LO3

• Citizens and Communities: The Greek City-States 

• City-States: small, normally only one town, a few square miles 
• Athens and Sparta were equal in size

• Athens: named after the goddess Athena 

• Athens contained 250,000 people, while most city-states were only 1,000 people 

• Acropolis: the high fortified citadel and religious center of an ancient Greek town

• Fortresses and Temples were so important to the Greeks

• Very competitive and fount with one another 

• Developed at the same time as the Assyrians 

• Far less wealthy than Mesopotamia and Phoenicia 
• Greece was protected by miles of land and sea
• they could not afford professional soldiers or large forces 
• The Athenian owl- the slang name of this tetra-drachma because of the owl 
• Hoplite: a heavily armed and armored citizen-soldier of ancient Greece
• Phalanx: a unit of several hundred hoplites, who closed ranks by joining shields when approaching the enemy
• Monarchy:  A state in supreme power is held by a single (usually hereditary ruler) a monarch, government by king 
• Oligarchy: A state in which supreme power is held by a small group, rule by a few
•  Triremes: massive fighting vessels with three banks of oars, used to ram or board enemy ship
• Tyranny: rule by a self-proclaimed dictator (a tyrant) 
• Democracy: in ancient Greece, a form of government in which all adult male citizen were entitled to take part in decision 
• "Alongside Mesopotamia and Egypt there now appeared a third great civilization: that of classical Greece" 
• Women had limited basis in government
• no immigrants 
• slavery was widespread 
• 
  

Sparta: the military ideal 

• Helots: non-citizens forced to work for landholders in ancient city-state of Sparta
• Boys were taken from their families at age 7, they were taught manly behaviors and reading and writing, they can marriage after age 20 
• Girls were required to participate in drills and exercises, developed into healthy, childbearing women 

Athens: Freedom and Power

• to the Athenians- Spartan life wasn't worth living  
• Aristocrats: members of prominent of long-established Athenian families 
• "Instead of softening their feet with shoes, his rule was to make them hardy through going barefoot... instead of pampering them with a variety of clothes, his rule was to habituate them to a single garment the whole year through, thinking that so they would be prepared to withstand the variation the variations of heat and cold 

 

The Mycenaeans

Today in West Civ class, we took notes on the Mycenaeans. we learned that they began at around 2000 BC and was located on a rocky ridge. The culture starting declining, though, in about 1200 BC. The sea people began to invade and burn down all the palaces. We do not know much about the Sea People because they did not keep written recods. we know that they were far less advanced and their economy collapsed. the writings disappeared for 400 years. Also, we learned about Homer (not Simpson :). We know that he was blind and his stories were passed by word of mouth. He wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. Mr. Schick even began reading us the Odyssey today in class.

More Greece Notes....

Chronology

-4000 BC- farming and village life spreads from Sumerians and Egyptians lands across SW Asia and NE Africa and the European continent

-3500 BC- Megalithic structures are constructed in Europe, Stonehenge, 160 huge bounders weighing up to 50 tons

-2500 BC- Indo-European nomads from the steppes migrate into Europe; European barbarian ways of life evolves

-1600 BC- Greek fortified settlements along the Aegean develop Mycenaean civilization

-1400 BC- Destruction of Minoan towns

-Language they would involve into Greek and Latin

-Their lives centered around strength and courage, comradeship and loyalty, contests, and battles

-Thinner populations than Egypt or Mesopotamia- they formed tribes, social, and political unit consisting of communities held together by common interests, traditions, and real or mythical ties of kinship

Tribes were headed by powerful hereditary chieftains, thought of as kings (or, rarely, queens)

- no cities, no written records, no fixed structures of government

-They were barbarians, (from Greek)

-They adopted the way of life of those they encountered, and as they traveled, this is how civilization eventually spread throughout Europe

-The distinctive civilization the Greeks developed is the first that counts as definitely western

Geography of Greece

Mountainous peninsula
- mountains cover 3/4

Approx. 1,400 islands in the Seas

Location shaped its culture

Skilled Sailors

Poor natural resources
-wood
-olives

Difficult to unite the ancient Greeks because of the terrain; developed small independent
communities

Approx. 20% suitable for farming

Fertile valley covered 1/4 peninsula

Because of location, the Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, and olives

Lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization

Temperatures range from 48 in the winter to 80 in the summer

-Why the Greeks:

-New Ideas
-Incredible art forms
-Democratic government with citizen participation
-Innovators in warfare

The Test

Today in Mr. Schick's class, we went over the test and talked about the game while Jevan and Sarah were taking the test.  We went over all of the answers and Mr. Schick made fun of Carly and her 9/11 fears. I a half bell ring because i got an 88% percent on the test. we had a 1 hour late bell today so class wasn't very long.

