With the destruction of the Mycenean culture, the Greeks were in the midst of their first "international age" in which they traded items of pottery, iron and bronze with other civilizations at harbors scattered across the Aegean. At the end of the late Hellendic period there was an "increasing interest in sea-trade throughout the mediterranean for metals, cereals, oils and vessels" allowing many of the Greeks to migrate out of mainland Greece. From 1150-700 century B.C. the Aeolions sailed from Northern Greece across the Aegean towards Lesbos and the Asiatic coast of Troad; while the Dorians (from the South) moved from Laconia to Crete and the islands of the S.E. Aegean. These migration patterns later became known as the "Ionian Migration" and can be justified by the following:
1) Protogeometric pottery found in 12th century B.C. in cemetaries on the West coast of Asia Minor (proves migration arrived early in the Iron Age). Also, the discovery of submycenean pottery at Miletus proves the first Ionian colonists settled here (as well as showing a large number of settlers came to Ionia through Attica).
2) Distribution of the Ionian dialects (specifically found in Boeotian, Argolid & Peloponnesean speech)
3) Evidence found in literature/poetry (Homer's Hymn to Apollo, Herodotus recount of History, Pherecydes in 500 B.C. & Herodotus' uncle Panyassis who wrote on the migrations)
4) Evidence found in myths/legends (the founding of Miletus by Neilos, the founding of Ephesus by Androclus--both sons of Codrus)
5) Political inclusion & compromise (Aeolian league of twelve; Ionian league with the South)
Right now, I'm having trouble finding some ancient texts available in English, (specifically Pherecydes & Panyassis' essays) Also, I'm struggling to find a good map to demonstrate the migration pattern: there are a couple in the ancient greek files that I could use if desperate.
Pentecontaetia-Fifty Years Peace
We have decided to focus on the initial years of peace after the Persian Wars, and the ways in which the progression of the Athenian empire and the moving of the Delian League Treasury to Athens created tension within the years of peace. Our main sources are Thucydides, The Old Oligarch, and the following books: The Athenian Half Century, from Platea to Potidea, and A Historical Commentary on Thucyidides.
Greek Art, Propaganda and Politics
I. Art used as propaganda against foriegn enemies
A. Multiple vase paintings portray Greek/Athenian victory over their enemies
II. Art used as propaganda for internal politics
A. Tyrannicide Monuments
B. Manipulation of mythic analogy
1. Representation of oneself in the same work as gods or mythic beings in a way of promoting one's own importance
III. Art used as a metaphore or symbol for state or polis
A. Vase paintings of victorious battles
B. The Parthenon and Parthenon friezes
Project summary for Stephen Oliver and Anna Smith
Our project is going to deal with the art of ancient Greece and how it relates to politics. I have spoken with Professor Hurwit in the Art History department and he has suggested to focus on the Tyrannicide monuments. We will look into the Tyrannicide monuments and how they were created to symbolize the blows against tyranny. Professor Hurwit suggested sources but said there is really no ancient source that deals directly with art and politics.
Project Outline for Ben Finch, Jordan Massinger, Doug McEwing:
Greek Colonization of the Mediterranean with a focus on Sicily
I. What is colonization?
II. Who did the colonizing? Where did they colonize? Why did they colonize?
III. Trade between the colonies and their homelands
IV. Foundations of a colony with a focus on Syracuse
V. Conclusion
The Rise of Philip, with Case Study of Athens
Military Innovations by Philip:
-foot companions in squadrons
-spear (sarrisa) 5 1/2 meters
-small shiled, or none at all
-locked shields
-battle formations
-hypasipists
-training, quick and mobile
-asthertairoi
-Macedonian scouts
-*strategy and political maneuvering
Philip and Athens
-Amphipolis, and the collapse of an alliance
-Peace of Philokrates, with Demosethense and Aischianes
-political situation in Athens: Philippics, and complexity of the situation
-We will include maps of Philip's conqeuest of Greece as well as images of his innovations
-the biggest challenge facing us is limiting the scope of the report--we will hone the information as we work.
