History, the Sumerians, the Semites, the Mesopotamians, and the Egyptians.
History- multitude of biographies.
God made choices, we make choices.
“An unbelievably small portion of believers have what is called a Christian worldview… and because (they) don’t think like Christians, they can’t act like Christians. Because they don’t act like Christians, they can’t have much impact on the world in which they live.” -George Barna
History:
-teaches you about others
-Helps you learn (including about yourself)
-you can not impact the future without knowing the present, which you learn from the past.
There are variables in history repeating itself, but repetition happens- Ecclesiastes 1
History- not facts and dates, its interpretation
“Christians do their work with confidence because they believe the world will make sense and God has made it possible for us to understand it.”
Onesimus- humility
2 types of historians:
Ordinary- evidenced-based
Providencial- God’s goodness at work through history.
1.What is Western Civ?
2.Sources considered authoritative?
3.The Bible- nice lit?
People that argue over eurocentrism have little to do with history when they produce countercultural stuff.
-archeological: good with theism
written record- complex language, worked from the beginning.
(See Mesopotamia Powerpoint)- A. Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages- old stone age.
-Hunting/gathering began. Domestication and agricultural revolution of the Neolithic age.
-Global warming? Maybe on rapid tetonics, creating ice advance-25years- may have contributed to nomads becoming hunter/gatherers> fertile crescent.
Sumerians
Sumerians- “black-headed people.”
-Maybe from Turkey, came for fertile soil.
-Language doesn’t have similar roots.
-Babylon system for irrigation and levies to control flooding.
-12 or so independent citystates at its height.
Polytheistic- patron god was anthropomorphic (part human). People served merciless gods; afterlife, yes, but no rewards/punishment.
-Had king and classes, slavery.
-Some slaves- prisoners of war, foreigners, criminals, debotors.
-Wrote with cuneiform (maybe partly from Egyptian idea of pictographs); they would use clay and stylus for writings- a little tricky for modern historians, since clay has not held up over time.
Semites
2371- (Gen. 12-50)
-Sargon advanced- united.
-conquered Sumer, Mesopotamia, all the way to eastern shore of Mediterranean sea.
Sargon-hebrews, acadian.
-why he fell is unknown.
*c.2166 bc- Abraham born
2080 bc-Ishmael
2050 bc- Isaac
2060 bc- Jacob/Esau
Ur was weakened by Semitic invasions, eventually fell.
Sumer becomes less powerful.
Obscure community in crescent grows- called Babylon- Hammurabi.
Hammurabi: 1792-1750
politically mixes Semitic notion of a tribe with Sumerian notion of a king in order to appoint himself ruler and make Babylon chief of all cities
Babylon becomes political and religious center of the empire
Medicine of the empire was a combination of magic, prescription, and surgery.
Engaged in star-gazing to tell the future, believed in omens, augering, did not believe in an afterlife.
Hammurabi Code: differences from Ten Commandments: punishment differed based on social status
Hammurabi had 3 goals:
-Secure Babylon
-Re-unify Mesopotamia. (He conquered Assyria, the north, and Sumer and Achod in the South.)
-make Babylon the foremost kingdom.
-politics: based leadership on tribal chieftain and kingship. A tribe-country!
-culture- Myths encouraged, “Morduk” became king of gods.
-Babylon became religious center (see goal 3 above!)
-Religion had creation story. Story of Job, the flood. All activities under religion.
-Vicious gods- people to appease them. Stories, augury.
Science: astrology, astronomy/prediction, observations. Found Venus, made calendar.
Medicine: magic, prescriptions, surgery (without anesthetic)
Code of Hammurabi: found on 7 ft column of black basalt.
Now in the Louvre, 300 paragraphs, found 1901.
-Differs from Mosaic Code:
-Aristocrats not punished as harshly as commoners, slaves.
-Eye an eye: only among equals. Otherwise, fees might be involved.
-Self-defense w/ support: if you accuse someone of murder and lose your case, then you get
murdered.
-Occult: did not like, god’s would decide case- trial by water-thrown in river.
-Consumer protection: code made sure of quality of work: If a house collapsed and you built it, you were killed if the owner was- if a son died in the incident, the builder’s son would die.
