Title: Western Civilization I HIS-101
1Western Civilization IHIS-101
- Unit 3 - Archaic and Early Classical Greece
- (1150-400 BCE)
2Greek Dark Age (c. 1150-800 BCE)
- After the fall of the Mycenaean kingdoms, Greece
went into a period known as the Greek Dark Ages - It lasted roughly from 1150-800 BCE
- This was a period of characterized by
- Instability due to the effects of the Sea People
not only in Greece but in the entire eastern
Mediterranean - Failing food supplies
- Large migrations both within Greece and out of it
- By 1000 BCE, other groups from around the Near
East began to increase their contact with the
Greeks - Greek pottery was in huge demand so trade was
opened up with them
3Greek Dark Age (c. 1150-800 BCE)
- One of the first groups that the Greeks came into
contact with was the Phoenicians - The Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet and
modified it to fit their language better - They also adopted the Phoenician boat designs for
merchant sea vessels - As their economy grew so did their movement
throughout the region - Many traveled between the mainland, the islands,
and Asia Minor, coming into greater contact with
other Greeks - There was also migration into the cities
- By 800 BCE, the Dark Age ended
4 5Archaic Greece (800-480 BCE)
- Greek civilization flourished during this period
- Life centered around the polis as the main
institution - The Polis (pl. poleis) is a small but autonomous
political unit - It centered on a city or town and its surrounding
countryside - All major political, social, and religious
activities were held in one central location - The actual origins of the polis started with
synoecism - This is the process of conquering and absorbing,
and/or working together with neighboring
communities - Not all poleis were the same
- They varied in size and population
- Each polis also had its own patron deity
- Rivalries and animosity between poleis would
eventually lead to the ruin of Greece
6Archaic Greece (800-480 BCE)
- Greek colonization began during the 8th and 7th
centuries BCE - By the 6th century Greek colonization spread from
the Black Sea to the western Mediterranean - What were the reasons behind Greek colonization?
- Overpopulation
- Shortage of land
- Establishment of trade routes
- Impacts
- Colonization also helped spread Greek culture
- There was also the creation of a new group of
wealthy elites - They acquired their wealth through trade
- They wanted political privileges proportionate to
their wealth
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8 9The Heroic Tradition
- In Archaic Greece, wealth as well as trade became
important in Greek society - A small group of aristocrats (aristoi) began to
emerge - They saw their wealth as proof of their
superiority - But wealth was not the only thing the aristocracy
strived for - Rise of the heroic tradition
- They needed to be heroes as well they needed
to win battles, travel to distant lands, be
courageous, strong, and wise - Overall, they must be favored by the gods
- This was best illustrated in the works of Homer
(8th century BCE)
10The Heroic Tradition
- His two main works were the Iliad and the Odyssey
- Writing in the 8th century BCE but were about
events that occurred during the Mycenaean period - They reflect social conditions of 8th century BCE
- Both stories illustrate courage, acts of bravery,
and battles the foundations of the Heroic
Tradition - These stories may have originated as oral
traditions - Homers poems were treated as historical facts
- They were used as educational texts on how to be
a proper aristocrat
11 12Rise of the Hoplites
- During the Dark Age, fighting occurred on
horseback amongst aristocrat-warriors - As the dominant military force, they were able to
hold political and social power - During the 7th century BCE, a new military order
emerged hoplite warrior - Heavily armed infantrymen
- They carried a round shield, a short sword, and
an 8-10 foot long thrusting spear - To become a hoplite, all you had to do was
provide your own armor - New battle formation phalanx
- Broke the monopoly of the aristocrat-warriors
13 14Archaic Greek Society
- Society was based not only on wealth but status
- King was at the top
- Warrior-aristocracy dominated the poleis in both
wealth and political power - Everybody else was at the bottom
- Roles of men and women reflected the heroic
tradition - Men were to be the heroes
- Women helped their men live up to their roles
- The aristocrats developed a very distinct culture
and lifestyle - Holding office in the polis
- The symposium
- Pederasty
15- The erastes (lover) fondling the genitals of the
eromenos (beloved)
16Rise of Greek Tyranny
- Not all aristocrats enjoyed power
- Small oligarchies controlled the politics in the
cities - Others were left feeling alienated
- Some aristocrats turned to hoplites as allies
- Both groups felt excluded from politics
- With military backing, these aristocrats could
now take power through force - Rise of Tyranny (7th century BCE)
- Old oligarchies were overthrown via coup d'état
