Chapter 8: Mediterranean Society under the Greeks and the Romans (pp.

131-144 GREEKS) Influential Person in Ancient Greece Homer Illiad (Greek POV on a campaign waged by a band of Greek warriors against the city of Troy in Anatolia, 12 C BCE) Odyssey (experiences of a Greek hero Odysseus after the Trojan war) *both works: -described the difficulties faced by Greek warriors -testify to the frequency and normality of travel communication, and interaction in the Mediterranean basin -portray Greeks as expert and fearless seamen Greeks: most prominent seafarers of their age influenced development of classical Greek thought Influential Person in Ancient Rome Paul of Tarsus his story reflects the cosmopolitan world of the Romans devout Jew from Anatolia figure in the development of Christianity attacked because Christianity = threat to Judaism & peace and stability of the Roman empire executed by imperial authorities Mediterranean Basin channel for organized commercial exchange and interaction not a barrier but a highway o carried Christian Religion to all corners of Roman empire carried: o soldiers o citizens o goods o ideas Greek philo: moral thought and philosophical reflection

Greeks VS Romans

differed in organization and outlook ROMANS

built an extensive, centralized land empire dominated the Med. basin, parts of SW Asia, N. Africa and much of continental Europe Christianity = official religion

GREEKS
lived in independent autonomous citystates (polis) had integrated societies and economies through commercial activities did not sponsor evangelical religion

EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF GREEK SOCIETY 9th CE BCE: Greek city-states o Built under the influence of Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, etc.

Minoan Society Late 3rd mil. BCE Island of Crete Minos king of ancient Crete Built a series of lavish palaces o Knoss depicted Minoans at work & play o Residents of rulers o Storehouses for collection of taxes 2200-1450 BCE: Crete: principal center of Med. commerce 2200 BCE: Minoan ships sailed to Greece, Anatolia, Phonicia, and Egypt o Export: Cretan wine, olive oil, wool o Import: grains, textiles, manufactured goods <1600 BCE : establishment of colonies on Cyprus & many islands on Aegean Sea

Decline of Minoan Society 1700 BCE: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves Wealth of society attracted a series of invaders 1100 BCE : Crete: under foreign domination

Mycenaean Society 2200 BCE Indo-european people Mycenae most important settlements Built massive stone fortresses and palaces (southern Greek peninsula) o Peloponnesus o Attracted settlers; built small agricultural communities 1500-1100 BCE: o Expansion o overpowered Minoan society o established settlement in Anatolia, Sicily, Southern Italy 1200 BCE: conflict with Troy in Anatolia Trojan War which resulted to: o Civil disturbances o difficulty in maintaining stable govt and agricultural societies o population decline o ruined palaces THE WORLD OF THE POLIS Sparta fertile region of the Greek peninsula agricultural labor o helots servants of Spartan state not slaves but neither were free to leave the land role: to keep Sparta supplied w food th 6 C BCE: helots > Spartan citizens o Ratio of 10:1 o Spartans had to constantly guard against rebellion, thus the need for: Military training o Prowess, discipline o From Spartan educational system cultivated even at early age o Men and women rigorous training o Commitment to military values Spartan citizens: equal in status aka city-states lively commercial centers urban character extended authority over surrounding regions

Simple, frugal, and austere lifestyle Relieved social tensions by establishing a govt based on democratic principles Broadened base of political participation Citizenship = open to all residents Men have voice in govt/public affairs, women, slaves, and foreigners do not

Athenian Society Gap between rich and poor Increased trade prosperity to wealthy land owners 6th C BCE: Class conflict

Solon Devised a solution to class conflict in Attica which may result to civil war Athenean aristocrat Forged 2 compromise between the classes: o Allowed aristocrats to keep their lands, but cancelled debts, forbade debt slavery, and liberated those enslaved by debt o Provided representation for common classes in the Athenian govt by opening the councils of polis to any citizen wealthy enough for public affairs 6th-5th C BCE: Athenian leaders paid salaries to officeholders His reforms transferred Athens into a democratic state

Pericles Most popular Athenian leader (461-429 BCE) Peak of Athenian democracy Athens most sophisticated of the poleis Emergence of scientists, philosophers, poets, dramatists, artists & architects

