Ancient Greece

1750 BC – 133 BC
 Crete
• Home of the Minoans, an early Greek
civilization
• The Minoans were named after Mino, a
legendary king of Crete
• Was a dominant Greek civilization between
1600 BC and 1500 BC
• Was known for being successful traders
 The Minoans
• The Minoans emerged as a trading empire
• Set up trading outposts throughout
Mesopotamia and the Middle East
• Rulers of the empire lived in a palace at
Knossos
• By 1400 BC the Minoans had vanished
• Natural disaster and invasion ended the
Minoans
 The Mycenaeans
• The first Greek-speaking people of whom we
have written record
• Conquered the Greek mainland and Crete
• Were sea traders like the Minoans
• Consisted of separate city-states, each was
ruled by a warrior-king and was built like a
fortress
 The Trojan War
• The Mycenaeans are known for their role in the
Trojan War (1250 BC)
• Troy vs. the Mycenaeans
• What may have happened: war due to economic
competition
• Greek legend: Helen, the wife of the Greek king
is kidnapped by the prince of Troy
• Result= 10 year war, Troy is burnt to the ground
 Trojans vs. the Greeks
• Homer’s The Iliad
– Epic about the Trojan War
• Was regarded as a legend, now evidence
proves that Troy existed and was destroyed by
fire
 Greek Origins
• The Mycenaeans were eventually conquered
by the Dorians
• Greek civilization diminished as a result
• Centuries later, the Greeks would make stories
of the Mycenaeans and the Minoans as a part
of their heritage
RISE OF GREEK CITY STATES
 Geography
• Greece is a part of the Balkan peninsula,
surrounded by the Mediterranean sea
• Mountains divide the peninsula into isolated
valleys
– Consisted of small city-states separated from one
another
• The coast provided for safe harbors, allowing
the Greeks to become skilled sailors
 The Greek Polis
• Greeks created their own version of a city-
state, called a polis
– Included a major city and surrounding countryside
• A Greek polis consisted of two levels
– The acropolis on the top (“high city”)
– Lower level (market, theater, public buildings,
homes)
 Gov’t
• Originally, Greek city-states were run by kings
(monarchy)
• Eventually power shifted to the noble
landowners
– Aristocracy- rule by landholding elite
– Extension of trade leads to an oligarchy
 Sparta
• A warrior society, centered around warfare
– Daily life ruled by discipline
• Spartan boys prepare for military life
– Strict discipline results in excellent soldiers
• Women were required to exercise and maintain
physical fitness
– Spartan logic: strong women make strong babies
– Run the household while husband was at war
 A Spartan Life
• Birth- the child is examined, if he or she is sick or
deformed then they are left to die
• 7 years old: the child is taken for military training
• 7-17 years old: learned reading, writing, and
physical training
• 18-19: learned army tactics and survival techniques
• 20-29: rigorous military training
• 30+: became full citizens
 Athens
• Athens evolved from a
monarchy to an aristocracy
– Landowners held power
• Wealthy Athenians
controlled society, making
the ordinary unhappy
• Eventually Athens became
a democracy
– “Gov’t by the people, for
the people”
 A Limited Democracy
• Only citizens can participate in gov’t, and
citizens are landholding men
• Athens still gives more people a say in gov’t
than any other ancient civilization
 Athenian women
• Manage the household
in wealthy homes,
rarely go out in public
– Cook, clean, raise
children
– Was not educated
• Poor women worked
outside of the home
 Education
• Boys went to school if
they could afford it
• Learned to read, write,
study music
• Receive military
training and participate
in athletics
CONFLICT!

Persian and
Peloponnesian
Wars
 The Persian Wars
• The Persian Empire was the largest empire at
that time
• In 499 BC, Ionian Greeks rebelled against
Persia with the help of Athens
• Darius I was furious at the role Athens played
in the rebellion
• Persia crushed the rebel cities, and sent a huge
force to punish Athens
 Battle of Marathon
• The Persian army
landed at Marathon,
north of Athens
• The Greeks were greatly
outnumbered by the
Persians
• The Greeks beat the
Persians using hand to
hand combat
• Major upset
 The 300
• Darius I died before he could attacked Greece again
• His son Xerxes sent a larger force to conquer Greece
• The Persians and the Spartans meet at the narrow
pass at Thermopylae
• King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight the Persian
force
• The Spartans are defeated, but are successful in
uniting Greece to fight a common enemy
 Battle of Salamis
• The Athenians and
Themistocles build a fleet
of ships to fight the Persian
navy at the strait of Salamis
• Athenian warships could
damage Persian ships with
underwater battering rams
• Xerxes navy is defeated,
soon after the Greeks
defeat the Persians on land
in Asia Minor
 Bragging Rights and the Golden Age
• Following the victory, Athens emerged as the most
powerful city-state
• Allied with other city-states
– Delian League
• Pericles created a more democratic gov’t
– Direct democracy- the citizens=gov’t
• Used a jury in the legal system
• Could banish a public official
– Ostracism
 Peloponnesian War
• Sparta formed the Peloponnesian
League
• Due to rivalries between the two
leagues, Sparta and Athens
engaged in a 27 year war
• Athenians were forced to crowd
inside the city, creating a plague
• Sparta sided with Persia for their
navy
• Both civilizations are nearly
eliminated, however Sparta is
victorious