The Greeks

The Greeks

1. athens

   • culture
     • patron goddess; athena
   • society
   • politics
     • their democracy influenced american government
     • evolved from monarchy to aristocracy
       • aristocracy brought wealth and power but ppl grew discontent
         • moved toward democracy
           • solon was appointed archon and he outlawed debt slavery, gave the assembly more of a say in decisions, and more
             • citizenship remained limited, many positions were open only to wealthy landowners
               • unrest led to tyrants
                 • Pisistratus seized power in 546 B.C; he weakened the aristocracy and gave a voice to the poor
                   • Cleisthenes, broadened the role of ordinary citizens in government; set up the council 500, made the assembly an official legislature
   • glorified the individual and extended political rights to more citizens
   • located in Attica north of the Peloponnesus
   • golden age
     • three years after war with persia
       • Pericles
         • economy thrived and more democratic gov.
         • direct democracy
       • Athens began to pay stipends to men who participated in assembly

2. sparta

   • culture
     • valued strength and agility
   • politics
     • two kings and a council of elders who advised the monarchs
     • assembly made up of all citizens approved major decisions; male, native-born, 30+
       • The assembly also elected five ephors, or officials, who ran day-to-day affairs.
   • society
     • noncitizens had few rights and were controlled by gov
     • isolated themselves from other Greeks
     • looked down on trade and wealth
   • stressed military virtues and stern discipline
     • sickly children were abandoned to die
   • Dorian invaders from the north who conquered Laconia, in the southern part of Greece, and built the city-state of Sparta
     • turned conquered ppl into helots

3. geography

   • greece is part of the balkan penninsula
   • The Mediterranean and Aegean seas were as central to the development of Greek civilization as the Nile was to the Egyptians
   • mountains divide the penninsula into isolated valleys
   • city-states
     • cut off from each other by mountains/water
     • greeks fiercely defended their city-states and their independence
       • frequent wars
   • The Mediterranean and Aegean seas
     • provided vital link to outside world
     • greek coastline
       • hundreds of bays
       • provided safe harbors for ships
     • greeks became skilled sailors

4. objectives

   • Describe the lasting impact of the political ideas and structures of the ancient Greek city-states
   • Compare and contrast the systems of government among classical Greek city-states
   • Describe the roles of men, women, and families in early Greek city-states
     • male landowners held all the political power
     • boys were trained to be soldiers from the age of 7
     • women exercised so that they could have healthy babies; could own land
     • men joined the assembly at the age of 30
     • women were excluded from participating in government
     • Women played their most significant public role in religion
     • boys attended school if families could afford it
   • Explain the effects of conflict among the city-states of Athens and Sparta
   • Use maps to evaluate the impact of geographic factors on the formation of Greek city-states
     • seas influenced trade and travel

5. governments

   • polis with kings; monarchy
     • nobles defended, then won power for themselves; aristocracy
       • middle class challenged nobles and dominated city-states; oligarchy

6. shared culture

   • same language
   • polytheistic
     • Zeus was the most powerful Olympian
       • Athena goddess of wisdom (Athens)
       • Ares god of war
       • Aphrodite goddess of love
     • temples and festivals for worship
   • Olympic games

7. Persia vs Greece

   • persia lay to the east across the aegean sea
   • In 499 B.C., Ionian Greeks rebelled against Persian rule
     • Darius sent a huge force across the Aegean to punish Athens for its interference. The mighty Persian army landed near Marathon, a plain north of Athens, in 490 B.C.
       • Overwhelmed by the fury of the Athenian assault, the Persians hastily retreated to their ships.
         • In 480 B.C. Darius's son Xerxes (ZURK seez) sent a much larger force to conquer Greece. By this time, Athens had persuaded Sparta and other city-states to join in the fight against Persia.
           • Led by their great warrior-king Leonidas (lee AHN ih dus), the Spartans held out heroically against the enormous Persian force but were defeated in the end.
             • The persians went to burn athens but the athenians had already retreated to safety
               • The Athenians lured the Persian fleet into the narrow strait of Salamis (SAHL uh mis), near Athens. There, Athenian warships rammed, burned, and sank the Persian fleet.
                 • The next year, the Greeks defeated the Persians on land in Asia Minor.
                   • Athens organized an alliance w/ other greek city-states known as the Delian League after Delios