Ancient Greek Civilization

Ancient Greek Civilization

1. 1. Origins of the ancient Greek civilization

   • The Minoan Civilization (3000BC - 1450BC)
     • Start on Island of Crete, once ruled by a famous leader Minos
     • Learnt from Egyptian and Babylonians
     • Advanced skills in architecture, copper making and pottery
   • The Mycenaean Civilization (1450BC - 1100BC)
     • Mycenaeans learnt from Minoan civilization
     • Skills in ship-building, metal work & pottery
     • Invade Troy in Asia Minor in Troyan war
       • Prince Paris of Troy in love with Queen Helen of Sparta
       • Mycenaean King (Agamemmon) helped his brother (Spartan King), form allied army to attack Troy. However, the war took for 10 years without a success
       • The war suddenly stopped one day. Troyan took the giant wooden horse left by Greek ally
       • Greek soldiers hiding inside the wooden horse attacked surprisingly at night and kill all Troyans
     • Achaeans built many cities, include Mycenae on the southern part of Greek peninsula in 2000BC
     • End due to invasion of Dorians (1100BC)
       • Enter its Dark Ages (1100BC - 800BC) Civilization stagnated 停滯不前
         • Develop independent City-states (Greek civilization begin to develop) in late 800BC

2. 2. The rise and development of Greek

   • Develop independent City-states (Greek civilization began to develop) in late 800BC, setting up different governments
     • Geographical barriers - cities cut off by sea and mountains
     • Culture differences - different tribes
     • Enter from Dark Ages to Classical Age in (500BC - 300BC) when several hundred City-states was developed on the Greek Peninsula (GP)
       • 2 most important city-states - Athens and Sparta
         • Athens (SE coast of GP)
           • Democracy
           • Highest authority: Assembly
           • Love Education, Children sent to school
             • Great thinkers
           • Rich due to trading
           • Strong navy
           • Great temples and open-air theatres
         • Sparta (Southern inland area of GP)
           • Oligarchy
           • Highest authority: Council of Elders
           • Warlike, Love sports, Children were sent to barracks
             • Strong army
           • Mainly farming

3. 3. Life in the Greek city-states

   • Government
     • Monarchy (by king)
       • Absolute power that control army, perform religious rituals
     • Oligarchy (by nobles)
       • Elites in Greece and influential, they provided money and weapons in wartime
         • e.g. Sparta Oligarchy
           • Ephor (5) (elected by citizens) follow CoE and supervise the kings
           • Council of Elders CoE (28 elders chosen from nobles aged over 60)
           • 2 Kings chosen by 2 royal families
     • Democracy (by people)
       • e.g. Athenian democracy
         • Overthrew Monarchy and Oligarchy and set up government by lots or election (600BC)
         • The Assembly (All male citizen aged > 20)
           • elect "People's Court"
             • 6000 jurors 陪審團 chosen from citizens by lots
             • 600 jurors formed a group and in charge of a court, 10 courts in total
           • elect Officials
             • Serve < 1 year
             • report to citizen on their work at the end of year
           • Council (formed by 10 tribes with 50 each)
             • Draft bill for Assembly to vote
   • Society
     • Citizens
       • born and lived in the city
       • protected by laws
       • pay taxes
       • serve in army
       • Right to vote
     • Women
       • No right to vote, but protected by laws
       • Poor work at home
       • Rich stay at home
     • Slave
       • former criminals, prisoners or sold children
       • not protected by laws
       • sold at market
       • Slave uprising 起義 history in Sparta (464BC)
   • Economic activities
     • Farming and fishing (farmers, fishermen)
       • Grow wheat, barley 大麥, grapes and olives
       • Keep livestock
       • Fish in Aegean and Mediterranean Seas
     • Trade (Merchants)
       • city-states
       • Egypt, Middle East & Asia
     • Handicrafts (Craftmen)
       • fine furniture, pottery, sculptures & jewellery
       • Most foreigners or slaves
   • Culture
     • Education
       • Mostly private. Rich can learn from famous teacher
       • Some set up public schools
     • Sports
       • Held sports competitions in Coliseums
       • worship gods at the same time
     • Religion and Myths
       • 12 major gods, headed by Zeus, lived on Mount Olympus. They have emotions
       • City-states worship particular gods/goddess. e.g. Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, protect Athens (people worship at Parthenon)
       • Punish people not respecting them. That's why stop fighting in Olympic games
       • Myths about Heroes (half-god and half-human) e.g. Heracle

4. 4. Relationships with other peoples

   • Ancient Greek colonies (Starting from 800BC)
     • Storage of flat land and food
     • Settle and set up colonies along Black and Mediterranean Seas, but not rule strictly
     • Native people in colonies enjoy freedom and accept Ancient Greek civilization
   • Rivalry 較勁 between ancient Greece and Persia (600BC - 500BC)
     • Persians in central Asia rise and expand to Asia Minor
     • People in Asia Minor asked Ancient Greeks for help to revolt against Persians
   • The Persian Wars (499BC - 449BC)
     • 490BC, Persian king Darius I sent troops to supress revolts in Asia Minor, and decided to invade GP
       • Battle of Marathon 490BC
         • Persia invaded Athens. Spartan no involved, but Athenians won
       • Battle of Thermopylae 480BC
         • Persians attacked Greece. Spartan king Leonidas I led soldiers to defend. They stopped successfully the attack by Persians but the king and soldiers fought to death that bought time for ally to retreat
       • Battle of Salamis 480BC
         • Persia invaded Athens. Athenians abandoned the city and fought against Persians on the sea. Finally defeated the Persian navy at Salamis

