UNIT 10 Ancient Greece

1- P.160 The natural environment

- Ancient Greece was composed of: Balkan Peninsula, the Peloponnese and other
islands in the Easter Mediterranean. Asia Minor (now Turkey) later became part.
- It had a privilege position between Asia and Africa.
- Their proximity to the sea and mountains contributed to the isolation and
independence of Greek cities and they got the products they needed from many sea
voyages.

- Greece was the origin of Western civilisation.

2. P.161 The history of Ancient Greece

2.1 The origins of Greek civilisation

- 7000 B.C prehistoric stone tools were found in different places in Greece.
- Hellas was its ancient name (land of the Hellenes).
- The Metal Age was divided into the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.

The Metal Age: It was divided in:

The Bronze Age:

1. Cretan or Minoan civilisation (3000-1450 B.C.):

-- The center was the island of Crete. King Minos ruled in the city of Knossos.
-- Cretans new about writing.
-- Built important palaces (economic, politic and religious centers)
-- Traded throughout the Mediterranean and exported ceramics, textiles and bronze
objects.

2. Mycenaean civilisation (1600-1200 B.C.)

-- The center was the Peloponnese Peninsula. (Mycenae)

-- Livestock, agriculture and trading precious metals was its economy base.
-- Internal wars, the Dorian invasion and earthquakes destroyed its cities.

Iron Age (1200-750 B.C.)

-- Little info about this period. Very few remains (Greek Dark Age)
-- The Dorians subjugated people on the Peloponnese Peninsula.
-- Poleis were formed at the end of this Age.
-- After the Iron Age, Greece is divided into three periods: Archaic, Classical and
Hellenistic.
2.2 p.162 Archaic Age: Colonisation (8th-6th centuries B.C.)

-The polis were governed by kings/chiefs but they lost power to the aristocracy.
- Aristocracy oppressed the weakest social groups.
- Tyrants took away the citizens rights and freedom on behalf of the merchants,
peasants and artisans.
- Population grew, so the Ancient Greeks established colonies around the
Mediterranean Sea.
-Produced coins.

2.3 Classical Age: p.162, 163

-Important poleis:

1. ATHENS: (7th century)

- Polis protested of the abuse of power of the aristocracy.
- Reforms were introduced: Citizens´Assembly (Ekklesia) introduced by Solon the
Lawmaker.
- Democracy was established in Athens.
The Ekklesi elected magistrates and voted on laws.Magistrates carried out decisions
and held public office in administration and army. The Council (Boule) were chosen
by drawing of lots.

2. SPARTA:

- There was an Oligarchy (power held by a small group of people).

- The polis was ruled by two kings, twenty eight elders (Gerousia) and five officials
(ephors).
- Kings performed civil and religious functions.
- Gerusia presented projects to the Popular Assembly (Apella).
- The ephors represented the Apella (controlled the actions of the kings and made
sure the laws were obeyed).
- Lycurgus the Lawmaker wrote the laws that ruled Sparta.

Military confllicts:
a) The Persian War (494-479 B.C.): Athens organised the Delian League and sent
powerful fleet to conquer the Persians.
b) The Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 B.C.): the Greek states fought each other.
Athens wanted to control the Dellian League and forced polis to stay in the
association. Sparta opposed: some supported Sparta and others Athens. Sparta won
and imposed an oligarchy over Athens.

.2.4 Hellenistic Age: p.164

- In the 4th century B.C, the kingdom of Macedonia started to conquer Greek cities.
- Macedonia was governed by a hereditary Monarchy.
- Philip II began the expansion of Macedonian´s territory including Greece.
- His son Alexander The Great created the biggest empire in the Ancient World.
- The empire (after the death of Alexander the Great) was divided into three
Hellenistic kingdoms:

a. Macedonia and Greece.

b. Asia Minor, Syria, Mesopotamia and the Old Persian Empire.
c. Egypt.

- Between the 2nd and 1st century B.C. Rome made up a great empire and took
control of the Greek territories.

3. Life in Ancient Greek city states. p.166

3.1 The economy:

a) Agriculture was important (even though not much land was there to cultivate).
- Important crops: vine and olives.
- Apiculture (bees)
- Livestock

b) Crafts: metal and leatherwork, also pottery, textiles and perfumes.

c) Trade: they charged taxes for the goods. They used silver coins for payment.

3.2 Society:

It was divided into:

1. Citizens: formed by the aristocrats, merchants and farmers. They could vote, be
elected for public office and involved in political life. Paid some taxes.

2. Non-citizens: foreigners (metics in Athens, perioeci in Sparta) who had no political

rights. Most were artisans or traders. Paid special taxes, could go to the public
gymnasium, serve in the army and buy goods.

2.1. Slaves. Main workforce in agriculture, crafts and domestic service.

2.2 Women couldn't hold political positions. In Athens, fathers chose their husband
and in Sparta had more freedom.

p.169 4. Religion:
- Greeks believed in different gods. Gods lived in the Olympus. Gods had virtues,
defects and needs; they were also immortal and had supernatural powers.
- Greeks believed in heroes.
- They made offerings and animal sacrifices to the gods. They worshipped them.
- The Olympic Games were held every four years in honour of Zeus.
- Greeks believed in oracles (predict the future)
- The messages from the gods were transmitted via signs that only priests could
interpret. If people didn't follow the will of the gods they could lose protection and bad
things could happen to them.

5. Arts and Sciences p.170

5.1 Arts:

- Philosophy (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle famous thinkers)

- Literature: invented the theatre and wrote epic poems.
- History appeared for the first time

5.2 Sciences:

- Mathematics: Pythagoras and Euclides were famous for their advance in geometry.
- Physics: Archimedes
-Medicine: Hippocrates.
- Astronomy:
a) Aristarchus of Samus proved that the Earth was a sphere and orbited the Sun.
b) Eratosthenes: calculated the volume and diameter of the Earth.
c) Anaxagoras: discovered that the moon received the light from the Sun and
explained the phases of the moon and eclipses.

6. Architecture and Arts p.172

6.1 Architecture:

- Greeks made columns in one stone and then covered w/paint.

- Triangular pediments in front of buildings.
- Three styles of architecture:

1. Doric: simple, column with no base, shaft wider at bottom than top, 20 sides,
capital smooth.

2. Ionic: column with base, capital decorated with scrolls, the shaft is taller than the
Doric column, more sides.

3. Corinthian: very decorative, the shaft is thinner and with 24 sides, capital adorned
with acanthus leaves.
Main constructions:
- Temples: Athens Acropolis, Parthenon, Erechtheum and the Athena Nike.
- Tombs: mausoleum in the city of Halixarnassus.
- Theatres: showing comedies and tragedies.
- Stadiums: races and fights between athletes.
- Hippodromes: for horse-racing and chariot-racing.
- Gymnasiums: for physical exercise.

Some Greek cities were grid-like and with colonnades arcades.

6.2 Sculpture

Based on the human form and its beauty.

Covered three history periods:

1. Archaic: figures carved in stone, rigid posture, big eyes and a forced smile. Hair
styles carved with geometrical figures.

2. Classical: Depicted gods, goddesses or athletes; serene facial expressions, poses

were natural as if they moved; materials used: bronze and marble after painted in
bright colours.

3. Hellenistic: depicted children, youth, elderly people and animals showing different
feelings and in forced, tragic or majestic postures.

6.3 Other forms of artistic expressions: ceramics decorated with geometrical

patterns, plants, and imaginary animals, scenes of mythology or daily life.