2. 1. Geography
Ancient Greece
developed in the
south of the
Balkan Peninsula,
across the islands
in the Aegean and
Ionian seas and
along the coast of
Asia Minor.
6. 2.1. Pre-hellenic civilisations
a) Minoan civilisation (2600-
1400 BC)
Minoan civilisation developed
on the island of Crete around
city-palaces like Knossos. Its
name comes from a legendary
king, Minos. Their prosperity
came from sea trade and naval
supremacy (thalassocracy).
Crete was invaded by the
Mycenaean civilisation.
13. b) Mycenaean civilisation
(1600-1100 BC)
They lived in continental
Greece. It was a warlike
society and lived in fortified
cities like Mycenae. The
Trojan War took place in this
period.
16. c) Dark Age (1100 –
776 BC)
Greece was invaded
by the Dorians. We
know little about this
period.
17. 2.2. Archaic Age
This period began with
the foundation of the
Olympic Games (776 BC).
The Greeks were
organised in poleis
(independent city-states
with an urban centre
surrounded by
farmlands, forests and
pastures. Each polis had
its own government,
laws, army and
currency). Athens and
Sparta became the most
important poleis.
18.
19. Population grew and the Greek poleis (metropolis) founded
colonies on the coast of the Mediterranean and Black seas.
The polis were ruled by monarchs, oligarchs or tyrants.
23. 2.3. Classical Age
It was the golden age of Greek civilisation. Athens
and Sparta were the most important poleis. The
army of hoplites developed during this period.
24. a) The Persian Wars
At the beginning of the 6th century the Persians, led by
Darius I, tried to conquer Greece.
25. Most of the poleis united against them
and defeated the Persians in the battle
of Marathon (490 BC).
26.
27.
28. The Persian king Xerxes I tried another invasion and defeated
the Greeks (Leonidas with 300 Spartans) in Thermopylae. But
the Athenian navy won the battle of Salamis.
34. As a result Athens became the
most powerful polis under the
government of Pericles.
35. b) The Peloponnesian War
The main polis formed two
different groups: the
Delian League led by
Athens and the
Peloponnesian League led
by Sparta.
Rivalries led to a war
between them and Sparta
defeated Athens. The war
left the poleis greatly
weakened.
36. 2.4. Hellenistic Age
Philip II of Macedonia took
profit of the crisis of the poleis
and conquered all Greece in the
4th century BC. He created a new
army of hoplites, called phalanx.
38. His son, Alexander the Great, continued the
territorial expansion. In just ten years the
conquered the Persian Empire and formed a huge
empire that extended from Greece to India.
41. When Alexander died in 323 BC, his generals divided up the
empire into different Hellenistic kingdoms ruled by
absolute monarchs.
42. New cities were founded (Alexandria, Pergamon)
and they expanded the Greek culture (language,
religion, art) throughout Asia and Egypt.
43. 3. Society
Citizens: they could take
part in political life. There
were free males and sons
of both two parents from
that polis.
Non-citizens: they could
not participate in political
life. There were
foreigners (metics), slaves
and women.
44.
45. 4. Political
organisation
Athens adopted democracy,
which means government is
carried out by the people.
Power was held by the
Assembly (Ekklesia), made up
of free men aged over 18 with
both Athenian parents. The
Assembly discussed and voted
laws proposed by citizens.
The Council of the 500
(Boule) prepared the laws
voted by the Ekklesia. The
Assembly chose also the
magistrates and jugdes.
46. POLITICAL SYSTEM OF ATHENS
CITIZENS
(male over 18 years old,
from Athenian parents.
around 40.000)
EKKLESIA
(Citizens’ assembly. Vote laws, decide
about peace and war. Decide about
ostracism)
POPULAR
TRIBUNALS
(HELIE)
MAGISTRATES
(execute Assembly’s
decisions)
BOULÉ (COUNCIL OF THE 500)
(prepare the laws)
10 STRATEGISTS
(head of the army, apply the law)
9 ARCHONS
(civil affairs. Preside the tribunals and religious acts)
48. Sparta adopted oligarchy, where
power is exercised by a small group
of people (aristoi = the best). Sparta
was ruled by two kings, along with a
Council of elders (Gerusia) who
made the laws and presented them
to the Assembly (Apella).
49. TWO KINGS
They form part of the
Gerousia
Military and religious power
GEROUSIA
Elderly council
(28 older than 60 + two kings)
Propose laws to the Apella
FIVE EPHORS
Control the kings
One year
Preside the Gerousia
APELLA
Popular assembly of citizens (men
over 30 years old). Voting by
acclamation. Veto of the Gerousia
Elect the Ephors and the Gerousia
ARMY
Lead by the kings
Formed by hoplites (always) and
perioeci (“foreing”, in time of
war)
POLITICAL SYSTEM OF SPARTA
50. 5. Economy
The main activity was agriculture:
Mediterranean triad (vines, olives
and wheat). Livestock farming was
also common in the mountain regions
(goats, sheep, pigs). Trade was an
important activity and they used
coins (drachma). There were
craftsmen in the poleis (pottery,
textiles, jewels, weapons).
51. Greek cities had two
major parts: the lower
part or agora, the main
public space where a
market was held; and
the upper part or
acropolis with religious
functions.
6. Cities
54. Literature: Theatre was a discipline
loved by Greeks, the plays were
tragedies (Aeschylus) or comedies
(Aristophanes). Homer composed
two epic poems: Iliad and Odyssey.
55. Mathematics (Pythagoras) and
Physics (Archimedes) were
developed. Medicine was studied by
Hippocrates, Geography by
Eratosthenes and History by
Herodotus and Thucydides.
Eratóstenes de Cirene
276 a. C. - 194 a. C.
Ptolomeo
c. 100 – c. 170
56. 8. Religion
Greek religion was polytheistic.
Gods lived in Mount Olympus,
they were immortal and had
extraordinary powers.
60. The Greeks did celebrations for the goods like
the Olympic Games, held every four years at
Olympia to honour Zeus since 776 BC.
61. 9. Art
Architecture
They built their building at
human scale following
proportion and harmony.
They used stone (marble)
and a lintel roofing. They
invented the classical orders:
Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
The main buildings were:
temples (like the Parthenon
of Athens) and theatre
(Epidaurus).
67. They represented ideal beauty of
the human body. The main artworks
are Discobolus (Myron), reliefs of
the Parthenon (Phidias), Doryphorus
(Polykeitos) and Hermes with
Dionysus (Praxiteles).
