Unit 4a: Greece
Sparta's government
monarchy/oligarchy. Government included 2 kings (generals in command of the army), 5 overseers who ran day to day operations, and a council of elders that advised the monarchs. An assembly of citizens approved all major decisions
Parthenon frieze/Parthenon procession
money collecting for Athena. a special robe (the peplos) was made by the women of Athens for the statue of Athena, which was carried to the Parthenon as part of the procession.
The Odyssey
sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer; The poem mainly focuses on the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the fall of Troy.
Parthenon
the Acropolis temple to honor Athena.
An Athenian's Defense to Delian League
the goal was to prevent the Persians from ever attacking again. To do that, the Greeks needed to be united and prepared. But some of the allies started to neglect payment (you need money to train soldiers and build weapons), or they wouldn't send troops to help. That must've been really frustrating to Athenian leaders. To an Athenian, it seemed like everyone was willing to slack off on their work yet still wanted to reap the benefits. So Athens had to step up and be a little bossy!
How is Greece different (geographically) from the previous civilizations studied in this course?
they have multiple islands around them
What was the Socratic method? Why did this pose a threat to government in Athens?
Socrates' critiques against democracy were difficult for Athenian leaders to deal with,especially during the time (Peloponnesian War) Athenians started to have enough of "Socratified youth"
phalanx
This is what the Persians were marching into! fighting formation of 256 men.
Aristotle
Thought democracy - mob rule. Advocated for 1 strong virtuous leader. Promoted the idea of asking questions by applying it to science- he helped develop the scientific process. Stresses the use of logic, reason and science to reach truth
Homer
legendary author of Ancient Greece; born between the 12th and 8th centuries BC
arête
ideal of excellence
The Iliad
it tells the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.
monarchy
king exercise central control
What were the types of governing styles in ancient Greece? Know the differences between a monarchy, oligarchy/aristocracy, and direct democracy and how each style was beneficial/detrimental
look at chart
Know the map of the Mediterranean world that you did for hw and where Athens and Sparta are each located
look at map.
Be able to locate Alexander the Great's empire. Which countries did it span?
look at pictures
Know the answers to the questions from your hw reading on Socrates
look at sheet
Agora (Athens)
market place
Delian League
Formed around 478 B.C.: an alliance between Greeks to ensure they stay united and keep fighting the Persians . Athens was in charge— handled the overall structure/ organization of this
Alexander the Great
GLORY AND CONQUEST WERE THE TRUE GOALS. a king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon.
How were Persia and Greece different?
*Greece was MUCH smaller and more decentralized (Remember...city states) *It had a scattered population of 2-3 million people. *Its city-states were fiercely independent and fought amongst themselves. Some had monarchies, some had democracy; some had a mix! Persia had a clear cut monarchy! * There was not as much cultural diversity: every Greek followed the same basic religion and had the same language
How did Greece prepare and win
1. Formed an alliance with Sparta 2. Picked battle sites that would give them the upper hand: Ex.: Battle of Thermopylae- Spartans picked Thermopylae b/c it was a strategic position. It allowed them to take away the Persian advantage (more numbers Ex. Tricked Persian Navy (Battle of Salamis) 3. Implemented brilliant military strategies. Use of the phalanx to protect their men (and keep their army numbers high!)
How might Greece's specific geographic features influenced state building, culture, and economics - Mountains/Separated Islands Athens
1. Mountains/Separated Islands- Development of different city states with different cultures. 2.City states limited (expansion) to certain areas. 3.Different city states→ adopt different government styles. 4.No unification (city states have different cultures→ city states become rivals. 5.THERE WAS NO GREEK EMPIRE. 6.Less communication between city states
How did Athenian democracy function? Legislative, executive, judicial
1. The Ekklesia (Assembly): Main governing body, voted on important topics such as war, voting on laws, foreign policy and taxes. Met 40 times per year. all males citizens over 19 age. 2. The Boule (Council of 500): These men were chosen by lottery and served one- year terms. The Boule made decisions about day-to-day government and decided what issues should go in front of the Ekklesia. 3. The Dikasteria (The Courts): was made up of 500 men over 30 years old, who were chosen by lottery. They decided legal cases by majority rule. There were no official police or lawyers. Athenian citizens served in these roles instead.
