WORLD HISTORY MIDTERM • Warrior-kings ruled cities in southern Greece, known as

Mycenae.
The Rise and Fall of Greek City-States • Mycenaean civilization borrowed from Minoan civilization, with
Minoan-style pottery, jewelry, and scribes using Crete-borrowed
writing.
• Mycenaeans took over Minoans' sea trade, sending ships to
Egypt, Phoenicia, Sicily, and southern Italy.
• Mycenaean kingdoms often engaged in war, leading to a decline
in civilization after 1200 B.C.
• The collapse of Mycenaean civilization led to a "dark age" that
disrupted trade, farming, and arts.
• During this period, a tribe called Dorians moved into the southern
part of the peninsula, but were unable to read or write, and the
art of writing was forgotten.
Hellenic Civilization Overview
• The Hellenic Age, a period of Greek civilization, began around
800 B.C., influenced by Minoan and Mycenaean ancestors.
• Greeks learned navigation, pottery-making, and metalworking
skills from their Minoan and Mycenaean ancestors.
• They worked on land and at sea, with most being farmers and
artisans.
• Other Greeks made a living by fishing or trading, importing goods
Greece: A Sea-Dominated Land
and introducing new ideas.
• Located on a peninsula in southeastern Europe, with an irregular
• Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet for writing their
coastline providing excellent natural harbors.
language, learned the Lydian practice of using coins, and gained
• Includes numerous offshore islands in the Aegean Sea.
geometry knowledge from the Egyptians.
• Terrain is rugged and mountainous, limiting communication
• Between 800 and 750 B.C., Greeks established colonies in Asia
among city-states.
Minor, North Africa, the Aegean Sea islands, Sicily, southern
• Isolation led to unique character formation and cultural richness.
Europe, and along the Black Sea coast.
• Climate is mild, but soil is not suitable for farming.
• Greeks believed in many gods, who lived on Mount Olympus, but
• Greeks learned to harvest fish from the sea for food supply.
did not view them as terrifying or all-powerful.
• Expert sailors led to contact with other Mediterranean peoples,
Greek Myths and Gods
combining achievements and borrowing ideas.
• Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, was retold through poems and
Minoan Civilization Overview
plays.
• Originated on Crete, Greece, centuries before Greece's
• His wife was Hera, the goddess of marriage.
civilization.
• Zeus's brothers were Poseidon, the sea god, and Hades, the
• Worked with bronze and gold as early as 2600 B.C.
underworld god.
• By 2000 B.C., developed a writing system.
• Zeus's children included Ares, Apollo, and Athena, the gods of
• Reached its peak between 1700 and 1450 B.C.
war, music, prophecy, medicine, and rational thinking.
• Minoans were seafaring traders exporting wine, honey, and olive
• Greeks built temples and celebrated gods with festivals, music,
oil to various regions.
poetry, and athletic performances.
• Built magnificent palaces for royal families, priests, and
• Olympia held athletic games every four years to honor Zeus, with
government officials.
winners crowned with laurel leaves.
• The palace at Knossos was like a small city, with over 800 rooms
• Homer's Epics: Influence on Greek Religion and Thought
and workshops for artisans.
Homer, a blind man from Turkey, is a significant influence on
• Decline began around 1450 B.C. due to earthquakes or volcanic
Greek religion and thought.
eruptions.
• His two epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are set in the 1100s
Mycenaean Civilization Overview
B.C., near the end of the Trojan War.
• Invasion of Crete by Greek-speaking tribes around 1900 B.C.
• The Iliad tells of a tragic quarrel between two Trojan War heroes, o Greeks considered themselves superior to non-Greeks, o Athenians valued freedom of speech and thought, allowing
with many incidents believed to be based on a real war around referring to them as "barbarians." citizens to criticize political leaders without punishment.
