Greek Civilization The Purpose of Society

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Greek CivilizationThe Purpose of Society

• 2000BCE 30 BCE

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The Perfection of Human Society

• If Sumerians had seen their purpose as service
  and entertainment for the gods, and Egyptians had
  perceived themselves as the first chosen
  people, the Greeks came to see themselves as
  uniquely human. This meant that their goals
  were two - to perfect society for people, and to
  perfect people for society. Nearly all that they
  did can be seen as one or the other of these.

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Areas of interest for the Greeks

• Society
• Government
• Warfare
• Economy Business
• Art
• History
• Law
• Science

• People
• Epistemology
• Philosophy
• Behavior
• Purpose
• Morality/Religion
• Citizenship
• Personal honor

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Greece the Aegean Sea
Greece is mountainous and difficult to move
about. This meant that most Poli developed
in relative isolation, and accounts for the
multitude of Greek answers to social questions.
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Minoan Period 2000 - 1450 BCE

• Knossos built by 1700 BCE
• Linear A not deciphered
• Destroyed by fire tsunami _at_ 1450 BCE destroyed
  it.

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Minoan Culture

• Related to Greeks
• Trading culture
• Skilled navigators of the Mediterranean
• Taught Mycenean Greeks writing, trade,
  navigation
• Art religion appear to have revolved around
  trade

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Mycenean Period 2000 1200 BCE

• 2000 - 1400 Dominant
• burial quite different
• characterized by kingship
• Agricultural
• Traded with Minoans
• Linear B script
• Learned from Minoans
• Conquered Usurped Minoan position in Med.

Lions Gate at Mycenae
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Greek Dark Ages 1150 - 750BCE

• Loss of major elements of Mycenean Civ.
• Homeric Age
• Homer Iliad Odyssey
• No written documents
• Means to success immortality heroism, honor,
  fame

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The Acropolis, Athens
Center of Polis cult contract with a protector
deity to defend polis. In exchange, polis people
perform worship activities. Faith was not an
issue. Defensive fortress.
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Polis

• City/state
• The center of Greek society, the largest
  political unit.
• Centered on the Acropolis including an
  Agora
• Aristocracy Oligarchy
• Tyrants
• Citizens and others in the Polis

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Persian Wars 492 479 BCE
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Hoplite Revolution
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Persian Wars

• 492 BCE 1st Persian expedition destroyed by
  storms
• 490 BCE 2nd expedition defeated by Athens at
  Marathon
• 480 BCE 3rd Persian expedition destroys Spartan
  Army at Thermopylae, but Persian navy is detroyed
  by Athens at Salamis. Athens Razed

Leonidas I of Sparta
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Greek Trireme
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Athenian EmpirePelopponesian Wars, 431 - 404 BCE

• The Pelopponesian wars were between Athens and
  Sparta
• Eventually, Sparta won in 404 BCE
• Primarily a problem of citizenship trade

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Peloponnesian Wars

• Over Delian League (Athenian Empire)
• 460451 BCE 1st Peloponnesian War
• Pericles
• 431 2nd Peloponnesian War
• Plague in Athens (Pericles killed)
• 404 Sparta Captures Athens

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Macedonia Alexanders Empire

• Philip II
• Unification of Greece
• Alexander the Great
• 334 - 323 BCE Conquests
• Died 323 Babylon

Alexanders Route
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Greek Philosophy

• Thales of Miletus
• Explains world through natural occurrences
• With Anaximander material vs. form
• Pythagorus of Samos
• Democritus Atomic Theory
• Hippocritus Medicine (dissections)
• Herodotus of Halicarnassus (484-425 BCE)

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Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

• Socrates 470399BCE
• Human virtue in intellectual activity
• Condemned to die for corrupting the youth
• Plato
• form/material, The Allegory of the Cave
• Realm of Images
• Aristotle
• Materialist, Cataloged facts knowledge

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Greek Art
Moscophoros the Calf Bearer Archaic Greek
Sculpture
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Classical Sculpture
Discobolos _at_450 BCE
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Late Classical Greek Sculpture
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Hellenistic Art - Following Alexander
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