Classical Greece
Geography
- Sea-allowed for great opportunity for trade and travel
-important because it allowed Greece to get the natural resources that it lacked, timber, precious metals, usable 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 large army
Climate
- upper 40's in winter,
- lower 80's in summer,
- the climate allowed for many different outdoor activities.
The Big 3 Players in Classical Greece
Minoan Influence
- Minoans-created an elegant civilization that had great power that started around 3000BC
- Minoans culture influenced the Mycenaeans
- Writing: language, design, trade, used ships to trade
Mycenaean Developes
- The Mycenaean were heavily influenced by the minoans
- they came from indo-europeans migrants
- dominated Greece from 1600 BC-1100 BC
Dorian
- spoke a kind of Greek
- not as advanced as the others, no writing system
- focused more on storytelling
- -best storyteller Homer
During the Dorian Period
Change
- Dorian and the Mycenaean people started to identify less with culture of their ancestors and more with local area
- Government made the transition from tribal or clan control to more formal governments called city-states
Government
- polis was made up of a city and its surrounding countryside, which would include numerous villages
- citizens of the polis would come together to meet at an acropolis to discuss their city government
- not all city-states had the same form of government
Different forms of government
Monarchy
- State ruled by a king
- Rule is hereditary
- some rulers claim that they have a divine right to rule
- practiced in Mycenae by 2000 BC
Aristocracy
- State ruled by nobility
- rule is also 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 rule by the citizens
- rule is based on citizenship
- majority rule decides vote
- practiced in Athens by 500 BC
- not everyone is a citizen
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 citizens should own another
- organized Athens into four social classes based on wealth
- only top 3 classes could hold political office
- however all 4 could participate in the Athenian assembly (where they would come together to discuss city-states)
Cleisthenes
- Broke Athens up based on region that the citizens lived instead of wealth
- 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
Limited Democracy
- The reforms allowed for a limited democracy
- however but all people were citizens
- requirements:
free
adult
property owner
born in athens
Sparta
- located in the southern part of Greece
- was cut off from the rest of Greece by the Gulf of Corinth
Spartan Government
Several Branches
- Assembly all citizens elected officials and voted on major issues
- council of elders 30 older citizens proposed laws the assembly to vote on
- 5 elected officials that carried out the laws that passed by the assembly
- two kings that ruled over Sparta's military
Athens vs Sparta
compare & contrast
responsibilities of citizens and noncitizens
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