The Civilization of the

Greeks
The Early Greece
 The Civilization of the greeks

Geography played an important role in Greek

history. Compared to Mesopotamia and Egypt,
Greece occupied a small area, a mountainous
peninsula that encompassed only 45,000 square
miles of territory.

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 The Civilization of the greeks

The mountains and the sea were especially

significant. Much of the Greece consists of small
plains and river valleys surrounded by mountain
ranges 8,000 to 10,000 feet high.

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 The Civilization of the greeks

The mountains isolated Greeks from one another,

causing Greek communities to flow their own
separate paths and develop their own ways of life.

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 The Civilization of the greeks

Over the period of time, these communities became

so fiercely attached to their independence that they
were only too willing to fight one another to gain
advantage.

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 The Civilization of the greeks

No doubt the small size of these independent Greek

communities fostered participation in political affairs
and unique cultural expressions, nut the rivalry
among them also led to the internecine warfare that
ultimately devastated Greek society.

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 The Civilization of the greeks

The sea also influenced Greek society. Greece had a

long seacoast, dotted by bays and inlets that
provided numerous harbors. Greeks also inhabited a
number of islands to the west, south and the east of
the Greek mainland.

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Greek topography helped determined
the major territories into which
Greece was ultimately divided

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 The Civilization of the greeks

✣ South of the Gulf of Corinth - peloponnesus

island connected to the mainland by a narrow
isthmus. Also the location of sparta
✣ Northeast of peloponnesus – Attic peninsula
(Attica) the site of athens
✣ Northwest of Attica – Boeotia in Central Greece
the chief city of Thebes

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 The Civilization of the greeks

✣ North Boeotia - Thessaly

✣ North of Thessaly - Macedonia

Macedonia isn’t that important to Greek history

until 338 BCE when Macedonian king conquered
the Greeks

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The Minoan Crete
 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Earliest civilization in Agean region emerge on

the large island of Crete, southeast of the Greek
mainland
✣ Bronze age civilization on 2800 B.C.E
✣ Great navigators and farmers
✣ Lasted from 2000-1450 B.C.E

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Palace led political, social and economic

organization at Knossos
✣ Artistic expressions and grand construction

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The Civilization of The Greeks

Sir Arthur Evans

✣ Coined the name “Minoan” after
“Minos” A legendary King of
Crete
✣ Famous archaeologist to unearth
“Knossos”

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Knossus or Knossos
19
 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Knossos-most powerful monarch for Minoans

✣ Palaces controlled all agricultural goods and
products by storing in large storerooms

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Palaces became the centers of exchange for

Minoan economy
✣ Palaces had dozens of interconnecting
rectangular rooms on two or more stories
which were grouped around a large open
courtyard (administrative and religious)

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Minoan Culture
 The Civilization of The Greeks
✣ Art work (drawings,
murals or frescoes) at
Knossos shows
dangerous sports such as
leaping over the backs of
charging bulls as well as
dancing, athletics, and
festivals

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The Minotaur
 The Civilization of The Greeks
✣ Minoan Myth of King Minos
at Knossos
✣ Theseus defeats the Minotaur
(half man half bull) and
escapes from the maze like
structure called the labyrinth,
saving the youth of Athens

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The Decline of
Minoans
 The Civilization of The Greeks

Theories for Decline of Minoans

✣ Tsunami by Mt. Thera
✣ 1750 BCE- earthquake destroys Minoan palaces
✣ 1628 BCE- volcano erupts at Thera
✣ 1400 BCE- War between Minoans and
Myceaneans led to decline of power

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The First Greek State:
Mycenae
 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Minoan palaces had been rebuilt however all

were destroyed except at Knossos by Mycenaean
warriors in 1490 BCE
✣ Flourished between 1400-1200 BCE
✣ Mycenaeans took control of Crete at Knossos by
1500 BCE

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Mycenaean Greeks are part of the Indo-European

family of people coming from Western Europe,
India and Persia
✣ Mycenaeans also took control on territory of
Greece From the north in 1900 BCE and
managed to gain the Greek mainland to form a
civilization

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 The Civilization of The Greeks
✣ More interested in war as pottery and grave sites
reflect hunting, weapons, armor and war as well
as fortified palace walls
✣ Mycenaean Monarchies has also a lot of trading
commercial network, Mycenaean pottery has
seen on Mediterranean basin, Syria, Egypt, Sicily
and southern Italy.

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The Civilization of The Greeks

Heinrich Schliemann
✣ Famous for the discovery of
Mycenae and Troy
✣ The first Archaeologist to plan
excavating the Knossos but Died
and Sir Arthur Evans Continued
his dream

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

Theories for Decline of Mycenaean

✣ Shift in climate leading to drought forcing

Myceanans to migrate to more fertile lands
✣ Tribe of nomadic warriors from north of Greece
(Dorians) destroyed Mycenaeans

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The Greeks in a Dark Age
(1100-c. 750 B.C.E)
✣ After the collapse of the
Mycenaean civilization,
Greece entered the “Difficult
Era” of declining population
and falling food production.

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ During the Dark Age, Large number of Greeks

left the mainland and Migrated across the
Aegean sea to the various islands
✣ Especially to the southwestern shore of Asia
Minor
✣ A strip of territory that came to be called Ionia

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ There are 2 Major groups of Greek settlers in

established parts of Greece and these are:
Aeolians occupied northern and central Greece.

Dorians occupied the southern Greece especially on

Peloponnesus as well as on some of the south Aegean islands
including Crete.

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

In Trade:
✣ As the trade and economic activity began to
recover, iron replaced bronze in the
construction of weapons, making them
affordable for more people

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 Greeks also adopted a new
system of alphabet which is
Phoenician, to give themselves
a new system of writing.

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And the very end of the Dark
Age appeared the work of
Homer, who has come to be
viewed as one of the greatest
poets of all time.

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The Civilization of The Greeks

Homer

✣ the legendary author of the Iliad

and the Odyssey, two epic poems
that are the central works of
ancient Greek literature

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Iliad and the Odyssey were based on stories that

have been passed down from generation to
generation.
✣ Homer used his oral traditions to compose the
Iliad, his epic poem of the Trojan War.

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The Trojan War
 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Approximately 1194-1184 BCE

✣ The war was sparked by Paris, a prince of Troy,
who kidnapped Helen, wife of the King of the
Greek state Sparta.
✣ Outraging all the Greeks, especially king
Agamemnon of Mycenae
✣ Then Greeks Attacked Troy.

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ After 10 years of Bloodshed, Greeks finally

sacked the city.

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Iliad is not so much the story of
the war itself, however it’s the
tale of the Greek hero Achilles
and how the Wrath of Achilles
led to disaster.

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 The odyssey, Homer’s second
masterpiece is like the Sequel of the
Trojan War, and another Greek hero,
Odysseus from the fall of Troy until
his eventual return to his wife,
Penelope, Twenty years later.

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The Greek City States
(c. 750-c. 500 B.C.E)
During the Dark Age, Greek Villages
gradually expanded and evolved into
independent city states. In the eighth
century B.C.E, Greek civilization
burst forth with new energies,
beginning the Archaic Age of Greece.

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Two major Developments stand out in
this era: the evolution of the City-
state called Polis as the Greek central
institution of their daily lives and the
Greeks colonization of the
Mediterranean and Black Seas.

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The Polis
 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Polis (plural, poleis) means small or

autonomous political unit which all major
political, social and religious activities were
carried out at one central location.
✣ Polis consisted of a city, town or village and its
surrounding coutryside.

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Polis (plural, poleis) means small or

autonomous political unit which all major
political, social and religious activities were
carried out at one central location.
✣ Polis consisted of a city, town or village and its
surrounding coutryside.

