Greek and Romans Flashcards
Where did the Minoans live
They lived on the island of Crete
Who were the early Greek people?
The Minoans
Who were the first people who lived on the island of Crete?
The Minoans
What language did the Minoans use?
They used hieroglyphic language then Linear A language?
Why was the island of Crete a good place to live?
Because the island was fertile and it was a good trading location
Did the early Minoans civilization have kings?
No! They were a group that worked together
What caused the destruction of the people the Minoans traded with?
An earthquake and volcano
What was the best skill that Minoans had
They made really good pottery
Who replaced the Minoans?
The Mycenaeans replaced the Minoans
What was the language of the Mycenaeans?
Language B
What was the Mycenaeans speciality
They had a speciality in bronze and ivory
What are the possible causes of dark age?
- sea people
- civil wars
- disease
How long last the dark age?
300 years
Who trade with the Greeks after the Dark age?
The Phoenicians
What allowed the Greeks to trade after the dark age?
A crop surplus
When did the geometric designs emerge on pottery
During the Renaissance
What happened during the Renaissance
- Population rise = more land cultivated
- pottery reemergence
- geometric design on the pottery = shows a change of style
- literacy
What’s the theme of most pottery during the Renaissance (mid 8th century
)?
Death themed
How did the Iliad and odyssey evolved
Over centuries by wandering singers. Homer put it in final form
Who was Hesiod and what did he do?
He was a poet who composed his “Theogony” which traces the genealogy of the gods.
Also wrote about everyday life
According to Hesiod, Gods are…?
Primitive and tempestuous
Who are the Greeks greatest influence and why?
The Phoenicians because they are close to them and they are active trader. Phoenicians are expert ship builders
Who were the Phoenicians pressured by?
They were pressured by Assyria and Egypt
What was the most important thing the Greeks learned from the Phoenicians?
They learnt their writing. Added vowels -> used for trade and exchange of material
What did the Greeks do early on to find natural resources
They started making trading post and colonies
How does a colony start?
- start with 100-200 young men
- establish a port
- establish land area
- support from cities they were from
What Greek city kept a firm control on the colonies they sent people to make
Corinth
Who had the best colony
Corinth had Sicily
- great harbor
- fresh water spring
- good land
Tell me about the lelantine war?
- there was a discussion between city state about the control of territory
- erotica and chalice were fighting for land
- many other Greek cities were drawn into war
- Corinth won the war
What was the characteristic of warfare in archaic Greece
Infantry warfare
Why were infantry men called hoplite
Because the type of heavy shield that they used. The shield protected half of the owner body and the man standing to his right
What were hoplite army and why were they there
They were members of polis that owned land. The members were farmers part time. Those farmers had to provide their own weapons. They fought to defend their cities and defend trade routes . At that time the polis couldn’t afford to
How often did the hoplites armies fought
The fighting was seasonal as they had to take care of their crops
What were tyrants
Tyrants were individual who ruled
What was the first city where a tyrant ruled?
Corinth
What else increased as democracy increased also
Slavery
Why can’t a tyrant family last more than 2 generations?
The Greeks are too independent and they move a lot. It’s hard to maintain position without an army
Tell me about Sparta
-they have the most resources with Athens
-dominant in Persian war
-strict and ordered culture
-Sparta win then collapse
-they have good natural resources
-all Spartan are male soldiers
Sparta weakness:
-have no naval power
-can’t control large area
-had to rely on allies
Tell me about Athens in the 6th century
- Not a rich area
- have a complex economy - farmer and craftsmen
- 60 clans of wealthy people. From those they chose 3 people to govern area
Who made a reform to avoid civil war
Solon
What was Solon reform about?
It aim was to destroy privilege and position of extremely wealthy people. It opens the government to a wider group of people.even the lowest can act as a member of the Assembly.written on wooden tablet and placed where everyone could see it.
To what classes did Solon divide people in
- Those who own large land
- middle land owner with horses
- small land owner
- little or no land
Who were able to be allowed citizenship after Solon’s reform?
Craftsmen were allowed citizenship even without owning land
Tell me about the reforms of Cleisthenes
- it brought equality
- broke the political power of clans
- known as the beginning of democracy where people rule
What’s the most important development in archaic art?
Large scale nude sculpture
What were the cultural changed of the archaic period
-the first coinage
-temple
Stone temples, being the earliest monumental buildings
-sculpture
Large nude
-revival of Athenian pottery
Who was the man who was the earliest philosopher and who predicted an eclipse
Thales of Miletus
What is Thales theory and why?
He believes that the basis of everything is water. He is convinced that the world float on water
What’s Anaximander theory
All comes from the boundless - everything doesn’t come from water because cannot make fire
What’s Anaximenes philosophy
All come from air.
What’s Heraclitus’s philosophy?
He thinks that there’s a God that bring unity to all things
What’s Parmenides philosophy?
Believes in truth based upon reason - what cannot be thought cannot exist
What’s Empedocles of Acragas philosophy?
He claims that’s water, air, fire and earth was the 4 basis element
What’s Leucippus of Abderan thought?
He believed that there was invisible particles. Those particles being called “Atomus”. They have empty space between them
What did Democritus philosophy
That if everything was made up of atoms, why isn’t everything similar?
What did Pythagoras discover/think
The right triangle
- soul exist within body
- humans existed before they came into body
- The body is prison of the soul
What did xenophnaes think
He thought that gods are construction of human
Justice is a concept of the human mind
The Persian rise to power under the leadership of what king?
