The Civilization of the Greeks

Prof. Jayson M. Barlan, MPA

The First Greek State: Mycenae

Mycenae was one center in a Mycenaean Greek civilization

It flourished between 1600 and 1100 B.C.E.

Mycenaean Greeks were Indo-European family who spread from their original Central Asian location into southern and western Europe, India, and Iran

One group entered Greece from the north around 1900 B.C.E

Mycenaean civilization consisted of a number of powerful monarchies: Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, and Orchomenos

They were of a loose confederacy of independent states

Mycenaean was the strongest; its king used the title of wanax

Next to the king were commanders of the army, priests, and bureaucrats

Free citizenry included peasants, soldiers, and artisans

Lowest in ranks were serfs and slaves

Mycenaeans were all warrior people

They developed an extensive commercial networks

Pottery has been found throughout the Mediterranean basin, in Syria, Egypt, Sicily, and southern Italy

By the late 13th century B.C.E., Mycenaean. Greece showed signs of trouble

Patterns of destruction were seen as new waves of Greek-speaking invaders moved into Greece

By 1100 B.C.E., Greek world entered a new period of considerable insecurity

The Greeks in a Dark Age (1100 - 750 B.C.E.)

After the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, Greece entered a difficult period called the Dark Age

Population declines and food production dropped

People migrated across Aegean sea to various islands (southwestern shore of Asia Minor --Ionia)

Two major groups settled in established part of. Greece : the Aeolian (northern and central Greece, colonized island of Lesbos, and the adjacent territory on the northwestern coast of Asia Minor) and the Dorians (southwestern Greece, in the Peloponnesus, southern Aegean islands including Crete and Rhodes)

They revived trade and economic activities as well as agriculture

Iron replaced bronze

They adopted the Phoenician alphabet (24 letters)

Homer composed the epic "The Iliad and the Odyssey"

Reflection

What important ideals for Greek men and women are revealed in work of Homer, "The Iliad and the Odyssey"?

The World of the Greek City-States

Flourished between 750 and 500 B.C.E.

The Archaic Age of Greece

Major developments in the era: evolution of the polis and the colonization of the Mediterranean and Black seas

The PolisIt means "city-state" -- central institution in Greek life

Developed during the Dark Age

It encompassed a town or city, or a village

Poleis varied in size, usually four square miles to a few hundred; larger ones were product of consolidation (Example: Attica with 12 then became single and called Athens)

A polis is a community of citizens with political, economic, social, cultural, and religious activities

It consist of citizens

Political Thought: All citizens of a polis possessed rights, but these

rights were coupled with responsibilities. Citizen did not just belong to himself:

!

"We must rather regard every citizen as belonging to the state." -- Aristotle

Greek way of war

In earlier times, Greece used an aristocratic cavalry soldiers (nobles on horseback)

As polis developed, new military system also developed

New military order was based on hoplites (heavily-armed infantrymen who wore bronze or leather helmets, breastplates, and greaves or shin guards)

Each carried a round shield, a short sword, and a thrusting spear of 9 feet long

They advanced into battle as a unit, shoulder to shoulder, forming a phalanx or a rectangular formation in tight order

In Greek city-states, war was an integral part of the way of life

They created a tradition of warfare

They possessed excellent weapons and body armor

They have disciplined soldiers

Willing to engage with the enemy head-on

Colonization and the Growth of Trade

Colonization (between 750-550) was brought about poverty, growing gap between the rich and the poor, overpopulation, and development of trade

Some of the Greek colonies were simply trading posts or centers

Greeks established settlements in southern Italy (Tarentum/Taranto) and Neapolis/Naples)

An important city was founded at Syracuse in eastern Sicily (734 B.C.E)

Settlement was also established in southern. France -- Massilla (eastern Spain, northern Africa, west of Egypt)

Greeks also established colony in Thrace, along the shores of the Black Sea

Secured the cities of Hellespont and Bosporus (Byzantium), site of Constantinople (Istanbul)

Effects of Colonization

Diffusion of Greek culture in the Mediterranean

Foster greater sense of Greek identity

Increased trade and industry

Tyranny in the Greek Polis

With the emergence of polis as an institution in. Greece, monarchial power waned

Kings virtually disappeared and became ceremonial figures with little or no power

Political power was passed on to local aristocracies

Tyrants held power (rulers who seized power by force through a local coup d'etat

Tyrants built new marketplaces, temples, and walls, and created jobs

They favored merchants and traders by encouraging the founding of colonies, developing new coinage, establishing new systems of weights and measures

They encourage cultural development and patronage of the arts

Sparta

Located in southeastern Peloponnesus, in an area known as Laconia

Originally 4 small villages

Conquered Laconians

Laconians became perioikoi (free inhabitants but not citizens)

They were required to pay taxes and perform military service for Sparta

Other Laconians became helots (Greek word for capture); they were bound to the land and forced to work on farms and as household servants

With the growing number of citizens, Spartans conquered Messenia around 730 B.C.E.