1300 B.C. • The Persian War o Education was considered necessary for good citizenship, with
• The Odyssey relates the adventures of Odysseus on his way o The Persians took over Greek settlements in Asia Minor in 499 boys sent to private schools or taught at home by tutors.
home after the Trojan War. B.C. o Young men studied public speaking, geometry, astronomy, and
• Homer's heroes combined courage with intelligence, highlighting o A revolt against Persian king Darius led to the invasion of poetry, and were encouraged to discuss art, politics, and right
noble warriors' honor and pride. Greece. and wrong.
• Greek children grew up reciting Homer's works, learning about • The Battle of Marathon • Status of Women
Greek outlook and character through the deeds of legendary o Persians defeated a small Athenian army at Marathon in 490 o Women were considered inferior to men and denied citizenship
figures. B.C. and participation in public affairs.
Athens: A Center of Greek Culture and Democracy o Greek messenger, Pheidippides, a sprinter, died in the victory. o They lived a quiet life, working in fields or selling goods in the
• Athens became a center of Greek culture, viewed as the teacher • The Battle of Thermopylae agora.
of all Greece. o Persians, led by Xerxes, invaded Greece, crossing the o Girls received education at home, with most learning only
• Athenians were proud of their political freedom and the talents of Hellespont and reaching Thermopylae. household skills.
their artists, playwrights, poets, and thinkers. o The Greeks, led by Sparta king, held off the Persian army for o Between 14 and 16, girls were married to men chosen by their
• The Greeks were the first to establish a democracy, with Athens three days. parents.
leading in its creation. o After Thermopylae fell in 480 B.C., the Persians had an open • Slaves
• Athens initially ruled by a king, but by 750 B.C., the aristocrats route to Athens. o Slaves made up about one quarter of Athens's population, some
gained more power, choosing officials from their ranks to rule the o Athenians outwitted the Persians at the Battle of Salamis and Greeks captured in wars, most foreign prisoners of war, and
city-state. defeated them at Plataea in 479 B.C. some slaves who served as household servants or skilled
• The city's laws were written by Draco in 621 B.C., which made The Delian League and the Golden Age of Athenian Democracy workers.
society more just and less free for leaders to interpret. • The Delian League o Slaves led comfortable lives but could not become citizens of
• Discontent persisted, with many poor Athenians forced into o In 478 B.C., the Athenians formed the Delian League with over Athens.
slavery and others demanding more political power. 150 other city-states of Asia Minor and the Aegean islands. • Daily Life
• Solon, a statesman and poet, was given full power to deal with o The alliance was dominated by Athens due to its strong fleet o Most Athenians earned their living by farming, living inside the
unrest, canceling debts, making slavery illegal, creating a legal and wealth. city but going outside its walls each day.
system, and making political reforms. o The Delian League turned into the Athenian empire. o Public buildings were grand, but houses were plain, made from
• Solon also initiated new economic programs to boost foreign • The Golden Age of Athenian Democracy mud bricks, and had a central courtyard.
trade and make life more secure for the poor. o The Persian Wars prevented the expansion of the Persian o The court yard contained a well, an altar for worship, a
Pisistratus' Rule in Athens Empire into Europe, allowing the Greeks to develop political and washbasin, and domestic animals.
• In 46 BC, Pisistratus seized power in Athens, a term derived from artistic ideas. o Even the wealthiest Athenians lived modestly, with simple
the Greek term for a ruler who took power by force. o Athens, the birthplace of these developments, was the houses, plain diets, and few possessions.
• Despite opposition from nobles, Pisistratus gained support from birthplace of Greek democracy and culture. The Peloponnesian War Overview
city dwellers and farmers, improving water supply, building • The Age of Pericles • Sparta, a city-state of the Peloponnesian League, invaded
temples, and promoting arts. o Pericles led the Age of Pericles, which spanned from 460 to 429 Athens in 431 B.C., marking the start of the Peloponnesian War.