- Those who took control became known tyrants
- Lydian term tyrannos - someone who seized power
illegally - They gave the hoplites legal and economic rights
and even in some cases political rights
17Rise of Greek Tyranny
- The term tyrant did not originally have a
negative connotation - Because they had taken power illegally, they had
to justify their rule - Their heirs were corrupt and tended to be cruel
and unjust rulers - By the end of the 6th century, tyranny was
largely eliminated in Greece - It did have a number of long lasting effects
- Ended the rule of aristocratic oligarchies
- Opened the door for greater participation in
government - Led to the rise of democracy in some poleis and
extended oligarchies in others
18 19Archaic Athens
- Governed by aristocratic oligarchy
- Two main bodies
- Archons Magistrates
- Areopagus Council High Court
- 7th century BCE problems
- Rise of debt-slavery
- Increasing violence among rival aristocratic
groups - First coup detat attempt was in 632 BCE
- Cylon tried to seize control over Athens
- The Athenians revolted against him
- Cylon managed to flee the city but his followers
were executed
20Archaic Athens
- The aristocracy need to stabilize the rivalries
between themselves - They thought clarifying the old laws and put them
in writing would help - In 621 BCE, Draco was selected to write the laws
- Draconian punishments
- Used harsh punishments by the state to stop
rivalries - Failed to do so
- Calls were made for a neutral figure to run the
government - This was to prevent an attempted coup d'état
and/or civil war
21Archaic Athens
- In 594 BCE, the aristocracy selected Solon to be
sole archon of Athens for one year - He brought about sweeping economic reforms
- Cancelled all land debts
- Outlawed debt slavery and bought the freedom for
those already put into slavery - Encouraged the cultivation of cash-crops (e.g.,
grapes and olives) - He made sweeping political reforms
- Divided up the citizen population into four
classes - Every male citizen, except those in the poorest
class, could now hold political office - Even the poorest class were eligible to vote
22Archaic Athens
- He put more control into the hands of the people
- The Ecclesia now had the right to elect archons
- The Heliaia was created where all four classes
could sit in as jurors and heard - However, he did not fix the main problems
- He did not redistribute the land
- The aristocracy viewed his reforms as being too
radical - The poorer classes believed that Solon had not
done enough - For the next forty years, internal conflicts
worsened
23 24Archaic Athens
- In 546 BCE, Peisistratus succeeded in seizing
power through a coup detat - He had to justify his illegal takeover
- Public works projects that included the
beautification of Athens - He opened up the Black Sea to Athenian traders
and merchants - Strengthened the demos using Solons reforms
- Aristotle wrote that his government appeared
more like constitutional government than a
tyranny - He remained in power until his death in 527 BCE
25Archaic Athens
- Hippias (527-510 BCE)
- Was Peisistratus son and supposedly co-ruled
with his brother Hipparchus - First half of his reign was good
- He was a patron of the arts and he instituted
many building projects - It all changed in 514 BCE
- Hipparchus was murdered by Harmodius and
Aristogeiton (Tyrannicides) - Hippias then became a cruel and unjust ruler
- Athens sought the aid of Sparta to overthrow
Hippias - Hippias fled to Persia
26- Harmodius and Aristogeiton
- The Tyrannicides
27Archaic Athens
- The aristocrats hoped to control Athens with an
oligarchy - However, the people of Athens like having
political rights - In 508 BCE, the Athenian people revolted and put
Cleisthenes in as archon - Championed the cause of the demos
- His main goal was to limit aristocratic power
- He reorganized the government based on location
(deme) instead of family or clan ties - Reformed voting practices
- Reorganized the population into ten tribes
- Introduced ostracism to banish political rivals
for ten years - Based on ostraka, a type of potsherd
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30Archaic Sparta
- Sparta was located at the southern end of the
Peloponnesus peninsula - It originally consisted of four villages that
merged into one polis - Its government consisted of
- Two kings
- A strong council (gerousia)
- An assembly (apella)
- It grew in size by conquering neighboring poleis
- By 750 BCE, conquered Laconia
- By 720 BCE, conquered Messenia
- Population was enslaved (helots)
31Archaic Sparta
- The Spartan military state had its origins in the
7th century BCE - In 650 BCE, the helots in Messenia revolted and
almost won - Because of this, the Spartans created a military
state to protect itself - Sparta became literally a perpetual military camp
- Examination of child at birth
- At age 7, boys would be moved to the state-run
barracks - At 20, were required to join the army for regular
military duty - From 20 to 30, they were required to marry but
