Hellenic History

Stone Age Greece

• c. 70,000 BC Man first appeared in Greece
• 6,000-3,000 BC - Slow migration of Neolithic cultures into Greece. These cultures created many images of female fertility goddesses, but some nale figures have also been found

Bronze Age Greece

• 3,000 - 2,000 BC - Slow migration of Bronze Age peoples from the north and east. Main thrust came from Asia Minor across the Aegean Islands
• Three Mauor Cultures
• Cycladic - on the Islands later known as the Cyclafes
• Minoan - on Crete
• Helladic - Mainland Greece, major contributor to Mycenaean Civilization
• 2,000 - 1,900 BC - Wave of northern invaders, the first truly “Greek” people
• Brought with them the worship of the sky-god, Zeus

Minoan Civilization

• On Crete, influenced development of other civilizations in the area
• Named after Minos, who is called, in mythology, the son of Zeus
• Massive bull-worshipping ceremonies
• Built great palace at Knossos
• Developed writing
  • Linear A- still undeciphered
  • Linear B- early Greek, deciphered in the 1,950’s
• Power wains about 1,400 BC
• End of Minoan civilization was sometimes attributed to volcanic ash and seismic activity
• Records suggest an erruption on the isle of Thera near the time of Minoan Fall

Mycenaean Civilization

• Named after the great city of Mycenae
• Built grand, well fortified cities
• Megaron-strong central plaace
• Huge protective walls like at Tiryns
• Walls of Mycenae were decorated with huge lion figures
• Excellent seamen, established trading posts throughout the eastern Mediterranean
• Power declines about 1,100 BC
• 1184 - Traditional date for fall of Troy, though some sources suggest it was about 1250 BC

The Dorian Invasion and the Dark Ages

• Associated in Myth with “The Return of Neraclidae”
• Avenging conquest by mistreated descendants of Heracles
• Burned and destroyed Mycenaean Civilization
• Ushered in a 300 year Dark Age
• Little art and writing in this time
• Architecture continued to develop

Homer and the New Alphabet

• c. 800 BC - composition of Iliad and Odyssey, attributed to Homer
• c. 800 BC - Development of the Classical Greek alphabet just in time to record Homer’s works

8th Century BC

• Development of the city-state into a political unit
• Development of metallurgy
• Leads to use of iron plows, which improve agriculture
• improved agriculture leads to overpopulation
• overpopulation leads to establishment of overseas trading posts to import supplies and food
• 776 BC - Traditional date for the founding of the Olympic Games
• c. 715 BC - The Lelantine War
  • Confict among city-states in Euboea
  • development of military formations used until the time of Alexander

750-500 BC- The Age of Colonization

• Rather than just the trading post of earlier ages, now city-states establish permanent colonies
• Some Noteable colonies are
• Syracuse-established by Corinthian settlers on Sicily
• Tarentum-the only colony establishes by Spaarta, was in Southern Italy
• Naucratis-a trading post along the Nile for trade with Egypt

c. 675-500 BC- The Age of Tyrants

• Tyrants- rulers who seized power from the traditional ruling classes
• Impact of tyrants
  • Broke up old class structure and nearly destroed the power of kings
  • Enhanced military prowess in many cases
  • Many tyrants had a new liberal attitude towards financing the arts

Sparta: A Military State

• Sparta was located in a region know as Laconia
• Sparta had a large slave population known as the Helots
  • Helots were the descendants of the conquered early inhabitants
• c. 600 BC Lycurgus was given complete power to reform the state after a revolt of the Helots
• Used a proclaimantion sent from the Delphic Oracle, The Great Rhetra, as model
• Included kings from old dual monarchy into new government
• New government
  • Gerousia- council of elders, includes the kings
  • Ephors- 5 judges and executives
  • Apella- council of all Spartan citizens
• Allowed only iron money to discourage the growth of trade

Athens: A Democracy

• 620 BC- Draco- created a very stern and harsh law code
• 594 BC- Solon was given power to refomr the state
  • Relieved debt of lower classes
  • Favored the growth of olives
  • Created a popular assembly with representation for all
• 561 BC- Pisistratus was tyrant of Athens
  • Favored the arts, especially drama
  • Thespius, the first well-known actor, was in his court
  • Established the Great Dionysia, drama festival in honor of the god of wine
• 508 BC- Cleisthenes had power
  • Called the father of Athenian Democracy
  • Invented ostracism, a 10 year exile for those deemed too powerful
  • Created a board of 10 generals, whose power as executives grew great in rthe next century
  • Reformed the system of tribes from whom representatives were chosen for the assembly

