Unit 2 – Greece and Alexander

 

Pre - Greek Society

A.     Minoan and Mycenaean Societies

1.       Knossos

a.       Minoan society arose on the island of Crete,

b.       Lavish palaces at Knossos, between 2000 and 1700 B.C.E.

c.       Linear A, a kind of written language, is found

d.       Religion -- Earth Mother Goddess and the Labyrinth (monster)

2.       The Island of Crete

a.       Between 2200 and 1450 B.C.E., the center of Mediterranean commerce

b.       Received early influences from Phoenicia and Egypt  -- link from Middle East to Greece

c.       Around 1200 BC -- a series of earthquakes, volcanic eruptiions, and tidal waves  (Thera and Atlantis) 

3.       Mycenaean society

a.       Indo-European immigrants settled in Greek, 2000 B.C.E.

b.       Adapted Minoan Linear A into their script Linear B

c.       Stone fortresses in the Peloponnesus (southern Greece) protected agricultural settlements

d.       Most important settlement was Mycenae, hence, Mycenaen society

4.       Chaos in the eastern Mediterranean

a.       The Mycenaeans engaged in Trojan war, about 1200 B.C.E.

b.       Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are about the Mycenaeans

c.       1100 to 800 BC -- no one city-state controls the Peloponneesus -- time known as the "Greek Dark Ages"

 

 

 

 

Greek Society under the City - States of Athens and Sparta

·         The World of the Polis

·         In the absence of a centralized state, the polis emerged

·         As city-states, poleis took various political forms

·         Sparta and Athens were the most important poleis

·         Sparta

·         Situated in a fertile region of the Peloponnesus

·         Began to extend their control during the 8th and 7th centuries

·         Reduced the neighboring peoples to the status of helots, or servants

·         Maintained domination by a powerful military machine

·         Spartan society (Dictatorship)

·         Discouraged social distinction, observed austere lifestyle

·         Distinction was drawn by prowess, discipline, and military talent

·         Commitment to military values was strong

·         Individuals serve the state

·         Come back with your shield -- or on it!

·         Athens

·         Sought to negotiate order by democratic principles

·         For class -- go over Democracy vs. Republic

·         Citizenship was open to free adult males

·         Athenian society

·         Maritime trade brought about prosperity to Athens

·         Aristocratic landowners were principal beneficiaries

·         Individuals matter -- state serves people

 

 

 

Greece and the Larger World

·         Greeks founded more than 400 colonies

·         Effects of Greek colonization

·         Facilitated trade among Mediterranean lands and people

·         Spread of Greek language and cultural traditions

·         Stimulated development of surrounding areas

·         The Persian War (500-479 B.C.E.)

·         turning point of Western History -- Internal Unity repels the invasion

·         Greek cities on Ionian coast revolted, 500 B.C.E.

·         The battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.E.  (saves Athens)

·         Thermopyle -- 480 BC -- 300 Spartans hold off 10,000 Persians -- all Spartans lost

·         Persian army retreated back to Anatolia, 479 B.C.E.

·         The Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.E.)

·         Internal Divisions Bring External Threats

·         Athens vs. Sparta

·         After a 10 year siege -- surrender of Athens, 404 B.C.E.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Macedonians and the Coming of Empire

·         The kingdom of Macedon, a frontier state north of peninsular Greece

·         Philip of Macedon (re. 359-336 B.C.E.)

·         Began to offend Greece from 350 B.C.E.

·         Brought Greece under control by 338 B.C.E.

·         Alexander of Macedon and his conquests

·         At age 20, Alexander succeeded Philip

·         Began to invade Persia, controlled Ionia and Anatolia, 333 B.C.E.

·         By 331 B.C.E., controlled Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia

·         Crossed Indus River by 327 B.C.E.

·         Died in 323 B.C.E. at age of 33

The Hellenistic Empires

·         Alexander's realm was divided into three states: Antigonid, Ptolemaic, Seleucid

·         The Hellenistic Era: the age of Alexander and his successors

·         The Antigonid empire -- Greece

·         The economy of Athens flourished again through trade

·         Overpopulation, many moved to the Seleucid empire

·         The Ptolemaic empire  -- Egypt

·         The wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires

·         The rulers did not interfere in Egyptian society

·         The Seleucid empire -- Persia

·         More Greek influence than in Egypt

·         Greek and Macedonian colonists flocked to Greek cities of the former Persia

 

 

 

 

The Cultural Life of Classical Greece

·         About 800 B.C.E., adapted the Phoenicians' alphabet to their own language

·         The Greek cultural feature: a philosophy based on human reason

·         Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.)

·         An Athenian philosopher, determined to understand human beings

·         Question Everything

·         "There is only one good -- Knowledge, and only one evil -- Ignorance"

·         condemned to death on charge of corrupting Athenian youths (After Sparta takes Athens)

·         Plato (430-347 B.C.E.)

·         A zealous disciple of Socrates

·         The theory of Forms or Ideas  -- True forms

·         Only one right way of doing things

·         His Republic expressed the ideal of philosophical kings

·         Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.)

·         Plato's disciple, but distrusted theory of Forms or Ideas

·         Devised rules of logic to construct powerful arguments

·         Alexander's teacher

·         Legacy of Greek philosophy

·         Intellectual authorities for European philosophers until 17th century

·         Intellectual inspiration for Christian and Islamic theologians.

·         Provided a powerful intellectual framework for future generations

·         Popular Religion and Greek Drama

·         Greek deities: Zeus and scores of subordinate deities

·         Tragic drama

·         Great tragedians explored the possibilities and limitations of human action

·         Oedipus Rex -- great tragic story about a son and a mother

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