Classical Greece:
Geography:
- The 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, and usable farmland.
- The land was very rugged. 75% of ancient was covered by mountains.
- Mountains divided regions. They played a big role in wars. It was hard to move through the mts. with large armies.
- Moderate climate. Upper 40’s in winter. Lower 80’s in summer. Climate allowed for many different outdoor activities.
Minoan People:
- Created an elegant civilization that had great power that started around 3000 BC
- Their culture influenced the Mycenaeans.
- Used ships to trade goods. Had a written language
Mycenaean People
- Heavily influenced by the Minoans
- Came from Indo-European migrants
- Dominated Greece from 1600 BC to 1100 BC
Dorian People:
- Spoke a kind of Greek
- Not as advanced as the others. Didn’t have a writing system. Focused more on storytelling.
- Homer.
- started to identify less with culture and more with local area.
- governments changed from tribes to city-states
Government
- A polis was made up of a city and its surrounding countryside.
- Citizens would come together to meet at an acropolis to discuss their city government.
Monarchy
- State ruled by a king. Rule is hereditary
- some rulers claim that they have a divine right (felt like god had appointed them) 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
- Focused on military power. Went in and took other people's resources.
Direct Democracy
- State ruled by the citizens
- Rule is based on citizenship
- Majority rule decides vote
- Practiced in Athens by 500 BC
Athens
- Around 600 BC, Athens was taking steps towards becoming a democracy
- Major reforms over the next 100 years. Democracy started in 500 BC
- Draco
- Developed a legal code based on the idea that all Athenians, rich and poor, were equal under law.
- Very harsh punishments for nearly any crime. He believed in debt slavery
- Draconian has come to mean extreme cruelty or severity.
- Solon
- Stated that no citizen should own another
- organized Athens into 4 social classes based on wealth
- only top 3 classes could hold political office
- however, all 4 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
- The reforms allowed for a limited democracy
- Requirements for a citizen
- Free
- Adult
- Property owner
- Born in Athens
Sparta
- located in the southern part of Greece
- Cut off from the rest of Greece by the Gulf of Corinth
Spartan Gov't
- 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
- 5 elected officials that carried out the laws
- Two kings ruled over Sparta's military
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