Ancient Greece: Government and Society

Government & Society

• Polis was the fundamental political unit in ancient Greece, the Greek city-state
• Aristocrats were the wealthy, landowning elite holding power in early Greek city-states
• Archon was a chief official in Athens, often elected for a term
• Oligarchy is a form of government where a small group of elites hold power
• Tyrants were rulers who seized power unconstitutionally but sometimes helped the lower classes
• 5 Ephors were a group of Spartan officials overseeing the government and daily life
• The Gerousia was a Spartan council of 28 elders and two kings, responsible for major decisions
• The Athenian Government Pyramid was a hierarchical system with citizens, metics (foreigners) then slaves
• The Spartan Government Pyramid consisted of Spartiates (full citizens), Perioikoi (free non-citizens), and Helots (enslaved people)
• Citizen Assembly was a governing body in Athens where male citizens voted on laws and policies -In Greece, "citizens" were typically free adult males with full political rights

Important Figures

• Draco was an Athenian lawmaker known for harsh legal codes called Draconian laws
• Solon was an Athenian statesman who reformed laws to reduce debt slavery and increase democracy
• Peisistratus was a tyrant of Athens who helped the lower classes and promoted the arts
• Cleisthenes reformed Athenian democracy by creating the Council of 500 and breaking up aristocratic power
• Pericles led Athens during its Golden Age, expanded democracy, and built the Parthenon
• Themistocles was an Athenian general who assisted defeating the Persians at the Battle of Salamis
• King Leonidas was the Spartan king who led 300 Spartans against the Persians at Thermopylae
• Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks at Thermopylae by showing the Persians a hidden path
• Alcibiades was a controversial Athenian leader during the Peloponnesian War who switched sides multiple times
• Alexander the Great was a Macedonian king who created a vast empire stretching from Greece to India
• King Philip II was Alexander’s father, he united Greece under Macedonian rule
• Bucephalus was Alexander the Great’s famous warhorse

Wars & Battles

• The Persian Wars involved a series of conflicts between Greece and Persia
• The Battle of Marathon occurred in 490 BC, with an Athenian victory over Persian forces
• At the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas held off the Persians before defeat
• At the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, the Athenian navy, led by Themistocles, defeated the Persian fleet
• The Peloponnesian War occurred from 431–404 BC between Athens and Sparta
• At the Battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC, Sparta's navy defeated Athens, leading to the war’s end
• As Four Punishments, Athens lost its empire, its government was replaced by Sparta, its fleet was destroyed and it suffered economic decline

Alexander the Great’s Conquests

• 334 BC – Invasion of Persia where Alexander defeated Persian forces in Mesopotamia, but King Darius escaped
• 333 BC – Invasion of Egypt where Alexander freed Egypt from Persian rule and was named Pharaoh
• 330 BC – Return to Persia where Alexander finally defeated Darius, who was murdered by his own men
• 327 BC – Invasion of India where Alexander faced an Indian army with war elephants but won, expanding his empire further than any Greek before him

Religion & Mythology

• Poseidon is the God of the sea and earthquakes
• Hades is the God of the underworld
• Demeter is the Goddess of agriculture
• Hera is the Queen of the gods, associated with marriage
• Zeus is the King of the gods, ruler of Mount Olympus
• Athena is the Goddess of wisdom and warfare, and patron of Athens
• Aphrodite is the Goddess of love and beauty
• Ares is the God of war

Culture & Architecture

• Doric Columns are simple and sturdy, used in temples like the Parthenon
• Ionic Columns are more decorative, with scroll-like designs at the top
• Corinthian Columns are the most elaborate, with intricate carvings of leaves and flowers
• The Parthenon is a temple in Athens dedicated to Athena
• The Acropolis is a high city in Athens with important buildings like the Parthenon

Philosophy & Science

• Homer was an Ancient Greek poet who wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey
• Aesop wrote fables with moral lessons
• Socrates was a philosopher who used questioning to explore truth and ethics
• Plato was a student of Socrates, he wrote The Republic, and founded the Academy
• Aristotle was a student of Plato, teacher of Alexander the Great, and influential thinker in science and politics
• Pythagoreans were followers of Pythagoras, known for mathematical theories
• Euclid was a mathematician known as the "Father of Geometry"
• Archimedes was a scientist and engineer known for his work in physics and mechanics
• Hippocrates was known as the "Father of Medicine," and he established medical ethics

Historical Events

• The Delian League was an alliance led by Athens to protect Greece from Persia, later used by Athens to control other city-states
• The Long Walls were built by Athens to connect the city to its port, providing protection during war
• The Plague (430 BC) was a deadly disease that struck Athens during the Peloponnesian War, killing many, including Pericles
• Cyrus the Great founded the Persian Empire, and was known for his tolerance and leadership
• Syracuse was a powerful Greek city in Sicily, where Athens suffered a major defeat in the Peloponnesian War
• King Darius was a Persian king who fought against Greece in the Persian Wars
• Pheidippides was a Greek runner who delivered news of victory at Marathon before dying, inspiring the modern marathon race
• Phalanx Formation was a Greek military tactic using tight, overlapping shields for defense
• Cavalry were soldiers on horseback, used in Greek and Persian armies
• Hellenistic Age marks the period after Alexander’s death when Greek culture spread across his empire

Agriculture in Ancient Greece

• Challenges for farmers included rocky soil, limited fresh water for irrigation, few flatlands and a harsh climate with hot summers and mild winters
• The Three-Field System was a farming technique used in later European history, not ancient Greece
• It allowed fields to be rotated between crops and fallow periods
• It helped to maintain soil fertility