An important factor that prevented the ancient Greek city-states from uniting to form a single nation was the
1. lack of a common language 2. Size of the desert regions 3. Mountainous topography 4. Cold,hostile climate
How did Athenian democracy function?
3 branches: Legislative, executive and judicial.
Trojan War
9- 10 year war between the Mycenaeans versuses Greeks & Trojans; Mycenaeans won
ideas from "The Republic"
A Republic (indirect democracy) is when people elect politicians to represent their interests. These representatives propose and then vote on laws that the people must obey.
What was the function of the acropolis and agora?
Acropolis was for religion and prayers. Agora was the major marketing place in Athens
Hellenistic
Alexander the Great introduced such period. blend of Greek, Indian, Persian influences
Antigone
Antigone illustrates the struggle of a regular person who is caught between religious authority and government authority---we see that she chooses religion in the end. Her father was courted to death and she had a choice of protesting or not. She protested and supported her claim by mentioning gods.
What values were important to the Greeks? How did this relate to religion?
Arete - ideal of excellence. Showing excellence (through sports) to the gods during athletic events, and behaving in honorable ways, showed the gods that you respected them. Winning was even better! It showed strength and determination. Training for the games was hard work! Training showed the gods you were devoted to them (Olympics)
How is an Athenian democracy different from the American system?
Athens excluded slaves and women from democratic process. USA= indirect democracy and Athens has a direct democracy. USA- people not forced to vote; Athens- it was part of their "public responsibility" Athens- jury size much larger. Athens- officials elected every year (if one leader is bad, it can be changed) Citizenship was not extended to "immigrants" in Athens
How were Athenian and Spartan governments different?
Athens had democracy but Sparta had monarchy/oligarchy form of government.
How did Athens evolve into a democracy?**
Athens originally did have a king but... In the 6th century BCE, Athens was the site of ongoing fighting between the rich Athenians, who controlled the government, and poor Athenians, who were farmers and merchants. Solon came to power and created two groups: Assembly: where any free man could vote. Council of 400: Represented the interests of the wealthy. Peisistratus came to power but focused on economic reforms. Cleisthenes comes to power next and democracy starts.
Who won the first battle between Persians and Athens?
Athens. 6,400 Persians dead. 192 Athenians dead. Athens emerges as THE military might in Greece. The victory was so important that a messenger ran 26 miles to deliver the good news to Athens! He died from exhaustion immediately after the message was delivered
How is an Athenian democracy similar to the American system?
Both have a legislative body. Social class doesn't matter if you want to participate. Serve on juries in both societies. Same ideal: power is in the hands of the "many;" the people. Both value debate of policy. Laws are supposed to ensure equal justice. Both try to implement the idea of "balance of power" Elect leaders and can get rid of elected leaders. Passing of laws based on "majority rules" concept. Both value education
Know the general order/timeline of Greek history (see timeline slide in geography lesson)
Bronze Age (3000- 2000 B.C.) Minoan Period (2600 B.C.- 1400 B.C.) Mycenaean culture (1300 B.C.- 1000 B.C.) (Many disjointed periods in between) CLASSICAL age (430 B.C.-323 B.C.) Hellenistic Period (323 B.C.- 146 B.C.) Late Hellenistic/Greco-Roman Period (146 B.C.-30 B.C.)
How did city states choose to honor the gods? (case study- Athens)
Built Parthenon and temples. Athena was portrayed as powerful but wise! They built gigantic statues and temples to honor her. According to the ancient Greek history, Poseidon, god of the sea and Athena, goddess of peace and wisdom, disputed over whose name would be given to the newly built city. To end this dispute, it was decided that the city would be named after the one who offered the most precious gifts to the citizens. Poseidon struck his trident on a rock and salt water began to flow. Athena struck her spear on the ground and it turned into an olive tree. The Athenians picked the olive tree! Olives were symbolic of peace, triumph, and wisdom.
