architecture, and literature throughout the Middle East
Created a Hellenistic Era
Empire p. 140

23. Hellenistic Era Means – to imitate Greeks
Alexander conquered many empires
Put Hellenistic rulers in charge
Created many other cities

24. Gifts of the Greeks Olympics Dramatic plays and theater Sculptures
Literature
Astronomy
Mathematics
Philosophy
History
Arts and architecture
Democracy “the people rule”