CLH100
Greek History and Society
Amy Foster
CLH100
, Contents
LECTURE: Let’s Get Started ....................................................................................................................................... 3
The Greek World in 500BCE ......................................................................................................................................... 3
The Greek World – Land and People ........................................................................................................................... 4
Greek History and Society – When? ............................................................................................................................. 4
LECTURE: Applying the Framework .......................................................................................................................... 4
The Rise of Persia............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Greeks and Persians Before 490 BCE ........................................................................................................................... 6
LECTURE: Herodotus ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Greece in the 480s BCE – Between the Persian Attacks .............................................................................................. 7
Persia 490-480.................................................................................................................................................................. 8
The Persian Invasion of 480-479 BCE........................................................................................................................... 8
LECTURE: The Persian Wars ...................................................................................................................................... 9
After the Persian Wars – Shaping Memories ............................................................................................................. 10
Sparta ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Spartans ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11
LECTURE: Get to Know Thucydides ........................................................................................................................ 12
The Peloponnesian League ........................................................................................................................................... 12
The Delian League ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
Athens vs. Sparta 479-431 BCE ................................................................................................................................... 13
Peloponnesian War – Thucydides’ Causes ................................................................................................................. 14
LECTURE: Ancient Chronology ................................................................................................................................ 15
The Peloponnesian War – 431-416 BCE ..................................................................................................................... 15
Hoplites .......................................................................................................................................................................... 15
LECTURE: War and Society....................................................................................................................................... 16
The Sicilian Expedition................................................................................................................................................. 16
LECTURE: Religion and History ............................................................................................................................... 17
Greek Religion Basics ................................................................................................................................................... 20
LECTURE: Greek Sanctuaries ................................................................................................................................... 21
Governing a Greek City ............................................................................................................................................... 21
LECTURE: Extreme Oligarchy – Athens Under the Thirty .................................................................................... 22
The Polis and Its People................................................................................................................................................ 23
LECTURE: The End of the Regime of the Thirty ..................................................................................................... 24
Athenian Law Courts ................................................................................................................................................... 24
LECTURE: Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece .............................................................................................. 24
The Greeks and Sex ...................................................................................................................................................... 26
Gender Roles in Ancient Greece .................................................................................................................................. 27
1
,After the Peloponnesian War 404-386 BCE ............................................................................................................... 28
King’s Peace to Leuctra 386-371 BCE ........................................................................................................................ 28
After Leuktra – The Theban Hegemony 371-362 ...................................................................................................... 29
LECTURE: The Rise of Macedonia ............................................................................................................................ 30
The Sources for Alexander the Great ......................................................................................................................... 31
LECTURE: Philip and Alexander............................................................................................................................... 32
Alexander the Great – Narrative 336-330BCE .......................................................................................................... 35
Alexander and the End of Classical Greece................................................................................................................ 36
2
, LECTURE: Let’s Get Started
SOURCE TABLE
Questions to Ask Expansion Points
Who produced the source? • Was it an eyewitness?
• Was he alive during the event?
• What were his social standings?
What was it for? • Did everyone or only the elite have access?
• What is it depicting?
• What is the purpose?
• What impression does it give?
When was the source produced? • How secure is the date?
• How far after the event was the source produced?
Where was it found? • Was it found in the same context?
• Was it placed deliberately or accidentally?
Why was it produced? • Is there a specific audience?
• Was there a reason for production?
How complete is it? • Do we know what is missing?
• How certain can we be of the remaining translations or
interpretations?
How plausible is it? • Use wider knowledge of area and specifics
• Does translation have an effect on the content?
The Greek World in 500BCE
IMPORTANT GREEK CITIES IN 500BCE
• Corinth held overseas connections, trading
links and wealth.
• Aegina was an important centre of trade
and the main rival of Athens.
• Sparta had alliances covering most of the
Peloponnese, making it the strongest power
in Greece with the largest army.
• Athens had just developed a new
democratic system and was gaining more
successes but was not yet one of the most
powerful Greek cities.
• Syracuse was one of the very wealthy cities
in the West and started to extend their power.
• Miletus was the most important city in Ionia and was a centre of early Greek philosophy and science.
