ANCIENT GREEKS

WEEK 1
PREHISTORY TO HOMER
1.1 GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE, AGRICULTURE, EVIDENCE AND INTERPRETATION
Meditreranian Sea
- 2400 miles from straits of Gibraltar
- north to south: 1600 km
- vast areas
We cannot be sure about 'mediteranian civilization'
- vast region, might not have things that hold them together
Greece - peninsula in southern Balkans
aegan sea
from beginning, more than just mainland: islands, creek, modern day Turkey
(past: ionia), black sea, greek communities in south Italy, sicily
mediterannian climate:
long, dry, hot summer, cooler winters
limestone, marbles
good soil, though very stony
complaints in the past: people try to plough rocks!
north - south divide (near corinth)
very few navigable river
valleys, mountains
-- relatively small, compact: city state, polis
-- all areas near the sea
coast line carved with coves, .. perfect harbors for ancient greeks
Mediterranian Triads: olives, grapes, grains
--> three staple food!

Olives v. important:
myths: athena's gift
- food, oil,
Climate hospitable for vineyards
wines -- special protection under Dionysus
greek farming mostly taken on subsistence farms
Agriculture was the heart of community, even in sophisticated cities (e.g. athens)
Evidences?
- Archeology!
only with durable materials, survive a couple of millennia in the ground -- metal,
plastics, ..
- Pottery - most important sources!!
-- very durable
-- even broken, can use to trace development
- Texts
literary, formal (stone writings)
Francis Conford "classics like the sky -- always the same but always changing"
-- materials remain the same, interpretation keeps changing
1.2: BRONZE AGE CRETE AND MINOAN CIVILIZATION (ca. 1800-1500 BCE)
Homer
Crete -- home to bronze age civilization
Knossos
*PEER POLITY MODEL
in relatively limited area, a group of communities structured in the same lines:
- competition and rivalry
- "symbolic entrainment" - shared symbols and ideology: share certain images,

ideals, divinity, morals...

- exchange of goods
--> 'peer' even level, no central govt. no capital/knosos
independent community structured around the same line
* REDISTRIBUTIVE ECONOMY
- palace of knosos have huge storage places
- have jars to store produce by people who lived outside the palace
- stored, then redistributed by elite
advantage:
- elite provide protection
- people in the palace get food stuff + something to trade, barter with order
communities

Sir Arthur Evans

-- bought land in crete, excavate
-- massive palace complex
central courtyard surrounded by rooms,..
-- associated with King Minos (in greek mythology)
first to established navy -- fiction!
Minoan society -- after king Minos
built labyrinth to imprison
maybe vast palace can be connected with
Labyrnth -- Labrys: double-bladed axe
artefact, motif in palace
not just functional, beautiful!
Dolphins -- might have originally a floor decoration!
Minoan
sea travel, overseas trade, lavish lifestyle
but: these are reconstruction
supported high degree of craftmanship & technology
-- but much is 21st C reconstruction

Most famous piece:

Bull-leaping fresco
--> original art was beat up, other part put in by artist Evan commissioned
Peaceful, harmonious, self-indulgent society
Prince of the lillies/ Prince king
almost all of it painted later
-- odd anatomy
famous three ladies
almost all reconstitution, reconfection
Linear-B table from Knosos (literate people!)
1) Linear A - not much survived, not deciphered yet
2) Linear B - proto-greek
Palace culture thrive from 1700-1400 BCE
high point of minoan society
around 1450 collapses
signs of destructions almost the same time
1) natural catastrophy? (vulcanic area)
2) revolution?
3) invasion?
What is Minoan?
before Arthur Evans, no such thing as Minoan
--> the only great civilization 'created' in 21st C
--> Evans have vision of peaceful
but archeologist have found evidence of fortification
Evans planted trees, shrine from natural surroundings
** THINK about evidence can be reconstructed that have strong staying power
-W1/L2: MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION (ca. 1500-1150 BCE)
Mycene

labels of convenience
peer polity model
on top a (steep) hill
-- location can be easily defended
-- easy access to water
Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890)
- different architecture:
-- v. defensive
- cyclopians (massive, only big people can carve stones)
- find grave circles
(content of mycenean art is much more aggressive than minoan arts)
- leave gold in enormous quality + quantity
e.g. funeral masks
the mask of agamemnon
(?)
genuine find, reconstituted ?
- schlieman's rep: sketchy, nefarious
- lord supported high degree of craftmanship
personal adornment
trade
Greece part of east aegean economy
- luxury goods circulated among high class
Tholos Tomb: The Treasury of Atreus
--> instead of cyst grave, but burry dead in massive tomb
--> long runway 45m, interior have beehive shape
--> every time there is a burial, dig out long runway, sealed up until the next.
evidence of social stratification.
warrior elite
literacy, 'international' trade, social unrest/
boar tusk helmet
--> went sudden systemic collapse

--> burning, pillaging, destruction

W1/L4: THE DARK AGES (ca. 1150-800 BCE)
What causes the collapse?
1) climatic - draught
2) internal revolt (seems less likely)
no unified proletarian. in all sites
3) economic disruption
tremendous stress in eastern mediterannean
arrival of sea people
- break of system of trade among elite
- economy is so fragile that when those networks disrupted, everything is
smashed
4) invasion
esp. when invaders are of less cultured (doesn't leave traces)
Dorian Invasion.. but, NO EVIDENCE.
Why did it last so long?
- stays dark/depressed for ~300 years
1) Mycenea dependent on agriculture,
need to do terracing (create flat spaces to grow)
terracing requires a lot of labor + maintenance
if society killed and dispersed, animals got loose, can quickly wear them down.
v. difficult, impossible to do intensive agriculture to support community
2) societal - control of female fertility
small groups moving from place to place
- small = beneficial.
Grave sites becomes fewer, much farther between.
= evidence of reduced population
No more gold crafts
No more mycenean arts found in other places
= trade collapse
Literacy. Linear B, used exclusively to record content of storehouses, warehouses of
citadels
technology used to reduce, vanished

only few scribes, no work anymore

*Massive systemic decline.. and collapse
- small groups of squatters, living in a semi-nomadic existence
- subsistence agriculture
Around 1000 BCE, greek start to shift population from mainland to Asia minor (modern
day Turkey)
Advance in Technology
- shift from bronze age to iron age
- iron.. much harder, durable, harder to find/work
- most important iron age site = Island of cyprus
long voyage to get iron
Homer
- Achilles offer prizes at the games for the funeral of Petroclus
"a lump of gleaming pig iron" that will last the man for 5 years
to borrow Thomas Hobbes, life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short"
Outlier In Euboea, (Lefkandi)
-- massive burial place (45 m long)
-- construction unusual: stone, brick, wood piling
-- two burial pits: one cremated body of male with iron spear,
+ buried body of female with lavish gold
- others: two horses with iron bits in their mouths
- not a place, but a tomb
constructed, buried, covered
- like a heroes shrine
- no others else found
Also found, a Kentaur
geometric motif,
deliberate wound on left knee

During dark age -- tradition of tales and stories

W1/L5L Homer 1 - Iliad
Backstory:
- Paris, Trojan prince judge a beauty contest (3 goddesses)
Hera, Aphrodite, Athena
- all tries to bribe
chooses Aphrodite
but, the beautiful is Helen (marries to Menelaus king of Sparta)
- Helen go to Troy
- Greek mounts war of revenge to get her back
Setting: war (its nobility, baseness, glory)
Homer.. fiction. but might contain slice of truth
Dactilic hexameter
likely composed 8th BCE
Blind bards from the island of kiosk
- v. little dominant figure. for Greeks, Homer is "The Poet"
- knowing Homer is important for Greek society to define themselves
Greek separate themselves culturally from the rest of eastern mediterannean
society
- Milman Parry (1930s)
Oral composition
Dactylic hexameter
Epithets and formulas
--> can't make those up as you go along.
a huge set of 'database' of pre-made phrases
- epithets: adjectives attached to nouns
--> importance of poetry as a conveyor of cultural value and memories
bards are heroes!
"wrath of Pileus' sons sent many brave heroes to Hades"

Who are the Heroes?

