Mediterranean Society:

The Greek and Roman

Phases

Classical Greece, 800-350 B.C.E.

2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Early Development of Greek

Society
Minoan society
Island of Crete
Major city: Knossos

Ca. 2200 B.C.E., center of maritime trade

Scholars unable to decipher Linear A script
Series of natural disasters after 1700 B.C.E.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves

Foreign invasions
Crete falls under foreign domination

Mycenaean Society
Indo-European invaders descend through
Balkans into Peloponnesus, ca. 2200 B.C.E.
Influenced by Minoan culture
Major settlement: Mycenae
Military expansion throughout region
Trojan war, ca. 1200 B.C.E.
Homers Iliad
Sequel: Odyssey

Political turmoil, chaos from 1100 to 800 B.C.E.

Mycenaean civilization disappears

The Polis
City-state
Urban center, dominating surrounding rural
areas
Highly independent character
Monarchies
Tyrannies, not necessarily oppressive
Early democracies

Sparta
Highly militarized society
Subjugated peoples: helots

Serfs, tied to land

Outnumbered Spartans 10:1 by sixth century
B.C.E.

Military society developed to control threat

of rebellion
Austerity the norm
Boys removed from families at age seven
Received military training in barracks
Active military service follows
Marriage, but no home life until age 30
Some relaxation of discipline by fourth
century C.E.

Athens
Development of early democracy
Free adult males only
Women, slaves excluded

Yet contrast Athenian style of government

with Spartan militarism
Maritime trade brings increasing prosperity
beginning seventh century B.C.E.
Aristocrats dominate smaller landholders
Increasing socio-economic tensions
Class conflict

Solon and Athenian

Democracy
Aristocrat Solon mediates crisis
Aristocrats to keep large landholdings
But forgive debts, ban debt slavery
Removed family restrictions against participating in
public life
Instituted paid civil service

Pericles
Ruled 461-429 B.C.E.
High point of Athenian democracy
Aristocratic but popular
Massive public works
Encouraged cultural development

Greek Colonization
Population expansion drives colonization
Coastal Mediterranean, Black Sea

Sicily (Naples: Neapolis, new city)

Southern France (Massalia: Marseilles)
Anatolia
Southern Ukraine

Trade throughout region

Communication of ideas
Language, culture

Political and social effects

Classical Greece and the

Mediterranean Basin, 800-500
B.C.E.

Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.)

Revolt against Persian empire, 500 B.C.E., in Ionia
Athens supports with ships
Yet Greek rebellion crushed by Darius 493 B.C.E.;
Athenians rout Persian army in 490 B.C.E.
Successor Xerxes burns Athens, but driven out as
well

The Peloponnesian War

Civil war in Greece, 431-404 B.C.E.
Poleis allied with either Athens or Sparta
Athens forced to surrender
But conflict continued between Sparta and other
poleis

Kingdom of Macedon
Frontier region to north of Peloponnesus
King Philip II (r. 359-336 B.C.E.) builds massive
military
350 B.C.E., encroaches on Greek poleis to the
south; controls region by 338 B.C.E.
Alexander the Great, son of Philip II
Rapid expansion throughout Mediterranean basin
Invasion of Persia successful
Turned back in India when exhausted troops
mutinied

Alexanders Empire, ca. 323 B.C.E.

The Hellenistic Empires

After Alexanders death, competition for empire
Divided by generals
Antigonus: Greece and Macedon
Ptolemy: Egypt
Seleucus: Persian Achaemenid empire

Economic integration, intellectual cross-fertilization

Trade and Integration of the

Mediterranean Basin
Greece: little grain, but rich in olives and grapes
Colonies further trade
Commerce rather than agriculture as basis of much of
economy

Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.)

The Socratic method
Student: Plato
Public gadfly, condemned on charges of immorality
Forced to drink hemlock

Plato (430-347 B.C.E.)

