Greek Notes pt1 PDF

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Teacher: Caitlin Jewell. These notes start at the very first lecture and go until the end of the Ionian Enlightenment, right before Sparta is discussed....

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8/28/19 – Bronze to Iron Greece - Physical environment impacted social material and political development - Aegean Sea and Black Sea o Access to sea = crucial - Mountain ranges along Balkan peninsula o Natural segregation  Developed individually  Regionalism, dialect, conflict o Sea travel a must (hard to travel on land) o Hard for people to invade - Mediterranean climate o Rainy in winter, hot and dry in the summer Crops and Livestock - Only about 20% of land was arable o Will cause issues - Barley, olives, wine grapes - A few areas have plains with room for crops/grazing animals - Depended on rainfall/access to water, also available soil o Relied heavily on trade The Near East - Vital formative element for Greece - Contact with advanced civilization o Could go either way o Spread of culture, knowledge, ideas, arts, goods, etc. (taken from those trading with) - Debt to ancient near East Archaeology - Henrich (and Sophia) Schliemann o Obsessed with Iliad o Sought out Troy  Found in Turkey (Hisarlik)  Raided it, gave it to the Germans, lost it to the Russians after WWII o Found Mycenae (1876), the Greek city “rich in gold” - Sir Arthur Evans o Sought homer’s “Knossos and the Crete of a hundred towns” o Odyssey describes them as an egalitarian society living in palaces o Uncovered it in 1900 (Knossos) o Named civilization after King Minos The Minoans (first bronze age civilization) - Island of Crete o Well placed for trade - Redistributive economy - Linear A script (undeciphered, accounting)

Society becomes prosperous and stable Relatively peaceful people o Lack walls, weapons, or even scene of war - The palace was central to life o Everything went in and redistributed out - Naval culture o Trade/presence in Aegean o Not interested in conquering? - Better for women? o Egalitarian society  Strong female queens, priestesses - Devotion to religion and ritual - Bull leaping was popular sport - People were shorter than normal and had shorter life expectancies - Anemospilia site o Earthquakes, fire o Human sacrifices? - Thera = modern day Santorini, close to Crete o Volcanic eruption (largest) o Took out part of land  Potential explanation Mycenean Civilization (first on Greek mainland) - Scattered across the Greek mainland o Number of mini-states - First Greek speakers - Lifespan of 400-500 years o Peak around 1300 BCE o Fell around 1200 BCE - Influenced by the Minoans o Took over Cretan palaces after Minoans fell - Setting for myths and legends - More of the warrior civilization than Minoans, more aggressive o In line with Greeks of Homer; warriors, proud, etc. - Hierarchical society o Wanax = king - Linear B script - Redistributive economy Fall of Myceneans - Invasions of Sea people (not a unified group, just looking for a place to stay) - Destruction throughout the Med. - Mass migrations - Palaces fell - Economies collapse; civilization tumble - Greek traditions blame the donans The Dark Ages -

Collapse of civilization Writing ceased o Oral traditions continued - Little to no evidence - Population decline and increase in migrations - Less land cultivated; smaller settlements; agriculture declines o People become more mobile and pastoral - Art regressed Coming Out of the Dark - Metallurgy advancements – iron - Agriculture bounces back o Population growth - Geometric art - Return of Kinship and social stratifications - Return of writing o Phoenician alphabet - Return of luxury goods o Created a market - Resurged of trade and overseas contact - Not a stagnant period in history o Greek world reviving itself (900 BCE and on) Homer and Oral Poetry - Homeric epics performed and passed down through generations - Likely written down in the 8th century - Useful to history? o Middle; not historical but provides insight - Crucial to Greeks o History, culture and identity Living in Late Dark Ages - Smaller settlements, villages essential o Few exceptions - Close knit, solidarity, cooperation o Necessary for group survival - Government consisted of chief (basillias) and perhaps a council of elders - Demos (people) and oikos (smallest unit) community = key -

