7. Ancient Greece

Question 1

What was a greek city state called?

Answer 1

Polis

Question 2

Define acropolis

Answer 2

Fortified meeting area at the center of a Polis (usually on a hill) that was a place of refuge during an attack and sometimes a religious center where temples and public buildings were built

Question 3

Define agora

Answer 3

Open market area below an acropolis where ppl could assemble (or shop)

Question 4

Population of city states

Answer 4

A few hundred to 300,000

Question 5

Polis identities (what things did ppl have or share relating to identity?)

Answer 5

Common identity and goals in a polis - adult males had political rights, women and children had no political rights, and agricultural laborers, slaves, and resident aliens were noncitizens.

Question 6

T or F Being a citizen in a Polis meant having responsibilities, incl. being loyal to your polis

Answer 6

True

Question 7

T or F: Polises worked well together

Answer 7

False, they didn’t trust each other

Question 8

How did the greek military system change by around 700BC?

Answer 8

Nobles on horseback –> hoplites (heavily armed infantry soldiers) with a round sheild, sword, spear, and walking in a phalanx (rectangle) pattern to make a wall

Question 9

Why did ppl move a lot and expand into new places and make new polises between 750 and 550 bc?

Answer 9

Overpopulation at home, need for good farmland, and growth of trade

Question 10

Where did Greece expand to?

Answer 10

Italy, France, Spain, Africa (west of Egypt) (not south though), Thrace (north)

Question 11

Things Greeks traded

Answer 11

pottery, wine, olive oil for grains, metals (west), fish, timber, wheat, more metals, and slaves (black sea)

Question 12

T or F: The creation of a wealthy class with little political power had absolutely no negative implications.

Answer 12

Gee willackers, that’s a real head scratcher!
It led to tyrants that seized power by force from the aristocrats (not necessarily wicked but some were)

Question 13

T or F: Men who traded got very wealthy and were able to get political power from it

Answer 13

False, grabby aristocrats amirite?

Question 14

T or F: Peasants hated tyrants

Answer 14

False, the aristocrats were worse to them than the tyrants

Question 15

How did the tyrants gain power? What did they do with it?

Answer 15

Hired soldiers - tried to help out poor and launched public works projects (temples, walls, markets, etc)

Question 16

T or F: Tyrants eventually fell out of favor and tyranny stopped

Answer 16

True (even though they weren’t that bad)

Question 17

What was the impact of the end of tyranny?

Answer 17

It stopped aristocrats from leading and allowed new ppl to be in government - democracy (many) or oligarchy (few) ruled

Question 18

How did Spartans get land?

Answer 18

Conquered laconians and then messenians and made them serfs for the Spartans (gotta save the environment and reduce reuse recycle ig) - they werek called helots, or captured ppl. They made a military state to keep control over them.

Question 19

Spartan lifestyle

Answer 19

Big discipline, big self control, big organize

Question 20

Spartan male life

Answer 20

Spent childhood learning discipline
Enrolled for regular military service at age 20
Lived in barracks until 30 while eating blood soup abomination
Vote at age 30
Lived at home but stayed in the army until 60

Question 21

Spartan female life

Answer 21

More freedom of movement and more power in the household than elsewhere in greece
Stayed fit to raise and bear kids
Upheld spartan values - expected bravery from sons and husbands in war (shield analogy)

Question 22

Spartan government

Answer 22

Oligarchy headed by 2 kings that led the spartan army on campaigns
5 Ephors elected each year to educate youth and conduct citizens
Council of elders (2 kings + 28 60+ ppl) decided on issues presented to assembly
Assembly then voted on those issues

Question 23

How did spartans feel about the outside world? Or anything that wasn’t war?

Answer 23

EWWW OTHER IDEAS
Ppl weren’t supposed to leave unless it was a military reason and were discouraged from studying art, philosophy, and literature (unless it was related to war)

Question 24

Who ruled Athens? (700 BC ish)

Answer 24

King –> oligarchy ruled by aristocrats by 7th century bc - assembly with citizens existed with little power

Question 25

What did Draco do in response to economic problems and political turmoil? How did the people respond?

Answer 25

He codified the laws and added harsh penalties incl. slavery. Ppl didn’t like that (what a shocker) and aristocrats dealt with it by giving power to Solon. He canceled the debts and the slavery but didn’t give land to the peasants so tyranny started happening

Question 26

Who were Peisistratus and Cleisthenes and what did they do?

Answer 26

They were tyrants who seized power
- P pleased merchants, gave peasants land
- C made a council of 500 to supervise foreign affairs, oversee treasury, propose laws - they got final authority to pass laws after free and open debate. Citizens got a central role in politics and created foundations for Athenian democracy