5. 5. Decline of Greek city-states (due to wars between city-states after the Persian Wars)

   • The war between Athens and Sparta (2 strongest states)
     • Pericles ruled Athens from 461BC - 429BC. He turned Athens into Centre of Art, learning and trade. He formed the Dalian League which was turned into an Athenian Empire
     • Peloponnesian war broke out between Alliances of Athens and Sparta in 431BC. Athens was defeated in 404BC. Spartans dominated the GP.
       • Due to the expansion of Athens ruled under Pericles that made Sparta and its allies worrying. They defeated Athens with the help of Persians
     • Sparta and other Greek city-states delcined after long period of wars, finally the GP was conquered by Macedonia (a city-state in Northern central Greece).
   • Rule of Philip II (Ruler of Macedonia) who conquered the whole GP in 338BC. He was killed by his guard in 336BC
   • Rule of Alexander the Great (Son of Philip II, student of Aristotle) who loves the Greek civilization
     • Continue father's plan - "Free all those Greeks under the rule of Persian Empire in Asia Minor". Starting from 334BC
       • Persian army was defeated after king Darius III fled in the Battle of Issus - end of Persian Empire in 330 BC
         • Defeated Indian Army in 326BC. Soldiers did not want to go further eastwards. Army returned to Greece
           • Alexandra the Great died at Babylon in his return to Greece in 323 BC, at age of 32.
       • Conquered Egypt and build the a great city Alexandria there in 332BC
         • A general Ptolemy set up a dynasty in Egypt with Alexandria as the capital where it became the cultural centre at the time. This helped to spread ancient Greek civilization and knowledge
     • Set up a large empire covered Europe, Africa & Asia, and spread the Greek civilization to the places he conquered
   • Spread and end of the ancient Greek civilization (323BC-146BC) the Hellenistic Age
     • Though the empire divided after Alexandra the Great died, the influence and spread of Greek civilization still strong in the whole Mediterranean region, West and Central Asia
     • Ancient Romans conquered Macedonia and the whole GP in 146BC in Macedonia wars

6. 6. Legacies of the ancient Greek civilization

   • City planning and architecture
     • Forums 論壇, Theatres, Coliseums, Libraries
     • Use marble as building material
       • Pediments 三角形楣飾 supported by pillar. The capital 柱頭 of pillars were carved with the beautiful patterns of great artistic values and adopted nowadays
   • Democracy (born in Athens)
     • Elected government need to show document to the people regularly
     • Invent secret ballot 投票 and the jury 陪審團 system, ensure fair election and trial 審判
   • Language and Writing
     • Trading led to people (spread widely) using Greek as a common language in the Mediterranean region.
       • Affect development of many early European languages (12% of English vocabulary came from Greeks, use letter pi in Mathematics)
       • Important and useful in studying history of ancient Europe
   • Literature, drama and philosophy
     • Literature: Poems (Iliad and Odyssey by Homer), Fables (Aesop's Fables), History (Histories of Herodotus, Father of History)
     • Drama: a form of religious ritual
       • Comedy (About people's lives and social injustices)
       • Tragedy (About gods and heros)
       • Writing plays or dramas influenced present-day playwrights 劇作家
       • Following design of theatres in Semi-circular shape nowadays
     • Philosophy: Love of wisdom, Ask and discuss by rational argument
       • Politics
       • Morality
       • Universe
       • 3 Greek sages 智者 of philosophy: Socrates (Teach), Plato (set up Academy) and Aristotle (Science)
   • Astronomy, Mathematics and Physics
     • Learnt from Babylonians and Egyptians, made further researches and suggested many important theories
     • Astronomy: Evidence found from poet Aratus about Constellations & Meteorology
       • Aristarchus stated Sun was the centre of universe
     • Thales (Father of Mathematics), Euclid (Father of Geometry), Pythagoras & Archimedes (Father of Physics)
   • Medicine
     • Correct wrong ideas about medicine
     • Hippocrates, Father of medicine, proposed many advanced ideas about medicine, establish medical ethics
     • Sickness, living environment, diet and lifestyle are related, nothing to do with gods
   • Olympic Games
     • Ancient (Began in 776BC in Olympia)
       • Once every 4 year
       • Male Greek freemen only
       • Honour Zeus
       • Winners were seen as heroes
       • Stop fighting when the games were held
     • Modern (Began in 1896 in Athens)
       • Once every 4 year
       • Athletes all over the world
       • Promote peace and cultural exchange through sports
       • Held in different countries