1. ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL GREECE
CIVILIZATION COMES TO EUROPE

2. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY The Land The Sea Economy
Mountains dominate land; cross land travel difficult
Fertile river valleys were center of settlement
River valleys formed basis of polis
No place more than a few miles from sea
Outdoor life common due to temperate climate
The Sea
Greece is a series of peninsulas, islands
Sea travel easier than land communication
Most Greeks took to the sea
Economy
Agriculture: Grains, honey, olives, grapes
Herding: Goats, sheep, cattle
Trade: Necessary to make up for lack of resources

3. PHYSICAL MAP OF AREA

4. MINOAN SOCIETY Island of Crete Knossos Society
From 2200 to 1450 B.C.E., center of Mediterranean commerce
Received early influences from Phoenicia and Egypt
Established colonies on Cyprus and islands in the Aegean Sea
Knossos
Minoan society arose on Crete
Arose late 3rd millennium B.C.E.
Palaces at Knossos between 2000, 1700 B.C.E.
Linear A, a kind of written language, is found
Society
Evidence of egalitarian society; women had rights
Agriculture was important: grapes, olives, fishing, wheat
Trade was very important: marble, artifacts, cloth
Decline of Minoan Society
After 1700 B.C.E., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis
After 1450 B.C.E., wealth attracted a number of invaders
By 1100 B.C.E., Crete fell under foreign (Hellenic) domination

5. THE ISLAND OF CRETE

6. MYCENAEAN GREECE Mycenaean society
Indo-Europeans settled in area, 2000 B.C.E.
Settled in Peloponnesus around Mycenae
Adapted Minoan Linear A into Linear B
Fortified agricultural settlements
Society resembled Aryan: emphasis on war, trade
Kingdoms ruled by strongest of nobles; constant strife
Chaos in the eastern Mediterranean 1100 to 800 BCE
Mycenaeans engaged in Trojan war, about 1200 B.C.E.
Troy may have been a Hittite city-state and trade rival
Tomb of Agamemnon, Troy excavated by von Schliemann in late 1700s
Recorded by Homer in the Illiad and the Odyssey
More invasions by Hellenic tribes
“Sea Peoples”
Later Hellenic invaders moved by sea along coasts
Seemed to have raided into Palestine, Egypt as Philistines

7. ANCIENT GREECE

8. THE GREEK DARK AGES 800 TO 500 BCE The Hellenes
Called Dark Ages due to loss of writing
Age remembered through oral traditions
Likely the Age of Homer
Oral traditions of Illiad and the Odyssey
A period of migration and warfare
Hellenes spread to Italy, Sicily, Asia Minor, Cyprus
The Hellenes
Indo-Europeans who settled in area
Tribes include Dorians, Attics, Achaeans
Originally aristocratic societies
Warfare, slavery, and trade common

9. GREEK TRIBES

10. THE POLIS Greek City-State Most important
Polis = city-state; Poleis = city-states
Metropolis = city of polis
Acropolis = fortified center of city
Boundaries shaped by geography
Terms of politics come from POLIS
Politics, politic, politician, polite, polity
Police, metropolis, metroplex
Most important
Athens
Sparta

11. MAP OF GREEK POLEIS

12. POLITICAL FORMS Archon: Greek for “ruler” – English “archy”
Kratien: Greek for “to rule” – English “cracy”
Demos: People – Democracy (direct election)
Aristos: The Best – Aristocracy (nobles)
Oligos: The Few – Oligarchy (rule by select few)
Monos: One – Monarchy (rule by a king)
Di: Two – Diarchy (Sparta’s state had 2 kings)
An: None – Anarchy (No government)
Theos: God – Theocracy (Rule by priests, religion)
Geron: Old Man – Gerontocracy (rule by elderly)
Pater: Father – Patriarchy (rule by males)
Mater: Mother – Matriarchy (rule by women)
Auto: Self – Autocracy (dictatorial rule)
Tyrannos: Tyrant – Tyranny (rule by an usurper with supreme power)
Ethnos: Ethnic or locals – Ethnarchy (rule by the local people)

13. The Development of Democracy in Ancient Greece
Monarchy
Oligarchy
Tyranny
Democracy
Definition
Form of government in which ruling power is in the hands of one person
Form of government in which ruling power is in the hands of a few leaders
Form of government in which ruling power is in the hands of a person who has seized control
Form of government in which ruling power is in the hands of the people
Visual

14. The Development of Democracy
Monarchy
Oligarchy
Tyranny
Democracy
How was this form of government practiced in ancient Greece?
Mycenaeans paid taxes to king, obeyed laws, depended upon them for protection
Political decisions were made by aristocrats and selected members of the middle class. Ordinary citizens had little say in how the city-state was run.
With support from the middle class, tyrants seized power to reform laws, aid the poor, and cancel debts.
Athens was the birthplace of democracy. All male citizens could participate in Athenian government. The Assembly made laws and it was enforce by the Council of 500.
Why did this form of government decline in ancient Greece?
Mycenaean kings lost power when fighting rival monarchs over land and raw material. Dorians also destroyed the Mycenaean kingdoms.
Some oligarchs ruled harshly and their subject rebelled. Others lost the faith of their supporters because they could not solve key problems such as food shortages.
Some tyrants became harsh and greedy and were overthrown.

