his Flashcards
Greek city
autonomous, politically independent political and administrative unit with city in its centre
Offices or legal courts dwelled there, place of popular assemblies
Basic structure of a city
Agora - main square of a city - surrounded by administrative buildings -> place where all public/political assemblies took place
+ markets = center of trades
Akropolis - higher part of a city (formerly a fortress), served as a refuge in the case of attack
Dark period (3)
definition + additional info + changes
- Period between collapse of Mycenaean and Minoan civil. and Archaic period of Greece
- Time of cultural decline => no written evidence!
Homeric epics => hence Homeric period
Mostly archaeology and ethnography - Arrival of new tribes in Greece (Ionians, Dorians)
Some cities collapsed (Mycenae), some survived (Athens, Sparta, Corinth)
Archaic period (3)
writing system
„Re-emergence“ of writing
Instead of following the syllabic style of writing (Linear writing B), used by the Mycenaeans and Minoans, the Greeks took writing from the Phoenicians and adapted it to their needs
Addition of vowels => for the first time in history, an alphabetic script had vowels
Greek city states
Although the Greeks were aware of their common culture, language, religion and folklore (mythology), the development of the city states differed and hostility was usual among them
Greek city states list (9)
A, S, C, C, E, T, A, M, E, M
Athens (Attica),
Sparta (Laconia, SE Peloponnese),
Corinth (Corinthia),
Chalkis, Eretria (Euboea),
Thebes (Boeotia),
Argos (Argolis, NE Peloponnese),
Miletus,
Ephesos,
Megais (Asia Minor)
Greek colonization - causes (4)
socio-economic dev., soil, raw material, struggle
Socio-economic development in the city states => population growth
Lack of fertile soil in Greece
Only about 20% of Greece was suitable for agriculture, but great part
of land was in the hands of aristocracy
Searching for raw materials -> Metal ores
Internal struggles in the cities -> Struggles between the aristocracy and artisans => the defeated left and found a colony
Apoikia (3)
founded where, relation. w/ mother city, etc
Colonies - founded in areas with fertile soil - suitable for agriculture
- usually near river, simultaneously with an access to a sea as the basic communication channel
Contacts with mother city (metropolis)
Dependence of colonies on metropolis in the first year, later became independent
Trade and cultural contacts between a colony and metropolis remained after independence
The colonies later were transformed in independent city states
Lose of citizenship in the metropolis
Colonization - direction
(5 areas, 11 colonies)
Not only Mediterranean sea, but also Black sea
Western Asia Minor
Inhabited since the Mycenaean period
Bosporus and the Dardanels (Hellespontos)
Byzantion, Abydos, Cyzicus
Black Sea coast
Chersonessos, Mesembria, Trapezos, Odessos
Sicily and southern Italy (Graecia Magna)
Syracuse, Naxos, Neapolis, Taras
Southern France
Sparta
Founded by the Dorian emigrants, who reached Peloponessos in the 10th century BCE the latest
Four Dorian villages were found in the area of Laconia (SE Peloponessos) and together with one Achaean village they formed a core of Spartain city state
Conquest of Messenia (SW Peloponessos) => Messenian wars
During the wars in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE, the Spartans subjugated the territory of Messenia => fertile soil
Consequences: increased significance of warrior in Spartan society and increased number of slaves
Spartain society - freemen (2)
Spartans – citizens of the state with full legal rights, the rulling class
- forbidden to work, trained in military service since childhood
were part of military units, with whom they spend major time of their lives
Syssitioi – common dinning of an unit
Perioikoi - non-citizens, free inhabitants of Laconia with obligation to support the Spartan state, but without right to participate on the political life of the state
Usually craftsmen, artisans and merchants
Living on a territory under control of Sparta, but not the city itself
Helots (3)
Slaves, not free
Property of the state – helots lived as farmers on a land that was given to Spartans
Constant tension between the Spartans and Helots
Occasional uprisings, krypteiai – raids against helot villages
Had no option to find employment in Sparta
Political structure of Sparta
Dyarchy - two kings with primarily military function
House of Agioi and Eurypontoi
Gerousia - council of elders
Usually 28 elders from aristocratic families
Advisory and legal function
Ephors – annually elected representatives (5 members)
Responsible for state administration, as well as legal matters
Apella – popular assembly
Election of the ephors, matters of war and peace, discussing laws