- Heroes are not moral accomplishment
1) genealogy (son of heroes)
2) tall, good looking, military courage
3) group of retainers, unquestionable loyalty
4) have to constantly prove yourself
Some key terms
*Agon - contest, competition
heroes = constantly tested
zero sum game (I win, you lose)
*Arete - virtue, excellence
* Aristeia - condition of being at one's best
in combat: grow and glow
take up superhuman power
Achilles fighting in the battle of River Scamander
* Kleos - glory, renown
what heroes strive for
- Friendly competition
Achilles and Ajax playing board games
- Combat
Achilles fighting Ethiopean warrior
mothers watching
Illiad -- women plays minor role
Helen
Chrysies (in the beginning of the book, daughter of Trojan priest of Apollo)
- Achilles withdraws from battle, the whole world upset
chaotic assembly
-Thersites, common soldier, voicing out discontent at fighting
- Odysseus confronts and beats Thersites
- Achilles maintains isolation, Agamemnon tries to find achilles back, sends embassy;
doesn't work
- demonstrates Homeric values/tension in Homeric society:

who are you loyal to? family? community? army?

- Book 9, typical Achillean statement: what should I fight, we all wind up dead anyway
- Heroic code to gain glory, help friends -- undercut by single remark of mortality
- eventually he comes back
faces Hector. Son of Priam, greatest of Trojan warriors
if he kills Hector, his own death will come soon
but, Hector killed Petroclus
- Achilles tries to mutilate Hector, dragging his body in chariot across the wall
- old King of Troy, Priam, comes to Achilles to return the corpse of his son
Illiad-- glory and sorrow of war
- Achilles returns corpse to king
- sings muse to wrath of achilles,
- funeral of Hector
poems - told and retold
gives greatest monument of literature of west
W1/L6: THE ODYSSEY
- Subsequent, not good war, catastrophic for both victors and losers (illiad)
- Odyssey -- later on
v. different tone
hero, Odysseus, an atypical hero
1) Short. Clever, Eloquent. Tricky.
-- credits ruse of Trojan Horse
- lead ambassadors to get Achilles back
- Achilles, says with scarcely irritation:
"I hate like the gates of Hades, the man who says one thing and keeps another in his
heart"
- Odysseus, a man of twist and turn
quite unusually interested in food.. talks a lot about food
appetite vs intelligence

you are what you eat, and how you eat.

- his weapon of choice: BOW. a great archer
puts safe distance from enemy
- wanders after the fall of Troy, tries to bring companion safely home
Some key terms
* Metis - cunning intelligence
different from wisdom or theoretical intelligence
tricky, cunning
* polytropos (Polytropia) - versatile, adaptable, much-traveled
* xenia - ritual hospitality, "Guest-friendship"
host-guest
the most important cultural values that Homeric poems convey
e.g. Diametes (in killing fury) face to face to Glaucus
Glaucus describes family
Diametes says they've got to avoid each other in battle field, because their
grandfathers share Xenia.
-- in a world of constant contest, strive, need to excel, Xenia is an important break.
-- a number of suiters,
faithful penelope
take and eat, violation of xenia
-- Odysseus in island of Calypso
live of physical satisfaction
nymph
often just sits at a shore, weeping
takes opportunity to leave
without glory -- Not the life of a hero can live.
-- lands on island of Viesia (?)
Adventure books
interwoven tales (3 groups of 3, interrupted w/ trip to underworld)

each tales characterized by:

monster, temptation, or folly
Monster: one-eyed monster polyphemus
- hints of social reality: good harbor, water supply,
- perfect site to set a colony
- cyclops described as not eating bread and not performing sacrifice
--> don't do agricultural labor
--> don't recognize importance of gods
two characteristics marks him as inhuman (even more than his single eye,
cannibalistic appetite,)
-- Blind the cyclops, escape
taunts the cyclops
So far, tell himself as: uthus, no man.
you can tell other cyclops that the one who blinds you is Odyseuss
- bad move to tell his identity
gives cyclops opportunity to curse him
father of cyclops: Posseidon
-- Temptation: Witch Sherie
turns man into swine
- sent him on a quest to the underworld
- first and most detailed description of what life is thought to be after one die
cold, dark
people live in a shadow of themselves
- Odysseus meets old companion
e.g. agammemnon (killed by his treacherous wife)
poem sets counter possibility
- sees Achilles.. with the same of directness
"I would rather be a life serf than a dead hero"
.. so much for heroic code
- sees Ajax, committed suicide (odysseus cheated him)
- also faces instances of folly
- filled his man's ears with wax, listens to Siren

Book filled with folktale..

- once he goes back to Ithica, tries to find out who is loyal
- disguises himself as beggar, talks to his wife
- face off against suitors
absolute division between allies and opponents
slaughter in the great hall
no one is spared, not even the good suitor
only the Bards and the Harolds
- Reunion with Penelope
The ideal greek wife, faithful, good manager of household
also reveal that she is the master of trickery
--> make Odysseus reveals himself
Illiad -- tragedy; Odyssey -- comedy, atypical hero
Also, introduction of the gods
- powerful, can take favorites, have enemies among humans
- the only thing that distinguishes: we die, they don't
- they are not 'morally examplary'
not to be looked up in that regard
- Heroditus: Homer and Hesiod give Greecian their gods
Human live is much more serious than the gods
- humans, there are real consequences
WEEK 2
THE ARCHAIC AGE (ca. 800-500 BCE)
2.1 THE POLIS
The dark ages for 3 centuries following the collapse of the Mycenean
Archaic age 800 - 500 BCE
> eclipsed by glory of classical period
> now recognized of the most important period in greek history

776 BCE -- first olympic

genuine dating method
Greek identity separate itself out, distinct from other eastern mediteranian community
What identity?
1) Homer
2) polis
3 Part division:
King
high priest, chief judge
Council
elders (advisors)
Assembly
army
--> base for development of polis
Aristotle 4th BCE
- Polis already an institution in decline
Some Key Terms:
* Polis (Pl. Poleis) -- "city-state"
* Politeia -- constitution, citizen body, citizenship
* Polites (Pl. Politai) -- citizen
* Oikos -- House, household
* Synoecism -- unification of villages into a single polis
* Asty/Astu -- urban center
* Agora -- meeting place
* Chora -- countryside, farmland
2 Principle features of Polis:
1) internal unity
2) independence from other communities nearby

Constitution - how the community define itself

Polites - actor, someone who participates in a polis
No matter what the political structure, a citizen will always a native-born, adult, free,
male
- women, foreigners, children, slaves = excluded from political life
Definition by politeia is more important than size!
Always included urban center (astu) and the agricultural area
- downtown, or suburb, equal
Household -- agglomerate into villages -urban implosion (synoecism)
- Right to decide who belong
- citizen body, constitution, right to decide.. essential
- underlying: ideology of equality
citizens thought to be equal
certain degree of wealth to hold office (but later one change)
but, every citizen shared equally, having equal responsibility to contribute to the
polis
Aristotle: natural habitat for human being
polis = highest and best form of association
Combination of right and responsibility -- belonging, serving in military = defining
features of this community
Polis - long lasting influence
Story of Thesius, mythical story King of Athens
> depart on adventure
visit to creek, slash minotaur
assistance from Minos daughter, adrianne
> athena welcome back
thesius has a great idea: bring villages together, make one community --

synoecism
involves a common shrine
thesius set up a temple to worship athena
> sets up game
marker of community identity
competition create a sense of identity
> welcome in foreigners
athenian culture
try to define themselves..
> sets up polite -- community: athens. Citizens of athena
Polis was in decline when aristotle was writing
but, it was a location where people meant to live
man is a political animal "zoon politikon"
people who live outside of the polis is not human
either beast or god
For greeks, living in polis is part of identity
Heroditus of ..
intensity of identification between citizen and the city-state
> how greeks understood their place in the world
Polis starts to be defused!
2.2 THE GREEK OVERSEAS, COLONIZATION
Middle of 8th C -- institutions were pretty established
explanation?
- rise of new kind of extensive agriculture
range of different crops
*hints in Odyssey
--> the kind of farms
Greek started to move
-- probable cause: land shortage

-- not much arable land, struggle for enough farms

Almost always some kind of crisis at home
Some Key Terms:
* Metropolis - mother city
* Apoikia - colony
"Home away from home"
~oikos = home
* Oikistes - founder
one figure who sets the community

