Ancient Greece II

I) Greek History
 A) Minoans (2000-1500 b.c.)
    1) First European Civ
    2) Started on the island of Crete
    3) High point was 2000-1500 b.c.)
       i) possible evidence of trading with Egypt
    4) Were literate
       i) able to record events etc. (mainly business record)
    5) Archelogical Discovery
       i) showed indoor plumbing, and flushable toilets with hot and cold running water
         a) very advanced for the time period, later Europeans were not able to copy this for many years
       ii) good business trading
       iii) discoveries
          a) leaping over bull painting = peace loving people, no war scenes
     6) Greeks figured Minoan Civ was the good old days
  B) Mycenaens (1400-1200 b.c.)
     1) Adopted Minoan civ (writing and business oriented society
     2) Many of homers characters are based on Myceans
  C) Dorian Invasion (Dark ages of Greece)
     1) had iron weapons vs. bronze weapons = iron is better and wins eery time
     2) Leads to the dark age = no writing, no money, produced nothing of value
  D) Polis
     1) Greek word for city / state
        i) independent city states
        ii) usually built around an acropolis (high point)
          a) easily defensible
          b) usually became the city center, cultural center, had the temples
          c) all had a market place
*Shows transition from military need to cultural center
      2) Corinth
         i) very wealthy - drew many artists
         ii) big party town
      3) Thebes
         i) perennial war loser
         ii) then they turned it around and began to win war when the govt. was run by homosexuals
  E) Sparta
     1) no different from other s as far as construction was concerned
     2) soon became a great military
        i) gained alot of land and slaves
          a) possibility of slave revolts force spartans of become warlike
     3) Every aspect of Spartan life dedicated to War
        i) stability = good
          a) created a semi democratic assembly to decide spartan issues - all male warriors
          b) no debating allowed because debate causes delay- creates non-unity
          c) had to give the men  say in warfare, an unmotivated army will never win
          d) spartan voting was by shouting
              1) those who don't speak up because they don't want to upset the herd or fellow warriors
         ii) Spartan males became warriors at age 7
            a) did not live at home, they were always in military training
            b) taught to sing war songs, read and write
            c) spartan males did nothing but train and go to war their whole life
            d) taught to steal, but it was a disgrace to get caught
     4) Spartan Life
        i) miserable military exitance
        ii) war was easier than training, war came as a relief to many
     5) Women is Sparta
        i) Very high status
        ii) very odd because most warlike societies keep women down
           a) women were essential to the survival of the spartan culture because the men were always training and going to war
        iii) mothers told their sons when they gave them their shield "either come back with it or on it."
           a) this shows that the whole society was behind the warlike nature