Greek Civilization

Greece
o it lies in the Aegean Sea (and regarded as
the cradle of Western Civilization)
o developed many ideas that influenced the
politics, art, and thought of Western
Civilization
Minoans
o Minoan Civilization grew up in Crete island
o it is called Minoan because of the legendary
King Minos
o they are working with Bronze and Gold and
developed a system of writing
o they built magnificent palaces (housed by
royal families, priests, and government
officials)
o they are seafaring, traders, exporting
wines, honey and olive oil to Egypt and Asia
Minor.
o it began to decline about 1450 B.C.
because of a disastrous earthquake or
volcanic eruption and soon after Greeks
from the mainland invaded Crete.

Mycenean
 o they are the invaders of Crete
o it is called Mycenae because after the
palace at Mycenae
o they borrowed much from the Minoan
civilization
o they took over Minoans sea trade
o rival Mycenae kingdoms were often at war
with one another that cause the decline in
Mycenaean Civilization
o Greece enters a DARK AGE palaces were
destroyed and many Mycenaean's moved
to other areas
o Wars were common and trade, farming and
the arts were disrupted
o there are only few written record from this
time and the art of writing was forgotten

Hellenic
o The Great Age of the Greek Civilization
began to shape
o It is known as Hellenic Age from Hellas (the
Greek name for their country)
o Most of them were farmers, they also
raised sheep and goats, artisans worked in
small workshops and produces metal tools
and weapons
o They became fishermen and traders
o Trade brought new ideas; they adopted
Phoenician alphabet for writing their own
language, they also learned Lydian practice
of using coins and gained knowledge about
geometry from the Egyptians
o Greeks turned to religion for an explanation
for changes in nature and as means of
gaining good fortune or a rich harvest
o The religion of Greeks were very different
from those in the Near East and Egypt
o They believe in many Gods who is said to
live on Mt. Olympus in Northern Greece
o They did not view their Gods as terrifying
or all-powerful their Gods were a family
whose members experienced joy and
sorrow just as human beings did
o Myths showed the Gods as living very
much the way wealthy Greeks lived and
often taking part in everyday lives of the
Greek people
 o Colonies spread Hellenic culture because
Greeks began to establish colonies
(settlements in other lands)
o They built up colonies in Asia Minor and
North Africa, islands of Aegean Sea, Sicily,
coast of Black Sea and Southern Europe
and the settlers carried Greek traditions
and ways of living spreading Hellenic
culture

Greeks city-states develop

Sparta
o They settled in the Southern part of Greece
peninsula called Peloponnesus
o They conquered nearby regions and forced
many of the people to work
o They established a strong army
government to maintain order
o They aim to produce strong-bodied,
fearless people both men and women
o Every stage of Spartans life was planned
 o Family were regarded as less important
than the polis
o Some people criticized Spartan system
because according to them an excellent
man did not ignore art, music, poetry and
literature

Athens
o Became the commercial and cultural
center of Greece
o Teachers of all Greece
o They are proud of their political freedom,
their artists, playwrights, poets, and
thinkers
o mans life was empty if he failed to use his
mind and develop all his talents
o They are the first people in history to
establish a government in which free
citizens ruled themselves that lead to the
creation of DEMOCRACY
 Persian War
o A threat from Persia unites the Greeks
o The Greeks considered themselves
superior to all non-Greeks whom they
called Barbarians
o The Greeks city states were never
been united but they were intensely
loyal to their own polis
o The threats from the Persians united
the Greeks city-states

The Greeks from

Persians Asia Minor
conquered
The Persians rebelled and
Asia Minor
landed in the Athens sent
Marathon about ships for help,
25 miles of but they were
Athens, in the defeated
To punish the
battle the
Athens, Darius
Persians were
the Great
defeated
invaded
 The Persians At
invaded Thermopylae
Greece again Greece and
with their Persians
leader Xerxes clashed

The Greeks
Victory brings defeated the
Golden Age at Persians in a
Athens battle at the
sea

Pelopponesian War
o After the defeat of Persians the Greek city-
states reached the height of their
civilization but it did not last because city-
states began to quarrel among themselves
o To protect the city-states to other city-
states Athens created an allies that
 comprises other city-states and Athens had
turned into Athenian Empire
o To resist the might of Athens, Sparta found
allies among the other city-states in
Peloponnesus
o War broke out between Sparta and Athens
and it called Peloponnesian War
o Sparta won the war in land and sea and
forced Athens to make peace
o The 27-year Peloponnesian War was a
great tragedy to all city states of Greece
causing widespread destruction and loss of
life
o Fighting broke out between those who
wanted democratic government and those
who wanted aristocrats to rule
o A new kingdom rises in Macedonia
(northern part of Greek peninsula) ruled by
King Philip
o King Philips forces crushed Greeks alliance
and they lost their independence

Alexander The Great

o King Philip was assassinated and his 23-
year-old son Alexander became the ruler
o Alexander known as Alexander the Great
because of his military skills, leadership
ability and intelligence
o He crossed Hellespont, Phoenicia, Egypt,
Mesopotamia, Persia, and India
o Alexander dies in Babylon because of fever
o Alexander dies in Babylon because of fever
o None of Alexanders generals were able to
control the vast empire and it broke into
three separate kingdoms
o Alexander dies in Babylon because of fever
o None of Alexanders generals were able to
control the vast empire and it broke into
three separate kingdoms
o His conquest has lasting effect because he
spread the Greek culture throughout the
entire Mediterranean world
Greek Contributions
1.The Greeks value excellence
2.Greek poets and poetry develop into
drama
3.Greeks playwrights and dramatists
4.Develop a new approach to history
5.Greeks outstanding artists and
architects
6.Influence modern scientific studies
7.Socrates- reasoning, thinking and
reasoning
 8.Plato- questions about government and
democracy
9.Aristotle- studies all field of knowledge

Greek Philosophers
Philosophers
o Old Belief Events were caused by Gods
o New Belief Rational thinking and laws
controlled the universe
o The beginning of modern science
Mathematics
Logic
Socrates
o A philosopher and a stonemason
o Invented the Socratic Method
 Asking people questions about what
they believed to be true
Helped people seek the truth and
examine their values and beliefs
o Put on trial by the authorities in Athens for
corrupting the younger generations and
disrespecting the gods
o Convicted by a jury and sentenced to death
o Forced to drink poison

Plato
o Socrates student
o Founded the Academy
o Wrote The Republic
Three classes should be present in
society
Workers
Soldiers
Philosophers
Aristotle
o Platos most famous student in The
Academy
o Also suspicious of democracy
o Founded another school, The Lyceum
The basis of European universities