Central Greece - Mt. Parnasus, home to great shrine of Apollo

- Apollo looking for place to set shrine
- killed great snake: phyton
- Delphi was early on very important shrine
- pan-hellenic shrine
*each polis has its own shrine
- Delphi -- belong to own greeks
- doesn't only belong to one polis
1) purification
2) prophecy
site of pilgrimage for greeks all over
sacred way leading to temple of Apollo
small shrine -- treasury
treasury of Athenians
Delphi
- not just for religious center, but also information center
- consultation at Delphi -- most important
go to Delphi to get approved
Two great waves of colonization
8th C - west, south italy, sicily
later - north east, shore of black sea

Not like Ionian expansion: this is organized

people sending out group to establish new community
Why would they travel so far?
- Iron.
Nester's cup
- earliest greek writing
- I am nester's cup. Whoever drinks from me will have pleasure
Greek rediscover literacy (after the dark age)
no longer in Linear B
but 24 character alphabet
basis of modern alphabet
Colonies established all over Greek world
Criteria:
1) defensible
2) good arable land
3) natural resources (iron)
4) accessible to trade
Trading place called: EMPORIA
- delta of Nile
- the most important Greek city in egypt & mediteranian
1) always, in the mother city some kind of struggle or crisis
--> in Cyrene, mother city: Tyra
there is a draught
Delphi says: set up a colony, there's going to be draught
Unlike colonialism in West, colonies not dependent on mother city
-- colony meant from beginning as independent, autonomous entity
-- might have some sentiment, religion, trade, but nothing like the new world
colonies established by european power
-- generational effect:
spread of polis throughout the mediterannian

helenisation of mediterannian
Temple of apollo in Cyrene
2.3 LITERACY, LAW GIVERS, AND LAW CODES
Minoans -- linear A, B
restricted
only scribes.. storehouses
died out
Greeks discovered literacy
alphabet borrowed from venetians
compact, transferable
not yet universal literacy, but much more widespread
- used in various
- composed lyric poetry, record law
Change!
Agathoi -- class of good people
hereditary landowner
best flock, best land
control dispensation of justice
Bribe devouring lord being challenged by law-givers
Some Key Terms:
* Nomos - law, custom
Law, law sactioned by long usage
ways community defined itself
* Eunomia - lawfulness, "good laws, well obeyed"
What give rise to codification of law?
1) Polis ideology
- equal citizen: want rights, equal law
2) economy & social stress
- with introduction of new standards of wealth
3) colonization

(organized shift of population)

- settlers sometimes from different cities
- way to harmonize custom
Figure of law giver: ideologically, culturally v. v. important!
Common to all: crisis in home state (econ, political struggles)
Old customs working well enough
Community chooses one man, virtuous, uniquely able to come up with a good code
- E.g.: Solon -- athenian statesman, lawmaker, poet
Law givers stories..
- go to different places, see how different people organize themselves
- go back, home community welcome back
- set aside differences
- allows law giver to establish a code
- establish code of law that everyone can appeal to
- challenge to code that has to be overcome
often, the law giver himselfs transgressing his own laws
e.g. law giver in Sicily:
people cannot go to assembly wearing arms
. killed himself.
- stories always include either death or departure of lawgiver. Why?
- as long as he is around, he retains ability to change code
- ideology that law as superior to individual, defining community
Aristotle: polis is more important than any of the individual member
Replacement of individual/clan-based justice to the kind of justice that can apply to all
members of community
Southern Crete
- earliest law code
- Code of Gortyn
around 500
exemplary of early code
written in the way of Boustrophedon

--> the way ox turns --> <-- --> <----

- if code elevate character of community = fake

code = written down version of customs
- Gortyn:
how to write will, who will get the inheritance
criminal law
- carefully calibrated punishments

2.4 THE WORKS OF ARES - HOPLITE WARFARE

ECONOMICS
Athenian coin
- silver tetradrachm
Athena on one side, owl on the other
- huge economic change in archaic age
- up to this time: wealth defined by # of corns
contact with more sophisticated society in Middle East
Greek developed "moveable wealth"
1) form of precious metals
2) then tokens, issued by great man
3) community, issuing coinage
- sign of civic identity
Gradually, wealth not just in terms of land ownership, but bag of gold -- you can trade
that!
Rise of new standard of wealth
New 'middle class'
- class between hereditary 'agathoi' (good people)
- and barely scraping by subsistence farmers

Change in Military tactic

-- mass of warriors interspersed with a Hero
HOPLITE PHLANX
Hoplite reform
- heavily armed foot soldier who are fighting in a close formation
- members of this new class
farmers
set aside wealth, equip themselves with armor

Helmet
Breastplate
Large, 1 meter across circular shield
inside with kind of cable, you can slip arm through
short stabbing spear
Two hoplite forces about to collide
Reality?
- Bronze armor, breastplate, shinguard, carry shield 16-20 pounds, lined up very very
closely
shield provide protection to men on the left, has spear
- about 8 men deep
Greek battle highly formalized, ritualized
Close, slow run, collision
the pushing, the shoving
The ideal: to maintain place in line
hoplite combat dependent upon massive brute force
one side that falters = lose
odd warfare
1) limited scope
injuries were horrific, no doubt.
relatively restricted to warriors
battle could last long time

winning side would allow losers to collect wounded and dead

winner set up trophy
army dispersed
no wholesale slaughter of defeated side or civilian
One of the new kind of structure and order!
1) Community created polis
- sets who gets to be citizen and who doesn't
2) Law givers, Law code
- make everyone equal under law
3) communities defending themselves (military)
- not much room for heroes (like in Homeric battle)
- individuality work against solidarity of line
Combat in arts
Ideology of hoplite
somebody fighting for himself and community
on the basis of equality in line
--> something we'll see over and over again
There are some charioteers --> well to do!!
support men, horse, horsemen
In greek polis, no professional bureaucracy
also, no professional army
Hoplite --> equip, go to battle, if lucky go back
not a national army
Archer -- less well to do,
Odysseus !
Hoplite defining combat for a long time!
"All that is solid melts into air.." (Marx)
things are changing, incredible creativity, activity, change

-2.5 NEW VOICES, THE LYRIC POETS

Cultural development
- Sudden appearance of Poetry -I feel, I fear, I think, ..
- V. different from the austere anonymity of epic narrator like Homer
- writes with very complex meter
- homer: hexameter beat. Subtle
- here, wider range of lyric effect: some comedy, some longing, seriousness
Lyric goes back a long way
- people singing songs, composing songs well before Archaic age
- what changed? ability to write!
can record in written text!
- Lyric poetry have some association with god
particularly Apollo
- also, a public performance, accompanied by music
- also, for the first time, identifiable female voices!!!
Poets performing, adapting various persona
One of the earliest...
ARCHILLOCHUS (Paros - Early 7th Century)
Originally from island of Paros
moved to North Aegean Island of Thessos (hated it, bristle with timber like the
back of a donkey) LOL
a warrior
Some verses written in contradiction to Homeric value
- e.g. losing shield in Battle (to the hell with that!)
Achilles will not do something like that!
- e.g. said no use for tall handsome captain, give somebody short, solid, someone he
can rely on
--> new realities of Hoplite combat

--> also reflection of social tension

Not like old value completely disappeared,
- old heroic code: helping friend still there, gets new vivid expression
Archilocus
-- some erotic, sexual
performed with a mask
-- pervasive sense of anxiety
time when things changed
things out of his control
-- his own axiom:
the fox know many things, the hedgehog only one - a big one
THEOGINIS (Megara (west of Athens) -- 6BCE)
some 1400 lines survived, some deeply anachronistic
- changing in social, economic, legal circumstances
- persona: of Agathoi (member of elite)
privileges being infringed
- note of anxiety and anger
talks about eugenics
- now one thing that matter: $
2 Greatest Ancient Lyric Poets
- about the same time, from the same place:
- ALCAEUS and SAPPHO
- both from island of Lesbos, polis: Mytilene
Sappho -- first true female voice that we hear
- accounts of love, desire -- so powerful.
Alceus (late 7th C)
- less well known, but also, extraordinary poet
- different topics
art of socializing over wine
fear of battle

