Classical Greece
Geography
*Sea
-allowed for great opportunity for trade and travel
-important because it allowed Greece to get 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
-very moderate climate
-upper 40s in winter
-lower 80s in summer
-climate allowed for many different outdoor activites
*3 big players
*Minoan influence
-created an elegant civilization that had great power that started around 3000 BC
-Writing, language
-design
-trade
-Used ships to trade goods
*Mycenaean
-were heavily influenced by the Minoans
-came from Indo-Europeans migrants
-Dominated Greece form 1600 BC to 1100 BC
*Dorian
-Spoke a kind of Greek
-not as advanced as the others, no writing system
-focused more on story telling
-best= Homer
During the Dorian Period
*during the period
-dorian and mycenaean people started to identify less with culture of their ancestors and more with the local area
-government made the transition from tribal or clan control to more formal governments called city-states
*government
-a 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 (it was gods decision to have them there)
-practiced in Mycenae by 2000 B.C.
Aristocracy
-State ruled by nobility
-rule is hereditary and based on ties, social rank, wealth
-social status and wealth support rulers' aristocracy
-Practiced in Athens prior to 594 B.C.
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 B.C.
Direct Democracy
-state ruled by the citizens
-rule is based on citizenship
-majority rule decides vote
-practiced in Athens by 500 BC
*Athens
-about 600 BC, Athens was taking steps toward 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 assembly
Cleisthenes
-broke Athens up based on region that the citizens lived instead of wealth (10 groups)
-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
-this reform 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
*Government
-Several branches
---assembly, all citizens, elected officials and voted on major issues
---Council of Elders, 30 older citizens, proposed laws on the assembly to vote on
---Five elected officials that carried out the laws that were passed by the assembly
---Two kings that ruled over Sparta's military
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