The Persian Wars

• Persian Empire stretched from Mesopotamia far into Asia Minor
• Greeks supported the Ionian Revolt
  • Led by islanders off the coast of Asia Minor
  • Burned the city of Sardis, a Persian base of operation in Asia Minor
  • Was defeated badly at the battle of Lade in 494 BC
• 492 BC- First invasion attempt to punish the Greeks for supporting Ionians
  • Led by Mardonius, agent of Persian king, Darius
  • Shipwrecked in storms
• 490 BC- A second Presian force attacks Greece under Darius himself
  • Marathon- Athenians under Miltiades defeat Persians
  • Athenians cut off a dash by Persians to attack undefended Athens
  • The Persians, defeated, return home
• 484 BC- Themistocles financed building of navy in Athens
  • Based on a command from the Delphic Oracle to “put your faith in wooden walls”
• 480 BC- Persians returned under Xerxes, son of Darius
  • Thermopylae- Leonidas and a small force of Spartans held back the Persians long enough for the Greeks to prepare for this invasion
  • Salamis- Themistocles won a great naval victory over the Persians
  • 479 BC- Platea- Spartans, led by Pausanias, defeay a Persian land force under Mardonius
  • Mycale- final defeat and destruction of Persian fleet
• 468 BC- Eurymedon River- Cimon, son of Miltiades, defeated the Persians and ended their threat

Events in Sicily

• Sicily controlled by Greek settlers
• Defeated and prevented Etruscans from coming south into Sicily
• Fought Carthage to prevent them from capturing the island
• Himera- on the same day as Salamis, decisive defeat of Carthagenian invaders in Sicily

Delian League

• Founded for mutual protection against external threats
• Established a treasury on the island of Delos
• Aristides the Good- respected Athenian who talked everyone into joining

Pericles

• 460-429 BC- Pericles, nephew of Cleisthenes, held many generalships in Athens
  • Moved the Delian league treasury to Athens
  • Used funds to build fine temples and art centers
  • Commissioned the building of the Parthenon to celebrate the goddess, Athena
  • Considered the diversion of funds as the “education of Greece”
• Some rename the Delian League the Athenian Empire under Pericles

The Peloponnesian War

• Conflict between Athens, and Sparta, and allies
• Mainly a struggle to get out of the Delian League
• Grew out of anger at Athenian conduct, fear of Athenian power
• Started when Athens interfered in some local conflicts, violating a truce
• 421-415 BC- Peace of Niceas- signed when the important generals on both sides die
• Alcibiades- was an Athenian general, but switched sides after being indicted on religious charges
• Athens lost a large force to defeat in Sicily, which they had attacked to cut off the grain supply of Sparta and her allies
• 405 BC- Aegospotami- Spartan Lysander won, and cut off Athenian grain route to Black sea
• 404 BC- Athens surrendered

Macedonian Dominance

• Phillip II of Macedon- conquered much of Greece, but favored Greek culture and sought cooperation
• Dreamed of mounting a joint invasion of Asia Minor
• Demosthenes- in Athens, wrote violent speeches against Phillip, led to military attack
• 338 BC- Chaeroneia- Phillip defeated Greeks amassed against him
  • Some say Demosthenes turned and ran from this battle
• 335 BC- Phillip was assassinated

Alexander the Great

• Son of Phillip, had served at Chaeroneia
• Defeated a Theban revolt, and destroyed much of the city
• Planned and executed an invasion of the Persian Empire
• 334 BC- Granicus River- along the Hellespont, first victory over Persian forces
• 333 BC- Issus- Alexander defeated Darius III, king of Persia, with superior use of cavalry
  • Tyre- Alexander captured the city after a 7 month seige
• 332- Egypt- surrendered, but Alexander spent a year exploring the culture
• 331 BC- Gaugamela- final defeat of Darius III, completed conquest of Persia
  • Alexander took the throne of Persia upon Darius’s death
• 326 BC- Hydaspes River- Alexander won in India
  • Alexander’s forces insisted that they return home after this victory
  • Alexander founded a city to honor his horse, which had died
• 323 BC- Death of Alexander, ushers in the Hellenistic Age in Greece

Division of Alexander’s Empire

• Ptolemies-got control of Egypt
• Seleucids- got control of Syria
• Antigonids- got control of Macedonia

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