Archaic Greece

★ Archaic Greece (700 - 500 BCE) shows the formation of the Greek city-state, which is made
up of a central city and it’s adjacent territory, to make up a polis, which is self-governing
○ The capital cities would stem from the previous demos–communities during the Dark
Age into the polis-state in 700 BCE
○ This political unification (synoecism) would cause those who live outside of the city
to have a lower social status than those in the city, but all were called politai
■ The process by which a demos becomes unified is called synoecism
(sunoikismos, uniting the oikos)
○ The state and the town were identical identities, and synoecism was generally a
peaceful and willing transition, however some demos were forced to join
○ Not all Greeks lived in a polis, many regions in the Peloponnesus had an ethnos
(similar to the city-state), and its territory (the demos) without a head of government
■ They had a collective name as well, and were united through religious cult, as
well as fighting in attacks from outsiders
○ The local basileis, part of the central government, had to form the poleis themselves
■ Some general steps
● The office of basileis was either abolished or reduced
● The leadership roles formerly held by the basileis was distributed
among the elites
● The importance of aristocratic elders increased, and the importance
of the assembly decreased
■ This would have taken a long time, but no longer than 2-3 generations
■ Some areas would continue in having a basileis, with limited power
● The Spartans had the longest ruling chieftain system
● The spartan basileis had 5 additional elected magistrates, called
ephoroi (overseers) to make sure the basileis ruled fairly
■ The title basileis became just another official, with a small number of elites
making up the government, later Greeks would call this an oligarchy
● Government positions, however, were not inherited
● The chief officer, in Athens and central Greece, was called archon,
and in Corinth and Ionia, called prytanis
● In Athens and Megara, the military officer was called polemarchos
○ The council of elders, boule, was the most important part of government, responsible
for drafting laws and making policies, recruited for a long time or even life
■ Being part of the assembly became more restricted, the poorest were
eventually un-included in these meetings
★ Colonizing
○ Greeks would start to move from the Aegean in the mid 8th century, and around 500
BCE, the Greeks had influence in SPain and Colchis
■ Driven by the Greeks’ desire for more imported goods, and for access to
more fertile land
■ The “mother” polis (metropolis), had to get divine approval for the colony,
choose its founder (oikistes), and establish the colony
■ The Greek word for colony was apoikia (home away from home)
 ○ The Greeks had settlements pretty much everywhere (Spain, France, like the entire
mediterranean)
○ Most colonies were linked to the motherland, and would carry over the cult and
religions
★ The economic power of the aristocracy was based on inherited land, holding a
disproportionate share of the cultivated agriculture
○ They would exploit poor farmers, who made up ⅓ of the demos
○ Most help was reduced to thetes (work for sustenance)
○ There were the rich (the good, hoi agathoi), the middle, and the poor
■ The middle and poor were known as the bad (hoi kakaoi) and the many (hoi
polloi)
○ Downward class mobility was more common
○ There was a variety of slang terms for people of inferior status; the naked ones
(argos), the dusty feet (epidaurus), wearers of sheepskin (sicyon), wearers of dog skin
helmets (corinth)
■ There was a class of people who were considered slaves but also free (the
Spartan helots), and they could marry and have a family, keep a portion of
production, but were otherwise slaves
★ Civic responsibility was only accessible for men, non-noble citizens couldn’t run for office,
and the poorest citizens had no right to vote
○ Citizenship would be denied to ex-slaves and resident aliens
★ In the early 6th century, the control of the oligarchy was dwindling and a more inclusive
government was emerging
★ Most of the information we have from this period is from Hesiod; his works and days (700
BCE) shows what the day to day life was like, and how the ideals of the time favoured hard
workers and those who are pious
★ The army was made up of farmers and craftsmen, regular citizens
○ By 650 BCE the armies were made up of armed foot soldiers (hoplites) in a tightly
packed formation called the phalanx, where two opposing phalanx would clash
together and fight, using their weight to break the enemy’s ranks
■ The soldiers would have long spears and wide shields, along with knee pads
and helmets
■ Battles would usually last for around an hour, and not many casualties for
both sides, and military campaigns were brief (the people had to go back to
work)
★ The age of tyrants, lasting from 670 - 500 BCE
○ Most tyrants come from the elite although not always from a wealthy family (noble
birth), and distinguished in their poleis for their achievements (winning the
olympics/military officer, ect)
■ Tyrannies usually don’t last (no more than 3 generations)
■ The aristocrats didn’t like the tyrants, but the common people were fairly
neutral towards them
● They would often confiscate the land of the wealthy and redistribute
it to the poor
● They would also initiate the building of temples, which would
provide work for the poor
● They encourage trade too B)) and more ritual and cult activities so
slay
 ■ Their heirs were honourable to opposition, so most tyrannies didn’t last long
★ Art was popping off
○ Corinthian pottery became way more popular; it was finely painted and the creation
of black figure pottery became more important (they would paint were intricate
designs, and they would turn black after firing
■ By 550 Athenian black figure pottery was more popular, and by 530 the
Athenians created a new type of red figure pottery
■ Most pots would depict mythological scenes and heroic activities, as well as
athletics, horses, and drinking parties, some with erotic acts (straight and
gay!!!)
● The men are usually citizens, and the women are prostitutes, although
some depicted women are citizens with their slaves
○ Most paintings, on the larger scale, are gone, however, the large scale statues remain,
inspired by the Egyptian technique
■ Most archaic Greek statues are of a naked male (kouros) or a clothed maiden
(kore), but would eventually begin to depart from the rigid style and be more
natural
○ Religious buildings were the key architecture of the time, which developed in the mid
7th century, with large limestone stones (the Egyptian technique for handling the
stones)
■ Most construction at the time was at the city centre (agora), with many
market stalls and condensation of people for socialising
★ Lyric poetry
○ The 7th and 6th century is referred to as the lyric age
○ Poems were written (most are fragments now) and accompanied by a lyre or a flute
(aulos), where people will sing and dance to the poem
■ Choral poetry retold myths, paid homage to the gods, and expressed patriotic
pride
■ Solo poetry was personal, about friends and lovers, politics, war, and
morality, and was often used as a form of social commentary
○ Sappho was a lesbian !!! we love women <3 romantically
★ Philosophy in the archaic age was made by the presocratics (literally pre socrates) and
focused on the development of the physical universe/cosmos
○ Used knowledge from Mesopotamia, which flourished, about maths and astronomy
○ The planets and stars are named after the mythological characters
○ Used science to predict eclipses !! like in 585 Thales of Miletus predicted it
○ Theorised about evolution and creation,
○ Pythagoras would teach people in southern italy about the cosmos, maths, and
political theory
○ Everyone would write and criticise each other
★ Panhellenic institutions
○ Great areas for scholars and artists to commune and share ideas
■ Oracle of Apollo made Delphi popular for Greeks and non Greeks, and
people would go to ask Apollo for guidance
■ The sanctuary of Zeus was mad popular too and in 776 BCE people started to
go and see the olympics, with foot races, wrestling, and chariots (all done
naked)
 ● Prize was a token, and a wreath !! maybe even money when the
person went home
★ The states would fight with each other and raid their neighbours, usually about the borders of
each state, but would expand to include the colonies as well (like the Lelantine War)
○ In the 6th century the states would develop means to avoid war
○ Alliance would be made, as well as leagues and federal unions
○ Lots of interstate tensions, leading lots of Peloponnesian wars
★ Greece wasn’t really a single nation, but a collection of states under a federal rule