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Name ______________________________________________________________ Date ______________________

CHAPTER 5 Section 1 (pages 123–126)

TERMS AND NAMES
Mycenaean Member of a group who

Cultures of the settled on the Greek mainland around

2000 B.C.
Trojan War War in which the
Mountains and the Sea Mycenaeans attacked the city of Troy
Dorian Member of a group of people
who migrated into the Greek
BEFORE YOU READ mainland
In the last section, you read about belief systems in ancient Homer Greek poet who composed
the Iliad and the Odyssey
China and the Qin dynasty.
epic Heroic story told in the form of a
In this section, you will read about the development of cul- long poem
ture in ancient Greece. myth Traditional story that explains
why the world is the way it is
AS YOU READ
Use the chart below to take notes on ancient Greek life.

GEOGRAPHY MYCENAEANS DORIANS

mountains and valleys
separated areas
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Geography Shapes Greek Life Good farmland covered only about one-fourth
of Greece and could not support many people. The
(pages 123–124)
need for more living space and the lack of good
How did geography influence the farmland may have influenced the Greeks to find
Greeks? new colonies.
The Greeks had easy access to the sea, howev-
The lives of the ancient Greeks were shaped by the
er. They became excellent sailors. Trade became
geography of their land. Greece is a rocky land with
important because Greece had few natural
high mountains and deep valleys. These landforms
resources.
were like barriers. Moving over the land was diffi-
The climate is mild. As a result, Greek people
cult. For these reasons, Greeks living in different
spent much time outdoors. They attended public
areas could not be easily united.
events and even conducted government outside.

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1. Why was sea trade important for the Greeks? Greek Culture Declines Under
the Dorians (pages 125–126)
What was Greece like under the
Dorians?
The culture of the Mycenaeans fell about 1200 B.C.
Sea raiders destroyed their palaces. A less
advanced people called the Dorians occupied the
Mycenaean Civilization land. For the next 400 years, Greece went into
Develops (pages 124–125) decline. No written records exist from this period.
Little is known about this era.
Who were the Mycenaeans? The spoken word lived on, however. A great
A large wave of people moved from Europe, India, storyteller named Homer made up epics, long
and Southwest Asia. Some of these people settled poems, based on tales he heard. Epics are about
on the Greek mainland around 2000 B.C. They heroes and their deeds. One of Homer’s great epics
were later called Mycenaeans. They were ruled was the Iliad. It centers on the heroes of the Trojan
by powerful warrior-kings. War. The heroes of the Iliad are warriors. Homer
The Mycenaeans developed a strong culture. tells about their courage and noble actions in battle.
They borrowed from the Minoan culture of Crete. The Greeks also created a rich set of myths.
They adapted the Minoan form of writing and These stories explain the actions of gods and events
artistic design. The Mycenaeans also became inter- in nature. In Greek myths, gods often act like
ested in trade. humans. For example, they show feelings, such as
According to legend, Mycenaeans fought a long love, hate, and jealousy. Unlike humans, though,
war with the people of Troy, a city in Turkey. This the Greek gods lived forever.
conflict was called the Trojan War. 3. How did Homer keep Greek culture alive under the
The war was said to have started because a Dorians?
Trojan youth kidnapped a Greek woman. Her
name was Helen. She was the beautiful wife of a
Greek king. The Greek army later destroyed Troy.
2. How were the Mycenaeans influenced by
the Minoans?

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44 CHAPTER 5 SECTION 1
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Name ______________________________________________________________ Date ______________________

CHAPTER 5 Section 2 (pages 127–133)

TERMS AND NAMES
polis City-state of ancient Greece

Warring City-States acropolis Fortified hilltop in an

ancient Greek city
monarchy Government ruled by a
king or queen
aristocracy Government ruled by a
small group of noble families
BEFORE YOU READ oligarchy Government ruled by a few
In the last section, you read about the rise of early cultures powerful people
in Greece. tyrant Powerful ruler who gained
In this section, you will read about city-states and their control of a city-state’s government by
asking the common people for support
governments.
democracy Rule by the people
AS YOU READ helot Peasant forced to stay on the
land
Use the chart below to take notes on the city-states,
phalanx Side-by-side fighting
formation of Greek foot soldiers
Persian Wars Wars between Greece
and the Persian Empire

