For homework for Western Civilization we had to read, and take notes on Alexander the Great.  Alexander became the King of Macedonia in 336 BC.  Because of his accomplishments over the next 13 years he became known as Alexander the Great.  He became King when he was 20 years old, but was well prepared because he had learned science, geography, and literature from Aristotle.  In 334 he led 35,000 soldiers across the Hellespont into Anatolia.  By 326 BC Alexander and his army had reached the Indus Valley.  After winning a relentless battle, Alexander agreed to turn back because his soldiers were so tired.  By Spring of 323 BC Alexander organized plans to unify his Kingdom with new cities, and roads.  He became seriously ill with a fever, and died at just 32 years old.  He never carried out his plans.

Pericles was a ruler of Ancient Greece from 460-429 BC.  In charge during the golden age of Athens.  One of the best Greek statesmen, and in 443 he was elected strategos.  A stratego was a leading general of Athens.  He was the head of Athens and the Delian League.  Born into a leading family in Athens, and he was son of Xanthippus, his father was a hero during the Persian War.  In 429 Pericles died of the Plague.  Aspasia- Pericles girlfriend- educated in philosophy, history, politics, and science, art and literature. Pericles could not marry her because she was not a citizen.  Sparta invaded Attica, near Athens.  The Athenians gathered withing the walls of Athens, and people from Attica.  A plague hit Athens and killed many people.

Today in class we worked on our part of a large Power Point, which was about Ancient Greek Art.

• Instead of creating realistic works, Greek sculptors made statues that they felt reflected real beauty.
• The established artistic standards that the Greeks created, strongly have influenced the Western World today. Statues would show more cleavage than we Americans are used to.
  It would be in great detail to the point where it looks like the sculpture was real.
  Also the statues would be a great size. Some statues were 40 feet tall! That’s very impressive knowing that they didn't have any technological machines. They were very impressive. Greek life was dominated by religion and so it is not surprising that the temples of ancient Greece were the biggest and most beautiful. They also had a political purpose as they were often built to celebrate civic power and pride.
  • A Greek sculptor of the High Classical Period, Polykleitos (Polyclitus) is considered one of the most important and greatest sculptors of classical antiquity, along with Phidias (488-431) and Myron (480-444). He created mainly bronze sculpture and his most famous works, none of which survive today except in replica, include his Canon of Polykleitos and his Amazing figure.

Today's test was not very hard, and I felt prepared from studying my blogs and the PowerPoint.  After the test we had to read pages 134-136, and I took notes on these pages.  Pericles dominated Athens from 461 to 429 BCE.  He had three goals: 1. To strengthen Athenian democracy.  2. to hold and strengthen the empire.  3. to glorify Athens.  To make a stronger democracy Pericles increased the number of public officials who were paid salaries.  Since before Athenian public officials were unpaid which meant that only the rich could spare to cut the paycheck, but now that the job pays poorer Athenians can have that job.  After defeating the Persians Athens helped to organize the Delian League.  In time Athens took dominated all the city states in the League.  Pericles used the money from the league's treasury to make Athens' navy the strongest in the Mediterranean.  Pericles also used the money to beautify Athens and buy gold, ivory, and marble.

In this blog I will put a sum of the blogs on Ancient Greece. Draco 621 BCE-
All Athenians were equal under the law, rich or poor
death was a punishment for most crimes
debt slavery is OK(being a slave for someone to pay off your debt
Solon's Reform 594 BCE-
outlaws debt slavery
All Athenian citizens can speak at assemblies
any citizen can press charges against wrongdoers
Hippias- tyrant who ruled from 527- 510 BCE
Brother was murdered by his enemies
eventually he was ostracized from Athens
in revenge, he began working with the Persians to invade Marathon.
Isagoras and Cleisthenes(both were aristocrats)
Isagoras had support from fellow aristocrats, and Sparta.  Cleisthenes had support from most Athenian citizens.  Isagoras becomes a tyrant, and he ostracizes Cleisthenes.  Cleisthenes had support from Athenian citizens so when he was ostracized the citizens revolted in 508 BCE,  Cleisthenes began to realize the talents of ordinary citizens, and started the first democracy.  In 1400 BCE the Mycenaeans invaded Crete.  When Greeks invaded other places, instead of wiping the place's culture they incorporate their own.  The Trojan War was fought in 12th or 13th century BCE.  It was debated if the war was actual fought because it was said that gods and goddesses were actively fighting in the war.  Troy- City where it was fought."Sea People"- 1200 BCE the mysterious "Sea People" began to invade Mycenae, burned everything.  Dorians moved into the warzone dominatig 1150- 750 BCE.  They were far less advanced. Trade based economy collapsed.  Writing disappeared for 400 years.

Today, in western civilization class we learned about a new type form of government.  What Cleisthenes did was a huge step forward-getting regular folks involved in government.  Citizens could participate- but only one fifth of the population were citizens(free adult male property owners born in Athens.  After several years, Athens, practiced a direct democracy. A direct democracy is where the state is ruled by its citizens. The rule is based on citizenship. Majority decides vote.  In the agora citizens argued and made speeches then voted with white stones for yes and black stones for no.  First practiced under Cleosthenes around 500 BC.  Persian Empire vs. Greece.
Greeks   Vs.      Persians
Greeks had iron weapons, ordinary citizens could arm themselves, foot soldiers with spears shields swords, and home field advantage. Persians had archers cavalry that disrupted generals and soldiers. Lightly armed infantry with spears and swords. Huge numbers and long way from home.