Messenias became helots

Spartans created a military state

Spartan Social StructureSpartiates -- Full Spartan citizens or ruling class

Perioikoi -- Free but did not possess privileges of citizenship; served as small merchants and artisans and subject to military duty

Helots -- perpetually bound to the land

A secret police loved among helots and was permitted to kill any helot considered

dangerous.

Spartan StateSpartan State is an Oligarchy

Two kings from different families were leaders of the Spartan army

Kings were supreme priests within state religion and had roles in foreign policy

Kings shared powers with gerousia, a council of elders, consisted of 28 citizens over age of 60 and were elected for life

The primary task of the council is to prepare proposals to be presented to the apella, assembly of male citizens.

The assembly elected the gerousia and another body called ephorz

Ephorz is a college of 5 members, (mall over age 30) who convene gerousia and supervised education of the youth and the conduct of all citizens

Ephorz also served as judges in all civil cases and could bring charges against a king

Spartans secured their military and kept their territory from outside world

Foreigners were discouraged from visiting Sparta

Spartans could not travel abroad except for military reasons

Citizens were prevented from pursuing philosophy, literature, or arts that may be dangerous to the stability of the state

The art of war and ruling was the Spartan ideal

AthensEstablished a unified polis in Attica (700 B.C.E.)

By 7th century, from monarchy to aristocracy

Possessed best land and controlled political and religious life by means of a council of nobles called Areopagus .

Areopagus was assisted by a board of nine archons (served only for a year)

Ecclesia or assembly of full citizens and possessed only few powers

By end of 7th century B.C.E., Athens faced serious economic problems

Athenian farmers were sold into slavery

Solon, an aristocrat was chosen to introduce reforms in 594 B.C.E.

Solon cancelled all current land debts, outlawed new loans (those human as collaterals) and freed slaves due to debt but refused to redistribute lands

He opened the doors for the participation on non-aristocratic wealthy people on the government

He divided the citizens into four classes on the basis of wealth

Men of the first two classes could hold the archonship and be members of the Areopagus

Men of the third class could be elected to the council of four hundred, called boule

Boule's function was to prepare the agenda for the assembly

The fourth class are the poorest and could not hold any political office but could vote in the assembly

Men of all four classes could sit in the popular court -- the heliaea to hear appeals tried before the archons

Government officials were answerable to the citizens (excluding women)

For Solon, citizen is a person who is involved in public affairs.

Move to TyrannyBecause of Solon's failure to distribute lands, poorer peasants resented his reforms

Aristocratic factions continued

Pisistratus, Solon's distant relative seized power in 560 B.C.E. and made himself a tyrant

Pisistratus did not alter the constitution but made sure his supporters were elected as magistrates and council members

Helped small farmers

Constructed buildings that gave more jobs

Pursued foreign policy that helped the trade

Maintained support of the mercantile and industrial classes

Hippias (Pisistratus son) succeeded him but failed and was sent into exile that ended the tyranny (527-510 B.C.E.)

Aristocrats attempted to reestablish aristocratic oligarchy

Cleisthenes (aristocratic reformer) opposed the plan supported by the Athenian in 508 B.C.E.

Cleisthenes established the basis of Athenian democracy

Cleisthenes' Reforms

Reform was aimed to weaken the power of traditional localities and regions

He made demes (villages and townships) of Attica, the basic units of political life

Enrolled all citizens of the demes in ten new tribes, each contained inhabitants of country districts of Attica, coastal areas, and Athens

Each of the ten tribes chose fifty members by lot each year for a new Council of Five Hundred

The Council was responsible for the administration of both foreign and financial affairs and prepared the business that would be handled by the assembly

The assembly (all male citizens) had final authority in the passing of laws after free and open debate

Cleisthenes' reforms strengthened the central role of the assembly of citizens in the Athenian political system

His reforms laid the foundation of democracy

demos = people kratia = power

!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE DEMOCRACY

The Persian Wars

Themistocles was new Athenian leader

Persuaded his fellow citizens to pursue new military policy (development of navy about 200 vessels)

Invasion of Xerxes

Persian mounted an invasion in 480 B.C.E under Xerxes

Military forces were massive (about 150,000 troops

They crosses Hellespont and moved to Thrace and Macedonia to Greece

Although the Greeks were outnumbered, they defeated the Persians

Growth of the Athenian Empire

After Persian's defeat, Athenians formed confederation: "Delian League" (478-477 B.C.E.)

The league was dominated by Athenians

It pursued attack against Persian Empire and all of the Greek states were liberated from. Persian control

Persian fleet and army were defeated in 469 B.C.E.

Since the defeat of the Persian Empire, some members of the Delian League (Naxos and Thasos) withdrew membership but were attacked by Athenians

"No secession policy" became Athenian policy

The League became an instrument of Athenian imperialism