What were some obstacles that the Greeks(Athens) faced for Persian Wars?
City-States are not unified. Athens and Sparta HATE each other. Persia is an enormous empire that is far more organized and has far more people. The Greek Way: Trade, not Conquest.
Darius I (Persian King)
Darius I will start the conflict with Greece. His son, Xerxes will finish the war.
Xerxes (Persian King, son of Darius)
Darius's son. After Persian's first lose, it takes 10 years for the Persians to re-group and try again. This time it is Emperor Xerxes' turn. Engineering development for bridge
Plato
Distrusted democracy. Thought the state should regulate every aspect of society (the people shouldn't have a say) Advocated for a class called "philosopher kings" to rule over government affairs
Why were the Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis important to history?
Epic battles occurred that enhanced cultural pride among the Greeks. Creates a sense of nationalism. Greeks are the same ethnicity, speak the same language and worship the same gods. The Delian League was formed and allowed Athenian power to increase but this hurt alliances!Even the artwork changed. Before the Persians invaded statues smiled...during the Persian Wars the statues frowned!
democracy
Every (male) gets to vote on who represents their districts. Representatives work together to pass laws
How was Greek art different from other civilizations of the past (hint: compare Greek art to Ancient Egyptian art)? What did Greek artists focus on emphasizing? Why does Athens thus get referred to as a golden age?
Greek art was more realistic (this shows the Greeks knew their stuff about human muscles and anatomy) Focus on nudity/human body. Architecture- reflected equal proportions and balance. Focus on movement/everyday actions. Focus on everyday people
polis (Athens)
Greek city state. Parts of the polis (citystate): Acropolis and Agora
What type of government did Plato support, as set forth in "The Republic?" How was this similar to Socrates?
He supports monarchy because he doesn't like the idea that everyone has equal power and freedom
aristocracy
Society in which nobles have most of control because they have more wealth and control. more of the military and land
How did Athenian society "deal with" Socrates? Why could it be argued that what they did to him was undemocratic/hypocritical?
He was charged with corrupting the youth and not respecting the gods. The trial was held in the agora and the jury consisted of 500 men. His accusers wanted his punishment to be death; Socrates proposed his punishment be free meals. His lax attitude infuriated the accusers. We think today he just wanted to die at this point. (He was old) 360 jurors voted for death. Socrates died by drinking hemlock. It was a long painful death that paralyzed him. He had the rights to speak in democracy but other hand, he threatened democracy
Olympus
Heavens where gods and goddesses lived
Olympic Games
Held every 4 years in honor of Zeus. Athletes made animal sacrifices and prayed for success in the games. Only Greeks could compete (and they traveled from all over!) Winners were awarded with an olive wreath. Olives were sacred in Greek culture!
Know how Alexander the Great's childhood shape his character? his mom
His Mother Olympias was in a cult that worshipped snakes. Philip of Macedon once saw her in bed with a snake and became frightened of his wife. When Alexander was born Philip did not know if it was his son, or the son of a god! In myths, Zeus would sometimes appear as a snake. Olympias told Alexander he was one of the gods. She also said he was destined to rule the world. Made him feel superior over others and arrogant
What are the differences between Athenian society and Spartan society? (i.e. look at debate notes and know this in terms of politics, economics, culture [women's rights, slaves rights] and achievements)
If a slave made his way here and wrote his name, he was granted freedom in Athens.
Stadiums and theaters around temples and ritual sites in Athens
It didn't need to be an Olympic game happening to show respect and honor to the gods. But anytime a significant religious site was built...a stadium wasn't far behind Same with theaters! Acting was a way to change your behavior and please the gods.
Why were the Persian wars significant?
It preserved democracy. The Greeks exported democracy to the world. Western-Style government and culture is rooted in ancient Greece. Had the Persians won, who knows what the world would look like today.
