The Rise of the Greek World - PowerPoint Presentation

The Rise of the Greek World 3 February 2010

Lecture Outline The Age of Calamities Decline of Mycenae The Greek Dark AgesTrade and RecoveryRise of a Social EliteThe Greek Archaic AgeRebuilding after the Dark AgesThe PolisSpartaAthens The Age of Warfare Persia Athens versus Sparta The Greek Golden Age Development out of stability Citizenship Arts The Transition from polis to monarchy The end of the Golden Age and the rise of Hellenism

The Minoans and the Mycenaeans (~1650-1100 B.C.E)The island of Crete center of Minoan cultureMycenae 1450 B.C.E. Mycenaeans attacked Crete to secure trade power The end of Mycenaean Greece called the “Dark Age” of Greece

The Age of Calamities, 1200-1000 B.C.E. Decline of Mycenaeans and Minoans The Sea Peoples Internal conflictsNatural disastersWhat progress is lost?

Crisis and the End of the Bronze Age (1200-1000 B.C.E) . Imperial regions wiped out in upset of political equilibrium, Egyptian and Hittite inscriptions suggest:Foreign invaders toppled the Hittitesbroke trade routescreated wide refugee crises Philistines from the north attacked Canaanites and Hebrews Minoan civilization disappeared Mycenaean centers collapsed Egyptian imperial expanse collapsed The Result… The Dark Ages– when most traces of important markers of progress disappeared

The Rise of the Greek World During this “Dark Age” period The former Mesopotamian city-states built new empiresArchaic Greek city-states established various types of participatory governments

Hellas: The Land Fragmented series of islands linking the Greek peninsula with Asia Minor helped developed the city-state system

The Greek Dark Ages, 1000-750 B.C.E. Trade and Recovery Contact with eastern Mediterranean fosters Greek recovery 800 B.C.E. Recovery of written languageRise of literature and the artsHomer Return of animals and people to their art

The Archaic Age, 750-500 B.C.E. The redevelopment of Greece leads to the “Archaic Age” defined byThe creation of the polisTrade and colonizationRise of religionDifferent levels of citizenshipWealthSlaveryGender

The Polis city-state By the close of the “Dark Ages” the city-state was the common social entity The most important city-states were Sparta and Athensmain focal points were acropolis and the agora The polis could be governed as a monarchy, an aristocracy, an oligarchy, a democracy or tyranny Citizenship in the polis was very exclusive

The Archaic Age (800-500 B.C.E ): The Growth of Sparta Sparta, a military society, conquered much of greater GreeceSparta developed into a city-stateAll male Spartan citizens were given equal rightsFamily life was sacrificed to the polismilitaristic dedication to the state adherence to a strict code of moral conduct Hoplite Phalanx formation

The Archaic Age (800-500 B.C.E ): Athens Athens shifted from an aristocracy into a democracyThe deme was the basic unit of Athenian democracyLegislation by two bodies, the boule and the ecclesia

The Assembly & the Council Ecclesia: made executive pronouncements (decrees, such as deciding to go to war or granting citizenship to a foreigner) it elected some officialsit legislatedit tried political crimesBoule:served as an executive committee for the assemblycoordinated the activities of the various boards and magistrates that carried out the administrative functions of Athens was responsible for a great portion of the administration of the state

An Age of Warfare 499-479 B.C.E 499-490 successful rebellion against the Persian Empire; 478 B.C.E. saw the formation of the Delian League (spearheaded by Athens)The Delian League makes Athens the major naval forceMilitary success Secures Greece from the Persians Makes Athens very prosperous

The Greek Golden Age (500-338 B.C.E.) Prosperity and stability in Athens fosters the development of Classical GreeceRadical DemocracyFocus on architecture and artsIntellectual development, Socratic Method

The Greek World Classical Age, 500-338 B.C.E. 499-497: Rebellion against Persian Empire 478: Formation of Delian League431-404: Peloponnesian WarHellenistic Age, 338-146 B.C.E.

From Polis to Monarchy (404-323 B.C.E.) The Peloponnesian War, 431-404 B.C.E. weakens the region Sparta fails to create a Greek empire Philip II, king of Macedonia, conquers GreecePhilip’s son, Alexander the Great, carried out this planHis early death in 323 B.C.E. led to more political chaos

The Spread of Hellenism (323 B.C.E. - 30 B.C.E) The Hellenistic period is marked by the deaths of Alexander and Cleopatra VII, period politically defined by the emergence of Greek successor kings to Alexander’s empireEconomic expansion and success fueled a “uniform” Greek culture, drawing the Mediterranean world much closer togetherPhilosophy and scientific advances also mark this period.

Alexander’s Legacy As a Macedonian, he considered himself ethnically Greek Secures the alliances formed by Philip II Conquers PersiaSpreads Greek culture through his method of controlTravels farther east than GreeksAids development of science and knowledge Bust of Alexander

Alexander’s Campaigns

Hellenistic Kingdoms, 240 B.C.E.

The Parthenon Symbol for Athens Divine blessing WealthPower What the statue of Athena may have looked like. Floor plan

Hellenistic Religion Greek Polytheism Civic Cults “Our Ancestors handed down to us the most powerful and prosperous community in Greece by performing the prescribed sacrifices. It is therefore proper for us to offer the same sacrifices as they, if only for the sake of the success which has resulted from those rites.”—LysiasHero CultsMystery Cults Statue of Demeter, ca. 350 B.C.E. Goddess of grain and fertility

Education & Philosophy Education determined by social standing Philosophers Archaic idea of “rationalism” Reason and logic over mythSophists encourage intellectual developmentProtagoras: “The human being is the measure of all things, of the things that are that they are, and of things that are not that they are not.”

Socrates 469-399 B.C.E. Constant questioning Influence on the young people of AthensJust behavior/good over evilThreat to Athenian traditionScapegoat

Plato 427-347 B.C.E. Socrates student Academy, 386 B.C.E.Metaphysics and FormsThe CaveRepublicdualism

Aristotle 384-322 B.C.E. Tutor to Alexander the Great Lyceum, 355 B.C.E.Observation and experience over FormsScientific investigationSelf-control/”Golden Mean”Relevant ethical systems

Later Philosophies Epicureanism Isolation Pursuit of pleasureStoicismFatePurposeful actionSkepticismImpossibility of secure knowledgeAppearances versus judgmentCynicismCynic “like a dog” Natural = good Epicurus

Arts Theatre Greek Tragedies Greek ComediesInnovations in sculpturePraxiteles’ Statue of Aphrodite, 4th C. B.C.E.

Archaic Classical Hellenistic Celtic Warrior, 3 rd C. B.C.E. Kouros, ca. 530 B.C.E. Victorious Athlete

History Herodotus of Halicarnassus (c. 485-425 B.C.E.) Thucydides of Athens (c. 455-399 B.C.E.) Herodotus of Halicarnassus Thucydides of Athens