-Crime: part of life- burglary especially. If caught, the burglars could be killed, and their body could be used to stuff the very hole they had dug into the adobe to get in.
-Looting in fires? looter thrown in fire.
-Criminals- frequented taverns, which were normally run by women and often doubled s prostituion rings. But, if the drinks were watered down, people could be drowned in the Euphrates.
-Arguments with son? Cut off his hand.
Adultery? Penalty is drowning. A husband could obtain a pardon for his wife from the ruler if he wanted. he still reserved the right to sell his woman and children.
Agriculture- lots of tenants, penalties for neglected land.
Marriage- business transaction. Money/gift in exchange for daughter. Contracts required. Penalty for breach on contract.
-Happy aspects: Husband usually left property to wives, who could leave it to their children.
-Some women ran businesses/became wealthy through legal loopholes.
Astronomy: sexagesimal (base 60) # system.
circle- 360 (=60×6) degrees, degrees into 60 minutes, minutes into 60 seconds (ie, like our clocks).
Stagnation (see slides).
Some review:
Josephus
Herodotus- father of history
Lapse time shorter with gospels, including copies and events.
Theory regarding agricultural revolution- ice receded, giving animals places to disperse. earliest civ- Mesopotamia, Egypt= consider the waters and land.
Egyptians
3000 years- changed less in 3000 years than the US in 50.
Began 3100BC?
Herodotus- 5th century BC- Called Egypt the “Gift of the Nile”- fundamental impact.
Nile- predictable flooding/calm (unlike Mesopotamia).
-every September.
-By November, water receded back. Left fertile mud/ deposits= silts, easily sown with crops.
-Unified Egypt. Principle mode for communication/transportation. Nile like a highway.
Stable agricultural community develops.
-1300BC- about 40 groups in (good) communication. Early political stability.
Geographically isolated- so Egypt needed to be self-sufficient.
Libyan Desert to west, Nubian to the East, Ethiopia to South, Mediterranean sea to north. Sahra.
Cataracts in the Nile- waterfalls- helped stop invasion. (consider isolationism in US before WWII)
-Nile flows north into mediterranean.
-1970’s US asked to build dam along Nile. Soviets agreed when US refused, in trade for oil. Aswan dam still stands, but will eventually stop working when filled with silt.
Resources- had stone, basalt, clay, gold. Got copper from Sinai, wood from Lebanon.
unification under Pharaoh- Menes, or “Narmur.” Lived around 3000BC. unified Upper (S) and Lower (N) Egypt. Capital at Memphis (which is modern Cairo).
-From then on, dynasty rule.
3 Kingdoms: Old, Middle and New.
Old- 2700-2200 bc
Religion: Old Kingdom.
-contradiction, complexity.
-prior to unification
-chief southern god was Amun, chief northern was Re.
-Unification through Amun-Re.
-Other gods-
Osiris- fertility god (unusual);
-died each year; Isis, his wife brought him back to life each year. (reminder; the Nile floods)
-King of the dead- Anubis-weighed hearts to determine if they were good enough.
-Son named Horis. Over time, he evolved into Pharaoh (Pharaoh was Horis).
-In time, Re (personification of life-giving sun) became patron god, Pharaohs were sons of Re.
-Pantheistic- Pharoah as god.
-Source of all good, punisher of all bad,
-Owned everything.
-commands river to rise each year.
-Control ma’at. Principle of harmonic order in society. Justice, things working the way they’re
supposed to.
-People received ma’at in exchange for their labor.
Plagues: flies- worship of sacred fly.
Darkness- targeted Re
Livestock- Sacred bull
Pharaoh’s son- Pharaoh himself (the son of the sun).
Pharaohs- builders very organized- workmen0 ma’at- not necessarily slaves.
-public works projects.
Cheops- 479 feet tall. 2.25 million stone blocks. Weight b/t 2-15 tons each.
Pyramids on west side of nile (sun sets).
-400 years before Abraham.
Persistent fear of death. Much of surviving art comes from pyramids- it is usually optimistic.
Hieroglyphics- “sacred writing”- Aug. 1799- Rosetta Stone- a decree from Ptolemy 5th.
-began as pictographs, but also had phonetical alphabetic.
Applied sciences- good.
-master surveyors (from re-surveyed after each flooding)
-800 stars mapped.
-used glass, papyrus, paper, metallurgy, braces for teeth.
Medicine- drive demons out of body. Eventually various chants evolve into actual solutions.
5class- last three paid taxes.
King/royals>priests>merchants>serfs>slaves
Slavery 1600 bc- New Kingdom- skin color was irrelevant. Talent was important- talented ones could rise in status. Most people were just serfs, worked land, works projects, might be drafted into Pharaoh’s army. Pottery held rations.
Better for Egyptian Women than Mesopotamians.
-own property, pass it on, take people to court, sometimes priestesses, treasurers, scribes.
Hepshetsut (1504-1482)
-overemphasized, perhaps. Social history.
-lover built her a temple.
150 year period- confusion and chaos. Old Kingdom- loss of ma’at.
Middle Kingdom rose- stability, then, the Hyksos come. Once they are driven out…New Kingdom.
New Kingdom- 1380-100 BC
-Militaristic, made slaves.
-Hebrews still had an identity because they had already come to Egypt. 1446, or 1250..
Advancements: irrigation canals, granaries, business transaction, rudiments of algebra, geometry, trig.. Mathematics however, eventually stagnated even regressed.
1400 BC- Jews leave Egypt- the exodus. Decline of Egypt begins.
Deteriorated civilization- internal problems, invasion. Still, culture would impact the greeks in art, architecture, science, religion and medicine.
Contrast with Mesopotamia- rivers, sense of security, religion. Pharaoh embodied justice/order. A weak Pharaoh made Egypt weak. Egypt was a vigorous civilization for over 2000 years.
THE HEBREWS
The Hebrews- fundamental argument- “whose in control?”
-if you make Him into who you want Him to be, then you are making yourself god.
Origins: Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans.
Significance- morals
-There are consequences for our actions.
-human behaviour is morally significant- a choice- NOT amoral.
-The Jews laid the foundations for Christianity and Islam.
The concept of individual worth (self-evident” rights; image of God, significant).
-God asked Abraham to be content in Him. Not ritual prescriptions. Provided face-to-face encounter with the living Gos.
Law- Mosaic compared to Gilgamesh.
-Gilgamesh is powerful, but ethics not issue- humility scorned, very pessimistic.
-Code of Hammurabi:
-Pentateuch values life; the code values property over life (life is cheaper).
-Content: Hammurabi’s is purely civil law; Mosaic is civil, moral and ceremonial.
-Origin: Hammurabi got it from Shumesh (sun god), though sometimes claimed he made it. A lot is from the customs of the area and a portion is entirely political propaganda.
-Mosaic is an intrument; “Thus saith the Lord.”
-Hammurabi’s for agrarian irrigation culture/commercial interests;
Mosaic for simple agrarian and pastoral people.
-Morality: Hammurabi’s- many of bodily humiliation; nothing like golden rule. Does not control lust, or encourage charity.
-Mosaic- higher value on human life, dignity, women, humane (better slave treatment).
Prophets- common them is reform- “Return to your God.” Pull together.
Nation of priesthood- Levites (not dictatorial). Man is sinful.
Nation of Covenant- chosen people for God’s revelation.
Passover, God’s Kingdom, Restoration.
Concept of time: before Abraham, world had no sense of history.
Consider the genealogies of Genesis.
Concept of Sabbath- day of rest.
Reform movements- abolition, civil rights, labor- all from Judeo-Christian tradition.
Economic/Ideological- Republicanism- representative government.
-Communism of a sort in Acts.
Words: New, adventure, time, freedom, hope, surprise, individual, history, progress, justice, vocation (not just job), personhood, future, faith.
Moses: non-profile pic in chamber of house of representatives, across from speaker.
The Persians
A. Persian Rule
-not as harsh as some (like Assyrians)
-organized and systematic.
The Persians allowed the Jews to return from Babylon around 550BC
B. Persian Religion
Zoroastrianism
-Used to be widespread. Now has about 150,000 adherents.
-Some christian connections more than any religion but Judaism.
-Some think the magi (“3” wise men) were priests of this religion.
Cyrus, Azarus, Darius
-Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, I Chronicles.
Spitoma Zoraster-founder of the religion- sometimes called Zarathrustra.
