Classical Greece Flashcards
polis
city state
city state of athens
- wrote down a lot of stuff
- one of the first democracies
- white marble statues used to be colorfulg
panhellenism
- Panhellenism
- language
- Homeric/epic tradition
- religion
- games
what happened with the persains
- 490-480 BC they invade Greece
- battle of marathon: Athenians stop them
new government structure
Cleisthenes called his new structure of government isonomia (equal + law), but it would eventually be known as democratia (citizenry + power)
citizenship
- only about 25% of the population of Athne was considered citizens
- male, parents born there
Senate
- lots of members
- no career politicians
- prepared bills for assembly
- administrative not legislative
Assembly
- open to all citizens
- aneone could vote and spread
- voted to declare war/treaties, foreign policy, laws
positions not elected
generals and accountants/treasurers
judicial branch
- no cops, lawyers, or judges
- anyone can bring suit, they are the prosecutor
- juries between 500-1000
- trials lasted no more than a day and majority rules
Delian League
- confederation of Greek poleis formed after the persian wars
- “same friends/enemies”
- have to pay tribute to central treasury (money or ships)
- treasury controlled by Athens
point of Delian League
- eliminate persian threat
- take a bit of persian land
- respect each others autonomy
- after persian threat dissipates, Athens doesn’t disband the league
allies can revolt whenever they want
- would take over land after revolt
- disrespected autonomy
- made polises keep paying tribute (very expensive)
athens military power
- all the money went to athens
- when allies tried to secede athens had so much military power/money
- conquer just to conquer
Pericles
- career general
- ## aware of how bad athens is
confederated assembly
execution in the hands of an Athenian high command, usually topped by a strategos (general)
The Parthenon
- Built on the site of the former Parthenon (burned by the Persians)
- Housed Delian League treasury
- Paid for by the League Treasury
Parthenon Metopes
- square carvings
- North: fall of troy
- South: Centuaromachy (Centaurs vs. Lapiths)
- East: Gigantomachy
- West: Amazonomachy
Citizenship laws of Pericles
- offspring of parents who were both Athenian citizens
reasons for Citizenship laws of Pericles
- Athenian citizenship growing in value, restrict it!
- Particularly impedes the wealthy, and especially those with old aristocratic and political families
- Thousands are disenfranchised through bouts of court cases calling their citizenship into question
Problems with Citizenship laws of Pericles
people mad
Melians vs athenians
- athenians killed lots and enslaved the rest
- because melians wouldn’t submit to slavery
tragedy
- school of democracy
jason and the golden fleece
- goes to Colchs to get fleece to be king
- bad at being a hero
- seduces Medea to betray country and gets him the fleece
- she gets to leave barbarians land and marry him