Monday, March 14, 2011

Notes for today 3/14/11

The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
Clysteneese
  • born an aristocrat
  • even though he could of acted to keep all the power of an aristocrat, he reformed the government and was considered "the father of Athenian democracy"
  • was always inspired by the Greek stories (700s - didnt write much down, any stories were told orally)
Geogrpahy
  • mountainous peninsula
    • mountians cover 3 quarters of greece
  • Approximately 1,400 islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas
  • Location shaped its culture
  • skilled sailors
  • poor natural resources
  • difficult to unite the ancient Greeks because of the terrain; developed small, independant communities
  • Approxiamtely 20% was suitable for farming
  • fertile valleys coiver 1/4th of it
  • becuase of geography the greek diet consists of grains, grapes, olives
  • lack of resources most likely led to Greek colinization
  • temps. range from 48 in the winter to 80 in the summer
    • made people, active and competetive
Mycenaeans
  • Began around 2000 BC
  • Mycenae is located on a rocky ridge and protected by a 20 ft. thick wall
  • Mycenaean kings dominated Greece from 1600-1200 BC
    • controlled trade in the region
  • 1400 BC Mycenaeans invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan culture and language
  • aroun 1200 BC sea people began to invade Mycenae and burnt palace after palace
  • The Dorians moved int othe war-torn region
    • far less advanced
    • economy collapsed
    • writing disappeared for 400 years
Homer and Myths
  • only stories were kept and passed on by word of mouth
  • Homer lived at the end of the "Greek Dark Ages", probably blind
  • Recorded stories of the Trojan War in the Illiad and the Odyssey (written 750-700 BC)
    • trojan war was probably one of the last conquets of the Mycenaeans
Greek Concepts
  • Arete
    • virtue and excellence
  • Epics
    • narrative poems celebrating heroic deeds
  • Myths were created to explain creation
    • Zeus - leader of the gods
    • Hera - Zeus' wife
    • Athena - goddess of wisdom


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