Ancient Greece developed along the Mediterranean coast and islands between 3000 BC to 30 BC. The civilization was never unified but shared a common language, religion, and culture. City-states called poleis governed independent territories and included democratic Athens and military Sparta. Athens and Sparta vied for power during the Classical period, fighting the Persian Wars and Peloponnesian Wars. Alexander the Great then conquered Greece and spread Greek culture across his vast empire before it was divided after his death, ushering in the Hellenistic period until Roman domination by the 1st century BC.

1. ANCIENT GREECE
María Jesús Campos
learningfromhistory.wikispaces.com

2. ORIGINS OF THE GREEK CIVILIZATION
 The Greek civilization
developed in the eastern part
of the Mediterranean Sea, in
the Balkan Peninsula, in the
islands of the Aegean Sea
and the coast of Asia Minor.
 Greece was not a unified
country as it was
geographically and politically
fragmented

3.  However, it is considered a civilization as all the
people living in that area had the same language,
religion and they considered themselves as
members of the same culture.

4. THE ECONOMY OF ANCIENT GREECE
 Not very fertile land.
 Agriculture based in olives,
vineyards and wheat.
 Livestock bases in goats and
sheeps.
 Because of their poor
agriculture and farming,
Greeks developed a
prosperous commerce
through the Mediterranean
Sea to obtain the products
they needed.

5.  Good sailors and traders, they sometimes
established colonies on the coasts of the
Mediterranean sea to foster trade.

6. ANCIENT GREECE’S POLITICAL EVOLUTION
 Political stages:
 Origins and the Dark Ages:
Minoans, Achaeans or
Myceneans and Dorians. 3000
BC to 800 BC
 The Archaic Age: poleis
(oligarchy vs democracy). 800
BC to 490 BC
 Classical period: 490 BC to 334
BC
 Helenistic Age: 334 BC to 30 BC

7. Origins and the Dark Ages
 3000 BC to 800 BC
 Greeks were the result
of the intermingling of
different people that
migrated to the area
and mixed into the
existing population:
 Minoans: developed a
prosperous civilization
in Crete where they
built impressive palaces
such as Knossos or
Festos

8.  Achaeans or
Mycenaeans: entered
through the north of the
Balkan Peninsula around
2000 BC. They conquered
the Peninsula and Crete
and established their capital
in Mycenae.
 Dorians: also came from
the north around 1200 BC
conquering the territory.

9. The Archaic Age:
 800 BC to 490 BC
 Greece was politically fragmented
in different poleis (city-states).
 Each polis was independent and
had its own government, laws,
army, customs, etc.
 It comprised of the main city and
the surrounding area and villages.
Some of them expanded through
the Mediterranean coasts
founding different colonies that
depended on them.

10.  Each polis had its own
currency and army.
 The polis was divided
in two parts:
 The acropolis: upper
part of the city with the
main religious buildings.
 The lower part where
the people lived.
Urbanism was
organized around the
agora (main square).

11.  Types of government:
 Oligarchy/ Aristocracy: the government was in the
hands of a few. They were usually rich people. Sparta.
 Democracy: the goverment was controlled by the
citizens who met in assemblies to make decissions,
choose their representatives,etc. Athens

13.  Between the 8th and the
6th centuries BC, some
Greeks migrated and
established colonies
around the Mediterranean
coast.
 Reasons: not very
productive lands, poor
living conditions,
demographic growth that
could not be sustained.
 Colonies were founded in
the coast so as to trade
with the nearby native
population around and
send the products easily to

15.  Colonies were founded in high ground and had the
same traditions, organization and beliefs of their
metropolis.
 They were culturally and commercially linked to
the metropolis although they were independent.
 Consequences:
 Greeks mixed with other people;
 Greek culture, belief, customs and knowledge expanded
through the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea (potter’s
wheel, ironworking, currency, writing…);
 The polis received the products they needed and
became prosperous.

16.  The Greeks founded many colonies in the Iberian
Peninsula: Rhode, Emporiae, Hemeroscopium and
Menace.

17. The Classical Age:
 490 BC to 334 BC
 During the Classical
period, Athens and
Sparta were the
dominant poleis. War
was frequent in this
period.