GREECE AND THE LARGER WORLD Establishments of colonies o Med. Sea o Black sea Traded in the sea regions

Political & economic interests conflict with the expanding Persian empire Alexander of Macedon o Archaemenid empire (India to Egypt & Greece) o Trade and communication encouraged commercial and cultural exchange

o Neither side could secure a definitive victory over the other The Delian League Cause of Persian wars Alliance between the poleis Formed to discourage further Persian actions in Greece Athens: leader of alliance o Benefited from the financial contributions of other poleis

GREEK COLONIZATION Mediterranean basin 8th C BCE o Sicily o Southern Italy (region around modern Naples Neapolis) Provided fertile fields Access to copper, zinc, tin, and iron ores of central Italy Supplies of grain, fish, furs, timber, honey, wax, gold, amber, and slaves (captured in Southern Russia) Greeks did not build a centralized imperial state Colonies relied on their own resources Sponsored o Communication o Interaction o Exchange o Spread of Greek language o Cultural / Political traditions

The Peloponnesian War Civil conflict between Athens (who benefited greatly from the Delian League) and other poleis 431-404 BCE Poleis were divided into 2 camps led by: o Athens o Sparta (won the battle) Spartas victory generated new jealousies and resulted to conflict between the poleis o weakening of poleis

THE MACEDONIANS AND THE COMING OF EMPIRE Kingdom of Macedon Frontier state north of peninsular Greece

CONFLICT WITH PERSIA King Philip II 500-479 BCE: Persian Wars Emperor Cyrus and Darius o Tightened grip on Anatolia but Greek cities on the Ionian coast became increasingly restless 500 BCE: o Revolt of Greeks against Persian rule o Expelled Archaemenid admins Ionian rebellion against Persia w support of the Greeks Powerful Macedon unified state with an impressive military machine wanted to conquer Greece and the Persian empire o Greece easy to conquer because of Peloponnesian war 338 BCE: conquered Greece Assassinated in 336 BCE, thus was not able to conquer Persia

Darius Alexander of Macedon 493 BCE: Repressed Ionian rebellion Campaigned for punishing the Greeks for their interference Battle of marathon 20 y.o. son of King Phillip Aka Alexander the Great Strategist, inspired leader

333 BCE: controlled Ionia & Anatolia 331 BCE o controlled Mesopotamia o prepared to invade Persia 330 BCE: established himself as the new emperor of Persia Died at the age of 33 o Did not live long enough to develop system of admin

o Alexandrian museum State-finance institute of higher learning o Alexandrian Library The Seleucid Empire Time where Greek influence reached its greatest extent Mediterranean style urban society Familiarity w the Greek language, dress, literature, philosophy, art, & architecture Emperor Ashoka of India o Had his edics promulgated in Greek and Armaic

THE HELLENISTIC EMPIRES Division of empires into 3 states by Alexanders generals o Antigonous: Greece & Macedon o Ptolemy: Egypt o Seleucus: Archaemenid empire (largest)

THE FRUITS OF TRADE: GREEK ECONOMY AND SOCIETY Mountainous & rocky terrain of Greece yielded only small harvests of grain Southern Balkan mountains hindered travel and communication Greece = maritime trade (more accessible by sea)

The Hellenistic Era Age of Alexander and his successors Expansion of Hellas (influence of Greek cultura traditions) Cosmopolitan societies Interactions between Greece to India Facilitated trade

TRADE AND INTEGRATION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN Trade

The Ptolemaic Empire Extensive trade networks + efficient tax collection Wealthiest Efficient organization of agriculture, industry and tax collection Maintained irrigation networks Monitored cultivation of crops Established royal monopolies o Textiles o Salt making o Brewing of beer Much of the wealth of Egypt flowed to the Ptolemaic Capital Alexandria o Founded by Alexander o Served as ptolemies administrative head quarters o Bureaucratic center o Most important port in Mediterranean o Early megapolis o Cultural capital of Hellenistic world Greece: suitable for production of olives & grapes o Export: Olive oil and wine o Import: grains, etc trade links contributed to a sense of a larger Greek community