I have a rough draft, but I need to add more quotes from my other sources. The paper is going to talk about the battle going from beginning to end including details of the armies fighting, topography and reasons for fighting. I am also trying to include some quotes by Thucydides and Plutarch for a more concrete source.
Battle of Plataea
Keanon Ferguson
Professor Nicols
History 412 Ancient Greece
Class Project
The Battle of Plataea (Rough Draft)
During the evening of August 26, 479 BC, King Alexander I of Macedon, one of the allies of Persia, crossed the Asopus River to have an audience with the Athenian generals to offer the following. “Men of Athens, that which I am about to say I trust to your honor...I am myself a Greek by descent and I would not willingly see Greece exchange freedom for slavery. Know then that Mardonius, and his army, have determined as soon as day dawns to engage in battle.”
Thus began the Battle of Plataea which was waged on the Peloponnesian peninsula between the Athenians, Spartans, Megarans and other smaller polis vs. the Persians and their allies, the victor of the fight would likely rule over Greece. For the Persians the battle was of utmost importance in expanding their empire and establishing a dominant hold in the Greek lands. The Greeks had no choice in fighting a war, and for the first time all of Greece, at least those city-states south of Athens, had to join forces in order to repel the foreign invasion and protect their way of life. Knowing in advance that war was imminent; the Greeks strategized their battle plans. The Persians expected to win the battle at Plataea, but they underestimated the bruising hoplite defense employed by the Greeks and they believed the Greeks had abandoned their positions. The Persians could not break the wings of the Greek resistance and Mardonius could not control the fight nor lead the Greek army anywhere that the cavalry might have a chance. Plataea was a bloody engagement, but it was also “the largest Greek army ever to take the field,” all in defense of their land and way of life
The Greek resistance at Plataea halted the advance of the Persian army. Even though most historians argue over how many troops each side was able to muster, the evidence suggests that Persia had the overwhelming advantage in numbers. “Herodotus puts Mardonius’ Asiatic force at 300,000 men.” The truth of the matter is unclear, as many sources from Herodotus to Thucydides disagree on the number the Persians brought to the battle. What was clear was the distinct fighting advantage that the Greeks held. The terrain on which the Greeks decided to encamp was different from the terrain chosen by the Persian force. The Hoplites of the Greek army were on rocky, uneven ground, making it difficult for the Persian cavalry to combat effectively. Mardonius, believing that the change in position between the Spartans and Athenians signaled cowardice of the Spartans, decided to chase them leading his army into a trap.
Greece, in all her glory before the 3rd century, mostly warred with its small neighbors, and usually it was between two rival poleis. Many Greek city-states were becoming very good at both war and politics, many realizing that in order to take something and keep it secure a polis needed a military. Furthermore, it was important for many of the poleis to rely on trade in order to survive. When Xerxes, the King of Persia, sent emissaries to gather a sign of submission to the Persian king, an offering of water and land, many of the Greek poleis rejected the idea of surrendering to a foreign invader, especially one who had been defeated by a previous generation. As the enormous Persian army approached, there was no choice left for Greece; unify the polis that will fight in a joint military venture to expel the Persians from the Greek lands. For the polis comprising the Greek army, it was the first time they had worked together to rid themselves of an outside influence as the relation between Sparta and Athens was not friendly.
Possibly the biggest factor leading to a Greek victory was the inability of both side to cross the Asopus river. The task of crossing the current was more dangerous than it seemed, especially during a time of war. The Greeks however, did not have to cross the river in order to win the battle, the Persians needed to cross in order to take the town of Plataea. As explained in Herodotus Histories, “Herodotus claims that Mardonius was eager for a battle, but that both he and Pausanias were prevented from crossing the Asopus by unfavorable omens.”