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ In some Poleis, this central meeting point was a

hill, like the Acropolis in Athens, it’s the place
of refuge during an attack and some sites for
religious activities. And also public monuments
are erected.

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Below the acropolis would be an Agora, an

open space or plaza that served both as a market
and as a place where citizen would assemble
✣ Poleis land size always depends on the place,
from few hundred square miles.

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Poleis also varies in population, Athens had a

population approximately 200,000 by the fifth
century B.C.E
✣ But most poleis had a population of few hundred
to several thousand.

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The Hoplites
The Phalanx formation
 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Hoplites is a new military system developed in

the archaic era.
✣ Hoplites is heavily armed infantrymen who wore
bronze or leather helmets, breastplates, and
greaves “shin guard”, each carried out a round
shield, a short sword and a thrusting spear about
9 feet long.

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The Phalanx formation
The Phalanx formation
 The Civilization of The Greeks

Significant events
✣ 1)  national literature (Homer)
✣ 2)  resurgence of trade   
✣ 3)  colonization of Sicily and Italy   
✣ 4)  Olympic Games -776 BCE  
✣ 5)  Stone sculptures of human figures
✣ 6)  rise of city states (polis)
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The Classical Greece
(c. 500-336 B.C.E)
 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Polis (city states) = all had its own form of

government, laws and money  (Corinth, Thebes,
Athens, Sparta)
✣ Dominance of Athens as political power (Delian
League)

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 The Civilization of The Greeks

✣ Construction of Parthenon and Acropolis

✣ Full development of democracy under Pericles of
Athens
✣ Classical age of Greece produced great literature,
poetry, philosophy, drama, philosophical thinkers
and art
 

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 Oracle of Delphi
✣ Dating back to 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most
important shrine in all Greece as the sanctuary of Apollo
✣ Built around a sacred spring, Delphi was
considered to be the center (literally navel) of the world
✣ Questions about the future were answered by the
Pythia, the priestess of Apollo
✣ Answers, usually cryptic or ambiguous
✣ Arguments over the correct interpretation of
an oracle were common, but the oracle was
always happy to give another prophecy if
more gold was provided
✣ It is believed that pythias was high on
hallucinative gases
Amphitheatre
 Athenian Democracy
“Demos” = people; “kratos” = rule
✣ Monarchy and Kings
✣ Rise in power of aristocracy & oligarchy
✣ Hoplites c. 675-650 BCE
✣ Age of tyrants
✣ Democratic Reforms by Solon and Cleisthenes
= Three Pillars of Athenians Democracy: 
1.  Council of 500     2. Assembly    3.   Courts

✣ •Athens lived under a radically democratic government

from 508 until 322 BCE. The People governed themselves,
debating and voting individually on issues great and small,
from matters of war and peace to the proper qualifications
for ferry-boat captains 
 How effective was Athenian Democracy?
✣ Ancient Athens is often referred to as the cradle of
democracy
✣ Democracy flourished during the Golden Age of Athens
(4th Century BCE) under Pericles Direct Democracy= All
the male citizens would gather, discussed  the issues, and
then voted on them.
✣ However, Athenian democracy was flawed. Only male
citizens were allowed to take part in running the
government (made up approx. 10% of population). Women,
slaves, and foreigners were excluded from public affairs.
The policy of ostracism also created some instability as the
Assembly could exile a speaker / leader by vote if they feel
they are too powerful
 Daily Life in Athens
MEN
✣ Only men could be citizens; men ran government
✣ •Advancements in culture, thinking, literature, philosophy, wealth,
expansion, trade
✣ •Reliance on slaves and women opened up free time for men to discuss
philosophy and participate in politics

WOMEN
✣ Women could not vote, hold office or own property and did mostly
household duties
✣ Education involved spinning, weaving and domestic arts
✣ At 15 years old, girls were considered ready for marriage

