ANCIENT GREECE 3000 BCE – 400 BCE

ANCIENT GREECE3000 BCE – 400 BCE

Phoenicians • Invented the alphabet • Spread civilization (easier ways of living) • Controlled the Mediterranean sea (they had the most $ and influence)

Timeline End of Greek Empire 200 BCE Minoans 3500 BCE

Timeline Roman Empire Ends I 476 CE End of Greek Empire I 200 BCE Minoans I 3500 BCE November 2012 I You are sitting in class Jesus Of Nazareth Born I (year 0) 4 BCE 1215 I Magna Carta signed 500 BCE I Start of Roman Empire GREEK EMPIRE ROMAN EMPIRE

Greek Geography • Water isolated people so they had different customs and beliefs • Sea was a means of transportation and a source of food • Mountains made it difficult to grow crops

City-States The ancient Greeks referred to themselves as citizens of their individual city-states. Each city-state (polis) had its own personality, goals, laws and customs. Ancient Greeks were very loyal to their city-state. If you asked an ancient Greek where he was from, he would not say, "I live in Greece." If he was from Sparta, he would say, "I am a Spartan." If he lived in Athens, he would say, "I am Athenian." And so it went. The city-states might band together to fight a common foe. They also went to war with each other. Greece was not yet one country.

City-States

Government Ancient Greece was a collection of Greek city-states. Because Greece was not yet one country, there was no central government in ancient Greece. Each city-state had its own form of government. Some city-states, like Corinth, were ruled by kings. Some, like Sparta, were ruled by a small group of men. Others, like Athens, experimented with new forms of government like democracy. Sometimes these city-states cooperated, sometimes they fought each other.

Democracy - Athens GREEKS INVENTED DEMOCRACY • COULD NOT VOTE: • Women • Slaves • Men with parents who were not citizens Only citizens could vote

Religion in Greece GREEK MYTHOLOGY • Greeks worshipped 12 Gods and Goddesses • Zeus, King of the Gods, ruled from Mount Olympus • Each city-state built temples to each God • Olympics every 4 years to honor Zeus

Religion in Greece GREEK MYTHOLOGY Greeks honored their gods through Oracles (sacred sites where a god or goddess was consulted) Greeks asked the oracles for advice or prediction about the future.

The Golden Age • Sculpture • Architecture • Science • Philosophy • Dramatic and Comedic plays

Sculpture and Architecture • Pericles idea to rebuild the city of Athens after it had been destroyed by war. • At the center was the Acropolis, and at its center was the Parthenon • Three important characteristics: • Full of action • Figures show balance and order • Figures are lifelike and accurate • All about perfection and balance

Science • Water is basic material of the world (he was right!) • Democritus thought that everything was made up of tiny particles called atoms (they are!)

Philosophy is a system of beliefs or values Philosophers believed that people could use the powers of the mind and reason to understand natural events (birth, love, hate, death, attraction, guilt, fear, etc. ) Philosopher’s try to answer the question, “Why are we here?” Philosophy

Discovery Channel Video Famous Greek Philosophers PLATO SOCRATES ARISTOTLE

SOCRATES • Always asking questions about people’s belief systems • Compared to a fly, or a bee • His questions angered and/or frightened people of Athens • Started a school called The Academy • Brought to trial for dishonoring the Gods and sentenced to forced suicide. Forced to drink a cup of hemlock, a poison, and died in 399 BCE

PLATO • One of Socrates students • Wrote The Republic. He said society should be made up of three groups: • Workers • Soldiers • Philosopher-rulers • Founded a school called The Academy

ARISTOTLE • Student of Plato’s • Believed that reason should guide the pursuit of knowledge • A friend to all is a friend to none. • All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. • All men by nature desire knowledge

Famous Greek Philosophers

Drama and Comedy • Tragedies • Type of serious drama that usually ends in disaster for the main character. • Chorus sings poems that tell the story: • give background information • comment on the events • praise the gods • (Euripides, Aeschylus, and Sophocles were important authors of tragedies)

Drama and Comedy • Comedies: • Made fun of well-known citizens and politicians. • Made jokes about the customs of the day. • Athens was an open, liberal society so they accepted these kinds of jokes. • (Aristophanes is probably the best known Greek comic playwright.) OLD SCHOOL

SPARTA! Like Athens but then they conquered the land around them Helots: slaves or servants of Sparta The helots did all of the farm work so the Spartan citizens could fight in wars Babies inspected by the government A city devoted to war Always put the cities need above your own

SPARTA! Males: Meant to be soldiers Should suffer pain, hardship and punishment in silence Females: Allowed to own land and take part in business (they had more rights than women in Athens)

End of Athens Peloponnesian War a conflict between Athens and Sparta that lasted 27 years Athenians defeated, surrendered in 404 BCE Plague (widespread disease) Sparta issues a blockade. They isolated Athens and cut off their supplies.

Spread of Greek Culture

ANCIENT GREECE 3000 BCE – 400 BCE