Cleisthenes' Democratic Reforms B.C., transforming Athens into the political and cultural center • Pericles, the leader of Athens, led the city-states, sending the
• In 510 B.C., Cleisthenes reformed Athens' political system, of the eastern Mediterranean. Athenian navy to attack enemy coasts and ships.
dividing the city into 10 districts and establishing an advisory o Pericles introduced democratic reforms, including opening • Disease struck Athens, causing thousands of deaths, including
council. government jobs to all classes and paying salaries to Pericles' death in 429 B.C.
• The Assembly, the main governing body, was made a governing government officials. • Athens' leaders, including Alcibiades, made unwise decisions,
body for all male citizens. o Athens had strict citizenship requirements, with only about 10% leading to his exile in Sparta.
• To protect the new democratic government, Cleisthenes of the population being Athenians. • Despite victories, Sparta won more battles, forcing Athens to
introduced ostracism, a practice where citizens could vote o The duties of government were performed by ordinary people, surrender in 404 B.C.
against perceived threats, leading to expulsion for 10 years. with no professional officials or judges. • The 27-year war was a tragedy for Greece, causing widespread
The Persian Wars: A Historical Overview o The most active politicians and military leaders came from noble death and destruction.
• Greek Unity and Conflict families and wealthy merchants. • The war led to a split between democratic and aristocratic rule,
o Greek city-states shared commonalities such as language, Athens' Constitution and Life Style with democracy declining even in Athens.
gods, epics, and athletic competitions. • Freedom of Speech and Thought Rise of Macedonia and the Fall of the Persian Empire
• Philip's Rule
 o Philip, a young ruler, became king of Macedonia in 359 B.C. • Advocated for the enjoyment of simple pleasures and criticized
o He built a strong army and won the support of city-states attempts to gain wealth, power, or fame.
opposed to Athens. • Later followers stressed pleasure over simplicity, resulting in the
o Demosthenes warned of the new threat, but the city-states modern term "epicure."
failed to unite. • Stoicism:
o Philip's forces crushed the Greek alliance in 338 B.C. at • Founded by Zeno, a Phoenician thinker, around 300 B.C.
Chaeronea, resulting in the loss of Greek independence. • Emphasized dignity, self-control, and reason.
Alexander the Great's Rule • Encouraged acceptance of life's challenges and virtuous living.
• Philip's assassination in 336 B.C. led to the rise of Alexander the • Emphasized unity among all people, influencing the Romans'
Great, known for his military skill and leadership ability. dominance in the Mediterranean.
• Alexander conquered Greek colonies held by the Persians in Asia
Minor, Phoenicia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and northwestern India.
• His death in Babylon in 323 B.C. ended the brief unity period Greek Culture
between Greece and the ancient Middle East.
The Hellenistic Age: Alexander's Influence and the Rise of Hellenistic
Culture
Alexander's Conquests and Greek Culture
• Alexander's conquests encouraged Greek settlement in the
conquered lands.
• Increased contacts between Greeks and the ancient Middle East
spread Greek culture.
• Greek language became widely used in Mediterranean cities.
• Hellenistic culture dominated the Mediterranean world for over
200 years.
Alexandria's Early History
• Alexander founded Alexandria in Egypt in 332 B.C.
• Ptolemy, Alexander's general, established a new dynasty in
Alexandria by 304 B.C.
• Ptolemy's rulers encouraged scholarship and established the
world's largest library and research center.
Science and Discovery
• Alexandria scientists made new discoveries, including Euclid's
logical system of geometry and Eratosthenes' distance
estimation.
• Aristarchus argued that the planets revolve around the sun,
leading to an earth-centered universe belief for 1,700 years.
• Archimedes discovered the principles of the lever and pulley,
and the natural laws for calculating weight in water.
Hellenistic and Hellenistic Philosophy Overview
Hellenistic Philosophy:
• Both Hellenic and Hellenistic philosophers used reason to explain
human conduct.
• Hellenistic thinkers wrote of people as individuals, while Hellenic
focused on community members.
• Epicureanism:
• Named after Epicurus, a writer and teacher, who advocated for
a happy life with minimal pain and anxiety.
• Criticized attempts to gain wealth, power, or fame as they
increased anxiety.
The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire