Greece Video: Crucible of Civilization - Episode 1

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   Today in class, we watched a documentary on Ancient Greece (episode one), and took notes on it. Here were some notes I took:
  • 508 BC- first revolution. Athens- ordinary people demanding freedom from oppression
  • Cleisthenes comes into power in 508 BC- believes people should have freedom/rule themselves
  • Heroductus- first great historian
  • aristocrat- part of ruling class
  • writing= rare skill
  • life expectancy in Athens= 15 years old
  • town (Athens) built around acropolis
  • acropolis- rock center of Athens
  • women- cooking, cleaning, weaving
  • Helots forced to work in fields (war w/ Helots)
  • Spartan lifestyle is bare minimum (not a bunch of nice "stuff"- only what you need)
  • Stones and myths inspired Cleisthenes- memorized over a million lines of poetry
  • most famous tales- Iliad and Odyssey (Homer)
  • Heroic Ideal, individualism, arete(striving for) - should be the best person you can be in what you do
  • Athena- thinks ordinary man should be in charge
  • Pisistratus- Cleisthenes' brother-in-law; tyrant (wanted to gain power); needs to find allies
  • Pisistratus looking to citizens for support because there are many of them (more than aristocrats), also can convince people of giving them better life- living w/ Heroic Ideal
  • reduced taxes, provided free loans- Pisistratus (began to transform Athens city)
  • olives- food, soap (economically beneficial), but also (across the sea- known to export)
  • Eastern Mediterranean- greatest marketplace (everyone wanted Greek olive oil)

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