Greek Civilization Development

Overview

This lecture traces the development of ancient Greek civilization from its pre-Greek roots to its influence under Rome and Byzantium, highlighting key events, innovations, and cultural achievements.

Early Civilizations and Collapse

• The Minoan civilization on Crete flourished peacefully, with palaces, a navy, and an undeciphered writing system.
• The eruption of the volcano on Santorini destroyed the Minoan civilization, possibly inspiring the Atlantis myth.
• Invaders brought the Mycenaean civilization to Crete, introducing fortified cities and a new Greek language.
• Mycenaean cities were warlike, and later Greeks mythologized their origins.
• The Mycenaeans led the attack on Troy, as described in Homer’s Iliad, which was later archaeologically supported.
• Around 1200 BC, widespread destruction by barbarian tribes ended these civilizations, leading to a Greek Dark Age with lost literacy.

Greek Renaissance and Colonization

• Around the 9th–8th centuries BC, Greeks adopted the alphabet from the Phoenicians, ending the Dark Age.
• Greece was never a unified state but a collection of independent city-states (poleis) due to its geography.
• Greek colonization spread their culture and alphabet across the Mediterranean, even to southern Italy and France.
• Coins and the alphabet were adopted from neighbors, enabling trade and cultural expansion.

Athens, Sparta, and Political Change

• Sparta, descended from Dorians, became a militarized society to control the outnumbered helot population.
• Athens developed democracy after a period of tyranny, which involved aristocrats seizing power but eventually leading to inclusive political reforms.
• Ancient Greek democracy was direct, with citizens voting personally; however, only a minority qualified as citizens.

Persian Wars and the Classical Era

• The Persian Empire invaded Greece, leading to alliances among some Greek cities.
• Greeks innovated militarily with the phalanx and trireme warships, winning key battles like Marathon and Salamis.
• The Delian League was formed under Athens, pooling resources and leading to Athens’ dominance.
• The Parthenon functioned as both a temple and a central bank, storing the League’s treasury.
• Pericles led Athens into a golden age of culture, philosophy, and architecture.

Peloponnesian War and Decline

• Rivalry between Athens and Sparta led to the destructive Peloponnesian War.
• Athens suffered from siege, plague, and poor leadership, ultimately resulting in defeat and decline.
• Despite hardship, this era produced great playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Aristophanes.

Macedonian and Hellenistic Era

• Macedonia, under Philip II and Alexander the Great, unified Greece and conquered Persia, spreading Greek culture across Asia.
• The Hellenistic world blended Greek and Eastern cultures; Greek became the administrative language.

Greek Legacy in Rome and Byzantium

• Rome conquered Greece, but adopted and spread Greek culture and literature.
• The Byzantine Empire continued Greek cultural traditions for another thousand years.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Polis — an independent Greek city-state.
• Helots — subjugated population in Sparta, similar to serfs.
• Phalanx — close-formation military unit of Greek infantry.
• Trireme — ancient Greek warship with three rows of oars.
• Direct democracy — system where citizens vote on laws and policies without representatives.
• Hellenistic — period and culture resulting from the spread of Greek culture after Alexander’s conquests.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review the myths and archaeological evidence for the Trojan War.
• Study the differences between Athenian and modern democracy.
• Read selected passages from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.