The Cradle of Western Civilization

1
Ancient Greece

• The Cradle of Western Civilization
• B. Burgar, 2004

2
The Ancient Greeks

• Earliest civilization 4000 yrs. old
• Developed democracy
• Developed Trial by Jury
• Gave us Tragedy and Comedy
• Gave us Theater
• Attempted to explain the world through the laws
  of nature
• Gave us The Olympics

3
Greek City-State

• Greece is a small, rocky peninsula
• All Greeks spoke the same language
• Greece did not have a king or queen
• Lived in a number of city-states, which were each
  a separate political unit
• Each city-state had its own personality-
• life in Sparta was different than life in
  Athens

4
Sparta

• Children taken from parents at age 7
• Lived a harsh and brutal life in barracks
• Beat up by older kids to toughen up
• Whipped but not allowed to cry in pain
• Learned to lie, cheat, steal and get away with it
• Fierce and proud of strength

5
Athens

• Courteous and superbly educated in the arts and
  sciences
• Productive and capable in peace and war
• Taught at home by mother or male slave until 6 or
  7
• Until 14 attend neighborhood day school
• Four years of higher school
• Two years of military school at age 18

6
Greek Men

• Ran the government
• When not in fields spent great deal of time
  involved in politics
• Sailed, hunted, worked at a trade
• For fun drinking parties, wrestling, horseback
  riding, Olympic games
• Parties were for men only
• Admired heroes in mythology and desired to
  emulate them

7
Greek Women

• Limited freedom outside the home
• Attended weddings, funerals, some religious
  festivals
• Women were in charge of the home and children
• Most Greek women had slaves to do housework
• Acted as tutors for young males
• Were not allowed to attend Olympics because the
  men did not wear clothes

8
Greek Girls

• Stayed home until married
• Were allowed to attend certain festivals,
  funerals and visit neighbors for brief periods of
  time
• Their job was to help the mother
• Helped in fields if necessary

9
Greek Boys

• Stayed home when young
• Helped in fields
• Sailed and fished
• At age 6 or 7 they went to school

10
Slaves

• Important to ancient Greek daily life
• Cleaned and cooked
• Worked in the fields, factories, mines, shops and
  on ships
• Could not go to school, enter politics, or use
  their own name
• Property of their owner, who named them

11
Ways People Became Slaves

• People became slaves when captured in battle
• Children of slaves
• Infants abandoned by parents
• Children sold into slavery by poor families
• Children kidnapped into slavery
• Historians believe there were as many slaves as
  citizens!

12
Greek Houses

• Made up of two or three rooms
• Built around a courtyard
• Larger homes might include kitchen, a room for
  bathing and separate sitting rooms for men or
  women
• Often had second story
• Family life centered around the courtyard
• Meals were eaten in the courtyard

13
Food

• Soil not fertile due to rockiness
• Greeks developed irrigation systems and crop
  rotation
• Grew olives, grapes, and figs
• Kept goats for milk and cheese
• Grew wheat for bread where soil was fertile
  enough
• Fish, seafood, wine were popular
• In larger city-states meat could be purchased,
  but was rarely eaten. Used mostly for religious
  sacrifices

14
Clothing

• Simple tunics (linen) and warm cloaks (wool)
• Clothing was made by mothers, daughters, or
  female slaves
• Bleached white, or dyed bright colors
• Often decorated to represent their city-state
• Only the rich could afford jewelry
• Hats used only for traveling if at all

15
Education in Athens

• In Athens, the purpose of education was to train
  citizens in the arts for times of peace and war
• Many girls learned to read and write at home
• Books were expensive and rare so subjects were
  read aloud and boys had to memorize everything
• Used writing tablets and rulers
• Must study the words of Homer
• Learn to play the lyre
• After formal schooling, attended military school

16
Education in Sparta

• Purpose of education was to produce a
  well-drilled, well-disciplined marching army
• Males and females required to have perfect body
• Weak babies were left to die or made slaves
• Students were taught to read and write, but
  brutal military training was most important
• Students were underfed and encouraged to steal,
  but not to get caught
• If caught, they were beaten
• Boys forced to march without shoes