Greek Civilization: Reported By: Aaron Masaganda Hist 02 (World History)
Greek Civilization: Reported By: Aaron Masaganda Hist 02 (World History)
REPORTED BY:
AARON MASAGANDA
HIST 02 (WORLD HISTORY)
GEOGRAPHY OF GREECE
Greece is the southeastern-most region on the
European continent. It is defined by a series of
mountains, surrounded on all sides except the north
by water, and endowed with countless large and small
islands. The Ionian and Aegean seas and the many
deep bays and natural harbors along the coastlines
allowed the Greeks to prosper in maritime commerce
and to develop a culture which drew inspiration from
ANCIENT MAP OF
GREEK CIVILIZATION
ANCIENT GREEK
CIVILIZATION
Geographic Features
1. Sea: heavy influence on physical environment of Greece
(Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea)
2. Mountains (with narrow valleys): cover more than of
Greeces surface area and islands: more than 2000 islands
(Crete being the largest)
3. No major rivers on Greek mainland but fertile soil
Effects of Geography
Seafaring tradition: reliance on navy and
fleets for power and protection
Sea provided link to trade and cultural
exchange with Mediterranean communities
Isolationism: protection but lack of
effective communication
Greece was organized into polis
(independent city states) separated by
seas and rugged mountains
Emergence of dominant city states (Athens,
Sparta)
PEOPLE
FIRST GREEKS
Either were Neolithic
farmers who migrated from
Asia Minor around 3000 BC
Or were an Indo-European
tribe from southern Russia
who migrated into the
region around 2300 BC
In either case, when people
did arrive in the peninsula,
they soon came into
contact with an already
civilized people who lived
on the nearby island of
Crete
The Minoans
MINOAN CIVILIZATION
Neolithic settlements
date back to 4000 BC
Early farmers
probably came into
contact with Middle
Eastern civilization
around 3000 BC
Had developed an
advanced civilization of
their own by 2000 BC
Expressed in the
construction and
decoration of huge
palace complexes
Largest one at
Knossos
MINOAN PALACE
COMPLEXES
Complicated structures consisting
MINOAN WRITING
Developed alphabet around 1700
BC
Linear A
Not yet deciphered
Switched to alphabet called Linear
B around 1450 BC
Mostly used perishable writing
materials
None of which has survived
But also sometimes wrote on clay
tablets using this alphabet
Have been deciphered
Tells us quite a bit about their
society and culture
MINOAN COMMERCE
Palaces controlled the
commercial, agricultural, and
manufacturing activities of
surrounding regions
Commerce was very important
Acted as trade intermediary
between civilized and
barbarian worlds
Exported wool, olive oil and
timber in exchange for
other raw materials and
luxury items
Built large and
technologically advanced
merchant and military navy
MINOAN WOMEN
Women played important
role in society
Most of their gods were
female
Headed by the socalled Snake
Goddess
Women also portrayed
at the head of
processions and as
participants in athletic
events
Even bull-leaping
May not have been a
matriarchy but women
nonetheless enjoyed a
prominent social position
BULL-LEAPING
END OF MINOAN
CIVILIZATION
Civilization came to an end between
1450 and 1350 BC
All palaces destroyed and never
rebuilt
Theory 1
Invaded by Mycenaeans in 1400 BC
Destroyed Crete to eliminate
Minoans as trade rivals
Theory 2
Massive volcanic eruption on
island of Thera showered Crete
with debris, ash, and poison gas
Destroyed fleets with tidal waves
Mycenaeans arrived after
catastrophe and destroyed what
was left
MYCENEAN AGE
1600-1150 BC
Had some contact with
Minoan civilization by at
least 1600 BC
Typical of the very
warlike, semi-barbarian
cultures that extended
over most of Europe
Only difference was
that contact with
Minoans gradually
ameliorated some of
their barbarism and
allowed them to
develop a more
sophisticated culture
MYCENEAN CIVILIZATION
EMERGES
Assimilation of Minoan
culture was complete by
1400 BC
About the time that
they invade and
destroyed Crete
Took the place of
Minoans as commercial
middlemen between
civilized Middle East
and barbarian Europe
Began to build huge
palaces at Mycenae,
Tiryns, Athens,
Thebes, and Pylos
MYCENEAN PALACES
Palaces served as central
meeting places
Home for the king and his
administrators
Warehouse for agricultural
and manufactured
products
Marketplace
Communications center
Also served as religious
centers
Crowded with priests and
priestesses
Sparta
Sparta was a Greek city-state.