Sources: "Herodotus Historiographies Book IX" by Michael Flower and John Marincola
"Plataea's Relations with Thebes, Sparta and Athens" by N.G.L. Hammond
"From Plataea to Potidaea" by E. Badrian
Topic: The Athenian perspective on the transformation of the Delian League into empire. In particular, how the empire came about and how it was justified or discounted by Athenians
I) Refresher on the origins of the Delian league
-Allotment of power, Funding and composition - Thucydides
II) The relocation of the treasury
-Cultural achievement in Athens, prosperity
-Athenian justification - The Old Oligarch
III) Growing tyranny, revolts
-Athenian enforcement and response to revolt-Thucydides
IV) Internal development
-Domestic change fueled by external empire - Kurt Raaflaub
We will include maps of the league, revolts, the relocation of the treasury, and visual representation of the development of Athens that Athenians viewed as dependent upon empire. We also plan to touch upon the fact that the success of Athenian democracy was not truly dependent upon empire, but it was the opinion of Athenians that it was.
Project Update - The Trojan War
Project Outline
1. Mythological Origins of the Trojan War
1. The Apple of Discord and the Judgement of Paris
2. Ethnography of the Achaeans
1. The Homeric Heroes and Their Homelands
1. The Massing of the Armies (source: catalogue of Ships-Homer)
3. Archaeology of Ilium
4. The Iliad
1. Description of the Battlefield
2. The War Rages
1. Important Events and Battles
5. The end of the war
1. The death of Achilles and the Prophecies fulfilled
2. Nostoi - The return home of the Armies
6. Epilogue: Significance of the Trojan War
The presentation itself will be in powerpoint format, relying on several maps that we will create ourselves. We'll likely use a map of the aegean to provide a visual representation of the the ethnography of the combatants and the mythology of the returns. The other map would be one of Ilium itself, to allow us to represent both the achaelogical evidence and important mythic events from Homer. We would break up the maps by providing some artwork both from greek and later sources, with quotations from evidence where appropriate.
Sources
Apolodorus Summary (long history of Trojan war, includes events before the Iliad): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Texts/apollod.summ.html#part12
Iliad: Book 2, map in Historical atlas of Ancient Greece p. 34-35
Archaelogical evidence, particularly Schliemann's excavations of Troy and (perhaps) Mycenae.
Herodotus to demonstrate a perspective contemporary with post-dark ages greek society.
The only question that we really have is that if addressing events post Iliad would make the project too broad in scope, especially since the sources for the mythical aftermath of the Iliad are much harder to organize.
Temples
Our project will highlight the ambiguous nature of the temples in ancient Greece. On one hand the temples were the central buildings of the Greek poli, dominating the landscape, ubiquitously appearing in almost every city state throughout the Aegean, as maps and archeological evidence supports. Written evidence also supports the importance of temples through their role in polis loyalty, identity, and religious purpose. (the Athenians and others used religion as a way to promote civic loyalty and Athenian citizenship) The temples appeared to be the dominant buildings of the poli, dominating the landscape and tying in religious ceremonies into the civic nature of the city, and suggest strong religious underpinnings.
However evidence also suggests a secularly focused ancient Greece undermining the roles of deities in human affairs (such as the Thucydides quote that implies that “prayer to the gods was futile”). In our project, we will pose the question of, how did these two view points coincide? And perhaps reinforce each other? And are perhaps this irony is further evidence of the tolerance in Ancient Greece, considering and openly discussing different viewpoints and an openness towards the discussion of religion.
So far, there is a lot of material available, architectural, and written accounts for the temples as well.
We would also like to point out in our project, such as noted in class, that the Greek temples were not the classical white color often replicated, but instead garishly colored and decorated. We would like to recreate a few slides that show how the temples may have really looked.
We are also piecing together evidence and slides that show the structure of the temples, the similarities and differences between them, and the internal and external architecture of the buildings.
We have not yet started composing the visual aspect of our project, whether a powerpoint or website is yet to be determined. Our research, however, has been going fairly well, aided considerably by the various maps you have on your website. We are trying to find more information on the layout of Greek colonies and such, as most books on the polis layout are focused on polis's of Greece proper, rather than the various colonial layouts. A few documents in the ACG book and the ESHAG provide some information on colonies. In addition, we have a few other books checked out dealing with, to a degree, colonial layout. The largest obstacle we have ahead of us is applying these sources to one another and to the various maps.
Pottery as evidence of ancient trade, project outline:
I. Introduction to Pottery
A. Materials used
B. Processes
C. Uses
II. About Ancient Trade
A. Trade Routes, Trade Partners
B. Products traded
III. Evidence
A. Archaeological
B. Shipwrecks
C. Ancient Sources
We have divided the illustration of the Sicilian expedition into three section. Madeline will be drawing maps of the routes taken by the Athenian fleet each summer, as well as the initial expedition route and the reinforcement route. Kyle will be diagramming the major land and sea battles. Ryan will diagram the walls at Syracuse, the Athenian escape route, and map the alliances on the island in the beginning and end of the expedition. Our major source will be Thucydides but we will also consult other maps. We will each make 3-5 illustrations which will be arranged chronologically in the final presentation. We feel this will be the best way to illustrate all aspects of this campaign.
I have checked out a book about Xenophon and the 'economics' of the Greeks. It also discusses the agriculture and house management and how that ties into the idea of the Greek Economy. The one thing I am still thinking about is what exactly I was to focus on and how I am going to present it. I have ideas about how the agriculture was produced and what effect that had on not only the Greeks as people, but the Greeks with regards to their economy..
I. “Oikos” (Estate, household, family)
a. Basis for Greek Economy
b. Polis – community of oikoi (oikos) vs. individual citizens
c. Oikos – features: farm employing the labor of the family with the type of economic unit to exploit slave labor
i. What is an Oikoi?
1. Foundation of the polis
2. With strong ‘oikoi’ – stable and vigorous polis
3. Sustained by agriculture (with strong agricultural economy = vital to the health of Polis
d. Profit = chief goal of the estate
i. Mismanagement = loss
ii. Supply and Demand
1. Clothing manufactured at home; farming produces food…
2. If farmer needs something his ‘plantation’ doesn’t have, he trades his products for what he needs
iii. Potential source of income
1. Slaves-profitable for what they produce
2. Sheep
3. Cash
4. Agriculture
a. Varies from land to land
II. Agriculture
a. Not only way to make money
i. Ischomachus (the model of) treated land as a Profession
b. Manufacturing
i. Knife-makers
ii. Couch-makers
iii. Weavers (clothing)
c. Textile Manufacturing
i. Sole productive activity done by women
ii. LAW CODE OF GORTYN
1. In case of divorce, the woman is allowed to take ½ of what she has woven (weaving = only respectable work of women)
d. Wasteful Money
i. Landownders know the number of workers/animals required to cultivate a given property; understand that using more = wasteful (said by Xenophon)
e. Increase
i. People purchase large quantities of agricultural produce; then resell it where prices are high (e.g. olive oil)
III. A.V. Chayanov’s Theory on Greek Economics
a. Various types of economies, must be analyzed in terms appropriate specifically to them
b. Economies must be understood by analyzing its organization for production
c. Smallest production unit must be analyzed first before the interconnections between all units are understood.
IV. Peloponnesian War Impact on the Economy
a. Demonstrated that Athenians could survive within the city walls without relying on farming
b. Gain livelihood from the sea
c. War depleted a large number of able bodies to work on crops
d. Land value decreased after war because of the demand; increased after loss of the Athenian Empire
e. Devastation of Farmland inspired the increase of Farming Handbooks
V. Marriage
a. Economic Partnership
i. Goal to increase property value
b. Husband and Wife
i. Increase estates wealth
ii. Housekeeper and bailiff; produce surplus which creates profit
iii. Ordinary female slaves increase worth of estate 2x the value when they learn to spin (their work contributes directly to the capital.)
We are researching mainly the ships at Troy in book II of the Iliad. Also, we are trying to find a map that includes these places. Book two has a lot of information, mainly its just organizing it and mapping it out. It may be hard to find some of the exact locations of the cities because of the age of the cities, and the fact that some might not exist today. Other than that the project is going well.
Greek Temples and Architecture - Ross Anderson and Christina Sturgill
We have primarily been researching, finding a lot of sources in the Architect Library here on campus. We're thinking about refining our project by perhaps focusing more on Athenian and/or Spartan architecture so that our research can be more consentrated. We are also trying to find more literary primary sources, as opposed to just the archeological and physical evidences still apparent today. i.e. what did the people have to say about the temple during its actual construction, how were they important to the public? Still pondering on a specific thesis, but on our way.
