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MR MOUNCE
WORLD HISTORY
ANCIENT GREECE
I.
The Polis
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A typical polis included a city and the surrounding villages and field;
citizens both rights and responsibilities but made up only a minority of
the residents of the polis; slaves, foreign-born residents, and women
had no political or legal rights.
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The two major city-states were Sparta and Athens; Sparta was a warlike
society, while Athens contributed to the development of democracy
with its constitution and assembly.
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ll.
City-States
City-States (aka Polis)
Villages banded together to form strong trading centers
Ancient Greeks referred to themselves as citizens of their individual
city-state
Examples of City-States: Sparta, Athens, Corinth, Argos, Olympia,
Thebes, Delphi, Marathon
They band together to fight a common enemy but also went to war with
each other
Each city-state had own form of government
Some, like Corinth, were ruled by kings
Sparta - ruled by a small group of men
Athens - experimented with new forms of government
War, glory, and Decline
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In 546 BC Persian armies conquered the Greek city-states of Ionia, in
Asia Minor; the Ionians, with support from mainland Greeks, revolted
unsuccessfully again and the Persians then decide to punish those
who had helped the rebels.
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After reaching marathon, just north of Athens, the Persians moved to
attack Athens, but the Athenians defeated the Persians. Ten years
later, Persians returned to Greece and were defeated by the Greek Navy
near the island of Salamis.
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As Athens’s economic and political power grew, several city-states
joined Sparta in a war against Athens. The Peloponnesian war ended in
404 BC with Athens’s surrender.
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III.
Political Reforms
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Solon- a respected statesman eliminated slavery and canceled farmers’
debts. He created a class system based off of wealth and not heredity.
He created the Council of Four Hundred to help with the administrative
dealings of government. (1/10th were real citizens)
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Cleisthenes- He is credited with attempting to make the Athenian
democracy a direct democracy. He also tried to make holding
government office more available for citizens. He created the Council
of Five Hundred. (1/5th were real citizens)
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Pericles-army general who became statesman. He moved Athens
farther towards a direct democracy. He increased the pay of public
officials and paid jurors. This enabled more citizens to participate in
government.
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“It is true that we (Athenians) are called a democracy, for the
administration in the hands of many and now the few, with equal
justice to all alike in their private disputes.”
-Greek General, Pericles (over 2400 years ago)
Only in Athens and for a short time, “rule by many” meant that all
citizens had to be willing to take an active part in government—it was
the law!
Each year, 500 names drawn from all citizens and those would serve as
law makers for that year
Majority Ruled!
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IV.
Economic hardships weakened the Athenian economy. Farmers had
sold themselves into slavery in an attempt to secure their lands from
the wealthy land owners.
Greek Civilization
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During the mid-400s BC, Greek civilization reached its culture peak,
particularly in Athens. They created an artistic style now called
classical.
In both painting a sculpture, the Greeks excelled at portraying the
human form.
There Greeks were the first people to write and perform plays-tragedies
and comedies.
Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts!
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Much of Greek history is told in oral history
Blind poet, Homer, responsible for two
Epic poems: The Iliad and the Odyssey
V. Socrates
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Socrates, the first major Greek philosopher, developed the Socratic
method of Teaching.
One of Socrates’ students, Plato, devised a philosophy that located the
source of “truth” in ideas rather than in information for the senses.
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Aristotle’s method of using logic and science to develop
generalizations would dominate European scientific thinking for
centuries.
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The ancient Greeks believed that the world is ruled by natural laws and
that human beings can discover these laws by using reason.
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Socrates thought the charge was ridiculous
He couldn’t believe anyone would find him guilty and so he refused a
defense (had he presented a defense, then jury most probably would
have found him innocent)
Stayed silent and so jury found him guilty
Socrates took poison (hemlock) and died
He was 70 years old at the time
His student Plato, Aristotle's teacher, would carry on with the voice of
Socrates
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VI. Four Forms of Government
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Monarchy-rule by a king
Oligarchy-rule by a small group
Tyranny-rule by a dictator
Democracy-rule by citizens, voting in an assembly
VII. Persian War
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Greece was not alone in the ancient world—other civilizations developed
around the Mediterranean—one of the largest and most powerful, Persian
Empire
Persian Empire: Mediterranean Sea to the Indus River in Pakistan
Persia eventually attempts to conquer Greeks believing easy victory
Persian Empire
Persians forgot that Greeks were incredible warriors
*Athens-great navy (tiny ships, easy to maneuver)
*Sparta-fierce army
Persians tried three different times to conquer Greeks—each time they
failed
Making sure they (Greeks) were prepared if Persians attacked again, the
Greeks city-states formed the Delian League
VIII. Delian League
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Put money in a shared treasury in case of war
Money used to make weapons, train men and build ships
Athens guarded treasury
(kept 1/60th of the treasury to fund guards, storage…)
Treasury grew and so did Athens wealth
Athens and Sparta couldn’t ever seem to get along
IX. Peloponnesian War
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Eventually, Athens and Sparta go to war
War began not because of treasury or its home, but over some silly
argument
War lasts for about 3 decades!
Sparta wins
Usually Sparta leveled conquered towns but it did not level Athens
Placed king on throne which ended Athen’s experiment with democracy
X. Alexander’s Empire
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By 338 BC Philip II, King of Macedonia, controlled almost all of Greece. Two
years later, Philip’s son, later know as Alexander the Great, became king.
In 334 BC Alexander successfully led his soldiers into Asia against Persia.
He defeated the Persians, then Phoenicia and Egypt; two years later he
invaded Mesopotamia. Before his death in 323 BC, Alexander’s empire
extended to the Indus River Valley.
Aristotle (philosopher who lived over 2000 years ago) was born in ancient
Macedonia, however, spent a lot of time in ancient Greece
Aristotle was one of Alexander’s teachers and so had much influence on
him
Following Alexander’s death, three of his generals eventually divided his
empire into separate domains. In the lands Alexander had conquered,
Hellenic ways mixed with elements of Middle Eastern culture to form the
Hellenistic culture.
Aristotle had many famous sayings some of which we still use today:
"Anyone can become angry. This is easy. But to be angry with the right
person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in
the right way - that is not easy.“
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is a habit.“
"We must reduce everything to the simplest form possible, but no simpler.“
"We think in pictures. If you wish to change what you
think, change the picture.”
Alexander, son of King of Macedonia
Born 356 B.C.E.
Macedonia-country north of Greece
He was well educated (Greek history, Greek gods, spoke Greek…)
As he expanded his empire, he introduced literature, myth, dance…
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Gave conquered opportunity to run their own country as long as they
learned the Greek ways. Alexander dies at a young age but conquered the
ENTIRE known world in the Mediterranean region
Gifts from the Greeks:
Greek Architecture
Trial by Jury
Fables and Legends
Greek Myths
Comedy, Tragedy, Satyr, Theatre
The Olympics
Roots of Democracy