Lived 660-583 BC; most persians worshipped nature gods. Age 30, had visions thought them true. Zahura-mazda- a god brought to supremacy, god of light.
-Zoraster preached for 10 years b4 first convert.
-He then converted King Cavi Zistasta.
-Force began to convert more; holy wars brought it to international strength- become enveloped/
-Later fell to poltheistic angel worship.
-Rise of Christianity/ Islam overcame it. Many who fled to Bombay, India- 1770-Language, Parsi; 120,000 in India; 7,000 in Iran. Well-educated, moral.
-Theology: dualism- 2 primal spirits. Ahura Mazda vs. Angra Mainyu (Avnan?). Each have 7 attributes.
*High moral standards- good thoughts, words, deed.
-Salvation achieved if good works outweigh the bad.
-Final deciding bridge- they can cross if good, thrown off if not.
-Extreme ritualism- fire temple.
*Sacred fire/light- some times these people are called fire worshippers.
*Special white bull-creation/procreation
*These are more about ceremonial than ethical purity.
-Parsi’s are not buried or burned- they are put in a tower of silence; vultures pick clean.
-Majority are Zorastrian as a culture, not theologically.
Differences form Christianity:
“We” don’t convert, just part of the process.
Zorastrians view of God is more like ours than any other eastern religion.
Officially monotheistic (but not really)- Yhwh, Alpha/Omega
Falls short- Angra Mainyu can be just as powerful as Ahura Mazda, which means the later is not really sovereign or omnipotent.
Ahura Mazda will won, but he is not a personal god- the religion is centered on ritual instead.
Salvation by works, not faith.
Heaven is populated by?…
-it does not solve the problem of sin; Ahura Mazda does not have burning righteousness.
Superstition/occultism w/ fire/white bull, ceremony, legalism= deadness. They are waiting for a saviour.
GREECE
Helos
Balkan Peninsula, islands in the Aegean Sea. *Look at map of classical Greece.
In Mediterranean.
History: Helenic (c. 2,000BC) about Abraham’s time-
-ends with conquest of Macedon, 338 BC
High point 550-350 BC
Hellenistic: (336-148 BC) Alexander the Great (years?)-died young
-Then Rome conquors b/t 220 and 148 BC.
Origins of Greek Civ.
-The Illiad, Odyssey- mostly myth (written 8th century BC)
-epic poem- embodies a people’s conception of their past.
Mycenia- on the Peloponnesus – may have origin at 2000BC.
-Major trading city.
Athens, Thebes, est.
-South- Menoans on Crete
On crete- palace of Knossos.
Mycenia- kingdom- king/warrior aristocracy. Remains of walls around city. Inset gate.
King’s palace. People with unusual skills- people skilled at metallurgy, sewing, etc.:Mask of Agamemnon.
Contact b/t Mycenians and Menoans- 1450 BC- Mycenians attack Menoans, sack and rule it. Destroyed.
Mycenians benefitted- trade influence throughout Aegean- including Egypt, Crete.
1300-1000BC- kingdom after kingdom destroyed.
-Dorians with iron weapons? Maybe just fighting each other.
Possible war in alliance with Troy (Illiam)
-Religion very important to the greeks.
Some say Illiad, Odyseey were more important to the greeks than the bible to Americans.
-no moral code, how to pacify.
-Mycenians destroyed themselves, one city-state against another. Still played Olympics.
SPORTS
-boxing (no rules about hitting- just til gave up) free for all
Leader- leather string around hands.
Plato mocks “with battered ears”
-Pankration- boxing/wrestling, no gouging eyes
-Chariot racing
-Mule carts- 12 laps around track- about 9 miles
-6 laps/ 4 ½ miles individual- jockey w/o stirrups.
-Only wealthy did this- expensive- if horse won, owner won wreath.
-Running- 4 types
1.Stadion- oldest event- sprint one stade- 192 meters (length of stadium)
2.2 Stades- 384 meters
3.Long Distance run- 4600
4.2-4 stade race- athletes wearing full armor. Hoplite- helmet, shield, arm/leg guards.
-Pentathlon- discus thrower, javelin, jumping, running, wrestling.
-Aristotle- “Most beautiful.”
