The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization · Greeks led the foundations of Western civilization · The birth of science, math, architecture, art · Statisticles military General, Socrates most famous philosopher in history · 508 B.C. in Athens, pandemonium ruled the streets, people turned on rulers demanding freedom after centuries of depression · Clasitinies (570 B.C.) wanted to let his fellow Greeks on the path to empire Ø Born into the aclcamayadids, an extremely wealthy family above everyone else Ø He had great privileges · Aristocrats controlled everything that happened in Athens · For men, life was working in the fields. Women spent their days in the home, cooking, weaving, and cleaning · Life expectancy at birth was less than 15 years · Athens was turned against itself-divided up into different parts · Greece has too many mountains and no physical unity that is usually associated with the great imperial civilizations of the classical world · Africa south; Persia (tiger and Europhates rivers) to the east · Greece was divided into several city-states(over a thousand at one time), each with its own culture, customs, politics, etc. each wanted to maintain its own independence · Military great power: in the city-state of Sparta Ø Brought up from birth to become soldiers Ø Lives structured around discipline and war Ø Left their homes at very young ages, sent out to work in the fields Ø Strict of comforts; few possessions apart from their weapons; clothes were dyed red to camouflage their victim’s blood Ø They were willing to die; ruthless expansionists; conquered 4000 square miles and reduced the populations to slave class- helots. Ruled to work in the fields and were ruled with an iron fist · Greeks passed on poetry and texts through memory · Achilles was a Greek hero; risked his life at a young age simply for glory and fame · Athena; goddess of Athens supposedly protected Pystisturous; therefore he was safe to rule and gain power and maintain control of Athens Ø He reduced taxes and gave loans for people to fix their farms Ø He offered prosperity to his city · Land had excellent olives to sell in Athens · Athens was ideally placed to sail through the entire Mediterranean with Persia and Egypt around them as well as the Romans in Italy · Greeks were scattered everywhere · East was the greatest marketplace in the classical world; everyone had something to sell whether it be arts, food, goods, etc. Ø People across the world would do anything to get the athen’s olives Ø Because of the olives, wealth and prosperity prospered · Greek’s first artistic fame- pots: pottery was difficult and tough work Ø Asyrian art and figures/designs on the pots to make them creative Ø Adapted a style still astonishing today Ø Athenians were motivated- pottery was an extraordinary achievement of theirs · Clystinies grew into a man; city-state grew into an economic power · In 527 B.C. Picies died · Athenians discovered the nature of tyranny · In 514 B.C. Hypias was murdered · Tyrants behavior completely changed; Hypias tortured men even their wives
The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
· Greeks led the foundations of Western civilization
· The birth of science, math, architecture, art
· Statisticles military General, Socrates most famous philosopher in history
· 508 B.C. in Athens, pandemonium ruled the streets, people turned on rulers demanding freedom after centuries of depression
· Clasitinies (570 B.C.) wanted to let his fellow Greeks on the path to empire
Ø Born into the aclcamayadids, an extremely wealthy family above everyone else
Ø He had great privileges
· Aristocrats controlled everything that happened in Athens
· For men, life was working in the fields. Women spent their days in the home, cooking, weaving, and cleaning
· Life expectancy at birth was less than 15 years
· Athens was turned against itself-divided up into different parts
· Greece has too many mountains and no physical unity that is usually associated with the great imperial civilizations of the classical world
· Africa south; Persia (tiger and Europhates rivers) to the east
· Greece was divided into several city-states(over a thousand at one time), each with its own culture, customs, politics, etc. each wanted to maintain its own independence
· Military great power: in the city-state of Sparta
Ø Brought up from birth to become soldiers
Ø Lives structured around discipline and war
Ø Left their homes at very young ages, sent out to work in the fields
Ø Strict of comforts; few possessions apart from their weapons; clothes were dyed red to camouflage their victim’s blood
Ø They were willing to die; ruthless expansionists; conquered 4000 square miles and reduced the populations to slave class- helots. Ruled to work in the fields and were ruled with an iron fist
· Greeks passed on poetry and texts through memory
· Achilles was a Greek hero; risked his life at a young age simply for glory and fame
· Athena; goddess of Athens supposedly protected Pystisturous; therefore he was safe to rule and gain power and maintain control of Athens
Ø He reduced taxes and gave loans for people to fix their farms
Ø He offered prosperity to his city
· Land had excellent olives to sell in Athens
· Athens was ideally placed to sail through the entire Mediterranean with Persia and Egypt around them as well as the Romans in Italy
· Greeks were scattered everywhere
· East was the greatest marketplace in the classical world; everyone had something to sell whether it be arts, food, goods, etc.
Ø People across the world would do anything to get the athen’s olives
Ø Because of the olives, wealth and prosperity prospered
· Greek’s first artistic fame- pots: pottery was difficult and tough work
Ø Asyrian art and figures/designs on the pots to make them creative
Ø Adapted a style still astonishing today
Ø Athenians were motivated- pottery was an extraordinary achievement of theirs
· Clystinies grew into a man; city-state grew into an economic power
· In 527 B.C. Picies died
· Athenians discovered the nature of tyranny
· In 514 B.C. Hypias was murdered
· Tyrants behavior completely changed; Hypias tortured men even their wives