they continued to live in the barracks - At 30, the men were considered mature
- They remained in military service until they were
60
32Archaic Sparta
- Women were not exempt from duty
- Girls would remain at home and receive training
in letters until they were married - Women were encouraged to exercise and stay in
shape in order to have healthy babies - They were expected to be brave and run the
household while their husbands and sons went off
to war - Three social classes
- Spartitates Full Spartan citizens and ruling
class - Perioeci Free but did not have citizen rights
- Helots These were the people who were forced to
work the land
33Archaic Sparta
- Spartan political structure
- Two kings Military and religious leaders
- Gerousia - Council of 28 men over the age of 60
who were responsible for most of the policy
making - Apella - Assembly of all the Spartan male
citizens over the age of 30 who voted on
proposals from the gerousia - Other important bodies
- Ephors - Highest-ranking Spartan magistrates
- Krypteia A secret police force that lived among
the helots and were ordered to kill anyone deemed
dangerous
34Archaic Sparta
- Close-minded society
- Were forbidden from participating in outside
trade - Discouraged foreigners from visiting Sparta
- Discourage Spartans from traveling
- Were not allowed to come into contact with an
persons or material that was dangerous - Greater control of the Peloponnesus
- In 6th century BCE, the Spartans organized the
Peloponnesian League - It was a loose alliance of poleis on the
peninsula - It was also created to prevent the helots from
getting outside aid for their revolts
35End of the Archaic Age (c.500 BCE)
- Athens
- An economic power as the principle exporter of
wine, olive oils, and pottery in Greece - Developed a new form of government that was more
democratic and participatory - Sparta
- A powerful, highly-organized military state
- Loss of freedom for both the helots and the
Spartans
36- Greek hoplite fighting Persian warrior
- (c. 5th century BCE)
37Ionian Revolt (499-494 BCE)
- Persian Wars mark the end of the Archaic Period
- Ionian Revolt (499-494 BCE)
- Ionia did not like being a Persian satrapy
- Started by Aristagoras, tyrant of Miletus
- He rallied the support of the people against
Persian rule - Calls were made to the other Greeks states for
help - Sparta refused to help
- Athens sent 20 ships to help the Ionians
- They helped capture and sack Sardis, the capital
of Lydia - After that, the Athenians left the Ionians on
their own - The Ionians were able to hold their own until 494
BCE - Persian fleet defeated the Ionians at the Battle
of Lade
38- Greco-Persian Wars (492-449 BCE)
39Greco-Persian Wars (492-449 BCE)
- Darius already wanted to attack Greek mainland
- Athens participation in Ionian Revolt gave him
the excuse - In 492 BCE, Darius sent the fleet to attack
Athens directly - That fleet was lost in a storm and that plan was
abandoned - In 490 BCE, he sent ground forces to attack
- The Persian forces met the Athenians on the plain
of Marathon - Battle of Marathon (490 BCE)
- Athenians were outnumbered 11,000 to the Persian
25,000 - Sparta showed up late for the battle
- Mobile and ranged Persian army versus hoplite,
infantry Greeks - Greeks attacked while Persian horses being
watered - Persians lost over 6,000 while the Athenians only
lost 192
40Greco-Persian Wars (492-449 BCE)
- Pheidippides died after running 25 miles to
Athens to give the city news of victory - Marathon was the only major defeat during Darius
reign - He had planned a third attempt at Greece
- Attention was diverted to uprisings in Egypt
- He died before he was able to mount another
attack - Building of the Athenian navy
- Themistocles knew Persia was coming back
- Pushed to build a better, faster navy
- By 480 BCE, had a fleet of 200 triremes and new
port facilities - Athens now had a navy to go alongside their
hoplite forces
41 42Greco-Persian Wars (492-449 BCE)
- Xerxes (486-465 BCE)
- He was the son of Darius
- He wanted to attack Greece as well
- In 483 BCE, he began preparations for a massive
invasion - The actual invasion began in 480 BCE
- He had amassed 200,000 troops and 700 naval ships
- Plenty of supplies either on ships or along the
roads to feed his armies - He also had two pontoon bridges built across the
Hellespont for his troops to cross from Persia
into Greece - Many Greek states immediately surrendered to
Xerxes
43 44Greco-Persian Wars (492-449 BCE)
- Creation of the defensive Hellenic League
- Sparta headed the military and Athens the Navy
- Battle at Thermopylae (480 BCE)
- King Leonidas of Sparta met the Persian forces at
the pass at Thermopylae - He had only a small force of roughly 9,000 men
- Held the pass for three days, killing
approximately 10,000 Persians a day - The Persians found a mountain path to outflank
the Greeks - Leonidas sent most of his troops away to safety
- He stayed behind with 300 Spartans and 1,100
Boeotians to delay the Persians - He succeeded for several days but his entire