- first political metaphor: ship of state

ship is being besieged by storm
- new circumstances: political upheaval
combined with age old sense of needing to give honor to those who have done
before us
2.6 HESIOD: GODS AND FARMERS
Homer - heroic epic
Hesiod - didactic epic
shares features of homeric (repetition, etc)
but subject matter different
Tells about himself, a bit
- father migrated from Asia Minor
- settled in Ascra:
"awful in the winter, miserable in the summer, nice - never."
- father came over because driven by poverty (reverse migration!)
- tells at the beginning: muses come over him, begin to sing
2 Great poems: the Theogony and the Works and Days
Account of Theogony -- creation myth
shares great deal of near east
From chaos to cosmos, disorder to order
Process: generation & division
Chaos -- related to to "yawn"
everything mixed together
--> produces "Gaia", earth --> produces Uranus, the sky --> reproducing
Uranus stuffs offspring back to Gaea
scared of being overthrowned
Gaea conspired with youngest son, Kronos
Uranos descends, Kronos given sickle by Gaea, castrates father
Uranos withdraws

severed genitals thrown into sea

out of forms surrounded it comes God of Love, Aphrodite
Kronos starts reproducing, now devours his own children
- one after another
Youngest child, Zeus, assisted by Gaea, combat with father
Zeus finally triumphs
Weapon = thunderbolt
Violence, betrayal, elicit sexuality, generational conflict
Zeus has to fight for supremacy
-> The Titans: Atlas and his brother, Prometheus
Prometheus --> trickster (appears in world mythology all over)
tricked Zeus
take slaughtered animal, hides good stuff, wrapped bones,
withraws fire from men.
gods quarrel, we suffer
Prometheus steals fire back, gives to men
Zeus angered again
Prometheus chained to crag, devours liver
regenerates by night
punishment: gives us women, in the form of Pandora
Prometheus' bad half brother accepts her
Pandora who releases from a jar all the evils into the world
--> ideological myth
Why we sacrifice the way we do
why we have fire, women, hope
--> pandora unleashes
Need to support food for women (mysoginistic society)
Hope -- characteristically human
--> all spun together by Hesior

Zeus triumphed, last challenge: monster Typho or Typhon

- sets about reproducing
- earliest have odd form
- Metis (cunning intelligence)
- Challenges her, game of changing shape
- tricks Metis to turn into fly
- grabs, swallows
- gives birth to Athena (fully born out of his head)
Genuine polytheism (# of different gods)
hierarchy (zeus at top)
different, special attributes, provinces, areas of expertise
Zeus --> identified with principle of justice
- subject of Works and Days (other work)
addressed to Hesiod's Brother: Perses, 'nit-wit', no good
- cheated Hesiod of inheritance
Control of property very important!!
- agriculture is the base of this society
- Hesiod try to
strive: good one - you want to excel
bad - you want to just quarrel
- agricultural labor, what is appropriate
folks beliefs what should/shouldn't do

WEEK 3
TWO CITY-STATES: SPARTA AND ATHENS
3.1 SPARTA 1 - Conquest
Sparta -- most important polis
--> Sparta was unique!
- resembled other polis in some way, but the way it defined itself was different

- Idea that Sparta was isolated -- not true

not extensive trade network like Corinth or athens
but not totally separated
- prided themselves: ideology of likeness (radical equality)
closer study shown: in the breach than in the observance
distinction in class and status
- Tyrtaeus -- spokesman for spartan value
name applied to a set of poems composed by different poets (like Homer)
- Located in Peloponnese, Southern Greece
initially, four struggling, unwalled villages
Synoecism -- villages coalesced
- Eurotas River --- location
from Mt. Arcadia to sea
located between two mountain ranges
Mt. Taygatos, Mt. Parnon
= Access to lots of water, defensible location, controlled access to entire region
in Homer,
Sparta = home to Menelaus & Helen
Sparta in dark ages, archaic age, no different than the rest
--> Spartan buildings so modest
First Messenian War ca. 740-720 BCE
Foundation of Taras ca. 710
- conquering large territory beyond west border of MT. Taygetos: Nicence
under legendary king Theopompus
- consequences: some unrest at home
- Spartan send their first and only colony: Taras
send west to Southern Italy
Torentum, now called Tarranto
- sending colony = evidence of crisis at home

- Spartans using colonization as a safety valve

no longer welcomed at home
Defeat of Spartan invading force by Argives at Hysiae ca. 670
Second Messenian war
Spartan want to retake this territory
Tyrtaeus wrote a lot about this
--> maintaining courage in the face of struggle, keeping your place in battle
--> some evidence that Spartan's conquest for Messenian almost fail
--> encourages people to stay in the Hoplite line
-- Spartans eventually win
Messenia = massive agricultural area
- acquired subject population
- native Messenian become state-owned serfs = Helots
- control Helots (outnumbered)
created extremely rigid military system of life, society, education
Sparta underwent change, put apart from archaic polis
--> Spartan
- spare, bare, austere
- laconic (area called laconia)
- famous for speaking in clipped, short sentences
Lycurgus -- great law giver
- "wolf-worker"
- don't know if really existed
- but there is a reform --> couldn't be just one man
- Military utopia
3.2 SPARTA 2 - Consolidation and the Spartan way of life
* Lycurgus/Lykourgos
received from Delphi a document called the Rhetra
--> The decree or the declaration

--> contained basic elements of Spartan govt system

* Rhetra
* Dyarchy
King, Council, Assembly
in Spartan too, but very different way
Kingship = vestigial
offices distributed
At Sparta: TWO kings.
two hereditary clans serve together
retain primitive kingship
e.g. commanders-in-chief in battle
can order execution on battlefield
special place at banquets
* Gerousia
Council in Homer -- tended to be other lord
wisdom of tradition, like Nestor
In Sparta, council = group of old men
to join, at least 60!!
About 30 people
Elected by acclimation from assembly
* Damos/Apella
Assembly.
When called together, called Apella
Proposal, voted on elders
voted by acclimation = making noise
too close: do by division (separate to different side)
* Ephors
Five offices
Elected by members of assembly
in charge of maintaining discipline in the State
Ephors and Kings monthly swore oath to each other
king = perform duties in accordance to law
ephors = as long so, they would support
*sign of tremendous social & political upheaval

like tribunate
- nothing elsewhere in greek world
* Perioeci
dwellings around parameters
free, but not citizens
handled commercial affairs: trade, manufacturing
known very little, undocumented
* Helots
descendant of Messenians
forced into servitude
treated as subordinates
Agricultural labor, kept in line by state terrorism
* Agoge
"upbringing" - spartan way of life
spartan baby born, scrutinized by Ephors
if showed signs of illness, weakness
can be ordered to left to die
Raised at home until 7
then, there is a age classes
- spartan girls raised with boys until adolescence
* v different than other
* Spartan women have notorious degree of freedom,
different from women elsewhere
7-13 elementary education: exercise, dance
(rhythmic, requires to follow direction
13-20 girls and boys separated
boys: physical toughening, training
- restricted to one garment
- go barefoot, daily bath in icy water in Eurotas
- pigs blood, supplement diet by stealing
- but if caught stealing, punished
20, full-scale hoplite training
hoplite Republic
everything had to do with training of land warrior

idea of utter individual dedication to state

30, applied for admission to Sysssition
* Syssitia
common eating club
given allotment of land, worked by Helots
need to keep control
contribute food to common mass
* Krypteia
Secret mission
elite youths sent out on missions at night
to kill Helots
- if unusually big, strong or charismatic = danger!
different --> there is an ethnic identity
elsewhere, slaves come from different places
- System depended on agriculture labor of Helots
* Creation of a society of Homoioi: The "Alike ones" or "peers"
Primary excellence = excellence in Hoplite
- didn't lose major hoplite battle until 371
- system worked!
Unique dedication to goddess Artemis
- sister of Apollo
- Hunter and Warrior
- Artemis Orthia (special shrine)
- site of testing for Spartan youths
- cheeses piled up, youths expected to steal
old men with whips guarding cheese
tourist attraction in Roman times
Sort of utopia?
--> limited area, pure population, utter devotion of citizen to community, marshal valor,

resistance to change
Response to distress in archaic age?
-- legally, ideologically outlawed, make basis of state hoplite warfare
Long hair when they are preparing to die
In Plato's Laws:
Athenian to Spartan friend:
"One of the best laws you have is one which forbids any young man to inquire into the
relative merits of the laws. Everyone has to agree with one heart and voice that they are
excellent. And if anyone says differently, the citizens must absolutely refuse to listen to
him."
3.3 TYRANTS AND SAGES
First use of word tyranny
--> in Achillocus (blacksmith says not interested in gold)
For us: tyrants = brutal, greed, lawlessness..
For original usage: tyrant = someone who seize power in a non constitutional way and
held it personally
- in many communities, tyranny is a necessary prelude to democracy
Corinth
-- location controlled north south route in Greece
-- controlled east-west route
For traders and sailors,
preferable to stop, unload at Corinth
Go through Isthmus of Corinth
- about 6 kms,
- reload on the other side
- rather than go around the island
Colonies: Corcyra (Corfu), Sicily (polis: Syracuse)

