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Classical Greece

Geography of Greece


The Sea: Greece is a peninsula in the Mediterranean surrounded by various seas. Greece is made up of over 2,000 islands

  • sea trade

  • skilled sailors

  • sea travel cultural diffusion

  • diet of fish/seafood


The land: Greece is covered in 75% mountains. Difficult to farm. Lack of natural resources. Irregular coastline.

  • Isolation(different forms of government)

  • trade

  • varied cultures

  • desire for colonies(for natural resources, more living space, and adequate farm land)

  • can’t support a large population

  • Greeks developed terrace farming because mountains are not suitable for farming


Climate: Mediterranean climate, Average temperatures 48-80, limited farming, droughts

  • Outdoor lifestyle

  • leisure time spent outside

  • public events held outdoors(theater ,Olympics)

  • Can grow grapes and olives


Forms of Government


Monarchy

  • State ruled by king

  • Rule is hereditary

  • some rulers claim divine right

  • practiced in Mycenae (1450 BCE)


Aristocracy

  • State ruled by nobility

  • rule is hereditary and based on land ownership

  • social status and wealth support ruler’s authority

  • practiced by Pylos, Delphi


Oligarchy

  • State ruled by a small group of citizens

  • rule is based on wealth

  • ruling group controls military

  • Practiced in Sparta (800-600 BCE)


Direct Democracy

  • state ruled by its citizens

  • rule is based on citizenship(18, male, born of citizen parents)

  • citizens vote directly on laws

  • majority rule decides vote

  • practiced in Athens(461 BCE)


The Polis

  • Polis was the Greek word for city-state

  • A polis was an independent city and its surrounding farm land

  • Mountains separated the Greeks

  • Shared a common language and religion

  • never unified the government system


Athens vs Sparta: Peloponnesian War in 431 BC


Athens

  • Direct Democracy

  • Value education(at age 7, boys go to school)

  • Start military training at 18

  • Laws afford equal justice for all people

  • ordinary citizens can judge public issues(vote)

  • most women are married

  • patriarchal society(male dominated)

  • Women’s job was to raise children

  • girls only learned about raising kids, dancing, and music


Sparta

  • Oligarchy

  • valued military(boys sent to military barracks at age 7)

  • women expected to marry

  • wanted women to be healthy to raise healthy soldiers


“Golden Age”: a period of peace and prosperity with advancements in math, science, art, architecture, literature, philosophy, technology, medicine, and education.


The Parthenon: served as a temple to the Greek goddess Athena

  • Greek expression of harmony, symmetry, and balance


Nike of Samothrace

  • Nike: winged victory

  • A winged statue wit flowy clothes on a boat


Philosophy: a system of thought; ideas based on logic and reason; philosophers are lovers of wisdom


Socrates played the role of gadfly: subjected traditional ethical teachings to critical scrutiny.


Alexander the Great

Goals:

  • make the world Greek

  • spread Greek culture

  • Have the worlds largest empire

Accomplishments:

  • Conquered parts of Egypt, Persian Empire, Iran, modern-day Afghanistan

  • crowned Parraoh by the Egyptians

  • defeats the Persians

  • names 11 different cities after himself(Alexandria)

  • Development of Hellenistic culture


Hellenistic culture: the blending of Greek culture with Indian, Persian, and Egyptian culture

Geography of Greece


The Sea: Greece is a peninsula in the Mediterranean surrounded by various seas. Greece is made up of over 2,000 islands

  • sea trade

  • skilled sailors

  • sea travel cultural diffusion

  • diet of fish/seafood


The land: Greece is covered in 75% mountains. Difficult to farm. Lack of natural resources. Irregular coastline.

  • Isolation(different forms of government)

  • trade

  • varied cultures

  • desire for colonies(for natural resources, more living space, and adequate farm land)

  • can’t support a large population

  • Greeks developed terrace farming because mountains are not suitable for farming


Climate: Mediterranean climate, Average temperatures 48-80, limited farming, droughts

  • Outdoor lifestyle

  • leisure time spent outside

  • public events held outdoors(theater ,Olympics)

  • Can grow grapes and olives


Forms of Government


Monarchy

  • State ruled by king

  • Rule is hereditary

  • some rulers claim divine right

  • practiced in Mycenae (1450 BCE)


Aristocracy

  • State ruled by nobility

  • rule is hereditary and based on land ownership

  • social status and wealth support ruler’s authority

  • practiced by Pylos, Delphi


Oligarchy

  • State ruled by a small group of citizens

  • rule is based on wealth

  • ruling group controls military

  • Practiced in Sparta (800-600 BCE)


Direct Democracy

  • state ruled by its citizens

  • rule is based on citizenship(18, male, born of citizen parents)

  • citizens vote directly on laws

  • majority rule decides vote

  • practiced in Athens(461 BCE)


The Polis

  • Polis was the Greek word for city-state

  • A polis was an independent city and its surrounding farm land

  • Mountains separated the Greeks

  • Shared a common language and religion

  • never unified the government system


Athens vs Sparta: Peloponnesian War in 431 BC


Athens

  • Direct Democracy

  • Value education(at age 7, boys go to school)

  • Start military training at 18

  • Laws afford equal justice for all people

  • ordinary citizens can judge public issues(vote)

  • most women are married

  • patriarchal society(male dominated)

  • Women’s job was to raise children

  • girls only learned about raising kids, dancing, and music


Sparta

  • Oligarchy

  • valued military(boys sent to military barracks at age 7)

  • women expected to marry

  • wanted women to be healthy to raise healthy soldiers


“Golden Age”: a period of peace and prosperity with advancements in math, science, art, architecture, literature, philosophy, technology, medicine, and education.


The Parthenon: served as a temple to the Greek goddess Athena

  • Greek expression of harmony, symmetry, and balance


Nike of Samothrace

  • Nike: winged victory

  • A winged statue wit flowy clothes on a boat


Philosophy: a system of thought; ideas based on logic and reason; philosophers are lovers of wisdom


Socrates played the role of gadfly: subjected traditional ethical teachings to critical scrutiny.


Alexander the Great

Goals:

  • make the world Greek

  • spread Greek culture

  • Have the worlds largest empire

Accomplishments:

  • Conquered parts of Egypt, Persian Empire, Iran, modern-day Afghanistan

  • crowned Parraoh by the Egyptians

  • defeats the Persians

  • names 11 different cities after himself(Alexandria)

  • Development of Hellenistic culture


Hellenistic culture: the blending of Greek culture with Indian, Persian, and Egyptian culture