Greek Civilization

Associate Professor Dr. Md. Faruk Shah

Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of History and Philosophy
North South University
 Lecture Outline of Greek Civilization

Background- History
Socioeconomic and political culture: the idea of democracy
Contributions: Arts, literature, architecture, philosophy and
science
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bDrYTXQLu8
 Background
• Today more than ten million people live in Greece, the southeastern region of Europe.
• Greece is a country located between Albania and Turkey, surrounded by all sides, except the North, by
water.
• The earliest settlements in Greece took place roughly between 10,000 and 3,000 B.C.
• Greeks developed sea trade across the Aegean Sea.
• The modern Greek nation came into existence as a result of a long bloody war against the Ottoman
Empire (Turkey) early in the nineteenth century.
Great contributions.mp4
 Historical Development of Greek Civilization

• 1100 B. C. – 750 B. C. (Greek Dark Ages) : people migrated

• 750 B. C. – 500 B. C. (Ancient Period): developed city states
• 500 B. C. – 323 B. C. (Classical Period): growth of resistance
• 323 B. C. – 147 B. C.( Hellenistic Period): civic life, art, architecture
 Key Geographical Features of Greek
Civilization

• Mainland was rocky-not suitable for proper

agricultural cultivation.
• Most of the people lived along the coastline or on
islands where the soil was good for farming.
• The Aegean and Mediterranean Seas provided a
means of communication and trade with other
regions .
 Sparta Athens: Place of democracy

• Sparta was an isolated city-state that was

culturally and politically different from Athens.
 Society, Economy and Politics

• Many bays and natural harbors developed maritime commerce.

• Democratic form of government.
• Practiced patrilineal descent systems
• Greek women were not allowed to participate in politics.
• Women could not represent themselves in court.
• The position of slaves and foreigners in Greek society was worse.
• Slaves were excluded from participation in political system
 Greek Lifestyles
• As the climate was mild, Greeks spent much time outdoors.

• People gathered in the marketplace to discuss the news of the day.

• Greeks were more interested in present life than afterlife.

• But the Greeks did not neglect their gods.

• Religion, literature and arts made people united.

• Hilltops served as political and religious centers.

• Lower ground, the agora, usually was the center of social and economic activity.
 Greek Religious Beliefs

• The gods and goddesses often looked and behaved like ordinary humans.

• Failure to honor the gods was considered a serious offense.

• Each Greek city state held festivals to honor individual gods.

• Athens, set aside about 60 days each year for religious celebrations.

• All citizens took part in the celebrations.

 Greek Drama and Literature
• Religion, drama, and poetry were closely linked.

• Tragedies and dramas focused on the suffering of a major character and usually ended in disaster.

• Comedies were played in which poets ridiculed people, ideas, and social customs.

• The Greeks enjoyed poems, in which the poet expressed motions or thoughts.
Greek Inventions
Greek Architecture
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGPevxwITBE
Greek Arts
 An Era of Democracy???

• Direct participation.
• Every male citizen was entitled to attend the public meeting, had the right
to debate, offer amendments and vote on proposals.
• Every man had a say in whether to declare war or stay in peace.
• Any thing that required a government decision, all male citizens were
allowed to participate in.
 Shaping New Views of the World

• The Greeks were intensely curious about the world and the place of people in it.

• Believed in the individual's ability to reason and discover important truths.

• Had faith in human reason

• Socrates: The Questioning Philosopher

• Plato and Aristotle: The Heirs of Socrates

• Herodotus: Greek Historians

• Hippocrates: Father of modern medicine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlL_tagh0wI
 Greek Wisdom and Philosophers
• Philosophers used logic and reason to think critically about the nature of the
universe.
• Investigated society, morality and politics.

Socrates Plato Aristotle

• Shaping the rational individual
• Goal of education to improve
human understanding
• Question authority
• Draw knowledge from pupils
through question and answer
• The Rational Society
• The Republic: society should be
governed by the wisest, not the
richest.
• Men and women should be equal in
education and position
• 3 groups in society: philosopher-
kings who ruled; warriors to protect
• Ethical and political thought
• Famous for the book
“Politics”
• Identified: aristocracy,
monarchy, and
constitutional government.
• Constitutional government
is the best.
 Greek Science and Practices
• The kosmos perceived to be a natural whole but the presence of God was
acknowledged.
• Nature tends to act the same orderly way, and does nothing without a purpose.
That is, there are laws of nature.
• Humans can recognize those laws; do not need divine revelation.
• Scholars and scientists focus on the study of nature.
• A civic tradition of public discussion of issues, not autocrats and kings only.
 Fall of Greek

• War between Sparta and Athens during 431- 409 BCE.

• Sparta defeated Athens and hence, weakening Greece.
• King Philip II of Macedonia invaded and defeated the Greeks resulted in:
 Ending democracy
 Restoring a monarchy
• With Greece in decline, Rome became a powerful civilization.
Thank You and Questions???