Introduction To Greek Civilization

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naming the greeks

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•Greeks refer to themselves as “Hellenes” and their country as “Hellas”. •The term “Greeks” comes from the Latin word Graeci. –As Roman hegemony grew so did the use of the word to describe the Hellenes. –Romans called Hellas, “Graecia”.

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greek civilization

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•Literature–History-Herodotus, Thucydides and Diodorus–Poetry-Homer, Pindar, etc.–Dramaand Comedy- Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes–Philosophy-Plato, Aristotle, Diogenes, etc.•MaterialCulture–Archaeologicalmaterial- Monuments, houses, etc.–ArtHistorical material- sculpture, pots, etc.–Epigraphy-i.e. inscriptions•–

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interpretation of these sources

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•Analyzeliterary sources in their historical context and the biases authors may hold.•Applymodels and theories.•Analogyfrom ethnography, comparative literature, etc.•Rationalization

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why is it important to study ancient greek civilization

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•Many modern institutions, ways of thinking and doing things originate from the ancient Greeks. –Because of this Greek Civilization is relatable and approachable, but still different enough to cause us to think about it. •Seen as the founders of western civilization. –Eurocentric point of view.

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what has greek civilization given to us

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•Philosophy,including Natural Philosophy, i.e. science•Athletics•History•Drama•Aspectsof Art•Democracy•Citizenship•Typesof “Classical” Architecture•

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how did these innovations come about

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•Fromthe 8thcentury onwards the Greek citizen states or poleis(sing. polis)developed and gradually shed their kings and the power of the aristocracy wascurtailed.•Refusedto believe that the gods gave any individual or an elite class a divine rightto rule.–i.e.have access to a deeper truth•Becauseof this idea intellectuals needed to find another way to find the “truth”.

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Reason as a Way to Truth

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•Many Greek intellectuals concluded that reason was the only guide to the truth. –Any “man” could strive for this. •The practicality of this was that usually only people with wealth could hone there skills at exercising reason. –Many with wealth argued that the enlightened elite should rule- i.e. Oligarchy •Though some argued that the best decisions could be made by an assembly of citizens- i.e. Democracy – –

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citizenship

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•A “citizen” was a freeborn male who formally belonged to a polis. •A polis is a “citizen state”. Polis does not refer to the territory of the state, but the body of citizens. •The ancient Greeks developed the concept of citizenship.

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characteristics of the greek geography

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- Generally mountainous with numerous pockets of fertile land. - Thessaly is an exception -No year round navigable rivers -The Aegean Sea has many islands -Few natural resources -Mediterranean climate -Means that the summer months are very warm and little grows.

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Consequences of the Mountainous Geography

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•90% of people lived within a days walk of the sea. •The sea was the principal way of communication and transport. •Mountainous geography made land communication difficult. –As a consequence Greece was not a unified polity until the Roman period. –

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food of the plains

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•In the plains people could grow crops, such as wheat, Barley and Legumes. –Poets referred to civilized people as “bread eaters”. – •

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Barley Vs. Wheat

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•Wheatis easier to process.–Bestgrain to make bread from- although not the only one.•Barleyrequires more work + need to be cooked longer.–Growsmore easily and gives a higher yield under adverse conditions such as decreasedrainfall and increased heat.–Canbe stored for a long period in unprocessed form.

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Food of the Slopes of the Mountains.

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•On the slopes of the mountains olives and grape vines grow •Mediterranean climate is ideal for this. •Olive oil, wine and bread form the triad of Mediterranean cuisine.

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olives

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•Theolive was very important for the Greek economy. –Thefruit is edible if it is fermented and cured–Theoil was used for fuel, cleaning, cooking, and to make perfumes and ointments•

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Pastoralists

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•Thought to have moved from the cool mountains in the summer months to the warmer low lands in the winter. •Tend to be marginalized both in terms of society, space and historical account.

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animals

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•In many areas only goats and sheep were kept. •Goats provide- meat, milk, cheese, hair and skin. •Sheep provide- meat, milk, cheese, wool and skin. •Cattle where too expensive to raise, so often used for their muscle power. •Pigs raised for meat. •Chicken introduced no later than the 6th c. –Does not seem to have been popular in Greece – •

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Diet and its Consequences

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•Most people ate what we might consider a vegetarian diet most of the time. –Many people probably only ate Meat on special occasions. •“Bread” or some grain product was the staple food. •Honey used as a sweetener •Garlic, onions, grapes, goat cheese and some sorts of sausages common. •Correlation between an adult’s height and nutrition of a child. –In the classical period the average Greek man was probably 5 feet, 6 inches and the average Greek woman was likely 5 feet, 2 inches. •

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life expectancy

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•In many pre-modern societies one third of all babies born alive died before a year was up. •Half of all survived to five years of age. •Those who made it into adulthood could expect to live into their 30s. •One in 6 people reached the age of 60 and one in twenty made it to age 70. • •

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reasons for life expectancy

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•Death associated with child birth. •Poorer diet for some. •Every day illnesses which are no longer threats in the developing world. –Greek doctors were not as proficient in curing illness- mostly for people who could afford doctors. –Hygiene was not great compared to modern standards. –Life was harder for many- arthritis a problem, even if you live to old age