Greece

Geographic Influence

• Mountains– Fertile valleys– Independent city-states

Geographic Influence

• Insufficient farmland– Founded colonies on

Mediterranean coast

Geographic Influence

• Location– Peninsula in Mediterranean– Exchange of culture/trade

• Deep harbors– Numerous good harbors on

its irregular coastline

The Diolkos

Athens

• Democratic, leading city-state

• After 750 BC slow progress:–Monarchy--one-man, inherited– Aristocracy--group of nobles– Tyranny--one-man, for people– Democracy--rule by people

Athens (cont’d)

• Move toward democracy (600s-400s BC)– Draco—Codified law (including severe

punishments)– Solon—Granted male commoners right to

vote in Assembly– Cleisthenes—extended male citizenship – Pericles—Golden Age of Athens

• Paid salaries to public officials • Society and economy thrived

Sparta

• Aristocratic/military city-state• On Peloponnesian peninsula• Population

– Helots• Large number of slaves

– Nobles• Small number of citizens• Feared helots

Sparta (cont’d)

• Did not develop trade/industry

• Remained agricultural

• Emphasized military might

• Neglected:– Art– Literature– Science

Uniting Bonds

• Greek language

• Religion

• Olympic games

• Fear of Persians• Felt superior to non-Greeks, referring

to them as “barbarians”

Persian Wars

• 500-479 BC

• Greek colonies in Asia Minor revolted

• Darius defeated them and wanted to annex all of Greece

• Persians defeated at Marathon

• Greeks rallied to beat Persians• Preserved Greek independence

Peloponnesian War

• 431-404 BC

• Sparta (Peloponnesian League) defeated Athens (Delian League)– Sparta unable to unite Greece

Philip of Macedonia

• 359 BC-king of Macedonia– Admired Greek culture– Wanted to unify Greek city-states

• 338 BC-conquered/united all Greek city-states, except Sparta

• Assassinated• His son, Alexander (aged 20) came to

power

Alexander the Great

• 336-323 BC• Taught by Aristotle• Conquered Persian Empire• Created Hellenistic culture• Suddenly died at age

33

Greek Contributions

• Theater– Sophocles--Oedipus Rex

• Poetry– Homer—Iliad & Odyssey

• Historical Writing– Herodotus (Father of History)

• Embellished facts – Thucydides (scientific historian)

• Accurate account

Greek Contributions (cont’d.)

• Architecture/Sculpture– Marble– Simple– Well-proportioned

• Philosophy– Socrates (individual)—Questioned – Plato (group)—Ideal government – Aristotle (world)—Philosophy/science

• Science and mathematics– Pythagoras/Euclid—Geometry – Hippocrates—Medicine – Aristarchus—Geocentrism– Archimedes—Levers/pulleys– Eratosthenes--Accurate estimate of earth’s

circumference

Greek Contributions (cont’d.)