1. Classical Greece

2. Minoan Civilization (1750-1400 BC) – On the Mediterranean island of Crete – Great traders, traded with Egyptians, Mesopotamians – Capital at a fantastic palace at Knossos – Destroyed by a combination earthquake/tsunami around 1400 BC?

3. The Mycenaeans (1400-1200 BC) – Filled the power vacuum left by the disappearance of the Minoans – Lived in city-states on the Greek mainland – Fought the Trojan War between Greece and Troy (1250 BC)

4. The Trojan War – Mythological cause : Trojan prince (Paris) kidnapped a Greek queen (Helen) – Troy lost after a long war and the city was destroyed – Historic cause : Trojans and Mycenaeans were trading rivals

5. Homer Blind poet who lived around 750 BC Composed the Iliad, a story of the Trojan War Composed the Odyssey, a story of the hero Odysseus trying to get home from the Trojan War

6. The Greek Polis Polis is Greek for “city” Many small, independent city-states separated from one another by mountains and the sea Bound together by common culture, language, and religion

7. Monarchy Rule by one, usually a king or queen Some monarchs were elected for life, others seized power by force

8. Aristocracy Rule by the landowning class Those with the most land have the most power

9. Oligarchy Rule by the wealthiest business owners, merchants, and traders Those with the most material wealth have the most power

10. Democracy Direct Democracy: every citizen votes on every law Representative Democracy: citizens vote for representatives who then make the laws

11. Sparta – Had very rigid laws, designed to keep their many slaves in line – Militaristic society Boys began training for military at age 7 Even girls had to exercise rigorously, so as to be able to bear and raise strong children – Disliked their neighbors, had no use for the arts

12. Athens – Great wealth from trade – Began to move toward a democratic government with the creation of the Council of 500, the world’s first legislature – Only men could participate in government – Boys, if the family could afford it, went to school to learn to think

13. Greek Religion Polytheistic religion Zeus, Apollo, Athena, Ares, Poseidon, and Aphrodite were central gods and goddesses Extensive and elaborate mythology

14. Greek Xenophobia Greeks considered themselves superior to all non-Greeks; all non-Greeks were called “barbaroi” or barbarians.

15. The Persian Wars Athens incited Greeks in Ionia to rebel against Persian rule Persians landed an army at Marathon to attack Athens, but Athens defeated the Persians despite being outnumbered 40 to 1 Persia regrouped and attacked again 20 years later 300 Spartans held off the Persian army at Thermopylae, allowing the Athenians time to retreat Athenian navy ambushed and destroyed Persian navy at Salamis, ending the Persian threat

16. Golden Age of Pericles Leader of Athens Made Athens a direct democracy where every citizen had a say in government Rebuilt Athens into a beautiful, rich, and powerful city Went to war with Athens and its allies in the Peloponnesian War

17. Peloponnesian War Fought between Sparta and Athens Lasted 27 years Athens was struck with a terrible plague which killed Pericles and nearly half its population Spartans eventually won, ending Athenian golden age and the Classical Greek Era

18. Socrates Believed that knowledge was gained only through inquiry and taught his students to carefully question and pick apart the answers of those they questioned (Socratic Method) Sentenced to death for “corrupting the youth”

19. Plato Student of Socrates Documented Socrates teachings Ran a school called the Academy Taught his students to think rationally and logically

20. Aristotle Student of Plato Ran a school called the Lyceum Believed in studying all branches of knowledge Taught the “Golden Mean” or “all things in moderation” Strong distrust for democracy, felt a strong king was a better form of government

21. Greek Arts Geometric Architecture Lifelike, yet idealistic, sculpture, with an intense interest in the beauty of the human form Drama: – Tragedy – Comedy Epic, religious, and romantic poetry First true writers of history

22. History! Herodotus – “father of history”; actually went and collected facts instead of just repeating stories and legends, wrote about the Persian Wars Thucydides – wrote a fair and balanced account of the Peloponnesian War as it happened.

23. Architecture

24. Sculpture

25. Pottery Painting

26. Tragedy Aeschylus’ Oresteia and Oedipus Cycle Sophocles wrote Antigone Euripides’ The Trojan Women Stories of human suffering that always end with death and disaster

27. Comedy Aristophanes’ Lysistrata Mocked people or customs, especially political leaders and pointless wars

28. Sappho 6 th Century BC Author of intensely romantic poetry Her name, and that of her home island of Lesbos, have come to describe romantic love between two women: Sapphic love and Lesbian

29. Alexander the Great – Philip, King of Macedonia, conquered the Greek city- states. When Philip was assassinated, his 20 year old son Alexander became King over all of Greece – Alexander attacked and conquered Persia and marched as far as India before dying suddenly at age 32 – His new empire was quickly divided among his generals – His wars introduced Greek culture to far away lands and vice-versa; this new mixed east-west culture was called Hellenism.

31. Hellenistic Culture Port city of Alexandria was built in Egypt – Great Library of Alexandria – The Pharos, or lighthouse, one of the 7 Wonders advances in math under Pythagoras advances in astronomy under Aristarchus and Eratosthenes advances in invention: Archimedes perfected the lever and pulley advances in medicine under Hippocrates