The Olympic Games a panhellenic festival o reinforced common bonds o athletic / literary / musical contests o battle among poleis took place every 4yrs

Family and Society Patriarchal Society fathers even have the right to decide whether or not to keep infants born to their wives o cannot legally kill infants but they could abandon them women o could not own landed properties but o can operate small businesses o only public position: priestess of a religious cult o *special case in Sparta Women participated in athletic contests Women can defend the polis Men = family authorities, determined state policies

o they could not pay their debts o Soldiers captured in war o From Greek trade / slave markets from Black sea ports (African slaves) Private chattel property of their landowners Their lives depend upon the temperament of their owners Slaves with special skills: high fare, unskilled slaves: low fare Pasion o Slave who gained his freedom and won a grant of Athenian citizenship

THE CULTURAL LIFE OF GREECE 8th -7th C BCE o Because of trade in the med. basin, the Greeks became acquainted with the sophisticated cultural traditions of Mesopotamia and Egypt o From Babylonians: astronomy, science, medicine, math, magic o From Egyptians: geometry, medicine, divination, myths, religious beliefs, art motifs, architecture 800 BCE o Adapted phoenician alphabet Consistent system of philosophy purely based on human reason

Sappho Poet 600 BCE Widow from an aristocratic family Charged with homosexual activity o *Greek society tolerated relationships between men but not between women Only fragments of her poetry survived

Families Aristocratic families o Can afford to provide girls with formal education Less privileged families o All hands contributed to welfare of the household Rural families o Men: outside work o Women: domestic chores, woving wool textile Artisan Families o Both men and women participated in business

Rational Thought and Philosophy Socrates 470-339 BCE Did not commit his thought to writing, Plato wrote about his views Said that honor > wealth / fame / other superficial attribute Scorned those who preferred public tribute to personal integrity Insisted on the need to reflect on the purposes and goals of life o the unexamined life is not worth living Obligation to strive for personal integrity Behave honorably toward others

Slavery Prominent means of mobilizing labor Different backgrounds of slaves

work toward the construction of a just society subjected traditional ethical teachings to critical scrutiny o charged for allegedly corrupting Athenian youths 399 BCE: was condemned to death o Drank a potion of hemlock soup and died in the company of his friends

o Zues paramount ruler of divine realm o Apollo wisdom and justice o Fortune unexpected opportunities and difficulties o Furies vengeance on violators of divine law Religious Cults greek myths explanation of the world o foundation for religious cults o sense of community

Plato disciple of Socrates theory of forms or idea disturbed that he could not gain satisfactory intellectual control over the world o different meanings in different situations our world: pale and imperfect reflection of the world of forms or ideas secrets of this world -- available only to philosophers who applied their rational faculties to the pursuit of wisdom The Republic o Philosophers = best rulers o Advocated intellectual aristocracy

Tragic Drama 5th C BCE o Presentation of plays by religious cults that examined relations between humans and gods / reflected on ethics and morality Tragedians o Aeschylus o Sophocles o Euripedes o explored possibilities and limitations of human action Comedic Dramatists o Aristophanes o calls attention to the absurd consequences of ill-considered action

Aristotle Believed in relying to senses to provide accurate info about the world, then Depend on reason to sort out its mysteries Explained nature of reality through metaphysical works Rules of logic master of those who know

Hellenistic Philosophy and Religion The Hellenistic Philosophers Epicureans Pleasure = greatest good o State of quiet satisfaction that shields from the pressures of Hellenistic world

Popular Religion and Greek Drama Ancient Greece no advanced education turned to traditions of popular culture and religion to seek guidance for human behavior

Deities no single, exclusive, all-powerful god believed in natural phenomena believed that struggles between the deities bitter heavenly battles

Skeptics Doubted the possibility of certain knowledge Refused to take strong positions on political, moral, and social issues

Stoics Most respected and influential Did not seek to withdraw from the pressures of the world Taught that individuals have the duty to help others and lead virtuous lives in harmony with reason and nature

Religious Salvation Different views For those who observed their rites and lived in accordance with the doctrines Osiris (Egyptian cult) o Promised salvation to those who led honorable lives Addressed the interests of individuals searching for security in a complex world