crucible of civilization

• Geography of Greece
• Mountains peninsula 
• mountains cover 3/4
• approximately 1400 islands in the aegean and linian seas 
• poor natural resources 
• skilled sailors
• location shaped its culture
• difficult to unite the ancient Greeks because the terrain developed small independent communities
• 20% of Greece suitable for farming
• fertile valleys cover 1/4 of peninsula 
• because of geography the Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, olives
• Lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization 
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• temperatures range from 48 in the winter to 80 in the summer
• Mycenaeans 
• began around 2000 B.C 
• Mycenae is located on a rocky ridge and protected by a 20 ft. thick wall 
• controlled trade in the region 
• 1400 B.C Mycenaeans invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan culture and language 
• Culture in Decline
• The dorians moved into the war-torn region
• far less advanced 
• economy collapsed 
• writing disappeared for 400 years 
• Homer and Myths 
• Only stories were kept and passed on by word of mouth
• Homer lived at the end of the "Greek Dark Ages"
• Recorded stories of the Trojan War in The lliad and The Odyssey
• Written 750-700 B.C
• Greek Concepts 
• Arete , the virtue and excellence
• Epics, narrative poems celebrating heroic deeds
• Myths were created to explain creation
• Zeus: leader of the gods
• Hera: Zeus' wife
• Athena: goddess of wisdom
• Clisthenes
• We was born as a ruler
• The night of the Athenian war was a turning point for his life and all of Greece
• He set his fellow Greeks on the path to empire
• born around 508 BC
• Grew up knowing he was an aristocrat
• Athens
• became a empire of its own 
• located in greece
• life expectancy was less then 15 years
• Olympia
• ancestor of Olympic game 
• 776 BC
• competition of wealthy and Clysones made it so anyone could compete
• chariot
• running
• boxing
• Pericles- born into one of Athens's most elite families- Aristocratic origins
• Started out as Aristocrat but ended up letting the people continue to rule their own government;
• Came up with the idea of the Parthenon & was directly involved in the planning project
• Began to plan a new adventure - Brought Athens not Glory, but the loss of their empire
• Sparta was the only city state who matched Athens in power
• The fatal flaw - You have a great person who does so many things but they have one flaw that they can't give up;
• Huberous- excessive pride and arrogance
• Parthenon- massive, beautiful building; with enormous statue of Athena in it
• Cost over a billion in todays terms
• It is the most glorious symbol of Athens
• Statue of Athena was over 40 feet tall - taller than JC
• Done as a labor of love
• A bunch of friezes [ A narrow shallow little piece of marble; 2 1/2 inches thick in depth]
• 500 feet of these surrounding the statue- in the form of farmers, artisans, etc.
• Glorifying the common people as well, democracy
• Makes democracy come to life
• Aspasia - a prostitute
• Pericles treated her as a normal person
• Thought to have written Pericles's speeches
• She was not from Athens - Foreign born
• Astonishing that she had so much to say, so much input; while the women of Athens were to be seen but not heard
• Athenian population would gather twice a year to watch popular entertainment at their theatre- they invented drama/theatre.