Aristocracy control
--> Bacchiads clan
--> exclusive. marriage only within ganos/clan
--> led to downfall
--> Responsible for stone causeway "Diolkos"
--> v. v. prosperous
--> Artistic, cultural development
archaic spinx
corinthian pottery
elaborate
constant contact with middle east
Labda, lain, no one wants to marry
Aetion (outsider)
Married
prophecy from Delphi: offspring will bring ruin to clan
Son was born
Bacchiads try to kill
- Labda hid the infant in chest - cypsele
called Cypselus
became tyrant
overthrew Bacchiade clan
- assassination, exile,
- must have some support: rule for about 30 years
Passed to Pariander (son)
- father to son, rather than elective office
- very harsh ruler
sent slave to consult Thrasybulus (another tyrant)
- eliminate leader of opposition
- Legend.
- extremely gifted ruler
- might be under his rule, stone causeway was build
- ruled for about 40 years (625 - 585), no revolt
- died (incidentally) having himself assassinated

The Seven Sages

Thales of Miletus (Asia Minor)
Solon of Athens
Pittacus of Mytilene (Lesbos)
Bias of Priene (Asia Minor)
Chilon of Sparta --> an Ephor
Cleobulus of Lindos (Rhodes)
Periander of Corinth
--> created by Plato Purtagaorist?
but this was identified in the ancient world
- wide geographical distribution
- know with each other?
Plutarch - fiction (exchange witty comments)
- stories share common traits
- writing poetry
- engaging in some sort of political activity
- some performance
- several wise sayings
7 men identified as culture heroes
- embody combination of practical experience, theoretical wisdom, wit, ability to impress
a group of people
- Panhellenism
--> All of Greece
- so far, specific local identification
- but fragile, decide whose in or out
- growing sense what it meant to be Greek
3.4 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATIONS THROUGH 600 BCE
MYTHS
- Thesius, greeted back by Athena
- Athens = athena's people
supervising entity of the city

- gives Olives tree

- prided themselves as being autochthonous
having born on the earth
always having been there
- Athena = virginal goddess, no romantic attachment
lame smith God Hephaestus
infatuated with Athena
chased her around the Acropolis
ejaculated on her leg
threw semen to grown : Erichthnoius (wool and ground)
= first Athenian
- Scandal gives explanation how athenians being born out of the earth

ATTIKA
- about 1,000 sq miles
- good natural resources
- silver in Lorean
- marble, olive, good potters clay
Athenian pottery joined Corinthians = highly priced
- good timber, massive coastline
- harbor at Piraeus
= potentially wealth, hospitable area
- synoecism completed by 700
- group of people identified as Athenians
- original tribes:
Eupatridae
elites, "those who have good fathers"
control grazing lands
dominated political system

Areopagus
*no historical king*
we have council, met on the hill of Ares
selected by Eupatridae
selected chief magistrate
Archons
Archon Basileus
king archon, some primitive kingship
Polemarch
war archon, commander in chief
"Eponymous" archon
magistrate gives name to civic year
e.g. something happen in Archonship of X
Assembly
don't really know much
Situation unusual
- initially did not participate in colonialization
- some severe strain
KYLON
- decided to stage revolt
--> like what happened in Corinth (Kypsilos)
- seized acropolis
- ordinary people barricaded him there, force him out
- managed to escape
- Megacles one Archons
- promised conspirators safe passage out of temple
- when they emerged, killed them
= terrible religious infraction
you don't kill hoplites!
Megacles
from great old Eupatridte clans:
"Alcmaeonidaes"

From late 7th C

- Megacles and family sent to exile
Kylon's attempt revealed serious strains in Athenian society
Athenians have first law code (response to Kylon)
around 624, 12 or 8 years after Kylon's
Draco formed first Athenian law code
- draco -- dragon or snake
- historical? not sure
- code renowned for severity
- death for punishment of any infraction
- draconian = unreasonably harsh
--> even if someone kills someone unintentionally, must go into exile
takes into account circumstances of murder
distinction between voluntary homicide (cold blood)
and manslaughter (involuntary)
-- can be recalled by vote from victim's kin
after purified in Delphi
- Sign that things are getting tenser
also another sign: Athens participate in colony
- Send 2 colonies to Hellespont (modern day Bosphorus)
to both sides
3.5 SOLON: POETRY, POLITICS, AND ECONOMICS
Economic crisis towards end of 7th BCE
- large class of citizens, farmers impoverished
debt bondage to wealthier neighbors
- result of new economic factors? movable wealth
- old form of patron and client relation, going out of hand?

= social tension
Solon -- paradigm of lawgiver, member of 7 Sages
founder of Athenian civic identity
Traditional date: 594 BCE
Sources:
- account in Heroditus
- Constitution of Athens (ascribed to Aristotle)
may/may not be by him
- Plutarch's life of Solon
- Solon's own poetry
Background
- middle citizen, merchant? travelled widely (unlikely)
- maybe merchant, but clearly member of elite
- can travel from place to place, can see
Hectemor - "sixth partner" > debtor
annually debtor owe 1/6 of product, land to lender
Horos - Boundary stone
that mark of debtor's land
if debtor could not pay, could be sold to slavery
Seisachteia - "Shaking off burdens" > cancellation of debt
one time cancellation
Why? staved off revolution
Demand for land reform becoming more and more intense
Prohibition on any athenian holding another athenian as a slave
- not emancipation procalamation
slaves always and only others
setting internal and external boundary
Political and Legal reforms

4 Property classes:
Pentacosiomedimnoi - "500 measure men"
traditionally wealth land owner
Hippeis - "horesemen" or knights
prosperous enough to afford calvary outfit
Zeugitae - "Yokemen"
relatively well to do farmer
can afford hoplite
Thetes - everyone else
subsistence farmers
*replacing criteria of birth to criteria of wealth
* links to access to political office
* all citizens have right to participate in assembly
Council of 400 (?)
existed? left no trace
Ecclesia - assembly of all citizen
> preserve old privileges
> allow social mobility
new economic realities
Rights of legal intervention
any citizen can intervene on behalf of other citizen legally
mutual responsibility among members of community
notion of egalitarian ideal
responsible for each other
Right to transfer a legal case, before delivery of a verdict, from a magistrate to a jury
court
Mutual responsibility
Being able to call someone like us
Familial process given civic and legal identity
Symposium -- formalized drinking party for elite

one of key element: recitation of poetry

Solon participate
talks about his activity; pride
refers to himself as being in the center
Solon -- laid the groundworks for development of Athenian democracy.
3.6 PEISISTRATOS: TYRANNY AND CIVIC IDENTITY
Solon's reforms did not help inequality
- evidence of continuing crisis
- 4 years after 589
- Anarchia
= year without an archon
--> anarchy
Spartans try to get Tegea, didn't work
form aliances with Tegea, and other states around
informal Peloponnesian league forming
Athens -- brief experiment with 'board of governors' replacing archons, but quickly
abandoned
Not regional factions
- lead by 'big men'
- coined by Marshall Sollins
informal leaders of group who maintain power by having military + competitive
generosity
competition both of generosity + violence
Regional Factions:
- Coast - Lykourgos/Lycurgus
merchants
- Plain - Megakles
Alchemean
great old Eupatric clan
- "Beyond the hills" - Peisistratos

primarily old land holders

-- small farmers, urban poor
Peisistratos -- have some public presence
ambitions to rule Athens
Peistratos' 3 attempts at tyranny:
1) self-wounding, granted armed guards (ca. 560-559)
came to agara, downtown
asked for civic armed guards
assembly gave him
eventually, other two, Lycurgus and Megakles drove him out
2) married Megacles' daughter:
brought back into athens by "athena" (ca. 558-556)
driven out, went north, establish gold mines
seriously wealth
3) After exile, return with mercenary force; "battle" at Pallene (547-6)

Kouros
modeled on Egyptian predecessors
nude, striding with foot forward
- characteristic of the elite
--> Croesus, soldier agains Peisestrous, died
Peisistratus established rule quickly
- seemingly without resorting to violence
- small tax on agricultural produce
- started public works:
e.g. public water supply --> water fountain
- allow state-supported agricultural loans to small farmers
- circuit judges --> people going to countryside, hear cases
- cleared agora of private dwellings, make it place of truly gathering of citizens
- public construction

- Zeus olympians, next to acropolis

sign of individual pride and civic identity
- Civic religion
Peisistratus established Penatenean games
--> Panathenaic empora (vases)
-- olive oil (commodity)
- depict patrons, then Athena
Chariot race, runners,..
- began festival in honor of dionysious
Dynosia
competition of choruses
tragic and comic festival
- issued first coinage (athena)
first circulated only within athens, then used as currency throughout Greek world
--> extremely ambitious, capable, ethical ruler
Popular! peaceful old age, never have to use bodyguard
Legacy: athenian civic identity
buildings, ceremonies, coinage, circuit riding judges
Athens growing sense of itself

WEEK 4: DEMOCRACY. THE PERSIAN WARS

4.1 THE END OF ATHENIAN TYRANNY AND THE DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION
Socrates
Tyranny is bad
Peisistratus - bad by definition (because a tyrannt), but so good, have role aside from
other tyrannt
Tyranny - dissent, going down
after death, goes to son Hipparchus and..
over a decade
support arts
Harmodius and Aristogeiton killed Hipparchus
want to set Athens free

Thucydiddes (historian):
- not about politics, but personal insult
Hyparkus made advance on beautiful woman
rejected tyrants
forbad sister from participate celebration
-> implication: unchaste
At a festival two of them killed hipparchus
Not immediately end of tyranny
The Athenian Revolution (J.Ober)
1. Isagoras & Kleomenes (spartan King) attempt to dissolve the boule (council)
2. Boule resists
3. Kleomenes and isagoras occupy the acropolis, with spartan help
4. the rest of the athenians unite. (aristotle:"the crowd gathered itself together")
5. They besiege the spartan occupiers
6. Kleomenes surrenders on the 3rd day of the siege, the spartans withdraw
Leaderless popular revolution
- crowd gathering together
recent history: Arab Spring, Middle east
spontantenous popular uprising

4.2 THE REFORMS OF KLEISTHENES

Member of alchemean clan
Megacles (a century ago)
controversial family
Bribed the Delphi?
- importance of this clan

People chose Kleisthenes

Reforms 1
- 3 regions: city, coast, inland
- each divided into ten artificial trittyes - thirds (30 in all)
- each trittys includes a variable number of demes, pre-existing 'neighborhoods' (170 in
all)
demes - heart of
- ten new tribes (phylai), each consisting of 3 trittyes, one from each region
- new council, boule, of 500 men, serving for 1 year; 50 from each tribe, elected by lot
every year
citizens can only serve twice in boule
- prytany system: council year is divided into tenths, with each tribe's council members
serving as executive committee (Prytaneis) for that allotted period
- one citizens supervising every 24 h, cannot do twice
--> Athens redefined by geography
each should be roughly equal
Demes most important for citizens
- demes name become part of official name
- mechanism that draws all citizens into some part help governing
Reforms 2
Ekklesia - assembly, including all citizens, who were guaranteed freedom of speech
Magistrates
9 Archons
served one year
10 Strategoi (generals) - elected annually, one from each tribe
could be re-elected
most important military & political office
Popular courts
Ostracism
official process

voted in the assembly

forum of 6,000
one individual in card, deposited, counted
most votes have to leave athens for 10 years
--> to deter tyranny
if too full of himself, could be ostracism
aristotle: the most democratic part
- eventually, can use this as a weapon against opponents
Isonomia: condition of "equal law" and equality under the law
genuine massive change in nature of politics, society
- lay groundwork for subsequent democracy

4.3 HERODOTUS AND THE CREATION OF HISTORICAL WRITING

Came from helicarnasus
south end of Ionia (modern day Turkey)
born around 484 BCE
don't know much about his own biography
lived among first hand participants of the great war
Ionian - site of constant exchange between west and east
also object of contention between W and E
Ionian school of philosophy
- milesian school
miletus city
Thales
- also natural philosopher, speculating nature of cosmos
milesian school:
some kind of substance that makes everything

anaxamander - "the immeasurable/the infinite" (Apeon)

Anaximenes - "Aer" - like purified air
--> not the answers philosopher proposed, but they are trying to know, in rational way,
about the phenomenal
rational, secular, physical explanation of cosmos
xenophanes - ferocious religious skeptic
- projection of ourselves
- not much effect on ordinary people
- but shows boldness to question
--> influenced heroditus
Hecateous
a trip around the world
(mediterannian)
examines customs of different people

Homer
model for story telling
first use of of "histories"
--> conducting own examination, questioning sources
epic tone
preserving deeds, not just greeks, but foreign as well
look under surface, see underlying causes (ionian)!
Sources:
- first hand interviews
- autopsy (looking at things, and telling them)
- Hecateus, Homer
tension between east & west, trojan war, ..
for Heroditus, Croesus = paradigm where people gets power
- jumps back, tells a story of Kendallies (King)
courtier Gyges

king kill, mary queen, became king

prophecy that vengeance in 5th generation
- for Heroditus: injury, some penalty
- 5th gen = croesus
v. wealthy
interacted w/ Solon (law-giver)
encounter between Croesus & Solon =
Solon = greek, law giver, quality
Croesus = asian, monarch, quantity
"Who's the happiest man in the world?
- Tellus, the Athenian
died in battle on behalf of city
buried on battlefield
- 2) Kelobis, Biton
statue set up in Delphi
Human life changes, second to second
"count no man lucky until he's dead"
Croesus - lost his son
thinks abt attack Persia
fond of Delphi
you will destroy a great empire
--> whose?
captured in his own palace by Persian King Cyrus
- burned alive
- Cyrus repents on barbarism
- flames already too great
- rain, quench
- rescued
Cyrus admires wisdom
begins with having enough
suddenly wants more

commit rash act

suffers disastrous consequences
--> what heroditus sees playing again and again
v. interested in cultures
4.4 PERSIAN WARS 1 - FROM THE IONIAN REVOLT (499-494 BCE) TO THE
BATTLE OF MARATHON (490 BCE)
Cyrus (conquered Croesus, taken over lydia)
killed in battle
Darius the First - king
522 BCE - 480s
Behisthun inscription
- texts in 3 eastern languages
- Darius' conquests
- noble man
Massive size, wealth
extremely well-developed bureaucracy
in conflict with Greeks
Cleomenes of Sparta - withdraw, try to reassert influence on Athens
also, neighbors all wants to move into Athens
Internal dissention made Spartans turned back
Hoplite drove back neighbors
proved itself
certain pride on military prowess
Ask Persian governor for financial help
exchange earth and water
- earth and water = subject
Athenian: token of good will

= direct conflict with persian

Revolt. Ionian cities -- persian umbrella, stay to pay taxes
Persian installed vessel govt
499, tyrant of city of Miletus, Aristagoras, decided to rebel
goes to sparata, asked for help
No.
Athenians agree to help
Hippias (brothers assasinated) in Persia, planning return to athens
send 20 ships + 4 ships from Eretria
Burn Sardis
= bitter affair
alliance had been betrayed (earth and water)
Darius so furious
494 Ionian revolt crushed, Miletus sacked and burned for Sardis
Greek states
medizing: go over the meed
surrender own autonomy
Persian envoys to athens killed
Sparta - threw into a well
= breach of protocol
ambassador = under special immunity, otherwise cannot negotiate
religious crime too
491, persians invade
first target Eretria
Dreams, Portents, Oracles = important for Heroditus
- Hippius has a dream
- makes love with his mother
= restored power in Athens

Athenian general: Miltiades (member of great old family)

- put best troops not front line, but off to the side
can attack persian flanks
192 Greeks, >6000 persians dead
pheidippides, runs from athens to sparta to deliver news, dies
depictions greek vs persian -- arts
Why Win?
1) hoplite tactics
heavy armor more effective than persian armor
linen corslet
long spears of greeks
tight formation
fight for liberty of homeland!
Miltiades, dedicated helmet
marathon
special courage, fight for freedom against despotism
- almost ideological
Persians, now angered, more determined
4.5 WOODEN WALLS: THEMISTOCLES AND THE ATHENIAN FLEET
Miltiades
campaign against island Paros
expedition, failure
prosecuted by Xanthippus
charge of deceiving people
hit with enormous fine
died before could paid
- not that he did anything wrong
feuding among elite clans, conducted within democratic system
after marathon, we have first ostracism

Hipparchus was ostracized

-> once a year
property conserved from him, return, assume full rights
487, Megacles
Xanthippus also
old elite famileis use client relations with poor citizens to get political enemies away for a
while
- prevent whole clan expulsion
procedure for selecting archons changed
- selected by lot
- boule
- term of office just one years
Archonship become less and less political factor
- political weight shift towards the general
Themistocles
from old family, but not elite
odyssean figure in athenian political life (trickster)
elected strategus
Laurion, down southeast, Athenian discovered silver
= enormous new source of wealth
- slaves, captives of wars
persuade assembly not to use new treasure to build a wall, but to build ships
Triremes
- three banks of rowers
- naval policy
turning athens into maritime power
- social consequences too.

triremes depended on free labor to build ships, maintain docks,

poor citizens have profession opened up
paradox of increasing radical democracy, coupled with aggressive military policy
abroad
Aristeides, son of lysimachus
- ostracized
- upright
Darius died, xerxes, son wanted to complete what his dad has begun

4.6 PERSIAN WARS 2 - ENDGAME - TO THE BATTLES OF THERMOPYLAE AND

SALAMIS (480 BCE), AND PLATAEA (479 BCE)
Debate in what he should do
Xerxes, Artabanus (uncle), mardonius (military man, commander)
uncle = wise advisor figure
xerxes had a dream, should attack Greeks
- combination of advanced thinking and traditional thinking
Koros - just enough
Hubris - breaking some boundary
parallel forces: land + sea
Spartans send force up
300
under Leonidas
Demaratus (spartan king)
comb hair, played, ..
this is what spartans behave when they prepared to die
Thermopylae - great battle

effect of buying time for the rest of the greeks

-evacuation of Attica
- wooden walls prophecy (trust their wooden walls)
Mysticlese = their ships
Planend that athenians sacrificed themselves and city for greater good
- Persians sacked, burn athens
death of leonidas, destruction of Athens = balancing off of sacriligeous killing of Persian
envoys
Sends message to persians that Greeks about to escape
lure persians into fighting in narrower water
Battle of salamis
- smaller, faster, more manuverable demolished persian fleets
- xerxes flees back
persian army stays in greece
- under command of Mardonius (argued for invasion)
- winter in greece,
479, last great battle
Spartans in command
near Plataea, north Athens
Greeks win
Pausanidas' victory, victory of Themistocles at Salamis,
= end of Persian military threat
Sparta + Athens --> hegemony, first among equals in Greek polis

WEEK 5: THE GREAT 50 YEARS

5.1 THE AFTERMATH OF THE PERSIAN WARS, THE DELIAN LEAGUE

3 Practical results of war:

1) end of Persian threat
2) Briefly, sense of greek unity
e.g. dedicated offering at Delphi
"These fought the war: The Lacedaimonians, the athenians, the Corinthians,
Poleis come together
- major ideological shift
absolute distinction, between Greek & not greek
(barbarians, par excellence), other (persian)
3) Athens and Sparta emerge as two dominant/hegemonic polis in the group
Pausanias (Spartan)
victor at Plateia
went to around Byzantium
arrogant, 'going native'
wear persian clothing, Ionians put off by this
recalled to Sparta, disciplined
send out, recalled again
saw Ephors (one of 5 civic officials), fled to temple, become suppliant
died in Sparta
Themistocles
Sparta propose north peloponnese, remained unwalled
Athenians - not great idea
Build the wall
Spartans detained in Athens
Walls rebuilt
Political antagonism. Ostraka (for ritual exile)
-encouraged to fortify Pariahs, build navy, but still managed to get ostracized
went south to Argos
went to Persia, advisor on Greek affairs
Emblematic of what happened to greek leaders
- Greeks not sure whether threat has been normalized
Pausanidas
- asked athenians to lead defensive alliance

(after Platia and makala)

- formed league, centered in Delos
- sacred place (Apollo,.. ) birth place, long Athenian connection
- delos, represented as palm tree (often)
keep east Aegean persian-free zone
Principles:
- a league assembly, each states have equal vote
- each member states guaranteed autonomy (internal & external political course)
- provide annual support for league activities
tricky: money or ships
if ships, 'on loan' to league, return to parent state
cash, deposited in central treasury
used by Athenians, to build ships, mend by athenian sailors
--> allies established themselves prelude to Athenian domination
Conceptual change
no longer hoplites (citizen soldiers)
navy constant patrol, year round
collect contribution (tribute)
show flag, collect intelligence
job, receive state pay
Navy - economically very costly.
- new league of greek state
- entirely new way of thinking relation of individual to larger greek community
- to whole activity of warfare

5.2 FROM DELIAN LEAGUE TO ATHENIAN EMPIRE

Athens = first among equals,
conditions to dominate
Free labor (citizens)

- men, willing and able to do work

islanders or coast
insular + coastal composition of league + athenian dominated league = athenian
domination
year-round presence of fleet
Kimon
skillful athenian general leads fleet to Eurymedon
(south coast of Turkey)
Persians trying to put new force
won victory over Persians both sea + land

island of Naxos, decides to leave league

(threat done?)
Naxos = strategically important place
contributed ships rather than money
Athenians : use league ships to surround Nexos
now, forced to change from ships to cash
Island of Thasos (north)
Athenians got into quarrel over access to rich gold mines in mainland
- private quarrel
- Athenians enlist league troops,
Thasos appeals to Sparta for help
agreed to help
Natural catastrophe around 464
- earthquake in Sparta
- Helots rebelled
native Nycenians (state serfhood)
condition of state terrorism
use earthquake to fight for freedom

= threat of Spartan's existence

- Sparta asked Athenians to help them
Kimon, son of Miltiades, victor of Martahon,..
victor at Eurymedon
send help
Kimon + 4,000 hoplites
spartan envoys send home
-worried about Athenians democratic proclivities?
- revolution?
don't know what happen
= INSULT.
pro-spartan policy discredited
462, Pericles work with Ephialtes, engineered 'reform'
461, Kimon ostracized
Moderate, pro-spartan leaders removed from political scene
Athenian dominated tribute-paying allies
Athenian tribute list
move treasure from Delos to Athens for "safe keeping"
meticulous record
1/60th of Tribute skimmed for Athena
How they control?
1) Fleet - anywhere, very fast
2) gather intelligence, lobby for Athenians, support democratic factions
3) legal control
capital cases have to be heard in Athens by Athenian jury
4) economic control
fleet - can control trade w/ this navy
trade - causal factor between sparta/Athens
coins - psychologically, economically significant!

