This document provides an overview of ancient Greek history and culture from the early Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations through the Classical era of city-states like Athens and Sparta. It describes the geography of Greece and the difficulties of farming. It then summarizes the major periods and events, including the Dorian invasion, rise of the polis system, Persian Wars, and Golden Age under Pericles. It also briefly outlines aspects of Greek religion, philosophy, art, drama, and the contributions of thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

1. from unlikely to extraordinary
Ancient Greek Music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xotPWR5I8RY&index=2
&list=RD9RjBePQV4xE
Ancient Greece
MK 2016

2. Geography
Greece is arid and
mountainous.
The soil is thin and
rocky
Mountains separate
communities which
develop in isolation
from each other.
Farming is difficult.
Raw materials are
scarce.

3. Greek History
Early Greece Classical – City-States Hellenistic Period
Minoan
Mycenaean
Dark Ages
Athens Sparta
Persian
War
Peloponnesian
War
Phillip II
Alexander
The
Great
Thera
Height of
Greek culture

4. Early Greece
The Mycenaeans:
Lived in small costal
communities that were
isolated from each other.
Were fishermen and had
some agriculture.
No written language
Not as advanced as the
Minoans
The Minoans
Lived on the Island of
Crete.
Advanced city dwellers.
Had a written language.
Traders and merchants.
Traded with communities
around the Aegean Sea.

5. The Mycenaeans

6. The Minoans

7. Early Greece
In 1627BCE, the volcanic
island of Thera blew itself
up.
The eruption was the 2nd
loudest sound ever heard
on Earth.
Ash fell as far away as
Egypt and Turkey.
The sky was dark for days
and a tsunami washed
over the Minoan island of
Crete.
Thera as it appears today. You can
see the “missing part” of the island.

8. Early Greece
The Dorian Invasion:
Historians know very little about this period in
Greek history.
A group of people moved into Greece at about
the same time as the eruption of Thera.
The eruption of Thera almost completely
eliminated the Minoans and their culture on
Crete.
The Mycenaeans on the mainland were less
affected by Thera but ended up being
dominated by a group of invaders.
This became known as the “Dark Ages” of Greece

9. The Dark Ages
The Greek “Dark Ages” were not so dark.
This was a period of transition.
• Trade grew between cities
• Iron replaced bronze
• Greeks adopted/took the Phoenician alphabet
which made writing and reading simpler
• Homer wrote the Iliad and Odyssey
• The beginning of the Polis ( city-state )
Homer was blind and
required the services of
a guide/companion

10. Classical Greece – City-States
A Polis is a village, town
or city and its
surrounding countryside
– ( farmland )
All people living in the
Polis were considered
citizens of the city-state.
The Polis was the center
of Greek life.
The people of a polis shared a common identity and goals
City
Surrounding farmland
(the state)

11. Acropolis – A fortified hill top
used for gatherings and defense.
Agora – The open-air
market place where people
would meet, exchange
news, shop and socialize.
Classical Greece – City-States

12. Classical Greece – Citizenship
The population of a
polis was divided
into four groups:
citizens
Non-citizens
slaves
Aliens
citizen
Adult male
Non-citizen
Adult female and
children
Slaves Aliens
Visitors or new
to the polis
Citizens had political rights - all others had no political rights within a polis.
Ancient Greece was a male dominated society.

13. Classical Greece – Citizenship
Citizens had rights and responsibilities:
Vote Serve on juries
Own land Hold public office
Speak at assemblies Serve in the army
Pay taxes
Women managed the
household,
managed slaves and worked to
promote their husband’s
ambitions. Women had very few
rights outside of the home..

14. Classical Greece – Colonies
Greece
The Greek
City-States
needed raw
materials:
Food,
grapes,
metal,
timber, clay,
grain,
livestock,
etc.
Colonies
were
established
to provide
these raw
materials for
the “mother-
city”

15. Classical Greece – Government
Over time the Greeks
were ruled by tyrants
A tyrant is someone who
takes power by force.
Tyrants kept the people
happy by building
temples, walls, agoras,
etc.
In the beginning, Greek
Polis’ were governed by
the aristocracy lead by
kings.
Aristocrat – someone
from a wealthy ruling
class.
Many Greek cities
eventually replaced their
tyrants with direct
democracies.
Direct Democracy – all
citizens vote on all laws
and policies.

