Download Ancient Greece Notes

Greece’s Geography • Located in Southeast Europe • Greece is a peninsula or a body of land surrounded by water on three sides. • Greece had very little farmable land, narrow rivers, and rough mountains. • It is a small land about the size of Pennsylvania.

Greece’s Economy • Greece’s had very little • Very few natural farming or agriculture resources, lots of marble • Some manufactured goods were made • Had to trade for most resources • Greek pottery was some of the best in the world • One of the biggest trading nations of the time

Greece Society • Greek cities were separated by mountains, therefore there was a lack of one large capital city • City-states arose, were known as polis, individual governments • Greek citizens were considered equal. (Had to be land owning, not slaves)

• Each city state had its own governments • Some of the city-states’ government had a democracy, or government ruled by its people. • These included Athens, Corinth, Syracuse, etc.

Greek Philosophy • Greece had many philosophers, or intellectual thinkers about nature, logic, knowledge, etc. • Socrates: Had a question and answer approach to teaching (Socratic Method) • Plato: Student of Socrates, had new ideas about government • Aristotle: Student of Plato, questioned nature of world and humans. Set up Scientific Method

Literature and Art • New type of writing; Epics • Famous author Homer – Wrote the Iliad and Odyssey

• Art: Sculptures – Made out of marble – Architecture – Heavily influenced future art

Architecture & Theater • Architecture: Parthenon and other temples (pillars were a main feature) • Theater: Entertainment for Greeks. Popular plays were comedies and tragedies. Plays were held in outside stadiums or theatres

Persian Wars (490 BC – 479 BC) • Wars fought between Greek city states and Persians • King Darius wanted to conquer Greece, brought large army, was defeated by Greeks.

• Darius’s son Xerses 10 years later vowed to destroy Athens and the rest of Greece • Brings army of millions to Greece. Succeeds in destroying Athens however is defeated by combined Greek army

Peloponnesian War (431 BC – 404 BC) • War between Sparta and Athens (other smaller city states also involved) • Sparta and other city states had become jealous of Athen’s wealth and power. • Sparta had the stronger military, was eventually able to defeat Athens

Alexander the Great • Greek General, son of Philip II. • Was crowned at the age of 20, was a student of Aristotle. • Defeated Persian army in Anatolia (modern day Turkey) • Later captured Egypt from the Persians • Would travel East, to try to expand his empire even further. Made it all the way to India before falling ill and dying at age 32

Hellenism • After Alexander, Greek culture changed. • Greek culture became blended with Egyptian, Persian, and Indian cultures, a new culture called Hellenism was born. • Alexandria in Egypt was the center of Hellenistic Culture. • Brought about changes in Math and other subjects

Mathematics • Hellenistic Greeks brought new advances to mathematics • First time geometry and calculus are seen. • Pythagoras: Came up with Pythagorean Theory. • Archimedes: Studed pi – dealt with circumference of circles in relation with diameter