Overview
This lecture reviews the geographic, social, political, and cultural developments of ancient Greece from its earliest civilizations through the Hellenistic period.
Geography and Early Civilizations
- Greek geography features small plains, high mountains, and islands, fostering independent communities.
- The sea enabled Greek colonization, trade, and expansion.
- Minoans arose on Crete (~3500 BCE), excelled in trade and art, but were not Greek.
- Mycenaeans (from 1900 BCE) succeeded the Minoans, were warlike, and spread across southern Greece.
Greek Dark Ages and Formation of the Polis
- The Mycenaean collapse (~1100 BCE) led to population decline and ruralization.
- Four main tribes: Ionians, Achaeans, Aeolians, and Dorians.
- Iron replaced bronze; Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet.
- Emergence of the polis (city-state) as the political unit, with Athens and Sparta as leading examples.
Society, Military, and Colonization
- Full citizens were adult males; women, children, slaves, and foreigners had few rights.
- Hoplites (heavily armed soldiers) fought in a phalanx formation.
- Overpopulation and economic issues led to widespread colonization, increasing trade and wealth.
Political Evolution in Sparta and Athens
- Sparta developed a strict military society and oligarchy, headed by two kings and a council.
- Athens shifted from monarchy to oligarchy, then democracy under reformers like Solon and Cleisthenes.
Persian and Peloponnesian Wars
- Greeks united against Persian invasions (Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea).
- Athens led the Delian League, eventually turning it into an empire.
- The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) weakened Greece, ending Athens' dominance.
Classical Greek Culture
- Herodotus and Thucydides pioneered historical writing.
- Greek drama included tragedies (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides) and later, comedy (Aristophanes).
- Classical art emphasized symmetry and idealized the human form.
- Major philosophers: Socrates (Socratic method), Plato (Forms and Republic), Aristotle (empirical observation and political theory).
- Religion centered on 12 Olympian gods; oracles and festivals like the Olympic Games were significant.
Life in Greece and the Rise of Macedonia
- Only male citizens could participate in politics; women and slaves had limited roles.
- Athens relied on agriculture, trade, and slave labor.
- Philip II of Macedonia unified Greece; Alexander the Great succeeded and conquered the Persian Empire.
Hellenistic Era and Cultural Developments
- Alexander's empire divided among his generals, creating Hellenistic kingdoms.
- Greek culture spread widely, blending with Eastern traditions.
- Alexandria became a cultural and scientific center.
- Advances: Aristarchus (heliocentric theory), Eratosthenes (geography), Euclid (geometry), Archimedes (science and engineering).
- New philosophies: Epicureanism (pleasure and peace of mind) and Stoicism (virtue and emotional resilience).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Polis — Greek city-state, the primary political unit.
- Phalanx — Formation of hoplite soldiers with overlapping shields and long spears.
- Oligarchy — Rule by a small elite group.
- Democracy — Government by the people, first implemented in Athens.
- Delian League — Alliance led by Athens against Persia.
- Hellenistic Era — Period of Greek cultural diffusion after Alexander's conquests.
- Epicureanism — Philosophy seeking happiness through simple pleasures and minimizing pain.
- Stoicism — Philosophy focusing on virtue and endurance of hardship.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the main differences between Athens and Sparta.
- Study key battles: Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea.
- Read selections from Homer, Herodotus, and Thucydides for primary perspectives.
- Prepare notes on major philosophers and their core ideas.