16. Classical Greece – Athens & Sparta
Athens:
Athenian Empire
Delian League:
allied city-states
Lead by Athens
Because of their cultural, political and economic
differences, Athens and Sparta became rivals and
enemies.
Sparta:
The Peloponnesian League
This will be
important
later

17. Classical Greece – Athens
The largest polis.
After the time of
tyrants, all citizens
come to power
(direct democracy).
Invited outsiders with
skills and new ideas.
Education and
philosophy were
encouraged.
Trade and
colonization made
Athens very wealthy.
33% of the population were
slaves ( mostly domestic
servants)
Strong large navy to protect
her trade routes with her
colonies
Army existed only in times of
war.
Sought the perfect human:
A perfect mind & a perfect
body.
Athenian art was sophisticated
What we know as “Greek” literature
was Athenian.

18. Classical Greece – SpartaOligarchy – 2
kings
and 5 “ephors”
Closed society –
foreigners not
welcomed.
Spartans not
allowed to travel
New ideas – not
welcomed
Education based
on warfare. All
other arts were
discouraged
Infanticide –
murder of
infants/children
Best army in Classical
Greece
No navy
Military training began
at age 7 and military
service ends at 50
75% of population were
slaves
Women had some
freedom and physical
training
Spartan art was crude
No Spartan literature exists
No monumental buildings remain

19. Classical Greece – Greco-Persian War
499 – 449 B.C.
Cause: Greek colonies in Asia Minor ( Persia claimed
territory )
1st War:
Persia Invades through Macedonia ( Northern Greece)
Battle of Marathon – Persian army is close to capturing
Athens
Persia – 26,000 men Athens – 9,000
Athens defeats Persia:
Persia – 6,400 killed Athens – 192 killed
An Athenian soldier, Pheidippides was sent to Athens to
inform the city of the victory. He ran 26 miles non-stop.
Upon arriving in Athens, he died of a heart attack.
The Persian army returns to Persia and there is peace for
10 years.

20. MK 2016
This Corinthian
helmet was
discovered by
archeologists on the
Marathon battlefield.
The skull was inside
the helmet.
Damage to the back
of the skull indicates
that the person was
decapitated.
Corinthian soldier

21. Classical Greece – Greco-Persian War
499 – 449 B.C.
2nd War:
Persia Invades Greece by land and sea.
The Persian army numbers 150,000.
Athens needs the help of Sparta to save Greece
Battle of Thermopylae –
A small group of Spartans (300) delay the
Persians so that Athens and Sparta can prepare.
Persia – 150,000 Greeks – 7,000
Persian Victory
Persia – 20,000 killed Greeks – 4,000 killed
Athens is captured
Athens and Sparta work together, Spartan &
Athenian army and Athenian navy
Battle of Salamis:
Combined Greek forces defeat Persian navy
and army.
Persian Emperor Xerxes watches the Greeks
destroy his navy and invasion force.

22. Classical Greece – Greco-Persian War Results
Athens and its allies dominate Greece.
Athens under the leader Pericles forms an
empire.
Direct Democracy flourishes in Athens.
Athens becomes the center of Greek culture.
Greek culture (Athenian) becomes “popular”.
Sparta returns to her isolated ways.
Sparta becomes jealous of Athenian
popularity and power.

23. Classical Greece – Pericles & “the Golden Age of Greece”
Pericles was the leader of Athens.
He promoted art, literature,
education, science, architecture
and commerce.
He was a statesman, orator and
general.
He championed democracy.
“When we see Ancient Greece
today, we see Pericles.” – D. Stout
Pericles died during the siege of
Athens by Sparta during the
Peloponnesian War.
In many ways Pericles was a model Greek. He was
educated, thoughtful, athletic, handsome, stoic,
engaging, curious, demanding of perfection and
apparently had an oddly shaped head which is
why he is always depicted wearing a helmet.
“Future ages
will wonder at
us as the
present
wonders at us
now.”

24. Classical Greece – Pericles & “the Golden Age of Greece”
Socrates
Plato
Aristotle
Pythagoras
Epicurus
Euclid
Democritus
Alexander
The
Great
Cranter
Arcadias
Parmenides
Diogenes
Ptolemy
Herodotus
The School of Athens – By Rafael

25. Classical Greece – Culture
Religion:
The Greeks were Polytheistic.
Their gods behaved like humans
often without morality.
Greek religion did not focus on
morality but simply explained
why things were as they were.
“Why is the sky blue?”
“Why are there earthquakes?”
Greeks would ask the gods for
favors or to answer a question
about what they should do.
99% of all people went to Hades
when they died.

