The Greek Experience
Chapter 5
The Persian Tradition
As Greek civilization developed, almost
simultaneously another great center was
flourishing in the Middle East.
 Many traditions were inherited by earlier
Mesopotamian society.
 Cyrus the Great established a massive
Persian Empire across the northern Middle
East and into northwestern India.
 Ultimately toppled by Alexander the Great

Patterns of Greek and Roman History
Greece
 Greece rose rapidly from 800-600 B.C.E.,
largely due to the creation of city-states.
 City-states had their own government;
usually tyrannical ruler or aristocratic
council.
 Sparta and Athens came to be the two
leading city-states.
Hellas: The Land
Extension of the Balkan Mt. system
 Rivers are never more than creeks
 Geography was divisive

Homer, Hesiod, and the Heroic Past
(1100-800 B.C.E.)
Mycenaean culture
 Illiad and the Odyssey- described(s) as
time when gods still walked the earth




Odyssey- an adventure story
Illiad- Achilles
Theogony (Hesiod) origin and descent of
the gods- influenced by Mesopotamian
myths
The Polis

City-state


Sparta, Athens, and
Thebes are the biggies
Elevated point of townacropolis, agora
(marketplace),
 Acropolis-temples,
altars, public
monuments, and
dedications to the
gods
 Agora- porticos,
public shops, and
courts






Hoplites-Greek
footsoldier
Monarchy-rule of one
man
Aristocracy-power in
the hands of the best
Oligarchy-rule of a few
Tyranny- rule by a
tyrant
Democracy-rule of the
people
“barbarians”
 Daily life by our standards was difficult


Food consisted of wheat, barley, breads, honey
Spartans ate the “black broth”
 Slavery not as important as in other
societies of the same period

Greek Philosophy





Hippocrates-medicine
Sophists-logic
Socrates- tried and
executed for
“corrupting the youth
of Athens”
Plato-The Republic
(ideal polis) where
men and women are
equal
Aristotle-logic


Pericles-(5th century
B.C.E.) one of the
most famous Greek
political figures.
Aristocrat who ruled
through wise actions.
Could not avoid the
Peloponesian War.
The result was Philip
II of Macedonia in 338
B.C.E. won a crucial
battle establishing a
powerful Macedonian
Empire. His son
Alexander would later
extend the empire to
India



Between 500-449
B.C.E. the two states
cooperated, along
with smaller states to
defeat a large Persian
invasion.
Athens reached a
highpoint shortly
after.
Pelponnesian Wars
(431-404 B.C.E.)
Alexander the Great
His empire was short lived as he died at
the age of 33.
 Succeeded his father at age 20.
 Alexander procalimed to all that the
invasion of Persian territory was to be a
great crusade.




Continued towards India, where he saw hard
fighting.
Hyphasis River- troops refused to go farther.
324 B.C.E Alexander to Susa and then Babylon
where he died a year later.
Hellenism



Greek art and culture
merged with other
Middle Eastern forms
during a period called
“Hellenistic.”
Hellenes-as the
Greeks were known.
In sum, the Hellenistic
period saw the
consolidation of Greek
civilization, even after
the decline of the
peninsula itself.