HOMEr:HOMER, recognized for his literary compositions the Illiad and the Odyssey, created the first great epic poems of early Greece. These eloquent works of art served as major cultural influences in the greek society, as their messages taught of courage and resilience. Emphasizing the idea of Arete, his inspirational pieces explicitly revealed that it requires grit and struggle to obtain the desired reputation of valor and masculinity. Because of these messages, Homers works provided later generations quintessential role models for Greek males who aspired to be heroic and honored.
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CHAPTER FOUR SECTION BREAK DOWN
MycenaeansGeography was a prominent contributor to the development of the classical greek civilizations. The mountainous regions isolated the greek civilizations from one another, so the cultures and lifestyles were exceptionally diverse. Also, Greece's peninsula-based location provides a multitude of bay and inlets that serve as accessible harbors. While this was a huge asset to their society, it had its obvious consequences as it made them vulnerable to the forces of opposing navies. Also, being surrounded by water, the Greeks utilized their access to the Black sea, Aegean sea, and Meditteranean Sea by conducting voyages to establish colonies. This spreadGreek civilization at an exponential rate. The Mycenaean population was the first Greek civilization and it flourished between 1600 B.c and 1100 B.c. under the authority of its powerful monarchies with loose alliances. The Mycenaean people had warfare-based cultures, as confirmed by the wall murals that ostentatiously prided their achievements. They also had an extensive commercial network were they distributed their intricate pottery creations. The Dark Age, a time of utmost importance, was one characterized by utter squalor and and drastic economical decline. Of its detrimental effects, on of the most significant was the lack of food production and plummet in population. However, the revival of agriculture, trade, and economic stability came from the development of iron tools and weaponry and a new innovative writing system.
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SPARTASparta, a powerful and dominant greek city state, is characterized by the standard of stringent discipline that the authorities held over its people. The spartans were a successful military state who focused solely on the art of military. In fact, their regulations were so uncompromising that they prohibited the study of any other art. In fact, any thing that presented itself as a prospective threat to the ideal of war was condemned, and as a result, Spartan citizens were forbidden from international travel. All of this rigorous restrictions were placed to maintain the uniformity of thought and mind that would be necessary to maintain the rigid organization of their society and execute their highly intricate military strategies. Military was such and affluential aspect of this culture that men were legally bound to military service from the age of twenty to sixty years. In fact, they were required to reside in the provided barracks as housing until turning thirty years of age. As a result, women inherited a greater freedom. However, I would hardly attribute this progress to any reform minding principles that promoted gender equality. Instead, I think that this was the blatant byproduct of their military focus. The Spartan government was an oligarchy. It was lead by two kings that lead a vast majority of the army on its campaigns. Their subordinate officials were the ephors, or a group of five men elected each year who were responsible for the education of youth and conduct of all citizens.
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ATHENSThe Athens culture was much more receptive to the intellectually advanced concepts of philosophy, literature, and the liberal arts. They encouraged debate and intelligent discussion to promote and communicate different ideas throughout the civilizations. The Athens became a unified polis on the peninsula of Attica by 700 B.C. The consequence for debt was being sold into slavery, with the guarantee of liberation after the contract of time, in accordance with the debt quantity, had been served. The Athenian Oligarchy gave full power to Solon, a reform minded aristocrat who canceled these inhumane land debts. Internal strife eventually provoked the thing Solon passionately resented, a tyrannical government. Peristratus seized power in 560 B.C and favorably impacted trade to please the merchants. He also liberally destributed, without necessary consent, land from the opulent aristocrats to the poor. However, this tyrannical rule ended when seditious peoples rebelled against Peristratus’s son. The Cleisthenes gained the upper hand. This reformer created a council comprised of five hundred people that supervised foreign affairs, oversaw treasury, and proposed laws to be voted on by the Athenian assembly. This assembly was composed of ,a;e citizens, and its central role in the Athenian political system created the fundamental basics of an Athenian democracy
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KEY GREEK TERMinology:
lessons one and two
Epic poem: a long poem that tells the deeds of a great hero, such as the Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer
ARete: In early Greece, the qualities of excellence that a hero strives to win a struggle or contest
Polis: the early Greek city-state, consisting of a city or town and its surrounding countryside
AGORA: in early greek city-states, an open area that served as a gathering place and as a market
TYRANT: a ruler who seized power by force from the aristocrats , gained support from the newly;rich and the poor, and ,and maintained power by using hired soldiers and fighting tactics
OLIGARCHY: "the rule of few"; a form of government in which a select group of people exercises control
EPHOR: one of the five men elected each year in ancient sparta who were responsible for the education of youth and the conduct of all citizens
ACROPOLIS: in early greek city-states, a fortified gathering place at the top of a hill that was sometimes the site of temples and public buildings
PHALANX: a wall of shields created by foot soldiers marching shoulder to shoulder in a rectangular formation
DEMOCRACY: "the rule of many"; government by the people. either directly or through their elected representatives
HELOT: in ancient sparta, a captive person who was forced to work for the conqueror
ARete: In early Greece, the qualities of excellence that a hero strives to win a struggle or contest
Polis: the early Greek city-state, consisting of a city or town and its surrounding countryside
AGORA: in early greek city-states, an open area that served as a gathering place and as a market
TYRANT: a ruler who seized power by force from the aristocrats , gained support from the newly;rich and the poor, and ,and maintained power by using hired soldiers and fighting tactics
OLIGARCHY: "the rule of few"; a form of government in which a select group of people exercises control
EPHOR: one of the five men elected each year in ancient sparta who were responsible for the education of youth and the conduct of all citizens
ACROPOLIS: in early greek city-states, a fortified gathering place at the top of a hill that was sometimes the site of temples and public buildings
PHALANX: a wall of shields created by foot soldiers marching shoulder to shoulder in a rectangular formation
DEMOCRACY: "the rule of many"; government by the people. either directly or through their elected representatives
HELOT: in ancient sparta, a captive person who was forced to work for the conqueror
CITES:
- http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/trojan-war
-http://www.panoramio.com/photo/56579304
-https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g189400-d198713-i181978972-National_Archaeological_Museum-Athens_Attica.html
-https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ancient_sparta_theater.jpg
- http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/trojan-war
-http://www.panoramio.com/photo/56579304
-https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g189400-d198713-i181978972-National_Archaeological_Museum-Athens_Attica.html
-https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ancient_sparta_theater.jpg