Sparta was very powerful and had its own
army.
Sparta conquered other city-states to gain
wealth and power.
There were three classes of people in
Sparta.
Citizens, non-citizens, and slaves.
Spartas Classes
Only men born in Sparta were citizens.
Women were not allowed to become
citizens, however, women were allowed to
own land and businesses, which gave
them more freedom than other Greek citystates.
The second class in Sparta was people
who came from other city-states or other
countries. They could own businesses but
not become citizens.
The third class was slaves.
Sparta warriors
Learning to read and write in Sparta was
not very important.
Training to become a good soldiers was
important.
Young boys were taken from their parents
and trained to be soldiers as well as good
in sports such as running.
Girls were also trained to be good in
sports.
Athens
Athens was another important Greek citystate.
The people of Athens wanted to rule
themselves and not have a king or queen.
Athens became the worlds first
democracy around 508 B.C.
A democracy is a government in which all
citizens can vote and have equal say in
what happens.
Democracy in Athens
Athens was a democracy because all
citizens could vote, but only half the
people in Athens were citizens.
Women, people born outside of Athens,
and slaves could not vote.
Pericles
Pericles was the
leader of creating
democracy in Athens.
He had many
buildings constructed.
Pericles had the
Parthenon and the
Acropolis built.
ANCIENT GREEK
CIVILIZATION
HISTORY OF GREECE
Trojan War
Was the Trojan War a real historical
event or merely a legend in Mycenaean
history?
Trojan War
Two epic poems by Homer Iliad and Odyssey describe
the Trojan War
Approximately 1194-1184 BCE
Greeks vs Troy
Helen of Sparta + Paris of Troy the face that launched a
thousand ships
Achilles, Odysseus, Hector, Agamemnon and the Trojan
Horse
Archaeologist- Heinrich Schliemann (claims that he found
Troy and the early Greek civilization of Myceaneans)
Archaic Period
750 500 BCE
Significant events
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Oracle of Delphi
Dating back to 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most
important shrine in all Greece as the sanctuary of Apollo
Built around a sacred spring, Delphi was
considered to be the center (literally navel) of the world
Questions about the future were answered by the
Pythia, the priestess of Apollo
Answers, usually cryptic or ambiguous
Arguments over the correct interpretation of
an oracle were common, but the oracle was
always happy to give another prophecy if
more gold was provided
It is believed that pythias was high on
hallucinative gases
Alexanders Empire
Regierung
The POLIS (city-state) consisted of a city and its surrounding plains and
valleys. The nucleus of the polis was the elevated, fortified site called the
ACROPOLIS where people could take refuge from attack. With the revival
of commerce, a TRADING CENTER developed below the acropolis
Greece and her colonies (red) in the mid-sixth century B.C. Also shown are the
two main rivals of Greece, the Phoenicians (purple) and the Etruscans (yellow).
During the GOLDEN AGE of Greece (461-429 B.C.), the great statesman
PERICLES guided Athenian policy.
Power resided in a board of TEN ELECTED GENERALS.
To insure that the POOR COULD PARTICIPATE IN
GOVERNMENT, Athens paid jurors (a panel of 6,000 citizens
chosen annually by lot) and members of the Council.
Although DEMOCRACY was an outstanding achievement,
it is important to keep in mind that the majority of the
inhabitants of Athens were not recognized citizens.
WOMEN, SLAVES, and RESIDENT ALIENS
were DENIED CITIZENSHIP.
These groups had no standing in the law courts.
(If a woman sought the protection of the law, she
had to ask a citizen to plead for her in court.)
Architecture
Erechtheion
Pinakotheke
Erechtheum
Parthenon
Odeum of Herodes
Atticus (Roman)
Kings
Shrine
Stoa of
Eumenes
Theater of
Dionysius
Sanctuary of
Asclepius
ANCIENT GREEK
CIVILIZATION
EDUCATION
Education in Athens
Education was very important in Athens.
Boys went to school to learn to read and
write. They also learned many sports.
Girls were not allowed to go to school or
learn to play sports.
Socrates
Socrates was a
philosopher of
Ancient Greece.
A philosopher is
someone who tries
to explain the nature
of life.
Socrates taught by
by asking questions.
This method of
questioning is still
called the Socratic
method.
Plato
Plato was a student of
Socrates.
He started a school
called The Academy.
Platos writing took
the form of a dialogue
between teacher and
student.
Aristotle
Aristotle was
another Greek
philosopher and
student of Plato.
He wrote about
science, art, law,
poetry, and
government.
Religion
The Greeks were POLYTHEISTIC and did not all worship the same
gods.
Some small villages worshiped the main gods and their own
village gods.
There were hundreds of Greek gods (perhaps around 1,000).
Some of the most famous gods were Zeus, Hera, Apollo,
Artemis, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Athena, Demeter, Hermes,
Ares, and Hades.
ZEUS surpassed all other gods in spirit, wisdom and justice and
his wife HERA was the queen of the gods.
Dating back to 1200 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in
all Greece. Built around a sacred spring, Delphi was considered to be the
omphalos - the center (literally navel) of the world.
People came from all over Greece and beyond to have their questions about the
future answered by the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo. And her answers, usually
cryptic, could determine the course of everything from when a farmer planted his
seedlings, to when an empire declared war.
The daily diet included CEREALS (like wheat and barley), GRAPES, and
OLIVES -- commonly called the MEDITERRANEAN TRIAD.
The Greeks typically made grapes into WINE and olives into OLIVE OIL, so they
would keep without refrigeration. Grains and cereals were commonly used for
BREAD and PORRIDGE.
Diets were supplemented with VEGETABLES and HERBS from kitchen gardens
as well as BERRIES, and MUSHROOMS. The poor usually ate FISH, while
oysters, sea urchins, octopus, and eels were considered DELICACIES and only
eaten by the wealthy.
BREAD in ancient Greece was a very important part of the daily diet. At first all
breads were prepared in the embers of a fire. Eventually the Greeks developed a
bread OVEN that is similar in function to the ovens we use today. Because they
required less wood or charcoal (which was expensive), these ovens made bread
AVAILABLE TO ALMOST EVERYONE.
The most common type of bread in Greece was called MAZA which was a flat
bread made from barley flour. Most meals consisted of maza and some sort of
accompaniment to the bread called OPSON. This might be vegetables, fish, olives,
onions, garlic, fruit, and on a rare occasion, meat.
GREEK CIVILIZATION
CONTRIBUTION
1. They developed the worlds first democracy.
2. They were the first people to take the scientific approach to
medicine by actually studying the diseases. (Hippocrates)
3. Playwrights wrote and produced the first dramas in outdoor
theaters. (Euripides & Sophocles)
4. They invented the rules of Geometry as well as other mathematics.
(Euclid)
5. They developed the art of Philosophy to search for wisdom and
truth. (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle)
6. They created outstanding literature, poetry and mythology.
(Homers Iliad and the Odyssey, Sappho for love poems)
7. They wrote the first histories.
8. They studied and classified or grouped different kinds of plants.
9. They created magnificent buildings and sculptures. They made
heavy use of columns to support the buildings and decorated them.
10. They gave us the Olympics.
11. They gave us many names that we still use today.
DATED: 1/23/2015