9/4/19 – The Archaic Age – Creation of Polis and Dawn of Hoplite Army (750-480 BCE) Early Archaic Age - Power vacuum coming out of Dark Ages (creates polis) - Sees the culmination of various social/political tensions and developments that had taken root in the Dark Ages - Have to organize and stabilize o Small tribes won’t cut it o Need defense structures The Polis

Independent and autonomous Led to increased sense of regionalism and identity Organized on and around the idea of citizenship o For all indigenous free inhabitants o Citizens NOT all equal - Consisted of a city center and the outlying countryside - Hellenes = name for all Greeks - All worship same religion, but pick one to build base around The City-State - More than just physical borders/boundaries - Community life o The good of the whole o Tight knit - The basis and essential unit through which social and political life developed o Allowed there to be a “political life” at all – elite and wealthy people guiding the polis - Festered intense local allegiances - Provided a medium for order and stability o Solid framework for developments Classes of the Polis - Social classes o Really aimed only to men - Upper aristocratic class (elite) - Middle landowning class - Lower impoverished class - Sharply stratified along class lines o Not an egalitarian society - Basic government o Assembly (voicing opinion) o Archons/magistrates (1 year, some power) o Boule (council of leaders, life-long, elite, lot of power) Aristoi - “the good” o Claimed descent from Homeric heroes and men in Greek myths - Class solidarity: preservation of power/prestige = crucial - Hereditary control of the land and positions of power based on birth and wealth o Controlled most political positions o Laid claim to a majority of the good land o Attempted an even distribution of power and offices amongst their class Why the Polis? - Synoecism – voluntary or forced - Efficient ways of organizing tribes - Natural progression? o Defense, stability, security, order - Boom in population and economy after the Dark Ages -

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o Momentum to change Continuance of Dark Age trends Demand may have been made for more equitable treatment o Advantages for elites o Men who acquired wealth now have leverage to demand a voice

9/6/19 – the Hoplite Revolution – Military Embodiment of Polis Ideology The Hoplite - Well-armored foot soldier o Helmet, breastplate, body armor o Armed with round shield (hoplon), a long spear and a short sword - Male citizens, but NOT every male citizen o Had to buy own equipment; restricted to those who could afford it  Highest honor o Essentially upper and middle class - Most efficient way to defend the polis (with its limited resources) against the nearconstant conflict The Phalanx and Battle - Hoplite fought in the phalanx formation - Lined up shoulder to shoulder, shield to shield, with rows repeating behind them - Success depended on every man holding his position - Battle was quick; often not too many casualties, but was difficult and terrifying Polis and Hoplite Army - Military equivalent of the Polis ideology of the “community” o Unit > individual - Displaced the Homeric warrior who fought for his own glory with one who fought for his polis - Hoplites were essentially equal on the field; all were necessary, no hierarchy o Gave non-elite hoplites certain degree of power within the state o Affected social and political life in the polis 9/9/19 – Greek Colonialism – Tensions of Early Archaic Age Tensions - Colonization coincided with spurred on by the rise of the polis - Stress on availability of resources o Grain, metals, motivated by economic factors o Resurgence of overseas trade/contact - Scarcity of land o Aristocracy – unfair distribution of land o Land inheritance split evenly among sons o Increased population - Had to find land elsewhere or make changes inward in order to solve Lelantine War

