1. Warm Up: What continent is Greece in?
Describe the land the Greeks had to live on.

2. Here are the important sites for the remainder of this presentation:4 3 1 2
Here are the important sites for the
remainder of this presentation:

3. Minoans + Mycenaeans = “The Greeks”
Origins of the Greeks: Minoans & Mycenaean B.C.—1500 B.C

4. The Minoans
On the isle of Crete is where the first Greek civilization first appeared. They were known as the Minoans. The civilization is named for the greatest of their governors, King Minos.
It was here , in the capital of Knossos, that they built a palace bearing the same name.
It was an enormous labirynth with more than 800 rooms, all connected to one another with a beautifully crafted central courtyard. They had running water throughout the palace and incorporated toilets and baths using an advanced canal system.
There are famous paintings that exist today from the inside of the palace that displayed scenes of nature and of the life in Knossos and of the Minoans. They are known as Frescos, and you will see several in this presentation…

5. Minoans (2800-1400 BCE) Lived on island of Crete Capital is Knossos
Existed during Egypt’s Old Kingdom
Government: Priest-kings
Religion: Polytheists
Cities NOT surrounded by walls
Very peaceful.
Ship Builders, traders, farmers, and fishermen
Overpowered by Mycenaeans by 1400 BC

6. As previously stated, Knossos was the center of the Minoan civilization…they were a civilization advanced in such industries as technology and architecture, which they used to build the palace in 1700 BCE.

7. Minoan Fresco at the Palace of Knossos

8. Minoan fresco: Prince of Knossos

9. The palace of Knossos
Based on the information available to historians, anthropologists and archaeologists, this is a representation of what the Palace of Knossos looked like…try and remember that this was built and sustained almost 4000 years ago…pretty amazing.

10. One of the most famous frescos in the palace…
perso.orange.fr/.../jacques.brasme/knossos.htm
The Three Ladies

11. The Throne Room
It is said that this room was the center of the palace, with a large throne built against a wall with a large fresco as its backdrop…here you see the throne and the mural which acted as the backdrop.

12. Here we see a water scene with dolphins and other marine life.
Scenes of nature were commonplace for this palace, and the art of this civilization.
Here we see a water scene with dolphins and other marine life.

13. Sculptures, Pottery, and Frescoes
Minoan Art
Sculptures, Pottery, and Frescoes

15. Minoans created and traded pottery, leather, bronze armor, and metal jewelry. They also enjoyed sports such as boxing and bull leaping.

16. Vases were very important in daily life for vessels for water and grains and cereals,
amongst other items. This vase is decorated in a Greek style, which you would be able to decipher from other civilizations due to the artwork and its style. The style has not so much to do with the actual depiction but the line and the form
used by the painters.

17. Polytheists Main god: Great Goddess, Mother Earth)
Minoan Religion
Polytheists
Main god: Great Goddess, Mother Earth)

18. Minoan Religion Built shrines on housetops, hilltops, and in caves
Made offerings to gods which included:
Human hair
fruit
flowers
jewels
gold

19. The fall of Minoan civilization is described in the legendary fight of Theseus, a young Greek prince and the Minotaur.
Relief Sculpture of Theseus and defeated Minotaur

20. Theseus and the Minotaur
Theseus, in Greek mythology, is the greatest of athenian heros. He is the son of Aegeus (king of Athens) or Poseidon (god of the sea).
The minotaur, in greek mythology, was a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man.
Theseus and the Minotaur
antre.atspace.com/minotaure.html

21. Theseus and the Minotaur
Through these works of art, we can guage the importance of
the story of Theseus and the Minotaur in the Greek tradition and culture.

22. The end of the Minoans…???
Historical, anthropological and archaeological information leads us to
believe 1450 BCE the majority of the palace was destroyed as well
as the other palaces in other Minoan cities…but we do not know why.
This peaceful and prosperous civilization disappeared. Why?
There are indications of large scale fires that ravaged the area
and there has long been the assumption of a volcanic
eruption at Thera, perhaps followed by a tsunami so powerful
that it wiped out the first Greek civilization…
but we do not know for certain.

