People of the Aegean The Greeks

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People of the AegeanThe Greeks
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Minoans1600 BCE-1400 BCE

• Early civilization begins on the island of Crete
• Minoan merchants traded with Egypt and Middle
  East
• Acquired ideas and technology in fields
• 1. Writing
• 2. Architecture
• 1400 B.C.E Minoan civilization vanishes

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Mycenaean Civilization1400 B.C.E 1200 B.C.E

• Sea Traders Reached out across the Aegean
• Sicily, Italy, Egypt and Mesopotamia
• Learned from Minoans, Egyptians, and
  Mesopotamians
• Lived in separate city-states a warrior-king
  would make thick walled fortress from which he
  ruled surrounding villages
• Trojan War it happened!
• Homer 750 B.C.E
• Iliad Achilles
• Odyssey Odysseus
• Both discuss Greek values Honor, courage, and
  eloquence
• Dorian invasion Greek Dark Age

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The Rise of the Greek City-StateThe Polis

• Borrowed many ideas from the Egyptians and
  Mesopotamia
• Geography different from fertile crescent
• Greece apart of the Balkan Peninsula
• Mountains divide Greece into isolated valleys
• Greeks farmed valleys and settled into remote
  islands
• Thus they did not create large empires such as
  Persia or Egypt

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City-States

• Instead they built small-city states cut off from
  one another
• Each city controlled the surrounding country side
• Each fiercely defended their independence
• Endless rivalry led to wars

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Life By Sea

• Seas provided a link to the outside world
• Long coastlines, hundreds of bays, offered safe
  harbors for ships
• Greeks became skilled sailors
• Traded olive oil, wine, and marble
• Traded for grains, and metals but also ideas
• Adapt Phoenician alphabet
• Population explosion led to colonies in Spain,
  Italy and Egypt

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Governing a City-State750 B.C.E

• Polis City surrounded by countryside
• Two levels
• 1. top stood the acropolis, or high city, with
  temples dedicated to the gods
• 2. Below was the main city market places,
  theaters, public buildings, and homes
• Citizens free residents, warm climates allowed
  for public debates and public festivals honoring
  the gods
• Men had all the power

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Types of Government750 BCE-500 BCE

• Different forms of government arose in Greece
• Monarchy a hereditary ruler exercises central
  power
• Slowly power shifts to wealthy landowners
• Aristocracy rule by hereditary landholding
  elite
• Oligarchy trade leads to a new middle class of
  wealthy merchants, farmers and artisans
• Power in the hands of the few

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Military

• 650 B.C.E Iron weapons replace bronze
• Iron was cheap ordinary citizens could afford
  helmets, shields, and spears
• Phalanx A massive formation involving foot
  soldiers ( the early tank)
• Required long hours of marching and drilling
• Created a sense of unity among the citizen
  soldiers
• Reduce class distinctions
• Leads to two influential city-states Athens and
  Sparta
• Sparta stressed military virtues and stern
  discipline
• Athens glorified the individual and extended
  rights to more citizens

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Athenian Democracy

• Athens evolves from a monarchy to an aristocracy
• By 700 BCE landowners held power
• They chose judges and major officials
• As wealth grows in the aristocracy discontent
  grows among ordinary citizens
• Merchants and soldiers resent power of
  aristocracy
• Discontent leads to democracy
• Democracy government by the people

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Solon and Cleisthenes594 BCE and 507 BCE

• Solon becomes Archon or chief official
• Reforms outlaws debt slavery, freed slaves,
  opened high offices for ordinary people, granted
  citizenship to some foreigners, gave the Athenian
  assembly more power
• Economics increased exports of wine and olive
  oil
• Democracy limited women and slaves were not a
  part
• Unrest leads to tyrants
• Tyrants- gain power by force
• Cleisthenes set up the Council of 500
• Legislature or lawmaking body

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The Persian Wars

• Persians conquered huge territories from Asia
  Minor (Turkey) to India
• Subjects included Greek city-states of Asia Minor
  Ionia
• 499 BCE Ionian rebellion
• Athens sent ships to help
• Persian leader Darius was furious
• Sent huge force to punish the Athenians for their
  interference
• 490 BCE The Persian army landed at Marathon
• Athenians miraculously win

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Xerxes 480 BCE

• Greeks unite King Leonides (Sparta) 300
  warriors stop the main invasion force at
  Thermopylae
• Themistocles Athenian admiral destroys Persian
  navy at Salamis

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Delian League

• Athens emerges from war as the most powerful
  Greek city-state
• Organizes an alliance or formal agreement
  between two or more nations to cooperate and come
  to one anothers defense
• Island of Delos where everyone met
• Athenian empire
• Moves the treasure from Delos to Athens

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The Age of Pericles460 BCE 490 BCE

• Greek Golden Age
• Leader Pericles
• Government becomes more democratic
• Economy thrives

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The Peloponnesian War431 BCE 440 BCE

• Sparta forms the Peloponnesian League
• 27 years
• Sparta allies with Persia
• Persian navy used to strip Athens of its navy
• 358 BCE Macedonia a new power emerges

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Alexander the Great

• 338 BCE Macedonia conquers Athens
• 331 BCE Conquers Persia
• 326 BCE Conquers enters into India
• Shortly after he dies
• Hellenism the spread of Greek ideas around the
  world
• Alexander favored blending eastern and western
  cultures