force was killed
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46Greco-Persian Wars (492-449 BCE)
- Persians went on to burn down Athens
- The Greeks were able to regroup on Salamis
- Easier to defend with the Greek navy
- Greeks were outnumbered but used the narrow
Straits to their advantage - They were able to destroy around 200 Persian
ships - Xerxes returned to Persia after this loss
- He left most of the army behind to finish the war
- Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
- Greeks had the largest Greek army seen to date
- The Spartans decimated the Persians
- What was left of the Persian forces retreated to
Asia Minor
47 48Delian League
- With the defeat of Persia, Athens is the main
Greek power - Sparta withdrew from its role in Greek affairs
- Many wanted an offensive attack to free Ionia
from Persian control - Delian League (478-404 BCE)
- Technically led by Athens
- It was a democratic league with each polis
holding one vote - The main function of the League was to battle the
Persians - It held close to 300 ships, most of which were
Athenian - If a polis could not provide ships, it provided
money instead
49Delian League
- By 469 BCE, all of the Greek states in the Aegean
region were freed - Many wanted the dissolution of the League
- First Naxos attempted to leave in 470 BCE and
then Thasos in 465 BCE - Athens attacked both poleis and decimated them
- Walled fortifications were destroyed
- Their navies captured
- Their lands confiscated
- Residents were all forced to pay tribute to the
Athenians - Athens took on the policy of no succession
- The League became the Athenian empire
- It was also an instrument of Athenian imperialism
50 51Athenian Golden Age
- Athenian economic golden age
- Money from Delian League was used to finance
building projects - This led to numerous construction jobs
- Not everybody was happy as lower classes wanted a
greater role in the government - Strategos A military position (general)
- Were responsible for drafting and overseeing
troops and acting as military judges - After 490 BCE, ten were elected each year
- Voting was done by popular elections rather than
lots - Popular political path during 5th century BCE
- Themistocles was the first example of a strategos
using it for political power
52Athenian Golden Age
- Prior to 462 BCE, the conservatives held power
under strategos Cimon - Cimon led the Delian League against the Persians
- He also suppressed the other poleis who had tried
to succeed from the League - Pericles (c.495-429 BCE)
- Young, liberal aristocrat
- Wanted to see more changes taking place in the
government - Wanted to end the aristocratic power of the
Aeropagus Council - Also wanted to severe ties with Sparta to expand
Athenian power
53Athenian Golden Age
- Pericles was elected strategos in 462 and 461 BCE
- In 461 BCE, convinced the Ecclesia to take away
the remaining powers of the Areopagus - That year, he also was able to secure the
ostracism of Cimon - He then pushed through more democratic reforms
- He paid the poor to attend the Ecclesia
- Ecclesia could now propose or amend legislation
- Citizenship required both parents to be citizens
- He was heavily involved in public building
projects - Acropolis started in 447 BCE
- Parthenon to replace the old Temple of Athena
that was destroyed in 480 BCE
54 55Great Peloponnesian War
- Most of what we know comes from Thucydides
History of the Peloponnesian War (424 BCE) - He had been an Athenian general and politician at
the beginning of the war - Rather accurate account of the war
- Long range cause of war the fear the Spartans
held towards Athens and its empire - Others believe the cause of the war was that
Athens had created a tyrannical empire - It began when Athens got involved in the affairs
of the Peloponnesus in 433 BCE - Athens helped Corcyra hold off attack by Corinth
- Corinth was a member of the Peloponnesian League
56Great Peloponnesian War
- Sparta issues ultimatum to Athens in 432 BCE
- Either back down with Corinth or it would be war
- Athens refused to back down as it was admitting
that Sparta was the dominant power in Greece - Neither side had a clear advantage
- Athens had good navy but poor army
- Sparta had good army but no navy
- Athenian Plan
- Stay inside the walled city of Athens
- The Long Walls gave a path to the port at Piraeus
- The navy would then raid the coast of Peloponnesus
57Great Peloponnesian War
- Spartan Plan
- Invade Attica and lay siege to Athens
- Cut off the city from its supplies in the
countryside - Could only lay siege for a few weeks at a time
- Spartans laid siege but could not break through
the walls - Athenian Plague (430-428 BCE)
- Over 1/3 of its population was killed, including
Pericles - Even the Spartans temporarily retreated in fear
of the plague - Spartans could not take advantaged of weakened
Athenian state - Peace of Nicias was signed in 421 BCE
- All lands would return to their pre-war status
58Great Peloponnesian War
- Peace lasted for six years
- In 415 BCE, new plan against Sparta