23. The Mycenaeans
While the Minoan civilization thrived on the isle of Crete, mainland Greece (as we know it today) was filled with tiny, agricultural communities. Invaders from the north hampered their development…until they overtook it and established a rich and powerful civilization known as the Mycenaean civilization.
Contrary to the peaceful Minoan cities with few fortifications, the Mycenaeans built large walled-cities.
Also contrary to the Minoans who preceded them, the frescos of the Mycenaeans were filled with war-like images.

24. Mycenaeans (2000 - 900 BCE) Lower Greece (lowlands)
Built fortress-palaces on hilltops
Engaged in farming, herding, olive growing.
Traded: gold & bronze
Learned from Minoans: Shipbuilding, navigation, gold & bronze work, fashions, art, writing.
Better warriors than traders (pirates)
Became most powerful people in Aegean world by 1400 BCE
Trojan War (1200s BCE)
Conquered by Dorians (late 1200’s)

25. The colossal walls of Mycenae
The ‘Lion’s Gate’…that protected the entrance to the city of Mycenae.
The walls of Mycenae were so massive that even the ancient Greeks thought they must have been constructed by the gods.

26. The golden mask of king Agememnon, found in his
The Mycenaeans
This civilization resembled Vikings that ravaged and pillaged Europe 25 centuries later – pirates, thieves and merchants. The civilization was named after Mycenae, the site where Heinrich Schliemann undertook his archaeological digs after having discovered Troy.
The golden mask of king Agememnon, found in his
tomb

27. The Mycenaeans
The religious beliefs of the Mycenaeans were similar to many others of the age, characterized by polytheistic beliefs.

28. The Myceaeans
What happened to the Mycenaeans?
Towards 1200 BCE, when the civilization was at its height, it seems to have imploded.
There are historians who believe that we will never understand what happened to the civilization with any certainty.
Theories, however, abound:
Their past, marked by violence, caught up with them;
A natural catastrophe in the region that is succeptible to seismic and volcanic eruptions;
The possibility of a long period of drought and famine followed by civil unrest;
There are indications of large scale migrations.
All Mycenaean centers disappeared except for Athens. Mycenae itself was completely destroyed by 1100 BCE.

29. Mycenaens vs. Minoans The Minoans The Mycenaens
First Greek civilization;
peaceful
Second Greek Civilization;
Warring invaders, pillagers and very violent
…compared to the Vikings.
The civilization developped on the
Isle of Crete.
The civilization developed on the
European continent.
They gave us nothing of value
We know not how their civilization ended,
or why
Theories: volcanic explosion & tsnuami
or devastating fire
They gave us Homer and his epics
As well as the Trojan War,
artwork & writing.

30. Apple Conclusion Observe Explain Concluding Questions
Hand in when complete

31. The “Dark Age” ( BCE)
Civil wars broke out following Trojan War
Dorians conquered Mycenaeans
Aegean world began era of “wandering and killing”
Independent communities developed
Layered view of nine major settlements of Troy
by Christopher Haussner based on archaelogical
excavation.

32. Greek City-States (700 - 338 BCE)

33. Greek City-States The Hellenes, or Greeks emerge from the Dark Age
The Polis, or city-state was the center of Greek life
Polis structure:
Acropolis (fortified hill)
Agora (marketplace at foot of acropolis)
Polis included homes, farming villages, fields, and orchards

34. Greek Civics and Politics
Civic and personal honor is one and the same
The Polis (city-state) is above everything else
Greenblatt, Lemmo. Human Heritage. Glencoe, McGraw-Hill 1995.

