Greek Civilization

Introduction to World History and Civilization

1. GREEK CIVILIZATION
1000 BC – 323 BC

2. ORIGIN
Refers to areas of Hellenic culture that
were settled by ancient Greeks; Greek
peninsula, Cyprus, Aegean coast of Turkey
(Ionia), Sicily and southern Italy (Magna
Graecia).
Started in 1000 BC and ended in 323 BC
(the death of Alexander the Great).

3. ORIGIN
Succeeded by Hellenistic Greece / culture /
period – the integration of ancient Greek
into Roman empire.
Ancient Greek culture and civilization –
influenced the later Roman civilization and
was the foundation of Western civilization
(language, politics, philosophy, art and
architecture).

6. ORIGIN
The ancient Greeks- an Indo-European
race.
Migrated southward from the region of
lower Danube River after 2000 BC to
Greek peninsula, which was called
“Hellas”.
The settled Greek people called
“Hellenes”.

7. ORIGIN
By 8
th
cent. BC – the emergence of self-
governing communities or city states.
Later, the expansion of Greek colonies;
Aegean coast of Asia Minor, Cyprus,
Balkans, Sicily, Southern Italy, south coast
of France, northeastern Spain, Egypt and
Libya.
Greek civilization flourished from 600 –
200 BC.

8. GOVERNMENT
The city (polis) – the basic unit of Greek
government.
“Acropolis” from “akros” (top) and “polis”
(city) means a big city.
By 6
th
cent BC – dominant Greek cities;
Athens, Sparta, Corinth and Thebes.
The most famous, Acropolis of Athens.

9. GOVERNMENT
Each had a control over the surrounding
rural areas and smaller towns.
Athens and Corinth – major maritime and
mercantile powers.
Athens – naval power.
Athens – practiced political democracy.

10. GOVERNMENT
The dominance of Athens after the Persian
Wars (late 5
th
cent BC).
By mid 5
th
cent BC – the establishment of
an Athenian Empire.
Athenian culture flourished, esp. during the
Golden Age of Athens under the rule of
Pericles. The “Age of Pericles” (460-430
BC)

11. GOVERNMENT
Following the reform of laws (by Solon,
Cleisthenes) – the establishment of an
assembly of adult male citizens; vote of
majority.
Adopted by many other Greek cities.
The “Laws of Athens” – spelled out state
laws and rights of citizens.

12. ACROPOLIS ATHENS

13. ACROPOLIS ATHENS

14. MAP OF ACROPOLIS IN
SOCRATES’ AND PLATO’S
TIME

15. PERICLES

16. GOVERNMENT
Athens versus Sparta.
Sparta - military power; the best army in
ancient Greece. Militarist regime under a
dual monarchy.
The rise of Sparta after the Peloponnesian
War – Athens versus Sparta and its allies.
Ended the Athenian Empire - Sparta
became the new dominant Greek power.

17. GOVERNMENT
Sparta was ruled by two hereditary kings –
checked each other’s influence.
The duties of the kings – religious, judicial
and military.
Later, the dominance of Thebes.
Followed by the invasion of Greek cities
by Macedonia; King Philip II and his son,
Alexander.

18. GOVERNMENT
Driven by the desire to free Greek cities
from Persian influence.
Alexander’s empire – Persia, Egypt, Syria,
Mesopotamia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The establishment of Greek-speaking
kingdoms in Egypt, Syria and Persia –
practiced Hellenistic culture.

19. ALEXANDER THE GREAT

20. SOCIETY
Striking feature in ancient Greek society :
Free men
Slaves
Only free men could be citizens of a city-
state and entitled to full protection of the
law.
In Athens, the free men were divided into
four social classes based on wealth.

21. SOCIETY
Could change classes if made more money.
In Sparta – given the title of “equal” if they
finished their education.
Slaves had no power or status. Had no right
to have a family, own property, and did not
have legal and political rights.
Many slaves from non-Greek people.

22. SOCIETY
By the 5
th
cent. BC – slaves made up 1/3 of
the total population in some city-states.
Described as “living tools”; as household
servants and laborers.
Also city-states’ slaves or public slaves –
greater independence than household
slaves and performed specialized tasks.
Temple slaves – as servants of the temple.

23. SOCIETY
Slaves in Sparta called “Helots” – war
captives owned by state and assigned to
families. Mainly farmers – to provide food.
Received harsh treatment, controlled
through the secret police or “Krypteia” –
led to revolts by helots.
“Peroikoi” - Spartan subjugated people –
as traders and craftsmen.

24. SOCIETY
Ordinary Spartans were soldiers, trained to
become soldiers from their early life.
Emphasis on military fitness and training.
Prohibited by law from trade, commerce or
crafts.

25. RELIGION
Greek mythology.
Legendary stories of Greek gods by Greek
poets; e.g. Homer and Hesiod.
Gods and goddesses and ancient religious
festivals. E.g. Panathenaea and Olympic
Games.
Zeus (father of the gods), Hera (Argos),
Poseidon (sea and Corinth), Hades (under-

26. RELIGION
world), Athena (Athens), Aphrodite
(Corinth and Cythera, beauty and love),
Apollo (sun , poetry, music, art and manly
grace), Artemis (moon, wild nature, athletic
girlhood), Ares (war), Hermes (messenger
of the gods and patron of athletes).