3
Greek History and Society
Amy Foster
CLH100
, Contents
LECTURE: Let’s Get Started ....................................................................................................................................... 3
The Greek World in 500BCE ......................................................................................................................................... 3
The Greek World – Land and People ........................................................................................................................... 4
Greek History and Society – When? ............................................................................................................................. 4
LECTURE: Applying the Framework .......................................................................................................................... 4
The Rise of Persia............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Greeks and Persians Before 490 BCE ........................................................................................................................... 6
LECTURE: Herodotus ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Greece in the 480s BCE – Between the Persian Attacks .............................................................................................. 7
Persia 490-480.................................................................................................................................................................. 8
The Persian Invasion of 480-479 BCE........................................................................................................................... 8
LECTURE: The Persian Wars ...................................................................................................................................... 9
After the Persian Wars – Shaping Memories ............................................................................................................. 10
Sparta ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Spartans ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11
LECTURE: Get to Know Thucydides ........................................................................................................................ 12
The Peloponnesian League ........................................................................................................................................... 12
The Delian League ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
Athens vs. Sparta 479-431 BCE ................................................................................................................................... 13
Peloponnesian War – Thucydides’ Causes ................................................................................................................. 14
LECTURE: Ancient Chronology ................................................................................................................................ 15
The Peloponnesian War – 431-416 BCE ..................................................................................................................... 15
Hoplites .......................................................................................................................................................................... 15
LECTURE: War and Society....................................................................................................................................... 16
The Sicilian Expedition................................................................................................................................................. 16
LECTURE: Religion and History ............................................................................................................................... 17
Greek Religion Basics ................................................................................................................................................... 20
LECTURE: Greek Sanctuaries ................................................................................................................................... 21
Governing a Greek City ............................................................................................................................................... 21
LECTURE: Extreme Oligarchy – Athens Under the Thirty .................................................................................... 22
The Polis and Its People................................................................................................................................................ 23
LECTURE: The End of the Regime of the Thirty ..................................................................................................... 24
Athenian Law Courts ................................................................................................................................................... 24
LECTURE: Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece .............................................................................................. 24
The Greeks and Sex ...................................................................................................................................................... 26
Gender Roles in Ancient Greece .................................................................................................................................. 27
1
,After the Peloponnesian War 404-386 BCE ............................................................................................................... 28
King’s Peace to Leuctra 386-371 BCE ........................................................................................................................ 28
After Leuktra – The Theban Hegemony 371-362 ...................................................................................................... 29
LECTURE: The Rise of Macedonia ............................................................................................................................ 30
The Sources for Alexander the Great ......................................................................................................................... 31
LECTURE: Philip and Alexander............................................................................................................................... 32
Alexander the Great – Narrative 336-330BCE .......................................................................................................... 35
Alexander and the End of Classical Greece................................................................................................................ 36
2
, LECTURE: Let’s Get Started
SOURCE TABLE
Questions to Ask Expansion Points
Who produced the source? • Was it an eyewitness?
• Was he alive during the event?
• What were his social standings?
What was it for? • Did everyone or only the elite have access?
• What is it depicting?
• What is the purpose?
• What impression does it give?
When was the source produced? • How secure is the date?
• How far after the event was the source produced?
Where was it found? • Was it found in the same context?
• Was it placed deliberately or accidentally?
Why was it produced? • Is there a specific audience?
• Was there a reason for production?
How complete is it? • Do we know what is missing?
• How certain can we be of the remaining translations or
interpretations?
How plausible is it? • Use wider knowledge of area and specifics
• Does translation have an effect on the content?
The Greek World in 500BCE
IMPORTANT GREEK CITIES IN 500BCE
• Corinth held overseas connections, trading
links and wealth.
• Aegina was an important centre of trade
and the main rival of Athens.
• Sparta had alliances covering most of the
Peloponnese, making it the strongest power
in Greece with the largest army.
• Athens had just developed a new
democratic system and was gaining more
successes but was not yet one of the most
powerful Greek cities.
• Syracuse was one of the very wealthy cities
in the West and started to extend their power.
• Miletus was the most important city in Ionia and was a centre of early Greek philosophy and science.
3