1200-800 BC- Dark Age
-Myceneans begin to fall, many villages abandoned, decentralized. Writing/trade disappeared.
Re-emergence- The city state – polis. basic political/institutional
Polis: Greek city-state, very rarely did one gain enough power to dominate others – three exceptions: Thebes, Athens, Sparta. Took turns bullying the others.
water supply – public fountains and cisterns
walls built around cities by 500 BC, each has an acropolis (highest point) with temples and altars
Outside wall– farmland un ariable, pastureland, orchards, vineyards.
Very patriotic, potentially overly patriotic, in each of the city-states. Nationalism, shunning outsiders.
City-states had different forms of government: monarchy, aristocracy (wealthy rule), oligarchy (rule of a few), democracy (majority rule), tyranny (not necessarily in the modern sense; came to power through illegal means, outside the political process).
Greeks organized themselves in a Federal manner. Each city state was staunchly independent, but occasionally would band together to form leagues.
Federalism: a system in which several states band together to form a central government, the federal government has minimal powers and each state remains independent in its internal affairs. Limited central government.
Resurgence in civilization between 750-550 BC, but new set of problems.
-Not very easy to farm, and after a while, no new land to distribute; had to obtain more.
-Some wanted fresh start, adventure.
-Mediterranean Sea calm, good for travel
-Sicily, Southern Italy (Magna Grecia) colonized. Greek culture spreads.
SPARTA: conquerors, took land rather than colonizing, warlike people.
785-710 BC- Attacked and conquored Mycenia (region). Spartans named inhabitants helots- inferiors.
Helots staged a rebellion 650-625 BC- revolt against rule. Spartans put it down, but were outnumbered 10 to 1. Spartans that had helped quell the rebellion wanted more influence/power.
Lycurgus- Lycurgian Regiment- 3 political systems at once.
Reform of government after second Mycenean war: monarchy/oligarchy/democracy/republican.
-Two kings who managed religion and war, limited power.
-Council of Elders writes legislation-all over age 60 elders, except for kings.
-Written legislation went to and then approved by all men of over 30 years old
-Board of Ephors. 5 men were elected annually from/by assembly. They were administrators made sure king followed rule of law.
Lycergian- all classes abolished for all citizens. Citizens were defined as males over the age of 30 who were born in Sparta.
Everyone else was “perioeci,” dwellers who lived in Sparta but were not citizens. They were often trader.
Helots were low live/serfs.
This distinction is how political rights were determined in Sparta.
Land distribution- took from mycenians- Spartans lived off labor of helots.
About 6000 Spartan citizens; over 100,000 helots. City-state became garrison state.
Sparta transformed into a garrison state in order to maintain control, all citizens required to serve in the military until age 60, at which point they could retire.
Infanticide conducted as necessary.
Age 7- Spartan boys- trained athletics/warfare
Age 20- army
Age 30-citizens
Age 60-return.
Women- stayed in shape, service to Sparta
ATHENS/CLASSICAL GREECE
I.The Greeks- Athens
A. Background for Athens
B. Solon’s Reforms
C. Further Reform of Athenian city-state.
Draconian- harsh for the sake of being harsh- some feared revolt from Athenians.
Elected Solon, fellow aristocrat. Named Arcon (chief magistrate)- asked him to reform the problem.
594 BC- He freed all the debtors.
Divided society- 4 groups based on annual agriculture- All Athenians had basic rights, even
vote.
-made exportation of wheat illegal. Made cheap bread for Athenians.
-Exported oil/wine instead- very lucrative.
-People like Solon- people wanted him to stay, but his term was to expire.
-He left Athens so that he would become a tyrant.
Some unwise rulers, then Cleisthenes (called Father of Democracy) 508-501 BC- referenced Athens.
Assembly defined- Ecclesia- governing assembly
-All male citizens 18+ on a small hill that did not hold more than 6000 people. There were 40-50,000 eligible citizen-voters, so 1st come, 1st serve.
Direct Democracy
10 Tribes (divided into)- Each tribe should send 50 men (over 30) for service on the Council of 500.
-They decide which matters needed to come to the attention of Ecclesia.
-To make more efficient- each 1/10 of the year, 50 men would rotate on to make selcetions. This was randomized to avoid lobying, etc.
10 Generals of the Chief Executive
-Elected by Ecclesia
-Military, religious, justice, Admin.
-Elect leader Prostates.
Citizen jurors- helia- selected by lot
-The art of rhetoric (no lawyers, so it was useful)
Limitations of the system
-Direct Democracy (actually only about 10% made decisions ultimately.)
-foreigners, slaves, women, excluded of course.
II.Classical Period (500-338 BC) Still part of Hellenic.-Greeks reach zenith.
A. Persian War- 490 BC
1499 BC- some greek city states got tired of Persian rule and rebelled.
Athenians sent 20 ships to aid them (this was not significant, but a nice gesture).
-By 404, Persian king crushed Ionian Greeks and he wanted to crush all that had helped them. Herodotus noted that the Athenian ships started the Persian war.
-492- Mardonius- led army across Aegean- storm came, fleet withdrawn. 4 years later, tried again.
They outnumbered the Athenians, so the Athenians sent alarm to other citystaes.
-most didn’t really respond, they sent a runner to Sparta, but they had a ceremony so they would not help for about 5 days.
-25,000 Persian; 9,600 Athenians.
-Marathon- 192 Athenians dies, but more than 10000 Persians did also.
-Athenians ran into 2000 Spartans coming to help (at a rate of 65 miles a day!) Arrived back in Athens an hour before Persians returned.
-Significance- the supposedly invincible Persians could be beaten.
-Greek/Athenian pride.
-Persian threat temporarily checked (they begin preparing more, tho)
-People would fight tenaciously for their homes.
B. 2nd Persian War 480-479 BC
-10 years after marathon, attack in work.
-Xerxes took throne, marched army around Aegean towards Greece. 150,000-200,000 men.
-600-1200 supply ships.
-Prostates-Themostocles of Greeks had been concerned about manpower, so had built up navy to attack supply ships.
-483, also struck silver mine; helped fund the navy.
-Several 100 citystates- 31 helped, none sent more than 500 men.
-Sparta kept most of its 10000 back, but sent contingent of 300 to hold Thermopylae.- leonidas.
-Thermopylae- mountain pass; killed many Persians thru ambushes.
-A secret pass discovered to surround Spartans.
-Arrows blacked out sun- “fine, then we will fight in the shade!”
-Athenian residents headed to island of Salamis.
-left a small garrison to defend and pray to goddess Athena.
-Athens fell in September
-450 large Persian ships lured between Salamis and Athens.
-Athenian ships were smaller and were easy for boarding other ships. Athens lost no more than 40 ships; but the Persians lost over 200.
-Some soldiers went to Thessaly for winter quarters.
-for spring campaign, Persians resumed hold of Athens.
-At least 30,000 of 50,000 Persians died, the rest fled.
Pusamius
All Greeks begin to fall away from Persia, regaining independence and culture.
DISCLAIMER: I type what I can, as fast as I can when Dr. Ricketts speaks. I may have spelled things wrong, or gotten a date mixed up or missed entirely, but for the most part, it should be accurate. Use with the powerpoints, and reference to the book may be helpful (especially for names!). -Wendy
Ancient Greece continued
Battle of Placea
-City states become emboldened, break away from persia
-Greeks ensure that it will be grk, not persian culture
-pivotal hinge in history, west. civ
-this defeat of persia pushed it out of the Aegean
-Persia never got enough power back in Aegean
-power vacuum- dangerous (think like the Soviet Union)
-disintegration of classical greece
With persians pushed out, greeks would spread out, cultural exchange occurred. Christianity introduced.
Great Peloponesian war
Spartan headed home- concern over helots, become isolationistic
Athenians keep large fleet ready in case persians come back; very expensive, get outdated. 477- form alliance with most maritime city states, Attica to Ionia (islands)- defensive alliance- Delian league- formed island of Delos. Ships contributed, or money if not that (to protect).
Athens gradually comes to dominate the league. Sparta thought about it, but by 478 they were isolationist.
Pericles (450-404BC)- top orator-age of pericles
Athens/Sparta bickering- 461-465, but then Athens could concentrate on luxury goods.
great works of greek tragedy made at this time.
Persians defeated again. 454bc league headquarters changed to Athens, and money went to public works projects in Athens- made others in the leagues concerned. They did not think money was spent properly, so the left the Delian (now Athenian league). Succession declared illegal by Athens. Athens went to war to stop the dissident states, forced payments to treasury. Athenian influence grows. Other states look to Sparta. 2 military camps in Greece. Go to war in 431bc.
war inconclusive for a while, because Athens was strong in the sea, sparta on land. Sparta would destroy athenian crops. Athens would send their ships for supplies, held out.
in 429-430bc, athens crowded with refugees from city states that had fought with athens, as well as the people that had lived outside of Athens. Overcrowding led to disease- scarlet fever or bubonic- overtakes with hi fever thirst, bloody tongue, ulcers/boils- some would commit suicide- some even jumped into wells- didn’t help- 1/3 to 2/3 were killed by the disease.
2 naval expeditions against spartans had to be avoided. In the second one, pericles (the prostates of Athens) died 429, along with him, his men and contacts. Demoralization in government. Chaos, people panic. led to demagogues- incompetent hotheads, foolish. Could leave to mob rule.
Best admiral probably eustidides, but exiled. Athenians captured island of Melos, the people didn’t want to fight from the island. Athens said they could not be neutral. since they did not decide, athens killed all the men and enslaved the others. Other neutral states shift towards Sparta. No surrender forced on either side, even after 10 years. If nobody intervenes, the men just get exhausted. When allies come into play, things tend to last. but instead, a 50 year peace treaty is signed. Peace of Niceus (athenian politician and general of the time- bright, cautious, good like pericles)- Athens kept territories, allies. Niceus soon found that Athenians were just as dangerous. Alcibiades- student of Socrates- great orator, creative. 415bc gave reckless speeches encouraging attacks on Sicily. Magna Grecia. Convinces Athenians, under leadership of Niceus, the entire army is destroyed in 415bc- only 12 people came home out of 30,000- battle of Syracuse, which was part of spartan empire. Ships left in Syracuse- Athens is weakened- citystates start to break away. The Spartans see what is going on, head back to Athens. Persians want in on Athens too. Athenians hold on, have a few victories against Persians in Aegean. 405bc, situation helpless. 404bc, unconditional surrender by Athens.
Spartans tear down city wars, say that Athens can not have navy, put in oligarchical rule called “the 30.” Conclusion- Greece is exhausted- beaten itself, still divided. An invader comes in from Macedonia; they can not resist.
Contributions of Greece/Culture
Influential, even as christians.
-Tried to answer basic ?’s about life; greeks actually depend on reason to do it (why the philosophes recall them so much). Naturalistic explanations.
Myths and epics, bible- prove they were not the first.
Pre-Socratics: 800-500bc lyric age, many from Ionia, some influence from Persia. What is unverse made of, where’s it from.
-Theles of Miletus- geometry from egyptians, math/astronomy from Babylonia. lived 636- 546bc.
Fundamental difference between babylon/egyptians- they thought eclipses were evil, Theles
thought it was a natural event. wanted to know why things happened, cause and effect. Called the origin of the scientific method.
-Anaximander (611-547bc): abstract method. General concepts of abstract thought.
(see powerpoint for contributions). student of Theles. He and many after him-weaknesses- sweeping generalizations on inadequate facts.
-Democritus (460c.a-370)
-Pythagoras (572-292bc)- universe subject to mathematical formula. student of Theles. “Number’s rule the universe.” “Bless us divine #. Music proportions governed heavens- “music of the spheres. his theorem cannot be written as the ratio of two whole numbers, ruined.
Fire, air, earth, water. Speculation: fire, earth, water metal and wood (eastern ideas).
Classical Period
(500-338bc)
Hippocrates- Father of Medicine- based on empirical knowledge (observation). Natural means to fight disease. Essay on airs, waters, places. Climate can have direct influence on a person’s health. He and his followers put theory lasted til 1700’s- the 4 humors- blood, plhegm, black and yellow bile… leeches.
Recorded case histories, avoid hasty conclusions (not just because gods were mad). Not great, but a good start.
Classical Period (500-338 BC) Philosophers
Herodotus and Thucydides
Herodotus- effort to separate fact from fable, historian, but not necessarily the best historian- incorporated some myth, supernatural.