35. A New Government Solon created 1st Constitution (594 BCE)
Set of principles and rules for governing
Purpose: To end oligarchy and to prevent uprising against government by middle and lower class

36. The First Democratic Constitution
Created by Cleisthenes in 508 BCE (lasted 300 yrs.)
Limits power of rich & land ownership
All male landowners could vote
All debts were erased
All enslaved due to debt, were freed
All Athenians became citizens and able to participate in government
Assembly created to make laws
Representation of Cleisthenes

37. The Athenian Government Structure

38. Greek Religion
The most popular priestess was a priestess in the temple of Delphi.
The Delphi was the center of the world for Greeks.

39. Gods with human qualities (anthropomorphism)
Poseiden
The Courtship of Venus and Mars
Aphrodite

40. Greek Theater
Began during festivals honoring the god Dionysus (600 BCE)
Types of Plays
Tragedies
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euripides
Comedies
Only men could act in plays
A civic responsibility
"The Feast of the Gods".
Theatre of Apollo [foreground], mid-4th century BC; Temple of Apollo [C.], orig. mid-6th century BC (rebuilt BC)

41. The Great Greek Philosophers
Socrates
Plato
Aristotle

42. Socrates (469-399 BCE) Stonemason, spent time arguing with assembly
Taught: Question everything, use step-by-step questioning to final conclusion (Socaratic Method)
Executed for denying gods, corrupting youth, and trying to overthrow gov.
Greenblatt, Lemmo. Human Heritage. Glencoe, McGraw-Hill 1995

43. Plato (427-347 BCE) Pupil of Socrates Recorded speeches of Socrates
Father of Political Science
Founded The Academy to train government leaders
Wrote The Republic & The Dialogues

44. Aristotle (384-322 BCE) Pupil of Plato at The Academy
Trained in Medicine
“Master of Them That Know”
First to classify plants & animals
Developed final steps in scientific method (Hypothesis and Test)
Plato
Aristotle

45. The Illiad and the Odyssey
M. Bridgeo
The Illiad and the Odyssey
The poet Homer wrote two epic poems about the Trojan War named The Iliad and The Odyssey.
In modern times, we need to questions where truth and fiction part, and whether or not there is truth to any of it.
From all evidence, portions of the two legends are true while others are pure imagination…it is finding the line where one crosses into the other that is key.

46. What started the Trojan War?
M. Bridgeo
What started the Trojan War?
Greeks
Troy
Helen, wife of the king of
Sparta, Meneleas
Paris, the son of
Priam (king of Troy)
Was kidnapped by…
Agamemnon, brother of Meneleas, successfully convinced
the other greek kings to seek revenge…Achilles, the bravest and
Odysseus (the craftiest) of all.
Amongst the most important events of the Trojan war were:
Achilles pursued Hector (son of Priam) and killed him.
Odysseus’ ruse of leaving a trophy horse as evidence of surrender to Troy.
The horse, filled with Greek soldiers, was towed inside the walled city of Troy.
At night, with soldiers drunk and sleeping, the Greeks descended from the horse to slaughter the Trojans.
Priam is killed
Helen is reunited with Meneleas

47. The Trojan Horse M. Bridgeo

48. The weaponry and the protection of the soldiers during the Trojan war
M. Bridgeo
The weaponry and the protection of the soldiers during the Trojan war
The soldiers of this time period in ancient Greece had advanced technologies for war.
Watch this amazing video which demonstrates the weapons that would have been used in the Trojan War…
Weapons and Protection - The Trojan War

49. The Odyssey
M. Bridgeo
As you have already learned, Homer wrote two epic poems, the Iliad an the Odyssey.
The Iliad (15,300 verses) was about the Trojan War between the Greeks and the city of Troy, the Trojans. The second, the Odyssey (12,110 verses) told of the return of Odysseus and his companions from the war to his home island of Ithica.
This return lasted ten long years and was full of adventure, catastrophe and interaction with the deities of the ancient Greek religion.
As you watch the film, The Odyssey, listen/watch particularly well for the following which I would like you to describe;
Clothing of the day
The economy of the day
What monumental events transpired on the journey of Odysseus?
What transpired upon his return home?
To which deities were you introduced over the course of the film?