King Cyrus II
What country did the son of Cyrus II conquered
Egypt
How did the Greeks tricks the Persians
Greek fleet of ship retreats as the Persian ships are much bigger. The Greek fleet goes to a narrower area, the Persian follow them and get stuck. 200 Persians ship gets destroyed
Why didn’t the Spartan help the Athenians when they had to fight the Persian?
Because the Spartans were observing a religious holiday
How do wealthy people preserve their status?
By winning the Olympic Games.
What are events offered in the Olympic Games
Running, chariot racing, boxing, wrestling and pentathlon. Also had contest for best speaker.
Why were aristocrats reluctant to welcome democracy?
Because that means poor people are treated as their equal. They believe you should let the more intelligent run the country.
How can wealthy people control democracy
They can control people by buying people
What the household like in classical Greece?
- small house/farm
- wooden plows
- work by hand
When couldn’t the Greek fight
From September to November as they collect oil and grapes
Late May and June as it is the grain harvest
Greek cities of which region revolted from the Persian empire
Greek cities of Ionia
What event drove king Darius to seek revenge?
During the revolt the Ionians sacked and burnt Sardis
Why didn’t the Spartan support support he city of Athens against the Persian?
Because the Spartan were observing a religious holiday and refused to send help.
Who was King Darius’ successor?
Xerxes
How do wealthy people maintain status?
They maintain status with the Olympic Games
What were the household like in Greece?
They had small houses/farms
When do the farmers collect olive and grapes
From September to November
When is the grain harvest?
Late May and June
What city discovered silver
Athens
What change to the Greek pottery was made?
Greek made pottery with people with clothes to sell for people who didn’t like naked people
Most of the labour in Greece was done by who?
By slaves
Where were slaves from
War captivates
How much of the population was slave in Greece
30%
How does a slave earn freedom in Greece?
They had to fight in wars to earn freedom
Could slave who had skills be able to work with free people?
Yes
Were there a slaves in Spartan
No
How was marriage in the Greek world
Marriage were arranged - women 10 - 15 years younger
What’s a reason a man could divorce his wife?
If the wife was childless
Around the classical age the Greeks became famous for what’s?
They became famous for their marble sculpture
What was the Delian League
It was an association of Greek city-state under the leadership of Athens. It purpose was to continue fighting the Persian Empire.
What famous leader is voted for about 15 years
Pericles
What’s the most valued political skill?
The ability to persuade
Who is Aeschylus? What has he done
Aeschylus is a playwriter. Known as the father of tragedy. He fought in the army at the war of marathon. He has a deep sense of life belief in the God. How to maintain an harmony if we can’t please God.
Who is Sophocles? What has he done?
Sophocles is 30 years younger than Aeschylus. He also produced better plays, focusing on the individual life. Introduced women into tragedy played by men. Also appeal to the good old day
Who is Euripides and what does he think/do?
He’s a playwriter who question the relevance & existence of God. Push at human reason being more important
Who is Aristophanes and what does he think/do?
His attitude are elite. He want peace at Athens as it is at war. See the past as more civilised then present. Do comedies
Who and what are the the sophist?
Sophist are philosopher/teacher who travelled and taught people to use their mind and voices in public. Teaches reason and logic.
Who is Socrates and what does he think/do?
Born in Athens. Wrote nothing all we know is from Plato. Using reason to find the “good”. Very famous for - an unexamined life is not worth living. Charged with intellectual elitism, corrupting the youth and neglecting the youth. Found guilty and died drinking poison.
Who was charged with intellectual elitism, corrupting the youth and neglecting the God
Socrates
Who is Platot and what does he think/do?
Plato was a philosopher and mathematicians. The Republic is his most famous work. He think the government should rest on smart people who knows how to do it right. He establishes his own academy.
Who is Aristotle and what does he think/do?
Stayed with Plato for 20 years.
He trained Alexander the Great for 3 years
Founded his own school in Athens
Was an observer of life.
What city suffered a plague?
Athens
Who is Thucydides
He’s an historian who wrote about the cruelty of war.
Tell me about the Peloponnesian war
The war was fought between Athens and Spata.
Naval vs land
1st year was ineffective.
Later
How many Spartans did Athens capture in the Peloponnesian war?
120 Spartans were captured
Who is Spartan’s Allie agains Athens?
The Persian
Who was Lysander and why people didn’t like him
He was a admiral of Sparta fleet. He wasn’t liked because he made an alliance with the Persians
What stopped the Corinth war
The King’s peace imposed by the persian
What are peltast
They are spears
Who was Philip II of Macedonia
He was a good brilliant commander who defined his borders. He had plans to invade Asia but he was unsuccessful
Who travelled with Alexander the Great to record everything
Callisthenes
Where did Sappho lived
She lived in Lesbo and exiled in Sicily
Who got Alexander the Great’s empire?
4 main general
Who were the 2 successful war general who Alexander the Great gave part of his empire? What did they get?
Ptolemy got Egypt
Seleucus got Asia
Where is the number one learning centre in the world?
Alexandria
What are cynics?
Look at the world - it’s corrupt and evil let’s stay away
What are epicureans philosophy?
We should seek pleasure
What’s stoic philosophy
There’s problem in the world. Deal with it. Accept both pain and pleasure
How how were jews the Jews treated in the Hellenistic period?
Ptolemies tolerated them and taxed them like crazy
Seleucid wanted them to change so they can be part of the modern culture.
Who became persistent enemy of Rome
The Parthian
Who is the leader of the Parthians?
Arsaces
Militarily what was the Parthians strength?
They had strong horsemen and archers
What was the Etruscan’s original creation?
Shiny black pottery
