CLASSICS 100F GREEK CIVILIZATION

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CLASSICS 100FGREEK CIVILIZATION

• Lectures 6-7
• History of Archaic Period

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History of Archaic Period (ca. 750 480 BC)

• 1. Renewed contact with Near East
• 2. Introduction of Phoenician alphabet
• alpha, beta, gamma (aleph, bet, gimel)
• Phoenician consonants only, right to left
• Greek vowels right to left then left to
  right
• 3. Lyric Poetry (examples from R. Lattimore,
  trans., Greek Lyrics)
• Archilochos from is. Paros, 7th cent. BC
• Sappho from is. Lesbos, 7th/6th cent. BC

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History of the Archaic Period (cont)

• 4. The Polis (city-state)
• no unified country of Greece
• 100s of independent poleis (city-states)
• own system of government (great variety from
  oligarchy to democracy)
• own calendars, coinage
• share language (but dialects), worshipped
  same gods
• led to great creativity
• also led to rivalry many wars against each
  other

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History of the Archaic Period (cont)

• 5. Colonization 750-500 BC
• colonies also independent city-states
• reasons shortage of agricultural land,
  trade
• Sicily South Italy
• France, Spain, North Africa
• Egypt, Syria
• Black Sea

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Map of Colonization
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History of the Archaic Period

• 6. Political Changes Sparta
• The Equals at Sparta
• conquests (Laconia, Messenia)
• helots, perioikoi (dwellers around)
• new military tactics Hoplite tactics
• phalanx

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Sparta
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Map of Greek World
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Hoplite Equipment (Museum, Olympia)
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Hoplite Equipment (Olympia)
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Hoplite Equipment (Olympia)
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Breastplate
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Map of Greek World
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History of the Archaic Period

• 6. Political Changes Sparta (cont)
• Spartan constitution
• 2 kings (hereditary)
• gerousia (28 2 Kings)
• 5 ephors (annual)
• assembly of the equals

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1. History of the Archaic Period (cont)

• 7. Political Changes Reforms at Athens
• Solon (archon in 594 BC)
• publication of law code
• abolishment of enslavement for debt
• division of people into classes based
  on wealth
• political office open to wealthy not
  just to those of aristocratic birth

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History of the Archaic Period

• 8. Political Changes Tyranny 7th-6th cent BC
• overthrow of aristocratic governments
• e.g. Corinth Cypselus
• Athens Peisistratus sons 560-510 BC
• public works carried out by tyrants

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Water Pipes from Athens under Peisistratus
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1. History of the Archaic Period (cont)

• 9. Political Changes Democracy at Athens
• Cleisthenes (508 BC)
• demokratia demos (people) kratia
  (power)
• 10 new tribes (1 part city, 1 part inland,
  1 part coastal)
• Council of 500 (50 from each tribe) replaces
  most duties of aristocratic Council of
  Areopagos
• ekklesia (assembly)

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Map of Attica
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1. History of the Archaic Period (cont)

• 9. Political Changes Democracy at Athens
• Cleisthenes (508 BC)
• demokratia demos (people) kratia
  (power)
• 10 new tribes (1 part city, 1 part inland,
  1 part coastal)
• Council of 500 (50 from each tribe) replaces
  most duties of aristocratic Council of
  Areopagos
• ekklesia (assembly)