Illustrates rising tensions over controlling the best (eventually any) land Lelantine plain – rich region between Eretria and Chalcis First Greek war? o A number of city-states joined in o Highlights how conflicts between two poleis could escalate to include other Greeks - Rise of Corinth after war Example of Cyrene - Founded by Thera in 7th century - Herodotus: polis suffered a drought after ignoring the Delphi Oracle - People stressed by bad conditions and scarcity of land - 5 year contract o Sent one son per family o Were given land and citizenship elsewhere o Had to stay for 5 years - Forced people out o Punishment of death - Shows how tense situations could get/how necessary migrations could be Founding a Colony - Private or state organized - Oikistes – leader and founder of the settlement o Helped organize expedition; visited Oracle o Chose a suitable site (without the mother city) o In charge of laying out the settlement and parceling out land to new citizens o Ultimately charged with success or failure of the colony - Settling parties tended to be male - There’s a lot of risks o Leave what you know o Give up citizenship o Potential fight with natives Apoikia and Metropolis - Apoikia – home away from home - Metropolis – mother city-state - Not an imperial relationship o What was created was an autonomous polis - Expected to keep ties with metropolis although technically an independent entity o Respect and loyalty = allies - Gave up citizenship in mother city Colonies and Natives - Relations complex and varied - Could be welcomed (resources, culture, commercial opportunity) or seen as invaders and treated with hostility - Not a monolithic experience - Compromise o Offer trade and opportunity -

o Intermarry with female natives - Constant problems could break a new colony o It can’t easily subjugate, have to try and coexist Western Settlements - Influenced by the Phoenicians who have already established a successful line of settlements in the west - Euboeans particularly active (Eretria and Chalcis) o Chalcidice, Corinth, Sparta, Phonecea and others followed suit - Magna graccia and Sicily, France and later Spain - Rise of carthage pushes them to the east o Battle of Alalia Looking at the East - Switched focus to N Aegean and black sea o Rich in resources and opportunities o Less competition? - Ran into hostilities with natives in the north o Thracians and scythians particularly fierce - Megara, miletus - Rejuvenated contact (commercial and cultural) with East Conclusion: Implications for Trade and the Greek Identity - Increase wealth and power; firsthand access to resources and trade - Widened the Greek world as poleis popped up all over the Med. o Ye cemented overall Greek identity - Succeeded in spreading the culture and identity of Greeks; large influence on Rome o Beginning of Hellenization of the Med - Period of rapid change for Greeks, new opportunities, new values, and changes in identity 9/11/19 – Greek Tyrants – Age of Tyranny and Its Implications for Greece Rise of Tyrants - 7th to 6th century BCE in poleis all over Greece - Conditions facilitated their rise o Quarrelling aristocracies, disenfranchisements, oppressed poor, frustrated middle class - Colonization o Rise of a wealthy middle class and more diverse society - General dissatisfaction and discontent - Land hunger is the #1 reason that leads to issues like tyranny Tyrannos - Not a Greek word o Not originally a negative connotation, neutral term - Tended to be dedicated men who took power illegally o Fact that their position was not constitutional/legal was crucial o Support or passivity of hoplites was essential - Exploited circumstances of the time

o Feuds of aristocracy and general discontent of the masses - Not necessarily/generally a negative impact on polis o Most improve and elevate their polis o Public works projects, laws, religious festivals, commercial improvements, patronage, cultural advancements, etc. - Most tyrants came from the aristocracy and they jumpstart the polis Corinth - Commercial/shipping power; center in the Greek world o Bacchiadae family - Among first tyrannies in Greece - Cypselus o On margin of aristocracy; military commander (polemarch) o Claimed divine support o Boasted commercial wealth o Popular with the masses - Periander (son of Cypselus) o Continued policy of economic and commercial expansion o Grew harsh and lost support of the people; next generation overthrown - Corinth post tyranny o Oligarchy – needs accountability Athens - Botched attempt of Cylon - Reforms of Solon (not tyrant) o Brought in to ease tension between the classes; strengthens cohesion of polis - Pisistratus o 3 attempts to gain power o Strengthened economy; followed tradition o Network of supportive tyrants o Enacted building projects; supported religion and the arts; urban development - Hippias and Hipparchus o Benign rule becomes harsh with assassination of Hipparchus o Sparta intervenes - Athens on path to democracy Other Tyrants - Pheidon or Argos (earliest) o Established system of weights and measures, coinage - Thrasybulus of Miletus o Gave advice to Periander, colonizes black sea - Cleisthenes of Sicyon o Takes land from nobility and gives to poor - Polycrates of Samos o Ran out of luck, extended naval base - Gelo of Syracuse o Massive military power - Theagenes of Megara

