Classical Greece
Sea
-allowed for trade and travel,
-important because it allowed Greece to get the natural resources it lacked ex. timber, precious metals, farmland
Land
-rugged mountains covered about 3/4 of ancient Greece
-mountains were often the divider for different regions
-played a big role in wars- hard to move through the mountains with a large army
Climate
-upper 40's in winter, lower 80's in winter
-the climate allowed for many different outdoor activities
The Big 3 in Ancient Greece
-Minoans- created an elegant civilization that had great power- started around 3000 BC
-Minoan culture influenced Myceneans
-writing, language, design, trade
-used ships to trade goods
-Myceneans- heavily influenced by Minoans
-they came from Indo-European migrants
-dominated Greece from 1600 to 1100 BC
-Dorian- spoke a kind of Greek
-not as advanced as others, no writing system
-focused more on storytelling- had famous storyteller, Homer
During the Dorian period...
-Dorian and Mycenean people started to identify less with their ancestors culture and more with local culture
-Gov't made transition from tribal or clan control to more formal gov't-- city-states
Government
-A polis was made up of a city and its surrounding countryside, which would include numerous villages
-Citizens met at an acropolis to discuss their city gov't
-Not all city-states had the same form of gov't
Monarchy- state ruled by a king
-rule is hereditary
-some rulers claim that they have a divine right to rule- God's will to send them down to rule
-Practiced in Mycenae by 2000 BC
Aristocracy- state ruled by nobility
-rule is hereditary and based on ties, social rank, wealth
-Social status and wealth support rulers' authority
-Practiced in Athens prior to 594 BC
Oligarchy- state ruled by a small group of citizens
-rule is based on wealth and/or ability
-ruling group controls the military
-Practiced in Sparta by 500 BC
Direct Democracy- state ruled by the citizens
-rule is based on citizenship- land owner, born in Athens, free, adult
-majority rule decides vote
-practiced in Athens by 500 BC
Athens
- About 600 BC, Athens was taking steps towards a democracy
-there were major reforms for the next 100 years that would eventually lead to a democracy starting around 500 BC
KEY PLAYERS
Draco
-developed a legal code based on the idea that all Athenians, rich and poor, were equal under law
-He had very harsh punishments for nearly any crime
-He believed in debt slavery
-The word "draconian" has come to mean "extreme cruelty or severity"
Solon
-stated that no citizen should own another
-organized Athens into four social classes based on wealth
-only top three classes could hold political office
-however, all four could participate in the Athenian assmbly
Cleisthenes
-broke Athens up based on region that the citizens lived in
-he increased the power of the assembly by allowing all citizens to submit laws for debate and passage
Created the Council of Five Hundred
-proposed laws
-counseled the assembly
-members were chosen at random
*All of these reforms allowed for limited democracy
Sparta
-located in the southern part of Greece
-was cut off from the rest of Greece by the Gulf of Corinth
Spartan Gov't Branches
-assembly, all citizens, elected officials and voted on major issues
-Council of Elders, 30 older citizens proposed laws for the assembly to vote on
-Five elected officials that carried out the laws that were passed by the assembly
-two kings ruled over Sparta's military
-New technology
-during the Dorian age, only the rich could afford to buy weapons and armor
-iron later replaced bronze and allowed the common man to fight
-a new formation called the phalanx was formed in battle
Start of the Persian War
-war between Greece and Persian Empire
-it first began in Ionia on the coast of Anatolia
-Greeks were settled there but Persians conquered it around 546 BC
-the Ionian Greeks revolted-- Athens sent soldiers to help in the revolt, Darius the Great defeated the revolt and vowed to destroy Athens
-In 490 BC the Persian fleet of 25000 landed in Marathon
-10,000 Athenians met them there
-after the fight, the Persians fled, losing 6000 while the Athenians lost about 200 or less
-The Athenians won because they were using the phalanx formation
-The Persians were not well trained in mountainous land fighting
-The Persians wore very light armor compared to Athenians
-Supply lines weren't an issue for the Athenians
Marathon
-Pheidippides ran 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to alert the Athenians of the coming battle
-By the time the Persians reached Athens, the Athenian army had already arrived, and the Persians retreated again
Xerxes- succeeded his father in leading the Persian army
-he brought a huge army to Athens later to fulfill the vow his father had made before him
The Greeks were divided as to how to handle the Persian situation
-Some city-states thought that they should defend the city
-Some city-states thought it wasn't worth it, and they should just allow them to burn it
-Some even fought with the Persians
Battle of Thermopylae-- 7,000 Greeks and 300 Spartans stood in the way of Xerxes and his huge army on this push to get to Athens--they lasted for 3 days against Xerxes's army
Later, a traitor told Xerxes of a path around the mountainous pass
-the 300 Spartans fought so the Greeks could flee to fight another day
-this sacrifice made a great impression on the Greeks, allowed the Greeks to fight another day-- Xerxes realized what he was up against
Battle of Salamis
-Greeks abandoned Athens and fought at sea instead
-a third of Xerxes's fleet was sunk
Effects of Persian War:
_the Delian League was created, an alliance made to push out the Persians
-Athens was the headquarters for the league, and led them to a golden age
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