Thucydides- better historian than Herodotus. Believed there were no supernatural dimensions to historical events. Some things attributed not to any god, but as chance. Hebrews would have been Providentialist- Thucydides would not have been party to that way of thinking.
Others:
Zeno- native of Cyprus, under Phoenicians rule. Est. school in Athens called Stoia (Stoicism would come). Believed you should live in harmony with nature, each human/object has a place, in a good plan, that is pre-determined, Sometimes things work in the interest of the plan- not you. Sickness, death are part of the providential order. Paradoxically liberating. Greek gods- no sense of morality, but some of these philosophers seemed to grapple with the good and the bad.- wealth, pleasure, beauty and health are neutral. Its not what happens, but how you react to it. The goal of wisdom is to move into that direction. No absolute moral code, though. Rivals: Epicureans.
Epicurus- from Samos, school, even open to women- initially argued along lines of Democritus. Growth and disillusion are inevitable. Did not believe in Providential order- the greatest good is pleasure, the philosophers goal ( not necessarily pure hedonism). Longing for pleasure, may have conquences. Quiet life, removed the world, moderation in things- the carefree, detached way of the gods. Not really practical consequences for everyone.
Reason replacing superstition- the appeal to the philosophes because of logic and reason.
Some philosophers questioned all around them. Called Sophists. Founder- Protagoras of Abdera. Significant influence, from all over greece, centered in Athens- Interested more in human behavior than natural universe, investigated ethics, more, etc… Called first social scientist- moral relativist. Challenged moral obligation- is their really just selfishness in everything you do. You should get what you want. Think of rhetoric. What did they want? money, fame, pleasure, power. Accepted students and claimed to prepare them for all careers- they could learn rhetoric, political analysis, reason. The main critic was Socrates.
Socrates-469-399 BC- the here and now, yes; but did not want traditional beliefs destroyed. A stone mason. Philosophy became inquiry of moral responsibility. “If humans can discover the Truth, then they won’t choose evil.” Basic question: “What is right and how can I know what is right?” He’s not a relativist- believed in objective truth- Athens is in chaos- Peloponnesian war- wanted to persuade young men to examine their lives. Encouraged discussion- quick-witted, clever, knack for deep questions. Socratic method- questions. Sort of trendy today, but not to get people to examine their lives.
Eventually rulers of Athens though Socrates was a threat to their rule, and he was friends with some aristocrats, which were in turn turned over in power. People like Plato and Socrates had a amnesty, but he still was brought up with impiety and blown up charges. Accused of corrupting the young of Athens- refused plea bargain- death sentence- drank hemlock poison, even though he might have been able to escape, but did not. Socrates never wrote anything down; his student Plato did.
Plato- born Athens, influential through 1st century. Few would have known his name in Jesus’ time, but his view of the universe was widespread. The world through reason is perfect. His work The Republic is most famous of his- importance of Socratic knowledge, philosophy,- pursue of power/money is meaningless. A dialogue between Socrates and his followers. What is justice? Athens on the verge of nihilism-Republic identifies relativist, absolutist- believed in truth, you just had to identify it. Plato- said every free born man has intelligence but does not know how to use it- every free born woman has intelligence but will never learn to use- every slave born has no intelligence. Influenced by Dualism (see powerpoint). No personal god.
Consequences of Plato- see powerpoint. The real world is not a shadowy dream.
Aristotle- 384-322- interested in phenomena- the world is real and matters – student of Plato. Teacher of Alexander the Great. Shifter influence from invisible to visible. See powerpoint. Doctrine of Eternal Returns.
Euclid- 330-275 BC- compiled mathematical achievements in 13 book treatise. Over a thousand editions- only book studied the most, next to the Bible.
King Philip the II of Macedonia- by 338 had taken all of Greece, except for Sparta. Was assassinated by one of his people, his wife probably helped- 326-born- Alexander the Great took over. Pharoah of Egypt- Alexandria- defeated king of Persia- had 30,000 men. Went to India, conquored an army using elephants. on way back to Macedonia- fever- drinking- died at 33. Competing generals, empire dissolves. Alexandria- scholarly place- many come to library. Things invented (see powerpoint). Chasing the Wind…
Either man’s god or God’s God.