• What is the Greek Acropolis? A rock formation that rises 400 feet.
• What was the Acropolis used for? Ancient Athenians would go there to pray, or for protection during invasions.
• When and why was the Parthenon built?  It was built over 2,500 years ago as a temple for the goddess Athena.
• Who ordered the Parthenon to be built?  Pericles
• When was the Parthenon constructed? 447 BC
• What is the Parthenon made of? The finest White marble
• What do we mean by “Doric-style” construction? Simple, unadorned style characterized by simple columns
• What can be found inside the Parthenon?  The centerpiece of the Parthenon is a forty foot statue of Athena
• When was the Parthenon damaged, and by whom? The building was severely damaged in 1687 when the Venetians attacked Athens.  After this the building fell into disuse.

Page 139 Questions 3,4,5
3.  What steps did Pericles take to strengthen democracy in Athens?
Pericles increased the number of public officials who were paid salaries.  Now poorer people could take office, because before the jobs didn't pay so only the rich had time for a job that doesn't pay.  He introduced direct democracy, a form of government where citizens rule directly and not through representatives. He also used money from the Delian League to beautify Athens.
4. What were the battle strategies of Athens and Sparta in the Peloponnesian War?
Pericle's strategy was to avoid land battles with the Spartan army, and wait for an opportunity to attack Sparta and its allies from the sea.  The Spartans eventually marched into Athenian territory.
5.  Why do you think some of Athenians found the teaching of Socrates so disturbing?
Because most Athenians back then praised and worshiped their gods, so if someone when Socrates was going around, and talking against the gods, some Athenians got angry about him disrespecting their gods.

Today in class we learned about how war-like the Greeks were, even against other city-states.  Spartans were known for their tough, ruthless infantry: people who fought on the ground.  Spartan boys were often taken away for training at the age of seven.  Athens had a great infantry, too, but nothing compared to their navy.  Their most effective weapon was the trireme.  It was a technological marvel, fastest ship in the world at the time,  rowed by up to 170 men, on all three levels.  The ship could be used as a battering ram, and it was agile and fast.  The phalanx was a war strategy that involved a close-rank defense grouping of warriors armeed with long spears and interlocking shields.  Soldiers would advance slowly toward the enemy, until they broke through their ranks.  The Athenians used this strategy first.

Today in class we learned about some of the Greek gods and goddesses.  The gods and goddesses interfered with mortal life, and even had love affairs with mortals, and even had kids with them.  Greeks made myths about their gods and goddesses t make them seem like greater gods, and to mkae them very interesting.
Zeus- ruler of heaven and Earth. Father of Athena. God of the sky, and father of the Greeks.
Athena- goddess of wisdom and skill and warfare. Special patron of heroes
Apollo- God of music, Son of Zeus, and twin of Artemis, who is related with the moon.
Poseidon- Brother of Zeus, and god of the sea.
Aphrodite- goddess of love.
The Persian wars between Greece and the Persian Empire began in Ionia on the coast of Anatolia.
After the Athenians won their battle against the Persians their casualties was fewer than 200, and the Persian casualties was 6,000.
Thermopylae and Salamis-
In 480 BC, Darius the Great's son and successor, Xerxes, planned to invade Athens and crush it.  Greek was heavily divided, and some city-states wanted to fight Xerxes, and some wanted to let him destroy Athens.  When Xerxes was pushing through Greece, he came to a pass called Thermopylae that was blocked by 7,000 Greeks, with 300 Spartans.  Even though the odds were heavily against the Greeks they held the Persians off for days, when finally everyone retreated except the Spartans, who gave their life, all 300.

Today in class we learned about early Greek government, and how it finally led to a democracy.
Draco 621 BCE-
All Athenians were equal under the law, rich or poor
death was a punishment for most crimes
debt slavery is OK(being a slave for someone to pay off your debt
Solon's Reform 594 BCE-
outlaws debt slavery
All Athenian citizens can speak at assemblies
any citizen can press charges against wrongdoers
Hippias- tyrant who ruled from 527- 510 BCE
Brother was murdered by his enemies
eventually he was ostracized from Athens
in revenge, he began working with the Persians to invade Marathon.
Isagoras and Cleisthenes(both were aristocrats)
Isagoras had support from fellow aristocrats, and Sparta.  Cleisthenes had support from most Athenian citizens.  Isagoras becomes a tyrant, and he ostracizes Cleisthenes.  Cleisthenes had support from Athenian citizens so when he was ostracized the citizens revolted in 508 BCE,  Cleisthenes began to realize the talents of ordinary citizens, and started the first democracy.

Today in class we learned about the Mycenaeans influencing Greek culture and about the Trojan War.  In 1400 BCE the Mycenaeans invaded Crete.  When Greeks invaded other places, instead of wiping the place's culture they incorporate their own.  The Trojan War was fought in 12th or 13th century BCE.  It was debated if the war was actual fought because it was said that gods and goddesses were actively fighting in the war.  Troy- City where it was fought."Sea People"- 1200 BCE the mysterious "Sea People" began to invade Mycenae, burned everything.  Dorians moved into the warzone dominatig 1150- 750 BCE.  They were far less advanced. Trade based economy collapsed.  Writing disappeared for 400 years.