World History- Ancient Greece
Greeks were once Paleolithic and Neolithic too- started farming around 3200 BCE
Mycenaeans
● 1st well organized society in Greece (about 100 years after
Hammurabi’s code)
● spoke an Indo-European language
The Iliad, The Odyssey both were written about the Mycenaeans ^^
Minoans
● Society located South of the Mycenaeans
● very similar to the Mycenaeans (the Mycenaeans would pull a lot
of their culture form the Minoans)
● Centralized Kingdom » under one rule
● Linked to Mycenaeans via trade, politics, culture, intermarriage
● Based in trade » thrives in trading + economics
● Writing developed for record keeping
● Their records suggest government involvement in trade
● Would eventually be conquered by the Mycenaeans
«Mycenaean Society would collapse around 1200 BCE»
Greek Dark Ages: goes from large kingdom to more tribal set up » would be
decentralized for the next 500 Years
Greek City States- (similar but different from
the ones of Mesopotamia)
, ● The original tribes will grow to be independent City States called
The Polis
○ Nature of the Polis:
■ there was a focus on community- everyone has an
important role
■ Self Identity is very tied to your Polis- you are your
Polis
■ Acropolis- the center of the Polis with many religious
buildings
● There is no political unity but saw themselves as under that culture
with outsiders being Barbarians
● Different Poleis had different systems of Government including:
○ Monarchy
○ Oligarchy
○ Aristocracy
○ Democracy (Athens)
■ Even with these few generalized government
systems every Polis government is different
Greeks thought of Democracy as an ineffective way of government » thought it was
only suited for smaller city-states
Geographic Influence on Greece:
● farming took much longer for the Greeks to discover and develop
because of Greece’s rocky mountain terrain
● created poor farming
○ this leads to the creation of a maritime culture leading to
trade being essential » they become excellent merchants
● poor communication
● difficult rivers to navigate
● City States become Isolated
, ● Limited Farming
○ this created very bound/ close families depending on each
other for survival
● Geography causes a lack of Political Unity but excellent sailors and
merchants
Greek Colonization - they spread out largely over the Mediterranean (wherever they
could sail to)
● did so for the sake of trade»
● did so for exilement
»Trade»
They did not have great agriculture but what they did grow was highly in
demand:
● Olives> oil
● Grapes> wine
● Because of trade- social status is not based on landownership leading to a
small but powerful middle class that will start growing larger
The Greeks would learn from other Cultures also…
● The Phoenicians
○ Known for their alphabet based on phonics
■ The Greeks would adopt this alphabet of phonics
which would be revolutionary for the culture- much
easier to learn»
»Social Effects of the Alphabet»
● There were no “Scribes” because now anyone can learn to read
now- not everyone did know but now it was much easier to
● Literacy and numbers becomes essential for trade across the sea
, ● The Middle Class would start to perpetuate their status through
education- allows their children to keep that class or move up
○ This leads to an educated society
Middle class will play a huge role in democracy- middle class will demand a political
seat and be denied by the wealthy » conflict leads to democracy» Athens
»Athens»
● Athens did not start out as a democracy- originally an aristocracy
● Athens is unique because it had a smaller (but growing) middle
class that would feel the pressure of the cities trying to get land.
● Upper class will push middle class down trying to gain as much
wealth through trade
○ Middle Class land owners having to sell themselves to
slavery to pay off debts
● Central Figure: Draco
○ An elite that felt the worry of the angered middle class»
leads to the Draconian Legal Code
■ Excessively difficult and cruel punishments
■ Favored the elites but everyone was under the law
■ does not solve the crisis of those sliding into slavery
■ somewhat diminishes the class differences
■ now because of the code and debt people were
frequently sent away (exiled)
● Central Figure: Solon (comparatively opposite to Draco)
○ Solon was an elite that felt sympathy for the middle class-
reformer
○ He publicly recited poems that prompted some sympathy
for the poor by the elites
○ Solon would go on to:
■ free those enslaved
■ abolish slavery stemming from debt
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller lydiaomutho. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £6.48. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.