27. MYTHOGRAPHY OF GREECE

28. A model of the Temple of Zeus 

29. Temple of Sounion

30. Chariot race

31. RELIGION
Gods’ intervention into human affairs;
wars and conflicts seen as punishments by
gods for evil doings of the people (divine
punishments).
Opposed by Greek moralists and
philosophers.
Insisted that there was a “higher power of
justice” (moral order).

32. “SCHOOL OF HELLAS”
Athens as the centre of learning, art,
architecture, Greek literature and
philosophy.
Famous philosophers; Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle.
Historians Herodotus, Thucydides, etc.
Athens as the “School of Hellas”.

33. PHILOSOPHY
Greek words philo (love) and sophia
(wisdom). Philosophy means ‘love of
knowledge’.
The Greeks were the first people who
asked “Why is the world the way it is?”
As a response to Greek mythology –
rejected popular nature myths – natural
calamities as results of gods’ actions.

34. PHILOSOPHY
Took analytical and rational view – e.g. on
the composition of the physical universe.
Early philosophers, e.g. Thales,
Democritus, Hippocrates, Parmenides and
Heraclitus.
The Sophists, e.g. Protagoras and
Aristippus.

35. PHILOSOPHY
The idea of “relative truth” – the truth is
different for each individual.
There is no absolute truth about nature or
morals. Also equated morality with success
or pleasure.

36. SOCRATES
Opposed the Sophists’ view.
Believed in the existence of a higher truth
and that humans possessed virtues
(philosophical and intellectual virtues).
Using a technique of careful questioning to
obtain the truth – the “Socratic or
Dialectical Method” of inquiry.
The “Father of Moral Philosophy”.

37. SOCRATES
Emphasized on morality, good and justice.
Virtues as the most valuable possessions –
the ideal life was spent in search of the
Good.
The best way to live is to focus on self-
development rather than the pursuit of
material wealth, concentrate on friendships
and a sense of true community.

38. SOCRATES

39. SOCRATES
Sentenced to death – for denouncing the
popular Greek belief that the defeat of
Athens in the Peloponnesian War was a
punishment onto the city by goddess
Athena.

41. PLATO
The pupil of Socrates and founder of the
Academy (Athens) – the most important
intellectual center in the ancient world.
Shared Socrates’ ideas of human virtues.
Unlike Socrates, he wrote many books
using “Socratic dialogues”.
Famous works e.g. “Doctrine of Ideas” and
“Republic”.

42. PLATO

43. PLATO
In “Doctrine of Ideas” – physical world as
superficial and spirit world as real. Also
about the idea of justice, goodness.
In “Republic” – the ideal state or
government, democracy, aristocracy,
monarchy, organized society, equality for
women, state control over education and
art (social and political thoughts).

44. PLATO
Plato’s idea of “philosopher-kings” – to
achieve social justice and order.
Plato’s social class system:
Rulers of the state (philosophers)
Guardians (soldiers)
Producers (workers – common citizens)

45. PLATO
The role of heredity and environment on
human intelligence and personality (the
modern theory of nature versus nurture).
Dichotomy between knowledge and
opinion (the modern distinction between
objective and subjective).
Wrote the story of the lost Atlantis in his
“Timaeus” and “Critias”.

46. ARISTOTLE
A student of Plato and teacher of
Alexander the Great.
The founder of Lyceum (Athens).
Wrote many works on various subjects;
physics, metaphysics, anatomy, astronomy,
geology, psychology, politics, zoology,
geography, logic, biology, poetry,
economics, meteorology, economics ,

47. ARISTOTLE

48. ARISTOTLE
rhetoric, literature and poetry.
“Nicomachean Ethics” – a person should
continually behave virtuously.
“Aristonian Logic” – logic is the important
key to truth and happiness. Developed
systematic rules for logical thinking.
 Described as an encyclopedia of Greek
knowledge.

49. PLATO & ARISTOTLE

50. LANGUAGE AND WRITING
Latin language and Latin alphabet – the
root of Roman language and alphabet.
Invented five vowels (a,e,i,o,u).

51. HISTORY
Herodotus, the “Father of History”.
His work “Historia” (Investigation) –
based on his extensive travel.
Discussed the life, customs, history and
politics of the Middle Eastern and Aegean
region.
Separated facts from legends and wrote
based on direct observation and evidence.

52. HISTORY
Thucydides – wrote on the Peloponnesian
War using primary sources.
Emphasized on the complexity of human
motivations.

53. MEDICINE
Hippocrates established the first school of
physician.
Diseases and sickness were not due
supernatural or magical reason.
Recorded on classified symptoms and
detail observation of ill patients.
“Hippocratic Oath”.

54. LITERATURE
The Greeks loved stories and tales.
Poet Homer, wrote famous Greek epics,
“Illiad” and “Odyssey”.
Poet Hesiod – wrote about Greek gods and
goddesses.
Epic poetry and lyric poetry.
Drama and theater; tragedy and comedy.

55. LITERATURE
Inspired later Western writers, e.g. William
Shakespeare.
Influenced the later Western dramas and
theaters.

56. HOMER

57. ARCHITECTURE
Temples and shrines, e.g. “The Parthenon”.
Architectural designs (Ionic, Corinthian
and Doric).
Statues – images of gods and men.
Adopted by later Roman and Western
civilization.

58. The Zappeion building, Athens

59. •The United States Capitol in Washington, DC