1. The Greek City-States

2. The Earliest Greeks Minoans
Developed on the island of Crete around BC. (label)
Historians trace the origins of Greece to Crete
Sailors and traders.
A volcano erupted nearby, causing tidal waves, destroying the Minoan civilization.
Left behind written records- but historians cannot read their writings. Knowledge of their civilization is from archaeology and writings of Greek historians.

3. The Earliest Greeks FUN FACT!
The word Minoan comes from a mythical Cretan king named Minos. According to the myth- Minos built a labyrinth, or maze, beneath his palace. A monstrous Minotaur lived in here and was offered regular sacrifices of unlucky humans….

4. The Earliest Greeks Mycenaean Settled on mainland Greece.
Warring people who grouped themselves in clans and tribes.
Extensive trade and wars made the kings rich.
Conquered what was left of the Minoans.
Adapted many elements of Minoan civilization. (language and religion)

5. Thought Questions:
Who did the Mycenaean’s trade with?
What was the benefit of their location in terms of trade?

6. The Gods of Mount Olympus
Like most other ancient peoples, the Greeks were polytheistic.
The Greeks developed many myths about their gods, which helped them understand the many mysteries of nature and life.
The myths helped them explain birth, death, disease, storms, and victories and defeats in battle.

7. The Greeks believed that most gods lived on Mount Olympus.
The Greeks believed that their gods and goddesses were very much like humans. They looked and acted like humans, but unlike humans, gods were immortal.
The Greeks honored their gods in many ways. Every four years, the Greeks held athletic contests to honor Zeus, known as the Olympic Games.

8. The Olympics
FUN FACTS!
The first Olympic Games took place in 775bc and lasted one day.
Today’s games include 28 different sports in summer and 7 in winter and last 2 weeks.
Do you notice any games from the original Olympics that are still played today?

9. The Power of Greek Myths and Legends
In the Trojan War, fought between the Greeks and the people of Troy, gods and goddesses helped heroes on both sides of the battle.
Troy, a city on the western coast of Asia Minor, really existed. However, the story of the war is a blend of legend and myth.
Legends are about heroes and their great deeds. Myths are traditional stories that may include gods and goddesses and that often try to explain events in nature.

10. The Power of Greek Myths and Legends
Sparta, a Greek city-state, was home to Helen, who was carried off to Troy. This started the Trojan War.
To end the war, the Greeks built a giant, wooden horse. The Trojans thought it was a gift that showed the Greeks surrendered. They pulled the horse into the city.
At night, Greek soldiers crept out of the horse and opened the city gates to the Greek army.

12. According to tradition, a blind poet named Homer composed two poems about this war. These poems were the Iliad and the Odyssey.

13. Rivals: Athens and Sparta
Athens video
Sparta Video:
Thought Questions:
-What do you notice about the locations of Athens vs Sparta?
- Why would they battle for control of this area? Why would they be rivals?

14. Rivals: Athens and Sparta
In return for their rights, citizens of Athens had major responsibilities. They were expected to defend the city in times of conflict.
They also had to take part in government by serving on juries and participating in political debates on important issues.
Look at the picture on page 232- What do you notice about the location of the Parthenon? What is significant about this?

15. Rivals: Athens and Sparta
One of the greatest political leaders in Athens, Pericles, described the responsibilities of citizenship:
“We do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he has no business here at all.”
Thought Question: What was Pericles’ point of view about citizenship?

16. Rivals: Athens and Sparta
In many ways, Sparta, a city-state located in the southern part of Greece, was the opposite of Athens.
The Spartans lived in a strictly ruled military state. Sparta invaded neighboring city-states, taking over farmlands and forcing the local people to become slaves.

17. Rivals: Athens and Sparta
Life in Sparta centered on the army. Government officials examined newborn infants to see if they were healthy. Only healthy infants were allowed to live.
When Spartan boys turned seven, they were sent to military camps to begin training for a lifetime in the army. Their training was brutal. They were given little food or clothing and were expected to survive by stealing whatever they needed.

18. Women in Sparta
The state also expected Spartan women to be strong and responsible. They ran, wrestled, and played other active sports. When Spartan women sent their sons off to war, it was with this advice:
“Return home with your shield or on it.”
Thought Question:
What was the meaning of the advice from Spartan women?

19. Women in Sparta
Spartan men spent so much time with the army that their wives did not see them very often. Spartan women spent most of their time with each other.
They had more personal rights than women in other Greek city-states. They could own property and express opinions on important issues. They managed family estates while men were away at war.
However, like the women of Athens, Spartan women could not take part in governing the city-state.

20. Athens Vs. Sparta Activity
In groups, you will read the articles about life in Athens and Sparta. Then you will complete the graphic organizer for each article.

21. The Golden Age of Athens

22. Thought Questions:
What do you notice about the locations of both the Persian Empire and Greece?
What do you think would lead to tensions between them?

23. The Greeks Clash with the Persians
At the time, Athens was growing more powerful, Persia was the strongest military power in the world.
In 490 BC, Persia attacked the Greek mainland with a huge army. The two armies clashed at a plain northeast of Athens called Marathon.