19. Sparta
 Military state based on hig physical standards:
 Shortly after birth, the mother of the child bathed him in
wine to see wether the child was strong and sometimes
left it on the front door to spend the night. If the child
survived he was brought before the elders of the tribe,
who decided if he was strong enough to be a Spartan
warrier. If not the baby was killed.
 Until the age of 7, the boy was educated at home and
taugh to fight his fears. Then he was tutored by the state,
who breed him and taught him to be a strong warrior.
 At the age of 20, Spartans began their military service.
 At the age of 30 they could exercise their full rights and
duties of a citizen

21.  Political organization:
 The state was ruled by 2 hereditary kings of the Agiad
and Eurypontid families.
 Powers:
 Military
 Judicial
 Religious
 As time went by kings kept only the military power
while the rest passed to the:
 Gerousia or Council of Elders: 30 citizens over the age of 60
elected by the Apella or popular asembly (only Spartan
citizens) among the aristocrats who were in charge of
presnting motions and laws to the Apella that voted them
without a debate. The Apella approved or dissaproved
measures. The Gerousia had the power to veto the decissions
of the Apella.
 Ephors: 5 citizens anually elected by the Apella whose
functions were to preside over meetings of the Gerousia and
the Apella, to attend civil trials, to organize taxation, establish
the calendar, attend on matters of foreign policy and military
training. They could not run for re-election.

23. Athens
 In the 5th century, thanks to the protests of Athens’
citizens, their political system evolved from
Aristocracy to Democracy.
 Democracy: the citizens participated in politics
and were protected by the law, elected public
representatives and decided between peace and
war.
 Ecclesia: assembly that voted laws, budgets and made
decisions on wars.
 Magistrates: elected by the citizens to control certain
matters (foreign policy, the army, trials, religious
ceremonies…)
 Public courts: 6000 citizens over 30 years old elected
annually.
 Boule: 500 citizens chosen at random who made laws
and oversaw the magistrates.

25.  Social groups in Athens:
 Citizens: free adult men
whose father was a citizen and
whose mother was an
Athenian. They participated in
politics, served in the army and
payed taxes.
 Women: had some rights if
they were daughters or wifes
of citizens, but were not
considered citizens. Depended
on their fathers or husbands
and if widows on their eldest
son. Almost secluded at home.

26.  Metics: the rest of the
population. Were free but
not considered citizens.
Did not participate in
politics. Worked as
peasants, craftsmen…
 Slaves: no rights.
Captured in wars or
because of debts.

27. THE CONFLICT BETWEEN ATHENS AND SPARTA
 During the Classical
Age, there was a
constant struggle
between Sparta and
Athens to obtaing the
hegemony over Greek
poleis:
 Persian Wars
 Peloponnesian Wars

28.  Persian Wars (494-479
BC): the Persians from
Asia Minor tried to
conquer Greece. Athens
organized an alliance of
poleis, the Delian
League and sent a
powerful fleet that
defeated the Persians.
This gave Athens a lot of
influence over the rest of
the poleis

29.  Peloponnesian Wars (431-
404 B.C.): there was a
struggle among different
poleis for the control of the
Delian League. Some poleis
supported Sparta while
others supported Athens.
Sparta won the war.

30. The Hellenistic Age
 334 BC to 30 BC
 From the 4th century B.C, the
Kingdom of Macedonia in the
north, ruled by King Philip II,
began to conquer the Greek
poleis.
 Macedonia was an hereditary
monarchy so when King Philip
II died, his son Alexander
inherited the throne at the age
of 20.
 Alexander was a strong warrior
who had been educated by
Aristotles (philosopher).

31.  Alexander wanted to create a big empire so he unified the
Greek poleis and confronted the Persian Empire.
 In 10 years, Alexander conquered from Greece to India
passing through Egypt. He was called Alexander the
Great.

32.  Alexander the Great, expanded Greek culture but
intermingled it with Oriental culture. This mixture is
known as Hellenism.
 When Alexander died at the age of 33, his empire was
divided among his generals. Different kingdoms were
created: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Macedonia…they were
known as the Hellenistic Kingdoms.

34.  Between the 2nd
and the 1st
centuries B.C.,
Rome, which was
creating its own
empire, conquered
the Greek
territories.

35. Developed by María Jesús Campos
Chusteacher
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