5) established colonies (not in archaic age)

"cleruchies"
Athenian outpost
constantly in contact w/ mother city
Political, legal, economic control
- Foundation of Delian League 487/7
- Battle of Eurymedon - Cimon victor - Bet 469 and 466
- Attempt at secession by naxos - CA. 467
- Athens vs. Thasos - ca. 465/4
- Spartan earthquake and helot revolt - ca. 464
- Reform of the Areopagus - 462
- Ostracism of Kimon - 461
- First Peloponnesian war - 460-445
Megara - between Corinth and Athena, but also strategic position (isthmus of Corinth)
Athenians allied with Megara, Corinthians allied with other peloponnesian states
- series of wars, but no climax
- resistance of athenian domination getting stronger
Famous leader: Pericles
5.3 PERICLES: ARISTOCRAT, ORATOR, AND RADICAL DEMOCRAT
very influential in Athens
- son of Xanthippus (Alchemoid, old powerful clan)
first heard in case involving Kimon
- one of prosecutor
462, Pericles with Ephialtes (ally) reformed ancient Areopagus (council)
- exist alongside with 500 council
- ex-archons
- older, more conservative men
had some legal power
- now no power

religious related influence, but no real political

"the olympian"
- aloof, austere, aristocratic
- associated with no of leading intellectuals
e.g. Protagerus
- courtesan Aspasia (from Miletus), professional escort
great thinker, conversionalist
"power couple"
Semi-formal friendship 'philia'
- inter-marriages, favors, political supports,
- Pericles rejected all sorts of official friendship
- main source of power: controlling discourse
incredible power of speaking
personally incorruptible
wealthy, don't need to be bribed
ambition: more for athens, than for himself
Democracy.but first citizen ?
- Pericles does not rule athens
speak in assembly, make case
not king or tyrant
450s, naval engagement around Egypt
200 ships - to encourage locals to rebel against Persian empire
disaster! fleet wrecked

451/50 - 5 years truce between athens and sparta

450/49 the peace of Callias between greeks and persians
--> final step of conversion
449 "congress decree"
"papyrus decree" for the building program

449/8 "missing year" no tribute

(but, top of the block. fall off?)
448/7 low tribute
the "coinage decree" (use Athenian coins)
the "cleinias decree" for tribute
(real penalties)
Athenian democracy under Pericles much more aggressive
ruthless imperialist

5.4 TRAGEDY AND ATHENIAN CIVIC LIFE; SOPHOLES' ANTIGONE

5th C athens, theatre central for cultural, civic life
Initial of tragedy:
always connected to ritual,
god Dionysius
Tragedy by 5th C - involves the community
Lenaia (late winter), for comedy
Tragedy - in dyonisia, (spring)
Amphitheatre, natural bowl
fitted with wooden benches, stage
Stage (skene)
Orchestra (dancing floor, choruses)
Seating area (theatron)
Accoustics = amazing
Various capacity ~15,000
Intended audience: athenian citizens
Relatively few actors, all male, all masked

- little expression could not be seen from distance

all chorus, actors, were male
entire citizen body involved in production
Archon would choose 3 poets who will compete in Tragic
- citizens - choregy producers
- 10 citizens judges (each tribe)
procession of young men whose father died in war year before
- supported, celebrated
- young men, general, actual treasure (tribute) carried across in bars of metal
-> vivid display of civic pride, unity
playwrights (poets) celebrated as public figure
only complete plays by:
- Esculus, Sophocles, Euripides
Poet - teacher for the city
took themes from myths, old stories
homer, hericles, city of Thebes (Oedipus, Cadmus)..
Tragic moment
- strains
- egalitarian ideal
tension between old values (myths)
Not political cartoons, but tragedy investigate large issues in Athenian community
Sophocles- Antigone
Oedipus (problem solver)
great problem
- awful crimes: incest + parricide
exiled, cursed sons into battle against each other
Creon (brother in law)

Etheocles (buried) Polynices (unburied)

Antigone, Polynices' sister wants to give her brother burial
Treatment of enemy dead
- how one connects to community
where does one's loyalty lie?
not like individual vs state, female vs male
--> not mechanical
dilemma, that has to be resolved
variety of approaches
What cost?
sophoclean hero (sticks to a position)
Creon left alone, Hyman dead, wife killed herself
lonely status, wisdom through suffering
Chorus
reminds audience, that certain things we have to acknowledge we don't have
control
beings, rules, forces more powerful than ourselves
instructing athens
--> reminder that limits on all of us

5.5 WOMEN IN GREEK SOCIETY

After Sappho, few women
- have to depend on records, literary representations,
- composed by men, to predominantly male audience = caution!
Law
- women at any age has to have adult male guardian
- women could not act independently at law
could testify at trials, but could not own property
Kyrios - official legal guardian of woman
Marriage was the aim

- marriage is for woman, what war is for man

- becoming full member of society
- early teens, about 14
to men late 20s, early 30s
- arranged by Kyrios
Wedding
generally took at night
to groom's household
mother in law waiting to receive couple
- transfer of young woman from Oikos from parent/guardian to guardianship of husband
Oikonomics - managing the household
Men = outside, fields, agara, council, assembly, socializing
Women = inside, managing household, take care of children, take care of slaves,
manage household goods
care and production of goods e.g. cloth
making cloth - women's primary job
Penelope, Odysseus wife
- socializing among women
class differences
respectable matron not expected to go out much
scenes of women at public fountain
For proper upbringing - limited
Medea (euripides' play)
barbarian princess
Jason
about to dump her for Corinthian princess
killed brother to help Jason escape
killed intended bride, the father, her own children
Delivers speech about women's lives
- get husband (buy him) -- social reality

women bring dowry

- adapt life in new household
- women stuck there
- divorce was not difficult
constraint: return wife's dowry
legitimate anxieties, complaints, sorrows of women in greek society (even though
composed by men, played by men)
Aspasa (courtesan), escort
Hetairae -- entertained at Symposia
- lives less constrained
Exception: area of religion
- powerful female divinities
- in cult, women played important role as priestests
- Pythia, prophet at Delphi
enormous authority, respect
- women's only festivals e.g. Thesmophoria
bring fertility to husband's field

5.6 THE PERICLEAN BUILDING PROGRAM

Stages:
began with Parthenon
Propylaea - entrance gate
boundary to top of acropolis
two waiting rooms, picture galleries
enemies: said tricking Athens
Parthenon Iktinos (architect
Phidias (sculptor

Doric style
column rest directly on platform, some cushion on top
Refined
No such thing as straight line in Parthenon
pratical effect - run off of rain
enthasis at the middle
aesthetic, not hollowed out
turned into christian church, mosque (ottoman empire)
1697 war between Ottomans and venesians,
turks occupy acropolis
blown up
Richly ornamented in sculpture
East - birth of Athena
West - contest between Athena and poseidon
brightly painted
- extremely bright light, need to have vivid color
Metopes
-mythical combat
- idea of struggle
Parthenon Frieze
1m high, ran around interior of building, 80% preserved
idealized representation of Panathenaic procession
cattles
young women (high class) baskets of offerings
Women, girl, folding sacred gown
upper class girls weave new clothes for statue

Banquet of gods (much bigger)

Golden ivory statue
- pinnacle of athenian life..
Athena nike (goddess of victory)
relief on top, smaller
conflict: greek vs persian (historical rather than mythical)
Erectheion
- multiple divinity
Porch of maiden - caryatid Porch
Civic pride, collaboration of different classes, construction record (citizen, foreign
worked side by side),
Panathenaic, world cultural property!!

WEEK 6: THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR 1

6.1 THUCYDIDES THE ATHENIAN WROTE THE WAR
6.2 THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR (431 BCE) AND PERICLES' STRATEGY
6.3 KLEON, A "NEW POLITICAN". THE PEACE OF NICIAS (4221 BCE)
6.4 COMEDY AND ATHENIAN CIVIC LIFE
6.5 WAR RESUMES; THE CONQUEST OF MELOS (416 BCE)
6.6 ALCIBIADES: ARISTOCRAT, GENERAL, AND LIBERTINE

WEEK 7: THE END OF THE WAR. THE END OF THE CENTURY

7.1 THE SICILIAN EXPEDITION (416-413 BCE) AND ITS AFTERMATH

7.2 SLAVE AND FOREIGNERS IN ATHENIAN LIFE
7.3 THE LAST YEARS OF THE WAR; THE BATTLES OF ARGINUSAE (406 BCE) AND
AEGOSPOTAMI (404 BCE). THE THIRTY TYRANTS
7.4 SOCRATES
7.5 THE FOURTH CENTURY. PHILLIP II AND ALEXANDER
7.6 CONCLUSION