Classical Greece

1. Classical Greece 2000 B.C.E. - 300 B.C.E.

2. Section 1: Cultures of the Mountains and Sea

4. Geography Shapes Greek Life • Greek life influenced by: • 1) Sea • 2) Land • 3) Climate

5. Mycenaean Civilization Develops • Strong culture led by wealthy warrior-kings • Invade Crete, spread aspects of Minoan culture • Mycenaean kings defeat Troy & become the dominant power in Aegean region

6. Greek Culture Declines Under the Dorians • Dorians replace Mycenaeans • No written language & less advanced than Mycenaeans • Homer composes The Iliad & The Odyssey • Myths help Greeks understand nature & human behavior

7. Individual Activity • In your notebook, answer questions 1-2 on page 124. You do not have to write the question. • Where was the center of the Mycenaean Civilization located? • Based on the map, how did Mycenaean traders conduct most of their trade?

8. Group Activity: 1-2 People • Option 1: Comparing Cultures • Create a chart comparing the Mycenaeans, Minoans, and Dorians • Option 2: Remembering the Trojan War-2 pages • Write a journal entry as a survivor of the Trojan War. Discuss what you remember about the war, why it was fought, and how it ended (p. 125) • Option 3: Greek Epics and Myths-2 pages • Write an essay explaining why the Greek epics and myths are so well known and studied in today’s society (page 125-126)

9. Section 2: Warring City-States

10. Rule & Order in Greek City-States • Polis (city-state): basic political unit; run by males • Acropolis: hilltop where men gathered to conduct business • Each polis ruled by a monarchy, aristocracy, or oligarchy • A new idea--army made of citizen-soldiers • Used the phalanx formation (spear & shield)

11. Sparta Builds a Military State • Conquers Messenians & forces them to stay on the land to work it (helots) • Governed by an assembly, Council of Elders, & 5 elected officials that carried out the laws passed by the assembly • Spartan education=military training for boys • Boys & girls learned to put Sparta before anything else • Valued duty, strength, & discipline

12. Athens Builds a Limited Democracy • Avoids civil war by developing democratic rule; only free men can be citizens (women expected to be unheard, unseen) • Solon given power in 594 B.C.E.; reformed legal system, assembly, & trade • Cleisthenes weakens the nobility & gives citizens more power • Valued individuality, beauty, & freedom

13. The Persian Wars • Defeats Darius on land; 10 years later defeat Xerxes by land & sea • Victory gives Athenians renewed self-confidence & sets the stage for a golden age

14. Section 3: Democracy & Greece’s Golden Age

15. Pericles’ 3 Goals for Athens • 1) Direct Democracy: increased # of paid public officials, citizens rule directly • 2) Strengthens Navy: used $ from Delian League’s treasury; 200 ships • 3) Beautifies Athens: bought gold, marble, built Parthenon

16. Greek Styles in Art • Artists & sculptors create an idealized human form • Classical Art=standards of order, balance, & proportion

17. Individual Activity • Look at pages 140-141 on Greek Art and Architecture • Read the section and answer the following questions in your notebook: • How does the Parthenon display the Greek preference for symmetry and balance? • On what does our culture today base its standards of beauty? Give examples to support your answer.

20. Greek Drama • Dramatic tragedies & comedies serve as entertainment • (More about this in your group activity today)

21. Spartans & Athenians Go to War • Sparta & Athens begin the Peloponnesian War willingly (so much for the unification they had at Thermopylae) • After 27 years, Athens surrenders to Sparta • Athens loses its empire, power & wealth; confidence in democratic rule declines due to bad leaders

23. Reasons for the Peloponnesian War • How could the goal of strengthening democracy have helped lead Athens to war? • How could war be used to strengthen Athens’ trade empire? • How might war increase Athens’ prestige?

24. Philosophers Search for Truth • Believe universe & its laws can be studied & understood • Socrates: ?’s traditional Greek values; condemned to death • Plato: wrote The Republic & says ideal society is an oligarchy • Aristotle: develops rules of logic; leads to scientific method

25. Partner Activity: Exploring Themes in Greek Drama • Step 1: Read the passage on Greek drama on page 136. • Step 2: Create a list of the different themes treated in Greek theater. • Step 3: Match as many themes as possible with some of the TV shows or movies you have watched. • Ex: the movies in the Star Wars series deal with war • Extra Credit: Identify any shows or movies in which a leading character has a tragic flaw that causes his/her downfall.

26. Alexander–Empire Builder

27. Philip Build’s Macedonia’s Power • Builds a powerful professional army & defeats his enemies • Conquers Greece, but murdered before he gets to Persia • Alexander continues father’s empire building

28. Alexander Defeats Persia • 1st establishes control over Greece, then invades Persia • Defeat of Persians in Anatolia shows military genius • Darius tries to negotiate, but Alexander conquers Egypt & Persia

29. Alexander’s Other Conquests • Extends empire into Central Asia; wants to reach continent’s end • Conquests end at Indus Valley • Dies planning another expansion • Strong generals divide and take over his empire • Conquests result in blending of Greek & Persian cultures

30. Activity: Pop-Up Map • In groups of no more than 3, develop a map of Alexander’s Empire • On your map, you must outline the empire and label important geographical features • Use pages 142-146 to research the places Alexander took his empire. • Create at least 7 “pop-ups” that provide information about what happened in that region • This assignment is worth 20 points. It is graded on completeness and effort.

31. Section 5: The Spread of Hellenistic Culture

32. Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria • A blend of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, & Indian influences • Alexandria in Africa becomes greatest Hellenistic city • City thrives as major center of scholarship with its museums & library

33. Science & Technology • Astronomers develop theories that shape European thought for centuries • Euclid develops geometry • Archimedes’ laws serve as the basis for many mechanical inventions

34. Individual Activity • Refer to the picture on page 147 of your book. • For what aspects of astronomy were the Greeks relatively correct? • For what aspects of astronomy were the Greeks incorrect? • What was Ptolemy’s view of the universe?

35. Philosophy & Art • Stoics seek to control desire & live in harmony w/ natural & divine laws • Epicureans seek to harmonize in mind & body • Sculptors reject classical ideas & create more realistic works

36. Colossus of Rhodes

37. Group Activity: Hellenistic Alexandria • For this activity, you will be dividing into 6 groups: • Trade and Cultural Diversity • Alexandria’s Attractions • Astronomy • Mathematics and Physics • Stoicism and Epicureanism • Realism in Sculpture • In your group, read your section then create a poster to explain your section. • Remember the purpose of posters: to inform briefly from a distance • Your poster must have written and visual information • You may not go to the library to print pictures

38. Review Questions • Why was sea travel important to early Greece? • Why did the Greeks develop myths? • What were the two most powerful city-states in early Greece? • What were the consequences of the Persian Wars? • What were Pericles’ three goals for Athens? • Who were the three renowned philosophers of the golden age? • Why was Greece so easily conquered by Macedonia? • What was the full extent of Alexander’s empire before his death? • What four influences blended to form Hellenistic culture? • What were some of the scientific achievements of the Hellenistic period?