- Athens invades Sicily, cutting off the Spartan
supplies from Syracuse - Athenian traitor informed Sparta of its plan and
told them to turn to Persia for help - In 413 BCE, Athenian forces unable to take
Syracuse - All of the Athenian forces were either killed or
sold into slavery - Athens domestic problems
- Many politicians fled in fear of repercussions
from losses - City voted out democracy and created an oligarchy
of 400 men - Army refused to accept it
59Great Peloponnesian War
- Athenian navy went on to defeat the Spartans in a
number of key battles from 410-406 BCE - Sparta turned to Persia for help
- Persia provided money and expertise to build a
navy - Starting in 407 BCE, Spartan navy starts winning
- Under the command of Lysander
- Athens surrendered in 404 BCE
- The Long Walls around Athens were destroyed
- What was left of the navy was disbanded
- New oligarchic government set up by Sparta
(Thirty Tyrants) - Executed roughly 1,500 people and over a thousand
more exiled
60- Pythagoras
- (c.580-c.500 BCE)
61Early Classical Philosophy
- The Milesian School of Thought was picked up by
early Classical Greek philosophers - They were more cynical and pessimistic
- What is the truth?
- Pythagoras of Samos (c.580-c.500 BCE)
- Founded the Pythagorean Brotherhood that focused
on logical thinking - Ignored the desires of the flesh
- Were pacifists and vegetarians
- Devoted to an ethical lifestyle, mathematics, and
musical theory
62Early Classical Philosophy
- Sophism
- Derived from sophia meaning wisdom
- Experts in the science of oratory (rhetoric)
- Used rhetoric as a skill to persuade others
- Done for political motivations or just to argue
their point of view - Protagoras (c.485-c.410 BCE)
- Relativism - Man is the measure of all things
of things which are, that they are, and of things
which are not, that they are not - Making the worst case better through use of
rhetoric - Was an agnostic and believed that there is no
proof that the gods in fact did exist
63Early Classical Philosophy
- Later, sophists used their skill to argue unjust
cases - Anyone with enough skill could argue for
anything, no matter how negative or brutal the
thing was - Socrates (469 - 399 BCE)
- Wanted to find what was good, just, and virtuous
- The unexamined life is not worth living
- Unlike the sophists, he did believe in some
certainties including absolute goodness - Used the Socratic Method to find out how much
knowledge his students had and what their beliefs
were - Wrote nothing down
- Found guilty of corrupting the youth and
executed
64 65Sparta in Charge
- After 404 BCE, Sparta was the superior power in
Greece - Took on a policy of what was good for Sparta was
good for everyone else - Very heavy handed to the other Greek poleis
- They were overextended so endured helot revolts
- Sparta began planning a war against Persia
- Hope was to unify Greece again as a way of
maintaining its position - Plan was to recover Ionia which was lost during
the Peloponnesian War - Persians offered economic aid to those who fought
Sparta - Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and Argos all accepted
66Corinthian War (395-387 BCE)
- Corinthian War (395-387 BCE)
- Between the Athenian coalition and Sparta
- The coalition quickly won key battles because of
their naval superiority - Athens was able to regain old Delian League
territory - Persia did not like this and withdrew its support
in 392 BCE - Persians gave economic aid to Sparta instead
- Spartan was then able to easily defeated the
coalition - Athens sued for peace in 387 BCE
- Peace of Antalcidas (387 BCE)
- Negotiated between Persia, Athens, and Sparta
- Athens had to give up control of the Aegean
- Persia got to keep Ionia as well as Cyprus
67- Coin of Artaxerxes II of Persia
68Trouble for Sparta
- After the, Sparta kept up its harsh policies
- Dangerous poleis were dismantled into smaller
units - Thebes became a hot spot for Sparta
- It started as an ally to Sparta but joined the
Athenian coalition - After the war, they allied with Sparta again
- Seizing Thebes (382 BCE)
- Spartan general, Phoebidas, was travelling by
Thebes - He placed troops in Thebes citing civil unrest
- Seized the acropolis and forced out any
anti-Spartan factions - Exiled Thebans turned to Athens for help
- Inside of Thebes, resistance formed under
Epaminondas, politician and military leader
69- Epaminondas
- (c. 404-362 BCE)
70Theban Dominance
- In 379 BCE, the Thebans led a coup against the
Spartans - Drove out the Spartan troops
- Executed the pro-Spartan politicians
- Sparta tried to retake the city three times over
the next seven years but failed - The Sacred Band of Thebes
- This was a fighting force organized of 150
homosexual couples - The logic behind it was that lovers would fight
side by side more fiercely - The inspiration came from Plato who argued that
lovers would not surrender He would be ready to
die a thousand deaths rather than endure this
embarrassment. Or who would desert his beloved
or fail him in the hour of danger?