Systematized Socratic thought
Republic
Philosopher kings
Theory of Forms or Ideas

Aristotle (389-322 B.C.E.)

Student of Plato
Broke with theory of Forms or Ideas
Emphasis on empirical findings, reason
Massive impact on western thought

Greek Theology
Polytheism
Zeus principal god
Religious cults
Eleusinian mysteries
The Bacchae
Rituals eventually domesticated

Hellenistic Philosophies
Epicureans
Pleasure, distinct from Hedonists

Skeptics
Doubted possibility of certainty in anything

Stoics
Duty, virtue
Emphasis on inner peace

Establishment of Rome
Legend of Romulus and Remus
Rome founded by Romulus 753 B.C.E.
Indo-European migrants ca. 2000 B.C.E.
Bronze ca. 1800 B.C.E.; iron ca. 900 B.C.E.

The Etruscans
Originally from Anatolia
Colonized Po River valley to Naples region
Society declines late sixth century B.C.E.
Greek maritime attacks
Celtic invasions from north

The Kingdom of Rome

Monarchy through seventh to sixth century B.C.E.
Streets, temples, public buildings

Major center of trade routes

Establishment of the Republic

509 B.C.E., Romans overthrow last Etruscan king
Roman forum built
Republican constitution
Executive: two consuls
Senate

Expansion of the Republic

Patricians (aristocrats)
Plebeians (commoners)
Major class conflict, fifth century B.C.E.
Plebeians allowed to elect tribunes for representation
Rights expanded through third century B.C.E.
Constitution allowed for dictators to be appointed in
times of crisis
Dominated Etruscans
Took over iron industry fifth to fourth century B.C.E.
Expansion via military threat and incentives
Tax exemptions
Trade privileges
Citizenship

The Punic Wars

Conflict with Carthage, 264-146 B.C.E.
Three major wars over Sicilian grain supply
Later conflict with declining Hellenistic empires
Rome dominates Mediterranean by middle of
second century B.C.E.

Civil War
Tiberius and Gaius
Attempted to limit land holdings of aristocrats
Tiberius assassinated; Gaius executed
Development of private armies made up of landless
peasants
Gaius Marius (with reformers)
Lucius Cornelius Sulla (with aristocrats)
87 B.C.E., Gaius Marius takes Rome
Lucius Cornelius Sulla drives Marius out,
83 B.C.E.
Reign of terror follows

Julius Caesar

Nephew of Marius
Escapes Sullas terror
Relatively young, well-timed trip abroad
Rises in popularity
Public spectacles, victories in Gaul
Attacks Rome 49 B.C.E.
Names self dictator for life in 46 B.C.E.
Centralized military, governance under personal control
Redistribution of land to war veterans, other allies
Major building projects reduce urban unemployment
Extended citizenship to provinces
Aristocrats threatened, assassinate Caesar in
44 B.C.E.

Augustus
Civil conflict follows death of Caesar
Power belongs to Octavian
Octavian defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra
Takes title of Augustus, 27 B.C.E.
Monarchy disguised as a republic
Increasing centralization of political, military power
Stabilized empire
Death in 14 C.E.

The Roman Empire, ca. 117

C.E.

Pax Romana: Roman Peace

27-250 C.E.
Facilitated trade, communication
Roadwork
Curbs
Drainage
Flat paving stones
Milestones
Postal service
Twelve Tables, 449 B.C.E.
Adapted to diverse populations under Roman rule
Innocent until proven guilty
Right to challenge accusers in court

Jesus of Nazareth and Paul of

Tarsus

Jewish teacher
Moral code, reputation for miracle-working
Romans fear instigation of rebellion, crucify Jesus
Belief in Jesus resurrection, divine nature
Title Christ: anointed one
Teachings recorded in New Testament
Paul of Tarsus:
Extends teachings far beyond Jewish circles
Traveled widely throughout the Roman empire
Missionary activity