Pyramid Game

Today in West Civ, the entire class was spent trying to build a pyramid on this game that Mr. Schick assigned. It was a very frustrating game and right after i left class i was able to finish. Jevan and Phil were the first to finish and then Matt and Zach. It was really hard and confusing.  I worked with Carly and we were getting very mad.  The game was very difficult and i emailed the proof that i did it to mr. schick. i did not read that we had to post it unto our blog until now.

The Greeks LO1

The Greeks

-The first European civilization.

-Quote- "Within classical Greek civilization there appeared ideas, art forms, and types of government whose influence on western civilization has lasted down to the present day"

-Barbarian peoples- distinctive way of life based on farming, warfare, and tribal organization that became widespread in Europe beginning in 2500 BC.

-Barbarian- anyone who wasn't a Greek, into warfare

-Invented democracy

-lived in tribes, believed in myths

-originally, people lived all over the place, not considered Europeans

-Began to migrate into the southeastern region of Europe

-Classical Greek civilization- 800 BC

-Deeply influenced by their neighbors

-New art forms and types of government- lasted to present day

-Greek City-States- based on oligarchies

-Traded and colonized near the Mediterranean Sea

-Innovators of warfare

-LO1 The European Barbarians

-4000 BC farming and village life spread throughout,

-An increase in population and wealth

-Megalithic- from the Greek word "large boulder", massive rough cut stones used to construct monuments and tombs

Chronology

-4000 BC- farming and village life spreads from Sumerians and Egyptians lands across SW Asia and NE Africa and the European continent

-3500 BC- Megalithic structures are constructed in Europe, Stonehenge, 160 huge bounders weighing up to 50 tons

-2500 BC- Indo-European nomads from the steppes migrate into Europe; European barbarian ways of life evolves

-1600 BC- Greek fortified settlements along the Aegean develop Mycenaean civilization

-1400 BC- Destruction of Minoan towns

-Language they would involve into Greek and Latin

-Their lives centered around strength and courage, comradeship and loyalty, contests, and battles

-Thinner populations than Egypt or Mesopotamia- they formed tribes, social, and political unit consisting of communities held together by common interests, traditions, and real or mythical ties of kinship

Tribes were headed by powerful hereditary chieftains, thought of as kings (or, rarely, queens)

- no cities, no written records, no fixed structures of government

-They were barbarians, (from Greek)

-They adopted the way of life of those they encountered, and as they traveled, this is how civilization eventually spread throughout Europe

-The distinctive civilization the Greeks developed is the first that counts as definitely western

Geography of Greece

Mountainous peninsula
- mountains cover 3/4
Approx. 1,400 islands in the Seas
Location shaped its culture
Skilled Sailors
Poor natural resources
-Why the Greeks:

-New Ideas
-Incredible art forms
-Democratic government with citizen participation
-Innovators in warfare

Cyber Day Assignment 2

Short Answer A: Name and describe three technological innovations or inventions and the Ancient Egyptians.

One of the main technological advancements that the Egyptians came up with was hieroglyphs. These were basically symbols which is how we know so much about the Egyptians and not as much about the other civilizations. Another form of writing they had, which was really another technological intention was papyrus. This was pretty much the paper that they used to right on. The last invention would be shipbuilding, like the sail boats they use. They used these to ships to ride back up to the Nile after they sail down to the bottom. 

Short Answer B: Describe three important features of the Egyptian pyramids. 

The pyramids are very unique and different. They were built by blocks that the slaves carved and each block took a long time to make it just right. Another thing, is that the burial chamber where they had the Pharaoh, was filled with riches and treasure. The last thing is the hieroglyphics that were painted all over the walls of the chambers. The pyramids are huge with many different rooms and chambers.  

Cyber Day Assignment 1

Essay A: Describe the social hierarchy of the ancient Egyptians. 

The social hierarchy of the Egyptians is pretty similar to that of the other ancient cultures. The only major difference is that the highest in the system is the Pharaoh which was an original thing of ancient Egypt. At the lowest point of the hierarchy is the slaves and servants. They basically helped the wealthy and helped with the child-raising. They did not have a bad life, considering the American slaves had hard labor. Above the slaves are the farmers. They basically raised everything they needed to live. They grew wheat, barley, lentils, and onions. Then came the artisans. They created statues and depicted military scenes. 

Those are the lower of the hierarchy and now we are getting a little higher into the more important people.  Next comes the merchants. They used the money/barter system to sell and maybe would accept a bag of grain. Later came the system of coinage.  Getting higher up to the Pharaoh, next comes the scribes. They kept records, wrote stories and poetry, sometimes kept anatomy and the medical records. They wrote in hieroglyphs or hierarchic. 

