ANCIENT GREECE

ANCIENT GREECE

1. Definition

   • A period in Greek History and one of the first civilizations

2. Timeline

   • Archaic period (10th-5th Cent. b.C.)
     • 8th Century b.C.
       • Origin of the polis
         • Examples of polis:
           • Sparta
           • Athens
           • Olympia
       • Colonisation
         • Process in which the population of a polis moves to another place and founds a new polis
         • As a consequence of geographic conditions
           • Croplands are bad quality
             • Peasants have bad living conditions
               • Must look for a new place to improve living conditions
                 • Main routes
                   • East of Iberian Peninsula
                   • South of Italy
                   • Black Sea
                 • Consequences
                   • Developing trade
                   • Expanding greek culture
                   • Greece has the greatest maritime power
                 • Where they come from is called Metropoly
                 • Where they arrive is called Colony
   • Classical period (5th-4th)
     • Wars
       • Delian league
         • A Greek association to defend greece against the Persians
         • Leaded by Athens
       • First half of the century
         • Greco-persian wars
           • Delian leagues wins the war
             • Consequences
               • Athens became the most important polis
                 • Athen's golden age
               • Delian league is not disolved to defend Greece in case of a future war
       • Second half of century
         • Sparta
           • Peloponnesian league
             • Association of polis in the Peloponnesian island to take down the power of Athens
             • Leaded by Sparta
           • Starts fight with Athens to become the most important polis
             • PELOPONNESIAN WAR
               • Delian league against Peloponnesian league
       • End of Century
         • Peloponnesian league wins
           • Athens loses its power
             • End of Athen's golden age
   • Hellenistic period (4th-3rd)
     • Alexander the great was king of macedonia
       • Huge empire from Macedonia to the east
       • After his death the territory of the empire broke down into different parts
         • Hellenistic kingdoms
         • Spread urban civilization, trade and culture
     • Greece conquered by Macedonia
       • Consequences
         • Vast territory
         • Absolute power
         • Spread greek culture
         • Develope trade

3. Geographical characteristics

   • Located in Balkan Peninsula, Islands of Aegean Sea and many costal areas of the mediterranean
   • Greece is made up of cliffs, narrow valleys and islands
   • Consequences of Geographic conditions
     • Communications are bad between lands
       • Cities were isolated

4. Greek city-states

   • Have same culture, language and art
   • Different army, laws, currency and type of goverment
     • Types of goverment
       • Oligarchy
         • A small group of rich people and the army have the power
       • Democracy
         • The population of the city chooses their leader
   • Architecture
     • Upper part (Acropolis)
       • Religious buildings
     • Lower part (Agora or square)
       • Public building, housing and the most important buildings are built arround the square

5. Architecture

   • Characteristics
     • Quest for beauty
       • Proportion
         • Measured by repeating a module a pre-established number of times
       • Symmetry
         • Perfect correspondance between one part and the other
       • Harmony
         • Perfect combination between proportion and symmetry
     • Made for people (Anthropomorphic)
     • Doesn't use arches nor vaults
       • Linteled
     • Uses stone (marble)
   • Types of building
     • Theatre
     • Temple
       • Different orders
         • Doric
           • Broad columns
           • Sober decoration
           • Module used a certain number of times
           • Parthenon
         • Ionic
           • Rich decoration
           • Slender and light
           • Module repeated more times
           • Athenea Nike
           • Uses base
         • Corinthian
           • Temple of Zeus
           • Acanthus leaves
           • Module repeated even more times
           • Similar to Ionic

6. Economy

   • High level of prosperity
     • Agriculture is the basis of economy
       • Wheat
       • Olives
       • Grapes
     • Strong economic development
       • Other economic activities
         • Metalurgy
         • Livestock farming
         • Trading
         • Textiles
         • Pottery
   • Trading
     • Good production
       • Big part of the polis of the coast's economy
     • Naval superiority of the Delian league
     • Athens had largest trade economy in Greece
     • Centre of exportation and importation
       • Port of Piraeus
     • Exportation
       • Wine
       • Pottery
       • olives
       • Oil
       • Metalurgy
     • Importation
       • Wood
       • Slaves
       • Wheat

7. Society

   • Free people
     • Citizens
       • Rights
       • Political rights
       • Dutys
         • Pay taxes
         • Military service
     • Non-citizens
       • No political rights
       • Women
       • Semi-free labourers
       • Foreigners (metecs)
   • Slaves (called Helots in Sparta)
     • Worked in toughest jobs
     • War prisoners
     • People who couldn't pay their debts
     • Worked mining or in domestic jobs

8. Sculpture

   • Archaic period (7th-5th)
     • 7th century
       • No expression
       • Front facing
       • Rigid body
     • 6th century
       • Shoft smiling
       • More detailed muscles and hair
       • Kouroi (Naked young man