Dec 25, 2015
The Ancient Greeks
The Geography of Greece
• Mainland Greece is a mountainous peninsula—a body of land with water on three sides.
• The Ionian Sea is to the west of Greece, the Aegean Sea is to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea is to the south.
• Ancient Greeks were fishers, sailors, traders, and farmers.
(page 117)
The Early Greeks
The Geography of Greece
• Although Greece’s rocky soil made it difficult to farm, people could grow wheat, barley, olives, and grapes in the favorable climate.
(page 117)
The Early Greeks
The Minoans
• The ruins of the Minoan civilization, the first civilization to arise in Greece, are on the island of Crete.
• Artifacts at the palace at Knossos reveal the riches of the Minoan people, such as wine, oil, jewelry, and statues.
• The Minoan people were traders, traveling by ship to trade with other countries.
(page 118)
The Early Greeks
The Minoans (cont.)
• The Minoan civilizations collapsed around 1450 B.C., although historians disagree on the cause of the Minoan destruction.
(page 118)
The Early Greeks
The First Greek Kingdoms
• The first Greek kings were Mycenaean leaders, whose people invaded the Greek mainland around 1900 B.C.
(pages 119–120)
• The center of the Mycenaean kingdom was a palace surrounded by large farms.
• The Mycenaeans began trading with the Minoans and learned much about Minoan culture.
The Early Greeks
The First Greek Kingdoms (cont.)
• Before collapsing around 1100 B.C., the Mycenaean civilization was the most powerful on the Mediterranean.
• The Dark Age occurred between 1100 B.C. and 150 B.C. and was a time of less trade and poverty among people.
• The Dorians invaded Greece, bringing new weapons and farming technology to the Greek people.
The Early Greeks
(pages 119–120)
The First Greek Kingdoms (cont.)
• The Greeks learned about an alphabet from the Phoenicians, one of their trading partners.
• The Greek alphabet had 24 letters that stood for different sounds.
The Early Greeks
(pages 119–120)
A Move to Colonize
• After the Dark Age, Greek people began to set up colonies in other countries.
(page 121)
• This colonization spread Greek culture.
• Trade between colonists and the parent cities grew, and soon merchants were trading goods for money instead of more goods.
The Early Greeks
The Polis
• A polis, or city-state, was like an independent country.
(pages 122–123)
• City-states varied in size and population.
• An acropolis, located at the top of a hill, was the main gathering place of the city-state.
• An agora, or open area, served as a market and as a place for people to meet and debate issues.
The Early Greeks
The Polis (cont.)
• The Greeks were the first people to develop the idea of citizenship, in which citizens of a country are treated equally and have rights and responsibilities.
• In Greek city-states, only free, native-born, land-owning men could be citizens.
• Citizens could vote, hold office, own property, and defend themselves in court.
The Early Greeks
(pages 122–123)
The Polis (cont.)
• The military of the city-states was made of ordinary citizens, not nobles.
• These citizens were called hoplites and fought each battle on foot instead of on horses.
The Early Greeks
(pages 122–123)
Discuss the following statement:
“The geography of Greece influenced where people settled and what they did.”
The Early Greeks
Tyranny in the City-States
• Nobles, who owned large farms, seized power from the Greek kings.
• Farmers had to borrow money from nobles and often could not pay back the debt.
• The farmers lost their land and had to work for the nobles or were sold into slavery.
• Nobles, who owned large farms, seized power from the Greek kings.
(pages 125–126)
Sparta and Athens
Tyranny in the City-States (cont.)
• This unhappiness led to the rise of tyrants, or people who take power by force and rule with total authority.
• Tyrants overthrew the nobles during the 600s B.C.
• Unhappy farmers demanded changes in the power structure of the city-states.
Sparta and Athens
(pages 125–126)
Tyranny in the City-States (cont.)
• The Greek people eventually tired of the tyrants and created oligarchies or democracies.
• An oligarchy is a form of government in which a few people hold power.
• Tyrants maintained their popularity by building marketplaces, temples, and walls.
Sparta and Athens
(pages 125–126)
Tyranny in the City-States (cont.)
• Sparta was an oligarchy; Athens was a democracy.
• A democracy is a form of government in which all citizens share power.
Sparta and Athens
(pages 125–126)
Sparta
• To keep the helots from rebelling, the Spartans created a strong military of boys and men.
• To obtain more land, Spartans conquered and enslaved their neighbors, calling them helots.
(pages 126–127)
• Boys entered the military at age seven.
• At age 20, men entered the regular army and lived in the barracks for 10 years.
Sparta and Athens
Sparta (cont.)
• They returned home at age 30 but served in the army until age 60.
• Spartan girls were trained in sports to become healthy mothers and were freer than other Greek women.
• The Spartan government was an oligarchy containing two branches, a council of elders, and an assembly.
Sparta and Athens
(pages 126–127)
Sparta (cont.)
• The Spartan government kept foreign travelers out and discouraged its own citizens from traveling in order to maintain control of the country.
Sparta and Athens
(pages 126–127)
Athens
• Boys in Athens attended school to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic.
(pages 128–130)
• Athenian girls learned household duties from their mothers.
• Some wealthy girls learned reading, writing, and playing the lyre.
• The government of early Athens was an oligarchy.
Sparta and Athens
Section 1: The Early GreeksFocusing on the Main Ideas
• Colonies and trade spread Greek culture and spurred industry.
• The idea of citizenship developed in Greek city-states.
The Ancient Greeks
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