The Greek Polis

 

I. Rise of the Polis [800-500 BCE]

     A. City-State

            1. fortress-city and surrounding area

                2. built upon citizenship

            3. defend themselves with phalanx armies

                               a. citizen militia encourages political cooperation

   

     B. social life of the polis

              1. sexual segregation and male dominance

                 a. Sparta is the extreme example

                 b. Athenian symposium

                     c. role of women

              2. citizenship and monogamy

                3. slavery

 

     C. Commercial and manufacturing greatness

                1. colonies, shipping and navy

                2. social stresses of economic growth

 

      D. Development of democracy

                1. weakened aristocracy

                2. ideal of equality

                3. tyrants

 

II. Greek Religion

     A. Mesopotamian and Egyptian influences, but also shaped by Greek tradition and society

 

     B. Greeks tended to see humans and gods and more alike than Mesopotamians did

            1. human-like gods and god-like humans

            2. divine politics

            3. Homer's epics: Iliad and Odyssey

                        a. demi-god warrior-heroes such as Achilles and Odesseus

                        b. gods choose their favorite human heroes and help them

            4. heroic ideal represented in statues ("korous" and "kore")

 

     C. Greeks develop unique religious observances, notably athletics and drama

 

III. Athletics

     A. Olympic events

            1. foot races, chariot races, wrestling, boxing, pentathlon

            2. individual, military skills designed to discover the best individual

                3. contrast with actual war suggests reason for athletics

 

    B. Athletics reflects the Greek notion of human excellence

            1. emulation of Homeric heroes--godlike warriors, beloved of the gods

            2. athletes honor gods by emulating and entertaining them