Why was it difficult for the Athenians to attack the Spartans? (HINT: THINK GEOGRAPHY)
It was hard to attack Sparta since they were inland (Athens' navy becomes useless) Remember...it's the Spartans that have the formidable land army. Nevertheless, Athenians made great gains during the early years of the war
Why was the Delian league considered to be unfair? Know arguments supporting and refuting this claim.
It was not democratic!Athens made all the decisions about the alliance. Athens moved the treasury from Delos to Athens without consent. Athens was starting to act like an imperial power —in fact—the Delian League was eventually nicknamed as "The Athenian Empire" Athens forced other city states to remain in the League
How might Greece's specific geographic features influenced state building, culture, and economics - Sparta: Inland/Surrounded by Mountains
Limited farming. More focused on self sufficient growth. Ethnocentric attitude. Will develop strong land army
oligarchy
Middle class challenge landowning class. Power is in the hands of a small, powerful business elite. a group of best men
What are the geographic features of Greece?
Mountains/Separated Islands, Mediterranean Sea
How did the Greeks prepare for the invasion?
Officials from Athens came to Delphi to ask for a prophecy. The Oracle told the Athenians they would win with timber but that no Spartans would return. The Athenian statesman Themistocles convinces the Athenians to build up their Navy. They go from 70 warships to 200! Greeks make uneasy alliance with Spartans.
Pericles and his speech The Funeral Oration
One of the most famous leaders of Athens. He helped rule during both the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars. LEADER OF ATHENS DURING THEIR DEMOCRATIC GOLDEN AGE. Commander of Athens during Persian and Peloponnesian War. Defender of democracy! (Funeral oration) Created opportunities for poorer men to participate in gov't Paid to be on juries, courts controlled by local districts (not aristocrats) You were even allowed to vote to ostracize (banish) a public figure. Helped rebuild Athens. Public building projects (Parthenon) Hired artists, sculptors, etc to adorn the city. Funded schools. He is WHY Athens even had a golden age
Persian Empire and Greatness
Persia was a vast, multi-ethnic empire that controlled more than 35 million people. Their Monarchs had absolute power but they allowed local autonomy: many languages and religions flourished in Persia. The Empire was divided into "satrapies" or provinces. Each satrapy had a governor (a satrap) who relayed the wishes of the Monarch. "Eyes of the King" supervised the satraps and made sure they remained loyal.
How did Persia prepare to invade? What challenges did Xerxes have?
Persian Monarch Xerxes had to get his army into Greece. That meant he had to cross the sea, so he picked a place known as the Hellespont. He built a giant bridge across the area, but it was not easy. When a storm sank his bridge across the Hellespont, Xerxes got angry. His warriors lashed the sea 300 times and dropped chains into the water to display his power. He also had his engineers beheaded.
Persian Monarchs & Absolutism
Persian monarchs had conquered much of the known world. They did not believe that any power could defeat them. The Greeks seemed like puny irritants to them. NO FEAR!
pathos (Athens)
Plays showed the inner struggle of real people and the exploration of our humanity
How did Greek theater reinforce values such as debate?
Plays were meant to tell messages and people had emotional experiences! Semi circle design; slope helped sound to travel. All classes could thus enjoy going to the theater and listen to the messages of the actors/plays (lower classes sat further away)
What religious beliefs did the ancient Greeks have?
Polytheistic. Includes both men and women. Heavens (Mount Olympus) One superior god/hierarchy. Look like humans (to connect to people) Each god had a specific role
Socrates
Questioned the democratic process: can everyone truly be qualified to make political decisions?
strategies/ideas that could help unify the Greeks.
RELIGION AND MYTHS
Why did Persia want to fight with Greece?
Reason 1: To expand & consolidate the empire. The Greeks controlled many trade routes and the Persians wanted control! Reason 2: Revenge (thought Athenians were arrogant for thinking they could win) After the Athenians helped Ionians to fight the Persians, Darius was so outraged by their arrogance that he started planning his attack. To motivate him, he had a slave whisper in his ear every night: "Master-remember the Athenians" Reason 3: Thought Greek land to be wealthy, plentiful, and useful
What characteristics make up an Athenian democracy (hint: look at the Funeral Oration speech by Pericles)
Rule of the many (majority rules) Laws ensure equal justice. All fields are respected. Open to wisdom (open minded) Responsibility of the community to overcome poverty. Citizens have individual AND societal duty (public and private responsibilities) Every male had to participate in gov't! Participation in government= a civic responsibility. Value debate/discussion
Who are philosophers? How did the philosophers/ their way of thinking lead to advancements in science and art?
