Chapter 3- Greek and Hellenistic Civilization:

     (1). Examine the Minoan and Mycenaean roles in early Greek Civilization.

     (2). Analyze the influence of Homer on Greek aristocratic values.

     (3). Examine the emergence of Greek City-States and the role of the Hoplite.

     (4). Discuss ancient Greek expansion and its establishment of colonies throughout Mediterranean Sea.

     (5). Describe the Tyrant’s role in ancient Greece’s historical evolution toward democracy.

     (6). Discuss Greek religion and lyric poetry of the Archaic Age.

     (7). Compare and contrast ancient Sparta and Athens.

     (8). Examine causes of  Persian & Peloponnesian Wars; explain their impact on Greece’s Golden Age.

     (9). Summarize the key characteristics of  classic Greek Art and Drama.

   (10). Describe Alexander the Great's role in shaping the Hellenistic Age.

   (11). Contrast the ideas of Epicureanism, Stoicism, Skepticism, & Cynicism.

   (12). Describe & explain the change in Hellenistic drama and art.

   (13). Summarize the key features of Greek achievement.

v   Bronze Age on Crete & Mainland to 1150 BC:

Ø    The Minoans & culture

Ø    The Mycenaeans & warriors

v    Greek “Middle Age” to 750 BC:

Ø    Age of Homer

§       Government, Society, & Homeric values

·       The Iliad & the Odyssey

·       The pursuit of arête’

v   The Polis:

Ø    Origins & development

§       Aristocratic Republic

§       Evolving way of life 

Ø    Hoplite Phalanx

§       Aristocrats & farmers => comrades in arms

·       Impact & significance  

v   Greek expansion:

Ø    Greek Colonies: (Colonization – 750-550 BC - Map 3-2)

§       Relationship of colonies to mainland poleis

Ø    The Tyrants (700-500 BC)

§       Rise & fall

v    Life in Archaic Greece:

Ø    Society:

§       Farmers => Hesiod’s “Works and Days”

§       Aristocrats => Symposiums & pentathlons

Ø    Religion => the pantheon (p. 87)

§       The gods’ role & their relationship to the poleis

Ø    Poetry  - 6th century => lyric style & the chorus

§       Sappho of Lesbos & others => pleasure & agony of love

v    Major City-States:

Ø    Sparta (The Peloponnesus)

§       Helots & the First Messenian War & the impact

§       Society & the duty of Spartan citizens

·       Spartan measure of arête’

§       Government => monarchy, oligarchy, & democracy

·       Two kings, council of elders, & an assembly

·       Conservative Spartan character => impact on policies?

Ø    Athens (Attica)

§       Nobility conflicts & agricultural crisis:

·       Family bondage for loans & its impact

§       Solon the reformer

§       Pisistratus the Tyrant

§       Clisthenes the Democrat 

v   The Persian Wars:

Ø    Ionian rebellion & request for help

§       Athenian response

§       Persian reaction 

Ø    War in Greece

§       Darius of Persia => 1st invasion

·       Victory at Marathon (490 BC)

§       Xerxes & The Great Invasion (480-479 BC)

·       Greek Naval power & the role of Themistocles

§       Thermopylae: “Stranger – go tell the Spartans”

·       300 buy time & glory

§       Strategic withdrawal & the burning Athens

§       Battles of Artemisium & Salamis (480 BC)

§       Battle of Plataea (479 BC)     

 

v   Classical Greece (480-338 BC – Map p. 95):

Ø    The Delian League

§       Athens takes the lead => $$$ & Power

Ø    The First Peloponnesian War

§       Fall of Cimon & rise of Pericles

§       Reversal of Athenian foreign policy toward Sparta

§       Strategic alliance w/Megara & Sparta’s response

§       Disaster in Egypt &the Thirty Years Peace” (445-432 BC)   

Ø    The Athenian Empire (450 BC - Map p. 97)

Ø    Athenian Democracy (role of the citizen)

Ø    Women of Athens (2nd class citizen or Medea?)

Ø    The Great Peloponnesian War

§       Death of Pericles => leadership void

§       Self over Polis => Alcibiades & disaster at Syracuse

§       Allied rebellion & abandonment => No $$$ to wage war

§       Unconditional surrender to Lysander (404 BC)   

Ø    Struggle for Greek Leadership

§        Spartan Hegemony

§       Theban Hegemony

§       Second Athenian Empire (378 BC) 

 

v   Culture of Classical Greece:

Ø    Fifth Century

§       Tragedy => competition before Dionysus

·       Aeschylus

·       Sophocles

·       Euripides (before his time)

§       Old Comedy – Aristophanes (Letterman & Leno with bite)      

Ø    Fourth Century

§       Drama – turning inward & decline of the Chorus

·       Euripides (finally appreciated)

§       Middle Comedy => Old Comedy- Menander

v   Emergence of the Hellenistic World:

Ø    Macedonian Conquest:

§       Lack of respect => the invisible buffer for Greece

§       Phillip II & the invasion of Greece

§       Domosthenes’s warnings => appreciated too late

§       Phillip’s Victory at Chaeronea (338 BC)

§       Macedonian rule over Greece

·       Relatively lenient (Domestic)

·       Federal League of Corinth

¨     Decline of Polis

¨     Loss of policy & self-determination

¨     Impact on society      

Ø    Alexander the Great

§       Conquest of Persia  (Map p. 106)

§       Leading from the front

§       Darius III => fleeing to the rear

§       Persepolis – payback time

§       Alexander’s vision vs. personal limitations   

Ø    Death of Alexander III – forever undefeated at 33

Ø    Alexander’s successors:

§       Ptolemy I

§       Seleucus I

§       Antigonus I     

v   Hellenistic Culture:

Ø    Philosophy => surviving in an bigger alien world:

§       Skepticism & Cynicism

§       Epicureanism & Stoicism    

Ø    Hellenistic Literature

§       Alexandria & the role of the Ptolemys

§       Research institute for era’s scholars

·       Eratosthenes => chronology of key historical events

·       Memoirs of Alexander’s generals    

Ø    Hellenistic Architecture & Sculpture

§       Rulers w/$$$ for conspicuous display

§       Cities built IAW classic 5th century Hellenic architecture

·       Alexander, Rhodes, & Pergamum

¨     Uniformity with distinctive style

§       The Laocoon – (p. 110) => sentiment, emotion, realism   

Ø    Hellenistic Math & Science

§        Euclid & geometry

§        Heliocentric theory of the universe & Aristarchus

§       Ptolemy of Alexander – geocentric dominates for 1500 yrs

§       Archimedes  (theories & physics vs. practical engineering)

§       Eratosthenes => circumference of the earth – 3rd cent. BC

v   The Hellenic & Hellenistic Achievement:     

Ø    Reason & rational thought to => Nature and society

Ø    Defined individual by his capacity to reason             

Ø    Rejected mythic explanations for natural phenomena

Ø    Athenians => Spawned idea of democracy

§       (see Pericles oration for description)

Ø    Created political freedom (polis) => direct democracy

Ø    Greeks contributed conception of ethical freedom =>     

§       All mankind given a choice:

·       shame or honor

·       coward or duty

·       moderation or excess

Ø    like Hebrews=> Greeks embraced idea of universalism =>

§       oneness with humanity

Ø    Expressed belief in worth, significance, dignity of individual

§       Defined humanist tradition toward life

§       People can control their lives through reason

Ø    Greeks founded rational & humanist tradition of West        

Ø    Discovered theoretical reason & defined political freedom

§       Affirmed worth & potential of human individual

§       Significant departure from Egypt & Mesopotamia