71Theban Dominance
- Battle of Leuctra (371 BCE)
- Key battle between Thebes and Sparta
- Thebans cleanly defeated Spartans
- Theban troops then traveled to Messenia
- There they set the helots free
- These were people who had been enslaved for over
200 years - Thebes became the dominant power until 362 BCE
- This was when Epaminondas was killed in the
Battle of Mantinea
72- Extent of Theban Power (c. 362 BCE)
73Economic Crisis
- All the wars led to economic crises in all the
poleis - Many lost their wealth and their homes
- Crops and orchards had been destroyed
- Damage to the olive trees and grapevines
- Standard of living dropped dramatically
- Wages were stagnant but prices increased as much
as 50 - Taxes were increased to rebuild the city funds
- Unemployment was very high
- Many soldiers were forced to become mercenaries
while others became bandits
74 75Philosophy and the Polis
- In late Classical Period, philosophers changed
their focus - They turned to the discussion of the ideal form
of government - Two major philosophers Plato and Aristotle
- Knew there was something wrong with 4th century
BCE polis - Both attempted to come up with ways to fix it
- Plato (429-349 BCE)
- Was originally a student of Socrates
- Wanted to prove Socrates innocence after his
trial and death - Set up the Academy in 387 BCE
- Plato wrote the dialogues the Phaedo, the
Symposium, and the Republic
76Plato (429-349 BCE)
- Doctrine of Ideas
- Things were relative but that should not be the
foundation of philosophy - Believed in a higher, spiritual realm where there
are eternal forms, or Ideas, that are unchanging - The Ideas are true reality but only our mind can
grasp the Ideas, not our senses - Therefore you cannot trust the material world
- Ideas include objects but also more complex Ideas
such as beauty and justice - The material world is a shadow of the real world
- What we see are copies of the Ideas, a shadow of
them - Highest Idea was Good which could be achieved by
leading a virtuous life
77Plato (429-349 BCE)
- In politics social harmony is more important
than liberty or equality - Leadership was based on a meritocracy
- Believed that society was divided into three
tiers - The Producers These are the ones who are
responsible for keeping society running - The Guardians These are the ones who are
responsible for protecting society - The Philosopher Kings The one(s) responsible
for ruling the state based on Ideas of virtue and
goodness
78 79Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
- Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
- Aristotle had been a student of Plato
- Did not ignore the material world
- He in a compromise between Platonism and pure
materialism - He wrote about teleology
- The universe is in a constant state of motion
- Everything is moving towards its ultimate
perfected form (telos) - Had a different view towards politics than Plato
- Plato saw government as a means to an end (the
Idea of Good) - Aristotle saw it as the end itself, the good
life
80Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
- Politics allowed humanity to fully use its
rational thought - Women were not allowed to participate in
government - He also believed barbarians were not fully
human and should be kept as slaves - Best government combination monarchy,
aristocracy, and democracy - Use a checks and balances system
- Allow men to realize their full rational
potential - Both Plato and Aristotle tried to fix the
problems of the polis - They were not practical for the time
- Athens and Thebes were too big for the ideal
polis - The best option was to turn poleis into small,
agricultural states