Someone who studies general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, government mind, and language. Asked questions like: "What is wisdom?" "What is truth?" "What is knowledge?" Emerged in Greece b/c they were concerned about their world. Persian and Peloponnesian wars caused people to question their lives,surroundings, gov't, etc
SPARTA PULLS A SURPRISE MOVE ON ATHENS!
Sparta allies with Persia later in the war and wins. Interesting fact—upon arriving in Athens and destroying the city the Persians wanted to burn it to the ground. The Spartans refused to out of respect of their fellow Greeks. Athens surrendered unconditionally. City states starts to eventually turn on city state which further disunifies them and allows for more powerful leaders to later gain control of Greece
Pan-Hellenic League
Sparta is also alarmed by the Persian invasion. They do not want Athens to have another solo victory—They want to share in the glory so Persians make alliance with Spartans for the victory after losing the first battle against Athens. first example of Greek nationalism. Athens are Sparta make alliance
Who wins Peloponnesian War?
Sparta wins. Athens remains an economic powerhouse but never again becomes an imperial power
How might Greece's specific geographic features influenced state building, culture, and economics - Mediterranean Sea Athens
Strong maritime tradition→ develop a strong navy
How did the Greeks conceptualize death? How was this different from the Egyptians?
The Greeks did believe in an after-life but death was not glorified like it was in Egypt. Greeks tended to focus on the negative portrayal of the Underworld. The girl on the stele died young and her parents wanted to remember her in a good light; however, the piece also portrays longing and the hesitation to "let go" of this world. Greeks did not have a scripture/book to follow, nor did they have a priestly class (although there were religious people) Gods and goddesses were expected to answer prayers and people were expected to sacrifice (animals) to the gods in return. They also paid tribute to the gods in other ways
How does the play Antigone illustrate Greek values?
The Greeks honored the gods and goddesses and by mentioning gods to support her side, it shows how the Greeks valued religion the most
The British currently house many of the pieces from the Parthenon Procession frieze. Why is that a hot topic of debate currently? (see hw article!)
The Greeks want the frieze back because its their possessions and shows their history(they built it in the first place) However, the British doesn't want to because they kept it safe for years and sharing will promote Greeks history too.
Who won the Persian wars?
The Greeks won the Persian Wars. Similar to Thermopylae: The Persians got stuck in a bottleneck and were then trapped! That's it for the Persians! Xerxes has enough and goes back to Asia. He learns his lesson: Don't mess with the Greeks!
The battle of Thermopylae
The Greeks would have won but the Persians were able to cut around the pass and encircle the Greeks. In order to allow the other Greeks a chance to escape and re-group, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans face the ENTIRE Persian Army. All 300 are killed. They sacrifice themselves to save Greece. Themistocles decides that the "timber" is the Navy
Know how Alexander the Great's childhood shape his character? his horse
The Taming of Bucephalus: A horse dealer came to Philip of Macedon to sell him Bucephalus. Philip sent his horse trainers to test out Bucephalus—He bucked all of them off. Philip refused to buy the horse because it was he could not be broken. Alexander said to his father that it was a shame to not buy such horse because others were too stupid to ride him and said he could tame Bucephalus. No thought he would succeed. But he did...at age 13! Bucephalus became his warhorse and symbol
Parthenon Procession.
The entire frieze around the Parthenon pays tribute to Athena and the gods. Once a year people marched to the Parthenon for a religious festival.
acropolis (Athens)
The most sacred site
Why was Delphi so influential to the Greeks?
