Persia and Greece
The beginning of Western
Civilization
The Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great
A tolerant ruler he allowed
different cultures within his
empire to keep their own
institutions.
The Greeks called him a
“Law-Giver.”
The Jews called him “the
anointed of the Lord.” (In 537,
he allowed over 40,000 to
return to Palestine).
580 – 529 B. C. E.
Darius the Great
(526 – 485 B. C. E.)
Built Persepolis.
He extended the
Persian Empire to the
Indus River in northern
India. (2 mil. s.q. mi.)
Darius the Great
(526 – 485 B. C. E.)
Established a tax-collecting system.
Divided the empire into districts
called SATRAPIES.
Built the great Royal Road system.
Established a complex postal
system.
Created a network of spies called
“the King’s eyes and ears.”
Ancient Persepolis
Persian “Royal Road”
Persian Archers & Soldiers
Zarathustra [Zoroaster], 6c BCE:
Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words
“Tree of Life”
Extent of Zoroastrianism
Zend-Avesta
(The “Book of Law”)
The “Sacred Fire” the force to fight
evil.
Greece
The Geography of Greece
Bronze Age Greece
Crete: Minoan Civilization
(Palace at Knossos)
Knossos: Minoan Civilization
The Mask of Agamemnon
The Greek City-State
The Polis
Characteristics
• Acropolis – Literally “fortified hill”
• Agora – meeting/marketplace of the polis
• Fields, orchards, pastures, etc surrounded
the polis.
• Each polis had its own ruler
• Greek language and religious beliefs
ATHENS: Yesterday & Today
SPARTA and ATHENS
SPARTA
Helots Messenians enslaved by the
Spartans.
Sparta and Athens (Origins)
Sparta Athens
Descended from Dorians. Descended from
Conquered Laconia and Mycenaeans. Built inland
made Sparta capital. and became sea traders
“A city is well fortified because of the area is
which has a wall of men rocky, salty, and
instead of brick.” generally unproductive for
agriculture
Sparta and Athens (Social Classes)
Sparta Athens
Citizens-Controlled the city of Citizens-Initially males whose
Sparta father and maternal
Helots-City owned slaves grandfather had been
Perioeci-Free individuals who citizens. (Non-landowning
worked for the Spartans as citizens could not vote).
merchants and artisans By 507 BCE, all free Athenian
males are citizens
Metics-Free non-slave
foreigners
Sparta and Athens (Government)
Sparta Athens
Set up in 800’s BCE After the age of kings-
2 Kings - joint rule aristocrats who voted 9
Council of Elders 28 men archons (rulers) to serve
over age 60>that for 1 year
proposed laws Judges – Nobles who
Assembly Males over 30 interpret & apply laws
(Favored nobles)
Sparta and Athens (Laws and
Regulation)
Sparta Athens
Prohibited gold and Only citizens with certain
silver-believed people amount of land could
would want luxury goods vote
Currency was heavy iron Draco – Harsh written
bars law code
Strict discipline stressed Cleisthenes – Direct
throughout democracy . Ostracons-
6000 = ostracism.
Sparta and Athens (Philosophy,
Education, & Morals & Values
Sparta Athens
Assets only-weak or Birthplace of democracy
impaired infants left on – 4 Reformers
hillside Males educated from 7-
Males enter military at 18. Studied rhetoric.
age 7 Females-no formal
Females marry at 19 and education. Married by 13
must be healthy or 14 (2X their age)
Sparta and Athens (Culture, Arts,
etc)
Sparta Athens
No attention paid to Sound mind and body
arts, education, Built public buildings on a
literature, etc due to grand scale. Live
military nature of modesty but support
Sparta. People expected community
to follow the state and Valued simple grace &
forgo personal rights and beauty. Perfection.
freedoms Education valued
Persian Wars: 499 BCE – 480 BCE
Greek Hoplites
Greek Phalanx
Persian Wars: Famous Battles
$ Marathon (490 BCE)
26 miles from Athens
$ Thermopylae (480 BCE)
300 Spartans at the
Mountain pass
$ Salamis (480 BCE)
Athenian navy victorious
Marathon 490 BCE
Thermoplyae 480 BCE
Thermistocles’
Wooden Wall
Golden “Age of Pericles”:
460 BCE – 429 BCE
Great Athenian Philosophers
$ Socrates
Know thyself!
question everything
only the pursuit of goodness
brings happiness.
$ Plato
The Academy
The world of the FORMS
The Republic philosopher-king
Great Athenian Philosophers
$ Aristotle
The Lyceum
“Golden Mean” [everything in
moderation].
Logic.
Scientific method.
Athens: The Arts & Sciences
$ DRAMA (tragedians):
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euripides
$ THE SCIENCES:
Pythagoras
Democritus all matter made up of
small atoms.
Hippocrates “Father of Medicine”
Phidias’ Acropolis
The Acropolis Today
The Parthenon
The Agora
The Classical Greek “Ideal”
Olympia
The Ancient Olympics:
Athletes & Trainers
Olympia: Temple to Hera
Peloponnesian Wars
Macedonia Under Philip II
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great’s Empire
Alexander the Great in Persia
The Hellenization of Asia
Hellenistic Philosophers
$ Cynics Diogenes
ignore social conventions &
avoid luxuries.
citizens of the world.
live a humble, simple life.
$ Epicurians Epicurus
avoid pain & seek pleasure.
all excess leads to pain!
politics should be avoided.
Hellenistic Philosophers
$ Stoics Zeno
nature is the expansion of
divine will.
concept of natural law.
get involved in politics, not
for personal gain, but to
perform virtuous acts for the
good of all.
true happiness is found in
great achievements.
Hellenism: The Arts & Sciences
$ Scientists / Mathematicians:
Aristarchus heliocentric theory.
Euclid geometry
Archimedes pulley
$ Hellenistic Art:
More realistic; less ideal than Hellenic art.
Showed individual emotions, wrinkles, and
age!
The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire