Greece

Greece's Geography

• Next to the Ionian and Aegean Sea - useful to trade for the resources with other cities with resources they don't have
• 3/4 of their land is rugged and mountainous
• Not a lot of farmland - not a large population

Greece's Environment

• Hot dry summers cool wet winters - sun and moderate temperature encouraged people to work, play, and socialize outdoors
• Thin poor rocky soil -- causing the Greeks to turn to sea as fishermen and traders
• Traded : pottery, olive oil, and wine for grain, timber, slaves, and flax for linen cloth

Greece's Politics

• The Polis was the basic political unit
• Greeks developed small independent communities instead of a single government
• Made up of a city and its surrounding countryside-- including numerous villages
• Acropolis -- fortified hilltop where they met to discuss
• Agora -- marketplace

Greece's Type of Government

• Three types of governments developed in ancient Greek city-states:
• Democracy - A government ruled by the people, or assembly. Officials and leaders were elected and all citizens had a say.
• Monarchy - A single ruler like a king. In Athens this ruler was called a Tyrant.
• Oligarchy- When the government is ruled by a small group.

Democracy In Athens

• Developed in Athens
• Draco - Harsh legal code that made everyone more equal
• Solon - Reduced power of aristocracy (social class based on wealth, not birth); outlawed debt slavery; death penalty only for murder
• Cleisthenes - broke citizens into 10 groups (broke power of nobility); council of 500 (like an assembly)
• - Only citizens could participate
• - Citizen: free adult male property owners born in Athens

Persian Wars

• Persians vowed to destroy Athens
• Persians = 25,000, Greece = 10,000
• Athens was abandoned, so Pheidippides ran 26 miles from Marathon to Athens
• Collapsed and died
• 10 yrs later - Massive Persian army attacked Athens
• 300 Spartans held the Persians back at Thermopylae while the Greeks retreated.
• Greeks regroup and defeat Persians at Salamis and Plataea.
• Delian League :
• Alliance of Greek city-states that drove the Persians away
• Athens emerged as the leader.

Golden Age Of Athens

• Pericles led Athens - strongest navy, most democratic government
• --Glorified Athens by promoting architecture, art, drama

Oligarchy In Sparta

• Two kings rule over the army.
• 5 Ephors carry out the laws.
• Council of Elders proposed laws.
• Assembly of all male citizens voted on laws.
• Helots are nearly slaves, tied to the soil and forced to give half their crops to Sparta.

Athens VS. Sparta

• Patron goddess Athena, goddess of wisdom
• Intellectual city
• Education
• Began at 7 (wealthy boys)
• Focus on citizenship
• Military school later
• Military state
• Wanted to make sure they could defend themselves
• Education
• Little formal education
• Boys leave home at age 7 to train for military
• Can marry at 30
• Can retire at 60
• No trade allowed

Peloponnesian War

• War between Sparta and Athens starting in 431 BC
• Sparta = stronger army
• Athens = stronger navy
• Worn down by war, signed a truce 10 years later
• Athens attacked with 20,000 only to be destroyed
• In 404 BC, Athens surrendered and lost…?
• Wealth, power, empire lost

Hellenistic Greece