The oracles and priestesses at Delphi were thought to have powers that could predict the future. Delphi was in independent place located up in the mountains-- (in a hidden nook) to help protect from invaders. Were the predictions accurate? Before the Persian Wars, officials from the city state came to Delphi to ask for a prophecy. The Oracle told the Athenians they would win with timber but that no Spartans would return. Fighting over oracle interpretation was common. Scholars often used Delphi as a focal point for intellectual inquiry.No fighting between city states was allowed to happen here...but people did try to rob it (there was lots of loot!) Even though fighting wasn't allowed—it was a common place of rivalry and competition- city states wanted to show off to the oracles. They would send gifts! The concept of oracles/the use of Delphi will come to an end later in history when the Romans take over
oracle
The oracles would tell prophecies. They were usually cryptic in nature
Idealism (art) (Athens)/ Why do you think the Greeks portrayed humans like this and why was it so revolutionary?
To the Greeks, the point was to show subjects in their most IDEAL FORM. a human's ideal/ truest form was its most beautiful and the truest form was nudity. Showing something in equal proportions was also showing beauty. Also, showing everyday people and movement helped illustrate everyday struggles and emotion of the people, or show what was important to them (sports!) They also used art to illustrate religious beliefs...but this new focus on human's truest forms was revolutionary!
Peloponnesian war
War between Athens and Sparta (and their alliances) Became more of a war between democracy vs. monarchy. Pericles used this time to promote democracy THE FUNERAL ORATION IS A PIECE OF PROPAGANDA!
How did Alexander the Great's dad (Philip II) set the stage for Alexander's empire? Why was it easy for him to conquer so much land at this time?
When Philip became king of Macedonia, he dreamed of: 1) Consolidating his kingdom 2) Conquering Greece and all of its city states 3) Conquering the vast Persian Empire. 359-336 BCE. The Greeks were disunified and weak from Pelo. Wars... even then Philip still avoided some of the stronger city states. Philip fails to capture Persia
How did each main philosopher (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle) think a government should be run? What critiques did they have against a democracy?
Women shouldn't participate in government activities and freedom shouldn't be equal between men and women. They all lowered women.
How were women viewed in Ancient Greek society?
Women were second-class citizens. Role was to be wives and mothers; produce new citizens. Manage household work and slaves. Often cut off from formal education. Legally, wives became the property of their husbands. Main occupation was spinning and weaving: this was true of ALL women from royalty to slaves.
dialectic speech (Socrates hw)
a discussion between two or more people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing to establish the truth through reasoned arguments
Stoicism
a philosophy of personal ethics which is informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. during hellenistic period
How were the Greeks influenced by the Phoenicians?
colonized vast areas of Europe, along the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts. In doing so, they spread their culture, which strongly influenced the local tribes
direct vs. indirect democracy (which one was Athens?
direct democracy because every males voted himself. indirect democracy is having representatives for each city. Direct democracy, sometimes called "pure democracy," is a form of democracy in which the people themselves individually determine the laws and policies by which they are governed. This is done by having each citizen vote on every law that is being proposed. A Republic (indirect democracy) is when people elect politicians to represent their interests. These representatives propose and then vote on laws that the people must obey.
tragedies and comedies (Athens)
extreme emotional experiences
Who was Pericles? What types of contributions is he known for (HW review!)
general of Athens during the Golden Age—specifically the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. Pericles turned the Delian League into an Athenian empire, and led his countrymen during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War.Pericles promoted the arts and literature; it is principally through his efforts that Athens holds the reputation of being the educational and cultural center of the ancient Greek world. created Acropolis and Parthenon. Expanded democracy values in athens
What purpose did Greek myths/stories serve?
unified Greeks. shared history & religion. Heroism & role models. Glory of war. Morals & values. Answers big life questions. Religion/myths helped to explain the world around them (explain natural phenomenon). These are called the "came to be" stories. Religion/myths told the consequences of bad behavior. Religion/myths told of values Greeks should have and related this to heroes (honor, courage, responsibility for own actions Ex. The Iliad & The Odyssey, Hades and Persephone, Hercules)