Fall of Tyrants - Position was very vulnerable by nature o Not an actual/legit position - Rarely stayed strong after first generation, none lasted three o Built upon tyrant himself and his qualities/achievements o Tended to become increasingly tyrannical/oppressive to combat weakness and increasing resistance - Concept was not one that was amenable to the Greek identity - Polies were never the same afterwards - Facilitated change Implications for Development - Tended to have positive effects o Improved standards of living o Cultural advancements - Changed political atmosphere o Oligarchies return but never the same o Aristocrats now had limits on their power; poor had received some relief; middle class had access to politics and power o Hoplite class guided development of post-tyrannical poleis - Those in power needed to be held accountable - Facilitated movement towards democracy/more democratic existence in CERTAIN citystates 9/15/19 – Cultural Development of the Archaic Age Art and Pottery - Orientalizing phase o Near Eastern influences o Animal bands; floral motifs - Black figure o Devised by Corinthians o Slip turned black when fired; incise details o More detailed ware - Red figure o 6th century developed by Athenians o Revised process: pictures drawn first, slip added as background o Became preferred style; simplier and more practical to draw pictures than to incise details - Mythical scenes, heroes, images of contemporary life Ionian Intellectual Revolution - Birthplace of science, philosophy, etc. - Radical new ways of thinking; rationalism; observation - Why the antaolian coast? o Prosperous city-states o Close cultural connections to near east, Egypt, Greece

 Colonization and trade Taught, gave lectures Miletus – the Milesian school o Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes (first natural philosophers) Philosophy and Science - Pre-socratic philosophers - Reason and observation, evidence and order - Focus on astronomy, then on understanding origins and the physical world - Heraclitus – contradictions/opposites - Pythagoras and the pythagoreans - Parmenides – dividing line between Socratic and pre Panhellenism - Coming together of the Greeks o Moments where the shared Greek cultural identity is embraces - Games, rituals, and festivities joined across the regional boundaries - Reinforced the Greek identity - Increased amount of religious sanctuaries and festivals o Festivals would have rituals, dedicate sacrifices, could hold athletic contests, etc. - Could attract worshippers and spectators from all over the Greek world Examples – Delphi and Olympics - Oracle at delphi o Drew in enormous crowds, Greeks and non-Greeks o Best information storing device in the Med o Pythia = priestess who gave prophecy, priests translated o Costed money to get prophecy - Athletic competitions especially popular - Festivals of Zeus at Olympus o Every 4 years beginning in 776 BCE o Olympic Truce – allowed safe passage o Racing, boxing wrestlers, chariot races  All individual (Homeric hero) o Milo – wrestler, strength show off o Astylos – runner, agreed to play for other city-state o Cynisea – women, chariot races (owner and trainer) o Kallipateira – disguised as man, watched son win Agriculture and Sculpture - Noticeable Eastern (primarily Egyptian) influence - Kouros Style o Egyptian o Rigid, stiff stance, stylized hair, arms at side, one food forward, smile - Later, more natural take on sculpture, figure more relaxed - Marble and bronze - Depicting movements o End of “frontal only” sculptures - Temple building widespread -

- Public buildings for the agora Poetry - Development of lyric poetry o Shorter than epic (Homer/Hesoid) o Covered many more themes and forms o Different meters, musical accomplishment - Individual voices, 1st time, personal voice - Archilochus – irrationalities, war - Sappho – women, most well known - Hipponax – vulgar, aggressive - Pindar – values of archaic age and aristocracy Origins of History - Hecataeus of Miletus - First move towards rational approach to document and understand history - Started documenting - Exclusion of myths? o Not yet, but first acknowledgement of myths as something different Impact of Ionian Enlightenment - Did NOT displace traditional ideals and beliefs o Rational thought now also existed o Superstition and traditional stayed popular o Limited immediate effect  Access limited  Start o Thinkers sought hope and control o Start of separation of scientific thought from myth and religious traditions...