Now we are up to the highest people in the hierarchy. The last three are the soldiers, government officials and finally the Pharaoh. The soldiers used wooden weapons with bronze tips. They were also the ones to ride the chariots. The government officials were very wealthy and wore bright white kilts. This group consisted of priests, physicians, and engineers. Then came the Pharaoh. He was known to be like a god. He was the only religious and political leader. He owned all the lands and collected taxes and made laws. There was only ever a handful of women Pharaohs and most of them are fairly famous. 

Essay B: Discuss the importance of the Nile River in the lives of the Egyptians. 

The Nile played so much importance to the Egyptians. Without the Nile, the Egyptians probably would not have been as successful as they were. This helped them to further the advancements in technology by using the sailboat and an irrigation system. It was the major provider of life. They used it to make trading and traveling easier. They used the water itself for drinking, bathing, irrigating, and transportation by sailboat.

The Nile flowed south to north, which is opposite of most rivers.  The Nile flows through several modern day countries like Sudan, Uganda and Kenya. The Egyptian civilization flourished 3000 years before the famous Roman Empire and was the most developed of all the civilizations at the time. It depended solely on the Nile for many things. The Nile would flood in July and leave  behind rich soil and clay in October. 

The Nile also played a spiritual role for the Egyptians. They thought that it was the way to get from earth to the spiritual world in which they prepared themselves for. Thanks to the Nile, the Egyptians had one of the most developed and controlled countries of the time. The Egyptians no longer live this way, but it would be interesting if they still did.

Class on 2/12

Today in class, we first started off by talking about the crazy weather we have been having and if the snowstorm is to hit, what we should do for the so-called "cyber day". Then, we watched a video with John Green, the author of The Fault in Our Stars and he explained all about Egypt and the civilization of Egypt, even though he made a few errors. Then we watched another video which had to do with what the pyramids were like. They were more complex then most people think and had many different chambers. We do not know why this was so complex if it was meant only to be a burial place for the Pharaohs.

Class on 2/11

Today in class, we went over Mr. Schick's prezi and learned about the daily life of the Egyptians. We learned all about the hierarchy that was seen in Egypt. The Pharaoh was the highest up obviously, and the lower was the slaves. For being slaves, they did not have as bad of a life as the American slaves did. They helped with household chores instead of hard labor. The farmers and craftsmen were next. They basically made what they needed and traded with others to survive. High up were the priests, they wore a bright-white coat so you could tell that they richer and had money. Pharaoh was the one who ruled over everything and was called as a lord.

Class on 2/7

This week, we only had class twice because of all the snow days and early dismissals. On Friday, we talked about Egypt and went over the readings we did will similar notes. We learned all about what life was like in Egypt and about the Pharaoh and the Nile. We learned that Egypt was basically two parts, Upper and Lower Egypt. Upper Egypt was a thin strip of land of fertile land. Lower Egypt was the Nile Delta. The Nile was the main source of life and without it, Egypt would not have thrived like it did. We learned about the hieroglyphs and the pictures that they represented. The Pharaoh was almost always a man, and if Egypt was in perfect harmony and balance, they called it "maat".  We learned about mummification and what they did to the bodies and how they believed that they would need their bodies and organs in the future.

Class on 2/4

Lo3 Land of the Pharaohs: Egypt

-Grew up in a thin strip of fertile land,  

-The people of the Nile influenced and dominated

-Turned some of these other city-states in to Egypt 

-stretches along the lower reaches of the 4,000 mile course

-Divided into two sections "Two lands" 

-Upper Egypt: narrow stripe of fertile land 500 miles long

-Lower Egypt: fan-shaped pattern of waterways formed by the Nile 

Government by a God King

Tending to the "cattle of the God"

All men and women were under the Pharaoh,

The Great Sphinx- body of a lion, head of king Kafre

Class on 1/31

Book Notes

-Prehistory: the period before history was recorded through written documents. 

-"Language, religion, art, technology, farming, family life, and village communities- all these basic features of human existence originated in prehistoric times" 

-The quality of human life improved with the development of agriculture, and hunting and gatherings

-Learning objective 1: civilization is a recent development 

- 2.5 million years ago: appearance of human life species, 1100 BC end of the New Kingdom in Egypt

-ratio of civilized people- 3 minutes in 24 hours

-prehistory began with human race
-Paleolithic age: the earliest and longest period of prehistory when humans used simple stone tools

-Neolithic Age: known as the new stone age, characterized by advances in the stone tool making and beginning of agriculture

-Cave paintings: worshiped the beasts that they drew in the caves, they were continually restored 

-Agricultural revolution: also called the neolithic revolution, the shift from hunting and gathering to more advanced stone tool making 

-Climate, Skills, and technologies: took place several times throughout history