Unit 10

Ancient Greece & Rome

Oxford University Press Espaa S.A., 2012

What do we know?

Ancient Greece

What was the geography of Ancient Greece like?

How did its geography influence Ancient Greece?

The natural Environment

Balkan Peninsula, Peloponnese, and many islands.

Privileged/strategical position: between Asia, Africa and Europe.

Proximity to the sea: contributed to isolation and independence
of Greek cities (never united in one state)
Greek culture spread along the Mediterranean coast: origin of
Western civilisation.

The history of Ancient Greece

ORIGINS: around 7000 BC (Hellas)
THE METAL AGE:

BRONZE:

Cretan/Minoan civilisation (3000-1450 BC)

Centred in Crete (King Minos), Knossos.

Cretans traded throughout the Mediterranean.

Mycenaean Civilisation (1600-1200 BC)

Centred in the Peloponnese Peninsula, Mycenae.

People lived from agriculture, livestock, trade.

Internal wars. Dorian invasions.

IRON:

Greek Dark Age (1200-750 BC): little information.

Dorians invaded and conquered the Peloponnese.

The Archaic Age (8th-6th centuries BC): Colonisation

The poleis were governed by kings and aristocracy gained power.

Tyrants (a person who governs oppressively, unjustly, and
arbitrarily; despot) took away the citizens rights and freedoms.
The population grew there wasnt enough space for farming
merchants and artisans expanded and founded colonies around the

Mediterranean Sea.

Ancient Greek colonies

The Classical Age (5th to 4th Century BC)

This was the most splendid period.
Greece consisted of many poleis (Athens and Sparta)
Athens:
Political power passed from aristocracy to Ekklesia (Citizens Assembly).

Ekklesia: elected magistrates decisions, public office, the army.

Democracy (government of people) was established.
Citizens (aristocrats, merchants, farmers- no women, foreigners or slaves):
held power, voted for laws, elected public representatives and decided if
the polis should go to war or make peace with its enemies.

Sparta:
Oligarchy (power held by small group of people)
Rulers: two kings, 28 elders (Gerousia) and five officials (Ephors)

Military conflicts

Persian Wars (494-479 BC): The Delian League (Athens) against the
Persians.
Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BC): The Greek city states fought each
other (Sparta vs. Athens Sparta won and imposed oligarchy on Athens)

The Hellenistic Age (from 4th Century BC)

The kingdom of Macedonia (hereditary monarchy) began to
conquer Greek city states.
In 359 BC, Philip II began the expansion of Macedonia and
conquered Greece.

His son, Alexandre the Great created the largest empire of the
Ancient World.

Greece, Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia were conquered.

When Alexandre died his empire was divided into:

Macedonia and Greece.

Asia Minor, Syria and Mesopotamia and the old Persian Empire.

Egypt.

Between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, Rome conquered Greece.

The Hellenistic Age

Which areas did Alexander the Great conquer?

How was the empire divided after his death?

Rome
8th century Italian Peninsula inhabited by various civilisations:

ETRUSCANS

LATINS
GREEKS

THE HISTORY OF ROME

THE MONARCHY

Founded by Romulus in 753 BC (Legend of the foundation of Rome)

Occupied by the Etruscans (Monarchy)

Last Etruscan king tyrant deposed in 509 BC

THE REPUBLIC

From 509 BC to 27 BC citizens elected the government:

Power shared by:

Assemblies (formed by citizens): decided and voted laws

Magistrates (elected annually)

Senate (foreign policy, army, religion, law and courts) became really po

Territorial expansion:

Cathage: Punic wars to control the Mediterranean Victory of Rome in 146 BC

Hispania conquest of the Iberian Peninsula (218-19 BC)

End of the Republic magistrates and generals took control (Julius Caesar)

THE HISTORY OF ROME

THE EMPIRE

27 BC Augustus (political and religious power)

Periods

Pax romana : period of stability until the 2nd century A.D.

Territorial conquests maximum size attained by the Empire

Crisis of the third century period of decline: corruption, barbarian invasions, taxation
and communication problems with Roman territories

End of the Empire: 395 AD Emperor Theodosius divided the empire into two parts: THE
WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE (capital: Rome) and THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE (capital:
Constantinople)

476 AD Germanic people deposed the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

The Eastern Roman Empire Byzantine Empire until 15th century

The Roman Empire