26. Classical Greece – Culture
Philosophy:
Since religion did not answer questions about
morality or questions about human existence,
the Greeks had to answer these questions
themselves.
The Greeks turned to philosophy.
What is right and what is
wrong and why?
If a tree falls in the forest and
no one is there to hear it,
does it make a sound?
Why do bad things
happen to good
people?
If I tell them, they will
be unhappy; but is
sparing their feelings
more important than
honesty?
Who am I and do I
serve a purpose?

27. Classical Greece – Culture
Socrates
* Socratic Method
* Critical examination
of your self
* Questioned authority
* Accused of poisoning
the minds of the youth
* Sentenced to death
Plato
*Student of Socrates
*Questioned “reality”
*Believed in the equality
of men & women
*Believed democracy
was inferior to monarchy
*Considered the greatest
western philosopher
Aristotle
*Student of Plato
*Favored Constitutional
government
*Analyzing & classifying of
things – ( scientific method )
*Wrote about many
different sciences
*tutor of Alexander the
Great
Philosophy

28. Classical Greece – Culture
Art
Often focused on the Gods or everyday
life.
“Classical Style” – The art will show a
perfect idealized body, relaxed, and
proportioned based on math.
How can you show a perfect body if it is
clothed?

29. Classical Greece – Culture
Drama Theater
Greeks invented what we know as
drama/theater as part of religious
celebrations.
Comedies have a happy ending
and are used to criticize or make a
point.
Tragedies have sad endings and
deal with good vs evil, right vs
wrong.
Greeks would attend day-long
performances in acoustically
perfect theaters.

30. Classical Greece – Culture
Olympic Games
A time of peace every 4
years when cities would
compete in sporting
events.
Architecture
The idea of perfection flowed into Greek architecture.
To make the Parthenon “look” perfect the main
columns are bigger at the top and lean outwards to
counter optics.

31. Classical Greece – Peloponnesian War
431 – 404 BCE.
After the Persian Wars, the distrust of Athens by
Sparta and the growing domination and higher
tributes paid to Athens by the city-states under
her control created tension on the
Peloponnesian Peninsula.
War between Sparta and Athens broke out.
City-States of the Athenian Empire became
hostile towards Athens.
With help from Persia and disease, Sparta
conquered Athens.
Pericles died.
Democracy, creativity and the spirit of
unlimited possibilities ended.

32. Hellenistic Period – Philip II
Philip II 359 – 336BCE
Following the Peloponnesian War, The
Greeks were disorganized and weak.
The Greek Kingdom of Macedon was
ruled by Philip II
Philip II admired Greek culture. He
took advantage of the disorder and
through diplomacy, trickery and
combat defeated the Greek City-
States.
He threatened Sparta but did not
invade.
Philip’s dictatorial rule ended Greek
Democracy.

33. Hellenistic Period – Philip II
Beginning of Philip’s Reign
359BCE
Philip’s Assassination
336BCE
23 years later

34. Hellenistic Period – Alexander the Great
Alexander The Great
Alexander was the son of Philip II.
Alexander was tutored by Aristotle.
Upon the assassination of his father, Alexander
became king of Macedonia.
He eliminated all possible rivals as soon as he took
power.
Alexander quickly consolidated power in Greece
except Sparta.
Alexander gathered the armies of Greece and his
own and attacked the Persian Empire.

35. Hellenistic Period – Alexander the Great
Starting in 334 BCE,
Alexander led his army
and the armies of
conquered nations in an
attempt to rule the world.
Alexander’s army revolted
in 325 BCE after crossing
into what is today India.
Alexander agreed to take
the army back to
Macedonia.
Alexander died in 323 BCE
on the way back to
Macedonia at age 32.

36. Hellenistic Period – Alexander the Great
Alexander had multiple
children but choose to
divide up his empire
amongst his favorite
generals.
This division would leave
a multitude of weak and
vulnerable kingdoms.

37. Hellenistic Period – Contributions
Alexander the Great helped to spread
Greek culture outside of the
Peloponnesian peninsula.
The achievements of the Ancient
Greeks would influence future
civilizations and be the basis for Western
Civilization
Modern Science
Modern Entertainment
Architecture
Modern philosophy