15. SPARTA Sparta Spartan society
Situated in a fertile region of the Peloponnesus
Began to extend control during the 8th and 7th centuries B.C.E.
Reduced neighboring peoples to the status of helots, or servants
By 6th century B.C.E., helots outnumbered Spartans by 10 to 1
Maintained domination by a powerful military machine
Spartan society
Discouraged social distinction, observed austere lifestyle
Distinction was drawn by prowess, discipline, and military talent
Commitment to military values was strong
Society was a military aristocracy; state ruled by two kings
Young boys, girls educated in military barracks
After marriage, men still lived at barracks; women ran homes
Women: surprisingly free in comparison to other Greek women
All merchants were foreigners licensed by the state

16. LACONIA’s administrative capital was Sparta

17. LACONIA: SPARTA

18. ATHENS Athens Athenian society Class Conflict
Population growth, economic development caused political strain
Sought to negotiate order by democratic principles
Citizenship was open to free adult males
Foreigners, slaves, and women had no rights
Athenian society
Maritime trade brought about prosperity
Aristocratic landowners were principal beneficiaries
_ Society valued education, philosophy and beauty.
Class Conflict
Owners of small plots began to sell lands
Many debtors sold themselves into slavery
Class conflict intensified, 6th century B.C.E.
Solon and Athenian democracy
Solon forged a compromise between the classes
Opened polis councils for any male citizen
Pericles (ca B.C.E.)
The most popular democratic leader of Athens
Ruled Athens during its Golden Age

19. ATHENIAN THASSALOCRACY

20. GREECE & THE LARGER WORLD
Greeks founded more than 400 colonies
Controlled Black, Aegean, Adriatic, Ionian Seas
Settled Sicily, S. Italy, Corsica, France, Spain, Africa
Settled Coasts of Yugoslavia, Albania, Turkey, Cyprus
Effects of Greek colonization
Facilitated trade among Mediterranean lands
Facilitate exchanges between peoples, cultures
Spread of Greek language and cultural traditions
Stimulated development of surrounding areas
Spread civilization to ancient, Neolithic areas
Warfare increased
Technology stimulated: naval, navigation, astronomy

21. THE GREEK WORLD

22. GREEK MILITARY Based on citizen soldiers Greek navy
Lightly armed, armored foot soldiers (Hoplites)
Carry shields, long spear
All citizens had to furnish own arms, armor
All citizens expected to fight in army, navy
All citizens had military training in school
Fought in massed formations called Phalanx
Very useful in rugged terrain; used 10’ long pikes
Easily defeats massed cavalry favored by others
Greek navy
Rowed vessels called galleys
Most famous was the trireme or three oar banked
Rowed by free citizens
Fought by ramming other vessels; than hand to hand
Greek fleets included larger vessels
Equites or mounted troops were aristocrats

23. THE PERSIAN WARS (300) The Persian War (500-479 B.C.E.)
Cyrus and Darius controlled Anatolia
Greek cities on Ionian coast revolted, 500 B.C.E.
Darius’ Invasion
The battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.E.
Greeks led by Spartans and Athens battled Persia to a draw
Xerxes Invasion
To fight Persians, Athenians build a wall of wood, or a navy
Xerxes seized, burned Athens
Athenian navy destroys Persian in the battle of Salamis, 480 B.C.E.
Persian army retreated back to Anatolia, 479 B.C.E.
The Delian League
Alliance among Greek poleis against Persian threat
Military force from Athens, finance from other poleis
As Persian threat subsided, poleis no longer wanted to participate
Athens uses navy to turn Delian League into Athenian Empire

24. MAPPING THE PERSIAN WARS

25. PELOPONNESIAN WAR Pericles Rebuilds Athens
Athens experiences a Golden Age
Pericles turns Delian states into Athenian colonies
30 Year Civil War ( B.C.E.)
Athens and Allies vs. Sparta and Allies
Costly victories/defeats and plague wreck city
Unconditional surrender of Athens, 404 B.C.E.
Hegemony first by Sparta and then by Thebes
Constant warfare between leagues, allies
Spartan hegemony replaced by Theban
Greece horribly weakened
Athens remained intellectual center of Greece

26. THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR