Ancient Greece Flashcards
Origins of Western civilization
Minoans – Island of Crete
What factors contributed to the rise of Minoan society?
large navy and merchant fleet
prolonged peace
cultural contact with Egypt & the Near East
-Mesopotamia
Causes of Mycenae’s war with Troy
2 major rivals
Helen
Blocked (Mycenaen) tade routes
Clash of cultures
How did Mycenaen society come to an end
Through a series of invasions by the Dorians
Whn were the Greek Dark Ages?
1100 - 800 BCE
What was life like during the Greek Dar Ages?
constant warfare art and culture decreased people went back to nomadic hunt/gather deep-rooted hatreds develop no centralization
What was the impact of Greek colonizatino (800 - 500 BCE)?
Greek colonies took on the image of Greek city-states; colonies expanded trade and resources; diffusion of Greek culture; war with Persia; development of humanism
What is Humanism?
the belief that people are good and have unlimited potential when given the opportunity; self reliant; capable of great achievement
List the political reforms of Solon
- cancelled all debt (public/private)
- made everyone equal under the law
- trial by jury (used lottery system)
- Amnesty for political crimes
- Graduated tax system
Lies the political reforms of Cleisthenes
- made all Athenian men voting members of the Assembly
- transforms Athens from a dictarorship to direct democracy
- Establishes ostracism (loss of citizenship & property and exiled for 10 years)
What was the role of the individual in Sparta?
serve the state
What was the impact of cultural contact with the MInoans on acient Greece?
the torch of knowledge got passed from the Minoans to the Mycenaens
Know the weaknesses of the Athenian deocratic process
slow; inefficient; decentralized; selected leader with the lottery system
List Peisistratus’ reforms
- divided state owned land amon the poor
- Divided land owned by banished aristocrats to the poor workfare (build temples, roads etc.)
- offered gov’t support to colonists
- expanded foreign markets
- BUTTER over GUNS
What was the Spartan Solution?
all guns, no butter
What were the causes of the Peloponnesian War?
Athens spread democracy; Sparta spreads totalitarian (autocracy)
2 major powers in the region
Athens trade in Peloponnesus
Competition for neutral city-states
Know the Spartan political structure
2 Kings (Dual Monarchy)
Spartan Citizens
Periocci (freed men)
Helots (Serfs)
What was the role of women in Athens?
- couldn’t vote or leave house
- no formal education
- couldn’t inherit property
- always the poperty of someone (father, husband)
- only profession = prostiution
Role of Individualism in Athens
to promote/ glorify the individual
What is an open society? (matching)
one in which citizens, goods, and ideas can move/travel freel
What is a closed society? (matching)
refused all cultural contact (opposite of open society)
What is ostracism? (matching)
a way of removing a corrupt political official
What is an oligarchy? (matching)
rule by a few
What is a pure democracy? (matching)
aka direct democracy
all political citizens vote directly on issues
What is a republic? (matching)
a type of democracy with representatives not elected by citizens
What is ecomonic worth? (matching)
the idea that economic contribution leads to political citizenship
What is a cultural diffuser? (matching)
spreads culture
What is a democratic-republic? (matching)
citizens elect representatives
What is a cultural linker? (mathcing)
preserves culture for future generations
Battle of Marathon (matching)
Greeks defeat King Darius I (490 BCE) – Spartans weren’t there
Battle of Thermopylae (matching)
300 Spartans make a herioc stand against the Persians
Battle of Salamis (matching)
Themistocles saves Western Civilization
Battle of the Granicus River (matching)
Alexander the Great is almost killed
Battle of the Granicus River (matching)
Alexander defeats the Persian Empire
Who was Themistocles? (matching)
hero at Salamis
Who was Xerxes? (matching)
Defeated at Salamis (Persian King)
Who was Leonidas? (matching)
lead the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae
Who was Darius I? (matching)
Defeated at Marathon
Who was Cyrus the Great? (matching)
1st king of Persia and ended Babylonian Captivity (Jews could go home)
Who was Solon? Drastic measure? (matching)
Athenian Dictator – cancelled all public and private devt
Who was Draco? What did he do? (matching)
known for harsh punishment; 1st to write down the laws
Who was Peisistratus? Concept? (matching)
“people’s dictator”; allied himself with common people; concept of economic worth
Who was Cleithenes? He was..? (matching)
the “father of Athenian democracy”
Who was Pericles? What age? (matching)
ruled during the Golden Age
Territories conquered by Alexander… What direction?
