Aim : How did geography contribute to the civilization and culture of Ancient Greece?

I. Physical Features and Impacts

A. Then Lands: Sits on the southern part of Balkan Peninsula, Indonesian
islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas; extends to lands of Asia minor/Anatolia.
· Long irregular coastlines, many harbors
· Very rugged terrain: 75% of land is mountains.
*** Mount Olympus is referred to as “Home of the Gods”
· Narrow valley, but non-navigable rivers: difficult to travel and communicate
· Political Development?
 Led to a lack of centralized power
 Isolation and division: rise of city-states
*** Independently governed city-states (polis) and their immediate surrounding areas.
(Ex: Sparta Athens, Troy, Thebes ect.) led to constant rivalries and battles between the
city-states
· Lack of Natural resources: timber and precious metals and good farm land
(20% of land was farmable)
 Promoted and encouraged trade and establishment of colonies
B. The Seas: heavily reliant upon the surrounding bodies of water: Aegean Sea,
Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black seas
· Impacts
 Skilled sailors: seafaring and maritime culture
 Promoted contact with other cultures
 Helped them to build colonies
C. The Climate: “Mediterranean climate”: temperate/moderate
· Farming- stable crops (olives, grapes, grains and seafood)
*** impact on culture: many outside events
 Acropolis- center and highest point in the city
 Agora- outdoor market place

 Aim: How did the city-states of Athens and Sparta differ?

I. Intellect or Might?
 
 
Aim: Was Athens a true model of democracy?
I. Historical background: Rise of Athens
 A. Rise of Athens in Persian Wars
· Battle of Marathon
 Darius:sent soldiers to marathon from Athens
 Pheidippides: ran 26mi. to give message of Athenian victory
· Battle of Thermopylae: “300” was based on this event
 Aid of Sparta, Persian used the mountain path to avoid the soldiers
· Battle of Salamis
 Naval battle won by Athenians and led by Themisocles
· Athens: catapulted to leadership over Greece
II. Age of Pericles: height of democracy in Athens
A. Pericles- ruled over Athens for thirty two years
B. Athens experienced a “golden age”
C. Practiced a direct democracy
     “In Praise of Athens” : funeral oration
· Chief characteristics of a democracy:
 Laws are created by many
 No discrimination against the poor; all classes of citizens should be able to
participate
 Paid salary to public officials: encourage many people to participate in
government
 Tolerance of all citizens
 Those who did the same with be rewarded
 No secrecy in public affairs
· Expectations of Athenian Citizens]
· Is Pericles a hypocrite?
 Limited direct democracy (about 15% were actual citizens)
III. Peloponnesian Wars
A. Following Persian Wars:Athens status rises
· Led the Delian League: alliance of 140 city-states
 An agreement among parties to cooperate and defend one another in time
of conflict
 Tensions began to rise
- Athens had control of the Delians treasury: relocated to Athens- money
was used to build up Athens and naval fleet® break down among city-states
 Peloponnesian wars: Greek civil wars
- Athens and allies and Sparta and allies vs. Melos
  Melos is a colony of Sparta
 See “Melian dialogue”
o Melos wanted neutrality
o Athens wanted to expand their empire
 
Aim: Can an empire be both democratic and imperialistic at the same time?
I. Absolute Truth vs. Relative Truth® how does one find the truth?
· Evidence
· If you are told
· Logic/reasoning
· Personal experiences

Aim: How did early Greek philosophers shape manʼs quest for truth
I. Background: end of Pelopponesian wars -> Athens in decline
- people upset, anger, hopeless: time of uncertainty: people begin to question and
challenge accepted ideas
II. Rise of “philosophy”
- school of thought/ a system or set of beliefs
**** philos is route word for love***
# -Greek: “philosopher” - love of wisdom/knowledge
# -philosophers: seeking truth and answers about the universe and life and manʼs
role in it.
***Big Departure from thinking of other societies: world view which is based on
rationalism
# -Greeks viewed not from a spiritual standpoint anymore (rationale: reasonable/
logical)
# -make two different assumptions
1. the universe works according to and is governed by unchanging laws
(universe is organized and orderly)
2. people can understand these laws using observation
**** beginning of scientific reasoning***
III.          The Sophists
A. Not concerned with moral truth (ie- goodness, beauty, justice, ect.)
 B. More interested in self-advancement and success
C. placed great importance on the art of rhetbric <- act of persuasive speaking
D. questioned accepted ideas
IV. Socrates
A. outspoken critic of sophists
B. stone mason/ former athenian soldier and philosopher
C. Never wrote ideas down; recorded by his students (ie-Plato)
D. Used something called Socratic method
- series of questions and answers that would get people to use their
reason to find real
*** came to be known as socratic method- to arrive at the truth/ find knowledge****
- people used reason to find real knowledge: stressed argument and discussion
-Famous Quotes:
“The unexamined life is not worth living”
• public trial for socrates-> led to death
• had trial for socrates for corrupting youth: must drink hemlock
• Trial and death of socrates-> reveal about Athenian democracy
- hypocrisy; does to practice what they preach
- socrates seems threatening because the Athenians are afraid of change; they
want to keep their reputation
- others are rejecting democracy

Aim:
I. Plato
- abandons his political career and becomes a full time philosopher
- created a school called the academy where people would try to pursue
knowledge.
A. Views on Reality- Theory of Ideal Forms- there is a higher plane of reality than what
humans can perceive by sheer observation through their senses
1. Tables- “Tableness”
# Triangles- “Triangleness”
2. Forms undefined by characteristics that are unique to the object/idea and on
eternal/ unchanging
- can only be understood intellectually
*** explained in the Allegory of the Cave***
- groups of prisoners
# through training-> can gain understanding and find truth through wisdom
B. Views on government
1. philosopher kings-> use their wisdom to lead others: they should be the rulers (the
republic)
2. warriors- strength and courage-> protects the society
3. Masses- artisans, farmers, merchants-> based on their desires and would be the
producers for society (goods and services)

II. Aristotles
A. Views on reality-> rejected the ideas of Plato-> reality is based on what one could
perceive through their senses
investigation and study; one could understand reality (more concrete)
- organized and classified into to draw conclusions
- basis for the scientific method

III. Views on government

- wrote book called Politics
- based forms of govʼt were
- monarchy
- aristocracy
- constitutionalism
- power is limited by laws
- power of the state vs. power of the people

How were classical values expressed in Greek dramas?

I. Tragedy - centered around tragic heros who have a tragic flaw(s)
•# led to downfall
- to teach morals, and evoke pity and fear
- 3 main playwrights
# 1. Sophcles, Euripides and Aeschylus
# # “Oedipus Rex” - hubris = excessive pride ->believed he could escape his
fate

II. Comedy
# social/political satire - poking fun to challenge accepted ideas/indiv.
ie) Aristophanes
AA
-value of learning
-value of speech