Nicholas Galluzzi Period 2

Ancient Greece
Read and understand:
1. Geography played a key role in the development of Greece. Greece has a long coastline, which promoted travel and trade. Because about three quarters of Greece is rugged mountains, see travel and trade were very important. The Greeks developed independent, self-sufficient communities because of the rugged terrain. Due to its Mediterranean climate, the people of Greece enjoyed outdoor activities, such as spending their time in the marketplace, otherwise known as the Agora, or going to the gymnasium to discuss current events and politics. The climate also encouraged outdoor religious and civic celebrations and theatrical productions in outdoor amphitheaters. 2. There were many factors that led to the development of democracy in Athens. Socrates, an Athenian philosopher, led citizens to examine their beliefs about democracy, patriotism and religion. His student Plato developed his own ideas about government and philosophy. His most famous work, The Republic, describes what he considered to be an ideal society ruled by a philosopher king. Another important factor in the development of democracy in Athens had to do with a man by the name of Pericles. Pericles had a gift for public speaking and broadened democracy by instituting payment to public officials, so that even the poorest citizens could afford to serve in government. Solon, a philosopher, poet, and merchant, took charge of the government in Athens. He created a democracy, a government in which all citizens took a direct part. Solon allowed every male citizen to attend the assembly, in which the government debated and decided by vote. He also established a new legal system. 3. Characteristics of the Athenian Golden age are marked by great political and artistic achievement. Athenss Golden age is sometimes called the age of Pericles because Pericles broadened democracy, strengthening the Athenian navy, and used money from the Delian league to beautify Athens. Artisans also built the Parthenon which was a temple built to honor Athena. Major playwrights of the age of Pericles were Aeschylus and Sophocles. Both men wrote tragedies (A tragedy portrays men and women of strong character and strength led them to their own downfall). 4. Alexander the great spread Greek culture by marching 20,000 miles, conquering everything in his path. He conquered Asia Minor, the east coast of the Mediterranean, Egypt, the Persian Empire, and the lands of the Indus River Valley. He established colonies and institutions to spread Greek culture. Even though his generals divided his empire after his death, Greek officials continued to develop and spread Greek culture, known as Hellenism, throughout the lands Alexander had conquered.

Define:
1. Epic: A long, heroic poem.

2. Arte: a Greek trait which means to strive for excellence, to show courage, and to win honor. 3. Polis: An ancient Greek city-state. 4. Aristocracy: Small groups of noble families who ruled a city-state. 5. Phalanx: A group of heavily armed infantry formed in ranks and files close and deep, with shields joined a long spears overlapping. 6. Tyrant: An absolute ruler who gains power in an oppressive way. 7. Democracy: A form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under free electoral system. 8. Tragedy: A tragedy portrays men and women of strong character, whose strength led to their own downfall. 9. Hellenism: The adoption of ancient Greek language, thought, customs and art.

Identify:
1. Minoans: The earliest civilization to appear in Greece, on the island of Crete. 2. Mycenaeans: Greek speaking peoples, which began to move into mainland Greece around 2000 BC. 3. Homer: a Greek poet whos told stories of the Trojan War with epics. He wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey. He was the first to celebrate the ideal of arte. 4. Sparta: Greek society that placed the strength of the army before all other values. They felt that they needed a strong army because their Greek city state depended on the labor of helots, which were workers who were virtual slaves. They outnumbered the Spartans by 8 to 1. Unhealthy babies were abandoned in the hills and left to die. At the age of seven, boys were sent to live in the barracks, where they trained for a life of discipline and hardship. 5. Athens: A powerful Greek city-state. Athens was the first to create a democratic government. They avoided civil war by reforming the government. Like that of Sparta, their greatest threat was the Persian Empire. Under the rule of Pericles, Athens was sent into a Golden Age in which politics and art flourished. 6. Code of Lycurgus: These laws placed the strength of the Army before all other values in Spartan society. 7. Solon: A philosopher, poet, and merchant, he took charge of the government in Athens. He created the first democracy. 8. Delian league: The Greek city states formed an alliance called the Delian league. The purpose of the league was to provide a defense against further Persian attacks. 9. Pericles: Had a gift for public speaking that appealed to every segment of the Athenian citizenry. The period of his leadership became known as the Age of Pericles. The age of Pericles was to be a period of great political and artistic achievement -A Golden Age- for Athens. 10. Aeschylus: A major playwright of the Age of Pericles, who wrote a type of drama known as tragedy. 11. Sophocles: Another major playwright of the Age of Pericles in which wrote tragedies. 12. Peloponnesian War: A war between Athens and Sparta. It is called the Peloponnesian war because Sparta was located on the Peloponnesian peninsula.

13. Aristophanes: The first to write a play type called comedy. Aristophanes made the Athenians laugh at their leaders, their institutions, and themselves, even as their empire crumbled. 14. Socrates: Forced Athenians to examine their beliefs about democracy, patriotism, and religion. Was sentenced to death for corrupting the youth of Athens. 15. Plato: Socratess student. He develops his own ideas about government and philosophy. His most famous work, The Republic, describes what he considered an ideal society, rule by a Philosopher-King. 16. Aristotle: Plato's most famous student, who studied with him for 20 years. Aristotles system of logic marked the beginning of the development of scientific thought. 17. Alexander the Great: At the age of 20 he became the King of Macedon. He was a seasoned military commander, and marched for eight years and covered 20,000 miles, conquering everything in his path. 18. Euclid: Organized the findings of Greek Geometry, and also discovered the laws controlling the motions of levers, inclined planes, pulleys, screws, wedges, and wheels. 19. Archimedes: Greek mathematician, physicist, and inventor; discovered the principles of specific gravity and of the lever.

Chapter review:
2a. The source of conflict within Greek-city states around 750 BC was due to the conflict between noble families and the Kings of the Bronze Age. 2b. The Spartans adopted a harsh set of laws known as the Code of Lycurgus, whereas the Athenians reformed their government into a democracy. 3b. The fall of the Athenian Empire did not mean the end of Athenian art and culture.