24. The Greeks Clash with the Persians
According to legend, after the Athenian victory, the Athenian army sent a warrior named Pheidippides back to Athens with the news. He ran the entire distance—25 miles.
Today, we remember this legend in the name of the longest Olympic race—the marathon.

25. The Greeks Clash with the Persians
The Greeks knew the Persians would attack again with an even larger army. To survive, Spartans and Athenians put aside their differences and prepared to fight the Persians together.
In 480 BC, a Greek army held off a much larger Persian army for three days at a mountain pass north of Athens. A small force that included 300 Spartans stood its ground until almost all its soldiers were killed.

26. Movie Magic Read about the Battle of Thermopylae on page 224-225.
Why do you think this battle inspired the movie 300?
What is significant about this event?

27. The Greeks Clash with the Persians
Then, in a mighty sea battle at Salamis, Athenian ships trapped and destroyed the Persian fleet. The Persian invasion ended soon afterwards.
In 479 BC, Athens and Sparta, working together, had defeated the most powerful empire of its time.
Thought question:
Look at the image on page 223- What about the structure of this ship would have helped to make the Athenians successful?

28. Thought question….
Which two enemies worked together to defeat the Persians? Why is this significant?

29. The Golden Age
After the defeat of the Persians in 479 BC, Athens entered a period known as the Golden Age.
New temples were built
Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle extended human knowledge. They searched for beauty and order in the world and tried to find natural laws that explained actions in the world. Philosophers had a respect for the power of reason.
Greek physicians studied causes of illness.

30. Thought Questions…
Why is the period after the defeat of the Persians considered a “golden age” for Athens?
What did Greek philosopher believe?
Complete Greek War Chart for Persian Wars and Trojan Wars.

31. The Greeks Fight Against Each Other
During its Golden Age, Athens became the most powerful Greek city-state.
After the defeat of Persia, the leaders of Athens formed the Delian League. This was an alliance. Some city-states were forced to join.
Athenian generals began interfering in the affairs of other city-states, so other Greeks became angry and resentful.

32. The Greeks Fight Against Each Other
Sparta became the leader of the city-states opposed to Athens.
In 431 BC, war broke out between Athens and Sparta. It was called the Peloponnesian War.
Athens great strength was sea power. Sparta was more of a land power.
A plague broke out in Athens. It killed thousands of people, including Pericles. After Pericles’ death, the government of Athens became unstable and surrendered.
Thought Question:
What was the major reason for Sparta’s victory over Athens?

33. Decline of the Greek City-States
By the end of the Peloponnesian War, Greece had fallen on hard times. War had taken its toll.
The once victorious Sparta was defeated in a battle against the Greek city-state of Thebes.
Meanwhile, another power was rising to the north: Macedonia. A great leader was soon to emerge.
Thought Question:
Why was Sparta so weak even though it was victorious in the Peloponnesian War?

34. Activity Complete the Greek Wars Chart for Peloponnesian War
Discuss all three wars

35. Alexander the Great Alexander the Great

36. About Alexander 20 years old
Studied in Athens under the great philosopher, Aristotle
Great warrior
His father was Philip II of Macedonia, who was a great leader, but made many enemies. He was murdered by a young noble.

37. Alexander’s Conquests
It did not take long for Alexander to show his leadership qualities. In 334 BC, just two years after he became king of Macedonia, Alexander invaded the Persian Empire and won.
Alexander then turned south. He conquered Syria, Phoenicia, and Egypt.
He faced the Persians a second time and was once again victorious.

38. A Great Empire
He took his army through the rugged mountains of India. Five years after his march started, it ended because of monsoon rains. The army was tired and could not go forward anymore. Alexander marched his army back to Greece.
However, he fell ill and died before he could return.
During his 13 year rule, Alexander created a vast empire in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
He founded many new cities.
He spread the Greek culture to the conquered lands.
He also adopted many Asian ways. A new civilization developed from this blend of Greek and Asian cultures. This was called the Hellenistic Age.
For these accomplishments, the young Macedonian king is known in history as “Alexander the Great.”

39. The Hellenistic Age
During this time, new Greek cities were founded in all parts of the empire. These cities became centers of Greek culture.
Trade grew between the Hellenistic cities and far-off parts of the world.
One of the cities Alexander founded, Alexandria in Egypt, became the greatest center of trade and learning.

40. Discovery and Invention
Greek Science and Math reached their peaks during the Hellenistic Age. Doctors made many discoveries about how the human body works.
Hippocrates was a doctor who looked for natural causes of diseases. He is the father of medicine.
Archimedes was the most famous inventor of his time. He was also an important mathematician.
Pythagoras and Euclid were other important mathematicians.

41. Greek Culture Stations
Review Brochure Rubric
You will Choose the following stations to complete
Either Greek Art or Theater
Either History or Greek Architecture
Either The Gods and Myths or Honoring the Gods
Either City-States and the Gods or Philosophy
Either Greek Literature or Science and Technology