7. Ancient Greece Flashcards
REMEMBER TO ADD 4.1 BC WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET
What was a greek city state called?
Polis
Define acropolis
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
Define agora
Open market area below an acropolis where ppl could assemble (or shop)
Population of city states
A few hundred to 300,000
Polis identities (what things did ppl have or share relating to identity?)
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.
T or F Being a citizen in a Polis meant having responsibilities, incl. being loyal to your polis
True
T or F: Polises worked well together
False, they didn’t trust each other
How did the greek military system change by around 700BC?
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
Why did ppl move a lot and expand into new places and make new polises between 750 and 550 bc?
Overpopulation at home, need for good farmland, and growth of trade
Where did Greece expand to?
Italy, France, Spain, Africa (west of Egypt) (not south though), Thrace (north)
Things Greeks traded
pottery, wine, olive oil for grains, metals (west), fish, timber, wheat, more metals, and slaves (black sea)
T or F: The creation of a wealthy class with little political power had absolutely no negative implications.
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)
T or F: Men who traded got very wealthy and were able to get political power from it
False, grabby aristocrats amirite?
T or F: Peasants hated tyrants
False, the aristocrats were worse to them than the tyrants
How did the tyrants gain power? What did they do with it?
Hired soldiers - tried to help out poor and launched public works projects (temples, walls, markets, etc)
T or F: Tyrants eventually fell out of favor and tyranny stopped
True (even though they weren’t that bad)
What was the impact of the end of tyranny?
It stopped aristocrats from leading and allowed new ppl to be in government - democracy (many) or oligarchy (few) ruled
How did Spartans get land?
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.
Spartan lifestyle
Big discipline, big self control, big organize
Spartan male life
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
Spartan female life
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)
Spartan government
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
How did spartans feel about the outside world? Or anything that wasn’t war?
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)
Who ruled Athens? (700 BC ish)
King –> oligarchy ruled by aristocrats by 7th century bc - assembly with citizens existed with little power
What did Draco do in response to economic problems and political turmoil? How did the people respond?
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
Who were Peisistratus and Cleisthenes and what did they do?
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