Project Summary for Stephen Oliver and Anna Smith:
Our project is going to deal with the art of ancient Greece and how it relates to the politics of the time. I have talked with Professor Huwit in the Art History department and he suggested that we explore the tyrannicide monuments and how they symbolize a blow against tyranny. Specifically, we will look into the monument of Harmodius and Aristogeiton. There are really no ancient sources that deal directly with the relationship of art and politics, however he suggested multiple contemporary sources that directly address the subject.
The Trojan War
We have made an outline and compiled a list of sources that we think will provide a good outline of both the mythical story of the trojan war and the actual situation of bronze age Troy using references to the archaelogical evidence presented by Schliemann.
So far we have a map of the Aegean that denotes (almost) all the places that Homer mentions in the Iliad book 2, as well as a table that lists all the places that provided ships and men, and we are going to do some kind of color-coding between them so it is easy to see who came from where. I would also like to find a map of the indo-european migrations so that we also have a larger picture of where the Greeks came from.
For our project on the Greek colonies, likely focusing on the western Med., we will be making a power point presentation.
We will begin with an overview of the factors that led to the widespread colonization of Greeks throughout the Mediterranean. The two largest of these factors seem to be the formation of the Polis itself, and the overcrowding that occured as productivity and such increased.
Next we will discuss the various factors the colonists look for in ideal colonies. Primarily the geographic locations and conditions that attracted the Greek colonists to the various locations. Such as the isthmus (is that what the geographic feature is called?) with fertile soil, a supply of fresh water, and a harbor.
We will also discuss the various resources and economic conditions, primarily trade, of the Greek colonies. We will discuss the various resources sought by colonists, as well as the trade network that developed.
This is about as far as we've planned it. There are many other possabilities that we could discuss, but we haven't really researched anything beyond this point. Any suggestions would be great.
We have focused on those sophists for whom there is sufficient evidence to (roughly) frame their origins and travels (Protagoras, Gorgias, Prodicus, Hippias, Antiphon, Thrasymachus, Critias, Antisthenes, Alcidamas, Lycophron). Currently we are evaluating the reliability of the evidence, and compiling itineraries (as best as possible) for each of the above sophists, together with summaries of their respective ideas/contributions to 5th century thought. Below is a brief bibliography of works consulted.
-Diels, H. and Kranz, W. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker. vol. 2. Zürich: Weidmann, 1966.
-Guthrie, W.K.C. The Sophists. Cambridge UP, 1971.
-Kerferd, G.B. The Sophistic Movement. Cambridge UP, 1981.
-Kerferd, G.B. ed., The Sophists and their Legacy. Proceedings of the Fourth International Colloquium on Ancient Philosophy at Bad Homburg, 29th August – 1 September 1979. Wiesbaden, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1981.
-Untersteiner, Mario. The Sophists. trans. K. Freeman. NY: Philosophical Library, 1954.
We have narrowed our focus to presenting evidence for the international nature of the intellectual revolution in 5th century Greece. As originally, this evidence will take the specific form of a series of summaries of the major themes of thought and movements of the sophists.
As for structure: the project will consist of a discrete set of web pages. An index page will provide an introduction to the contents. Each page of the site will provide access to individual profile pages for each sophist. These profile pages will contain 1) Citations of primary sources for a) the sophist's main current of thought, and b) the sophist's movement through the Mediterranean world and the awareness of the sophist's thought in places other than the sophist's home city. 2) One or more Google maps illustrating the geographical disposition of the movements described by 1). 3) Illustrative images, and 4) An animation of a tiny dancing bikini girl.
The Greek Household- Lindsey and Shelley
I think we are going to focus on gender and the economic or physical structure of the household.
i.e women were confined to certain areas of the household and forbidden from others although they were considered to be the "managers" of the household.
i.e the men were allowed anywhere in the house (for the most part) but his main business was outdoors/it was disgraceful for a man to have to know the business of his household.
Also, where the slaves and workers came into the proximity of the house. We were thinking about making visuals of a "typical" greek house and showing the different areas permissible for certain people. More to come...