Greece to East
What are some Athenian values?
humanism, individualism, and freedom
What are some Spartan values?
obedience, sacrafice, militarism, servitude (of state)
___ % of of Athenians could vote
10
Role of women in Sparta.. vote?
practically equal to men but couldn’t vote
“Return with your shield or on it”
win or die trying
Who was King Phillip II of Macedon? What was he the first to do?
the first to unite Greece since Agamemnon (ruled through the league of Corinth)
Who likely assassinated Phillip?
Wife (Olimpius) and Alexander
Put the following people in chronological order… Alexander, Phillip, Pericles and Solon
Solon, Pericles, Phillip, and Alexander
What sort of things was Alexander taugh as a youth? ***
not taught to appreciate democracy
What was significant about the battle of Chaeronea?
Battle at which Phillip conquers all of Greece
What part did Alexander play at Chaeronea?
personally lead the cavalry
List the characteristics of Alexander
AMBITIOUS
energetic, intelligent, charismatic, brave, warm-hearted, generous, cruel, inspirational, volatile, determined
What was the League of Corinth?
a federation of all Greek city-states (like UN)
Describe Alexander as an administrator
competent, kind, firm, kept his promises, tolerated no oppression of his subjects
What Greek city did Alexander detroy because it revolted against his rule?
Thebes – thought he was dead
What was Alexander’s favorite book?
the Illiad
How did Alexander treat the Greek cities in Asia Minor (what did he grant them)?
he freed them and allowed them democratic self-government (this wouldn’t repeat)
What was significant about the Battle of Granicus River?
Alexander was almost killed
Who was Alexander’s hero?
Achilles
Who was Batis? What did Alexander do to him?
Gaza’s military commander during a long siege – had holes drilled into his feet and ropes looped through them. he then dragged the dead body around the city behind his chariot.
What did the Oracle at Siwa tell Alexander?
he was the son of Ammon = he is a god
Who was Darius III?
He was the Persian King at the time of Alexander.
What was significant about the battle of Gaugamela?
Alexander vs. Darius III part 2: it was Darius’s last defeat
Describe Alexander’s treatmentof Persepolis. Why was he so brutal here?
took it by force, burned it to the gournd, killed all of them and raped all of the women. Brutal b/c800 Greek colonists were found with arms legs &ears cut off and eyes gauged out.
Who was King Porus?
Indian King; with his war elephants he put up a tough battle but later befriended Alexander
What steps did Alexander take to consolidate (hybridize) his 2 empires?
- married 2 Persian women
- convinced nearly 300 of his men to also marry Persian women in a “mass nuptial”
- drafted 30,000 Persian boys into his army
How did Alexander respond to the death of Hephaestion?
- cut off his hair
- spent $60 million building a memorial to him
- had an entire tribe of people slain as sacrifices to his “ghost”
What did Alexander most likely die from?
ALCOHOL POISONING
malaria
assassination (by poisoning)
Explain the legacy of Alexander
- end to era of city-states
- created largest empire (centralized)
- theocratic gov’t
- propaganda
- imperialism
- shaving!
- cultural diffuser and linker
What kingdoms emerged from Alexander’s?
1) Antigonid Kingdom
2) Kingdom of Ptolomies
3) Kingdom of Pergamum
What do Alexander’s emerged kingdoms have in common?
all of these kingdoms were eventually defeated by the Romans
What happened to Alexander’s 8 year old son?
he was murdered
What happens in Greece due to the pwer vauum created by Alexander’s death?
42 year Civil War – “Period of the Dictators”
Who founded the famous city of Alexandria, Egypt
Alexander the Great