SLAVES
✣ •Ratio of slaves to free men was quite high as historians estimate that as
much as 40% of people in Athens area were slaves
✣ Slaves were household servants; had few rights; some could gain freedom
from generous owners
 Spartan Government:
Democratic Timocratic Monarchial Oligarchy
✣ Government ruled by a Council= made up of  2 kings (aristocracy) and 28 nobles
(over age of 60) who made most political decisions and foreign policy and was
supreme criminal court
✣ Assembly of the Spartiate (democracy)- Spartan males over the age of 30 who
could veto and approve decisions made by Kings and Council
✣ 5 Ephors (oligarchy)- led the council, ran the military and educational system and
could veto any ruling made by the Council or Assembly

✣ •Spartan government was considered one of the most stable in all of Ancient Greece
= led to a warrior and military state  (state above individual)
✣ Aries- God of war was a patron god of the city, of wars, battles, and warriors,
and also of fearlessness in battle.
MEN Daily Life in Sparta
✣ At 30 men became citizens and could vote in Assembly, marry, own a house
✣ Educated in reading, fitness and use of weapons
✣ Boys started military training at the age of 7; joined military at age of 20; end of military
service at the age of 60
✣ Soldiers given land which was farmed by the helots

\WOMEN
✣ Girls taught reading and writing
✣ Participated in running and wresting, foot races, staged battles
✣ Wives of Spartan soldiers supervised farms
✣ Expected and driven to produce strong and healthy children and be loyal to the state
✣ Spartan women could own and control property but held no political rights

SLAVES
✣ •Slaves were called helots (agricultural slaves / peasants) made up 2/3 of population =
defeated Messenian peoples
✣ Attempted revolt in 640 BCE but was crushed (this forced Sparta to create a stronger
army)
 Greek Architecture

✣ Parthenon
✣ Acropolis
✣ Statue of Athena
✣ Public buildings
✣ Columns
✣ Marble
✣ Frieze
 Greek Columns
✣ Greeks developed three different orders
✣ Doric & Ionic = 6th century BCE
✣ Corinthian= 5th century BCE and was
further developed and used by Romans
 Greek Art
✣ First to use 3-D on a flat surface by using different
shades to give illusion of depth
✣ Focus on the concept of the “ideal” (beautiful, life
like youthful, calm expression)
✣ Depictions of gods
✣ Statues of nude forms (detailed and proportional)
✣ Emphasis on elaborating on existing styles
✣ Money devoted to building theatres, stadiums,
gymnasiums, tombs
 Greek
Philosophers and Thinkers
✣ Philosophers:  Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
✣ Establishment of philosophical schools that examine
issues such as true knowledge, the soul, love, beauty
and scientific learning
✣ Logical thinking, rhetoric, politics
✣ Playwrights:  Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus
✣ Other:  Hippocrates, Epicurus,  Archimedes, Pythagoras
 Hellenistic Era:  Greece

✣ Period between conquest of Persian Empire by Alexander the

Great to establishment of Roman supremacy
✣ The word, Hellenistic, is derived from the word, Hellene, which
was the Greek word for the Greeks. The Hellenistic age
"hellenized" the world
✣ Spread of Greek culture and language throughout Near East,
Mediterranean and Asia Minor
✣ Exported Greek culture: architecture, politics, law, literature,
philosophy,
religion, and art as models of perfection
 Trade and Coinage
✣ Most important crops:  olive and grapes
✣ Items traded:  olive oil, wine, silver, white marble, pottery,
furniture, jewelry, textiles for grain, glass, ivory, timber
✣ Trade by barter system
✣ Coinage emerged from metallurgy that was weighed
✣ 8th and 7th century BCE, silver pieces were stamped by
government
✣ First mints 7th BCE in Lydia
✣ By 5th century BCE, most common coinage in Mediterranean
was  Athens coin with owl on one side and Athena on other
 Legacies of Greece

✣ City states (polis)

✣ Thought & Philosophy
✣ Greek Language
✣ Politics
✣ Democracy
✣ Great Thinkers
✣ Art and architecture
✣ Myths and literature
Thanks 
Veni Vidi Vici

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