Crete – 1800 B.C.
1. arable land
2. surrounding water
3. easy to move around – Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Egypt

Minoan Civilization
- polytheism – adapted
- Traders – Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and Egypt
- Frescoes are water colored paintings. Dolphins : water = important to them
- Aegean sea – water supply
- Farmers
- Influences from others
- Palace at Knossos – showed how advanced they were
- Monarchial system
Fall: conquered by Mycenaeans

Mycenaen kingdom – Indo-Europeans
- conquered Minoa
- Sea trades – Sicily, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Italy
- Trojan War – conflict between Mycenae and Troy (in Turkey)
- Lived in separate city-states (fortresses to ensure protection and safety) led by warrior-king
- Learned art of writing from Minoans
- Dorians invaded – easy to put Mycenae down

Berring Strait
- owned by Troy
- for people to cross, they had to ask permission
- people wanted to own the strait
- Trojan war – weakened Mycenae

Dorians – barbaric people
- conquered Mycenae and made them slaves
- ignored achievements of Mycenae
- Mycenaeans abandoned the civilization and started their own POLISES
- This was the Dark Age of Greece

Polises/City-states
- Monarchy
- Aristocracy
- Oligarchy – country ruled by few rich/elite people
- Military technology – iron weapons cheaper than bronze weapons and used by the ordinary
- Phalanx – massive formation, new method of fighting
- Small population – better control of city-states; limited
- Monarchy -> Oligarchy – opened doors to ordinary people
- Politically and militarily motivated
- Parthenon – Athena
- Religious

Spartans – military government; had 2 kings
- healthy women – healthy babies – healthy warriors
- Spartan boys endure lifetime training (7-years old)
- Isolated themselves from Greeks – more on warring
- Consulted Council of elders
- Women had the right to inherit property
- Men – to be married at 20-years old
- Council of Ephors – real power
- Military virtues, discipline and skills
- Helots – populated Sparta, Dorian slaves, control military government
- Retire at 60-years old to the council of Elders/Ephors or part of assembly

Athens
- monarchy -> oligarchy
- nobles chose Chief officials/ ARCHONS as leaders
- women did not have equal rights, no place in society and women <> democracy
- people became mad because they had no say in the government

- foreign artisans
- merchants – lowest class
- soldiers
- SOLON – an Archon who granted citizenship (men) to foreigners, economic reforms, encouraged export of wine and olive oil, outlawed debt slavery
- Giving importance to people – legislative (law making body)
- Political rights
- Tyrants – take power by force
- Pisistratus – helped farmers, building projects for ordinary people
- Cleisthenes – put up council of 500, legislature
- Women education – sports, literature, math

Persian Wars
Cause: Ionia
Battle of Marathon -> Battle of Thermopylae -> Battle of Salamis

Battle of Marathon
- Athenians won battle
- Persians went back to get more people and weapons
- Themistocles built fleet of warships and prepared other defenses

Battle of Thermopylae
- Persians won because of the small number of Spartans that protected Sparta
- After defeating, Persians marched South and burned Athens, but it was empty (city)

Battle of Salamis
- Athenians won
- Athenians led the Persians into the strait of Salamis
- Warships had rowers – drove into Persian boats
- Greek city-states defeated Persians (Asia Minor)

Greeks celebrated
Persians were shamed and demoralized warriors
- period of Xerxes ended, reached the golden age (Pericles or Hellenic age)
City-states – friendships/alliances headed by Persians

Delian league
- pay tribute/taxes to Athens
- protect/defend each other
- dictating how to lead government (Athens)
- Athens caused Peloponnesian war

Peloponnesian War
Delian League (Athens) vs. Peloponnesian League (Sparta)
- refused the idea of Athens taking over
- Polises wanted their independence

Sparta – land/geographical advantage
Polises – did not like Athenians’ abuse, pushing around

Other city-states sided with the Spartans including the Persians.

Result: when the war ended, Athens lost
- corrupt
- demoralized people
- declined
- cultural center of Greece

Other city-states declined as Athens did because it was the “head”. Small kingdoms were afraid of other unforeseen wars because everyone wanted to be friends with the Spartans. Persians were contented with Spartans winning the war.
- No more democracy
- Implemented strict oligarchy – Spartans

Emerged:
1. Thebes – powerful, defeated Sparta
2. Macedonia led by Philip the Great
Alexander the Great
- conquered Greece, Persia, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia
- spread Greek culture
- studied in Athens and tutored by Aristotle

Hellenistic Period (Pericles) – Alexander the Great
- medicine
- architecture
- literature

Ostracism
- voting to banish a public figure = threat to democracy
- Citizen wrote name of person on piece of pottery
- live outside the city for 10 years

Direct Democracy – people taking part in the government’s affairs

Demes – Statistics of property and population of Greece for taxation purposes

Why is Greece one of the greatest civilizations?
1. Value of excellence – education was important and the government made programs to ensure excellence. They were taught the importance of excelling.
2. Valued holistic development – people tried new things and explored new fields like military, education, and arts and they also trained politicians.
3. Well-defined government system – people followed the government and the people and the government both dedicated time serving Greece (mostly government)

Schools of learning – Persia and Turkey; these schools had museums and gardens also – spread by Alexandria (Alexander?)

boombox generation: