Classical Studies 2700B
Introductory Lectures
(continued from last Tuesday)
C.
Greece and the Aegean
Apparently two main ethnic
strains in population of the early Aegean area: a “Mediterranean” people from
S. Asia Minor, who gradually spread
to the southern part of the Aegean islands, including Crete, and to the
southern Greek mainland; also “Northerners”, whose route towards Greece
is quite uncertain. The Mediterranean group was more advanced, especially on Crete, and c. 3000 BC they introduced metalworking to
their area (the so-called Bronze Age).
There are three phases to the Bronze Age—Early, Middle and Late—and on Crete this sequence is referred to as Minoan: hence EM, MM, and LM, running in total from c. 3000 to c.1125 BC. The
mainland did not enter Bronze Age culture until c. 2600 BC; the sequence on the
mainland is called Helladic (from Hellas) and the EH,
MH and LH periods run from c. 2600 to c. 1100 BC.
In Crete, Knossos
is the main centre and by MM period (c. 2200BC to c. 1700) several palace complexes appear on the island.
By beginning of LM period Knossos apparently
supreme in Crete (and its power may have
extended to some of the Aegean islands—the so-called “Minoan thalassocracy”);
adoption of writing in form of a syllabary – the “Linear A” script. According to radiocarbon
dating, huge eruption of volcano on Thera in 1628 BC
(+ or - quite a few years!!) and Minoan civilization gradually began to fail.
On Greek Mainland, “northerners” moved S. at beginning of MH period (c. 2200 to
c. 1700) and occupied the prime real-estate in central and S. Greece; Mycenae became main centre during this
period; so LH period (c. 1700 to 1125
BC, also called “Mycenaean”) sees shaft
graves, tholos tombs, widespread trade and
overseas colonisation. Adapation of Linear A script to
write mainlanders’ language—by this time an early form of Greek—the “Linear B”
script.
Bronze Age cultures
disintegrate after c. 1300 BC, > collapse all over E. Mediterranean area (Troy and Hittites in Asia Minor, New Kingdom in Egypt). More invaders from N. in Greece? (“Dorians”, more backward Greek-speaking people).
c. 1125-c. 850
“Dark Age” : disappearance of
writing, narrowing of horizons, failure of widespread trade and communications.
Need for new homes for displaced populations: so, “Great Migration” across the Aegean to Asia Minor from c. 1000BC.
c. 850 – c. 500 “Greek Revival” ( or
“Archaic Period” < Grk. arche
= “beginning”):
Invention of Greek alphabet; trade revives; colonisation
(all over); growth of Greek city-state (polis).
[Dorians a bit different—v.
ethnically exclusive organisations, but for
“citizens” fairly egalitarian; also powerful in military sphere.] Generally, political
evolution from kings to aristocrats, to “tyrants”,
and then to democracy or oligarchy. Importance
of Asia Minor in this period—bridge to Near East in art, philosophy and
science, especially Lydia.
c.
500-323 “Classical Period”: Persian invasions of
Greece
(490, 480-479). Athenian democracy…Periclean
Age. Athenian-led anti-Persian alliance
> Athen. Empire in Aegean area. Spartan hostility
results in Peloponnesian War (431-404). Downhill for small independent
political units thereafter. From 360 rise of Macedonia,
under Philip II, to supremacy in Greece;
battle of Chaeronea
in 338 marks effective end of polis
as a viable unit: larger political combinations become the norm. 336-323 Alexander III (“the
Great”) conquers Persian Empire. His early
death leads to prolonged fighting among “Successors”. Result, after 50 years,
is three great kingdoms—Macedonia
(Antigonids). Egypt
(Ptolemies) and Syria + points East (Seceucids). The result is
323-30 the
“Hellenistic Age”: main centre is Alexandria “by” Egypt. Creation
of great research centre, the Museum,
with its Library. Huge
advances in scientific and scholarly knowledge.
D. The Romans.
Historically, the Romans were the result of a combination, in central Italy,
of two groups of Indo-European
speaking peoples and of two burial traditions, cremation and inhumation.
Traditionally, Rome
was founded in 753 BC, and period from then to overthrow of monarchy, after
seven kings, in 510 BC is called the Regal
Period. Only seven kings in nearly 250 years is unlikely: current thinking
sees Rome
founded as urban unit about 625 BC. Importance of Etruscans in early Rome. Development of system
of government with aristocratic Senate and assembly of People. Kings
were replaced by two Consuls, elected annually.
510-31 The Republic: struggle of lower
classes for some say in government (“Struggle of the Orders”). Roman expansion in Italy.
Development of Army. Reaching out beyond Italy
, because of wars with Carthage >
creation of overseas territories (Provinces) and Empire. Great
growth in 2nd century BC < wars with Hellenistic powers (espec. Macedonia and Seleucid Empire). From 133 BC attempts to reform creaky
system of government ultimately fail because of ambitions of leading Romans
(Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Caesar). After Caesar’s murder
in 44 BC “last round” between his heir Octavian and M. Antonius. Final defeat of Antony (and
Cleopatra VII of Egypt) at Actium in 31 BC. Octavian creates:
31BC - AD 284 The Augustan Principate (a.k.a. the
Empire--confusing label!); period of slow but steady technological advance;
great and increasing autocracy in government; many changes of regime. After 284
to fall of Roman Empire in the West (AD 476),
period is known as the Dominate. Principate plus Dominate are really an extension of the
Hellenistic Age in almost all respects.