GOVERNMENT city-state—main political unit

ways to rule city-states—monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy

S PA R TA

AT H E N S

PERSIAN WAR
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Rule and Order in Greek government ruled by a small group of noble fami-
lies. Later, some merchants and craft workers
City-States (page 127)
formed an oligarchy, a government ruled by a few
How were city-states governed? powerful people.
Sometimes, the common people clashed with the
The center of Greek life was the polis, or city-
rulers of the city-states. Powerful individuals called
state. A polis was made up of a city and the coun-
tyrants sometimes appealed to the common people
tryside villages surrounding it. Men would gather
for support. Tyrants would then rule the city-state.
in the marketplace or on a fortified hilltop in the
Unlike today, tyrants generally were not considered
polis, called an acropolis, to conduct business.
harsh or cruel. Rather, they were looked upon as
The city-states had different kinds of govern-
leaders who did things for the ordinary people.
ment. Some had a monarchy, a government ruled
by a king or queen. Some had an aristocracy, a
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1. What types of government existed in the city-states? An assembly, the Council of Elders, and elect-
ed officials governed Sparta. Two kings ruled over
Sparta’s military. Sparta prized military skills. Boys
joined the army at the age of seven and went
through a long period of training as soldiers.
Spartan women ran the family estates, freeing their
husbands to serve in the army.
Athens Builds a Limited
3. What was Sparta’s focus as a city-state?
Democracy (pages 128–129)
How was Athens governed?
In some city-states, most notably Athens, the idea
of representative government took hold. In Athens,
as in other city-states, wealthy nobles and poor
people clashed. The people of Athens avoided
The Persian Wars (pages 131–133)
major political problems, however, by making
reforms. Reformers in Athens tried to build a Who fought the Persian Wars?
democracy, or government by the people.
Over the years, the Greeks developed the ability to
In 594 B.C., a trusted statesman named Solon
make iron weapons. Because these cost less than
came to power. He introduced far-reaching
weapons made of bronze, more people could
changes to the government of Athens. He gave cit-
afford them. Soon each city-state had its own army.
izens a greater voice. He made it possible for any
In this army, soldiers stood side by side. They had
citizen of Athens to join discussions in the assem-
a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.
bly, which approved laws. About 90 years later a
Together they formed a phalanx.
leader named Cleisthenes took power and intro-
The Persian Wars were fought between Greece
duced further democratic reforms.
and the Persian Empire. In 490 B.C., Persian ships
Athenian citizens, then, were able to participate
landed 25,000 soldiers on the coast of Greece. At
in a limited democracy. Not everyone was involved
the Battle of Marathon, the Greeks won a tremen-
in making political decisions, though. Only free
dous victory that saved Athens.
adult men were citizens. Women and slaves had few
Ten years later, the Persians returned. The
rights. They played little or no role in political life.
Greeks lost a battle on land, despite the heroic
2. Why was Athens not a full democracy? efforts of a small band of Spartans. The Persians
also burned Athens. However, the ships of Athens

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won a great sea battle. The Greeks followed it with
another victory on land. The threat from Persia was
over.
4. What was the outcome of the Persian Wars?

Sparta Builds a Military State

(pages 129, 131)

How was Sparta governed?

Sparta was a very strong city-state in the south of
Greece. It conquered its neighbor Messenia. The
people of Messenia became helots. They were
peasants forced to stay on the land they worked.
They had to give the Spartans half their crops.

46 CHAPTER 5 SECTION 2
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Name ______________________________________________________________ Date ______________________

CHAPTER 5 Section 3 (pages 134–139)

TERMS AND NAMES
direct democracy Form of government

Democracy and in which citizens rule directly

classical art Art in which harmony,
order, and balance were emphasized
Greece’s Golden Age tragedy Serious drama dealing with
such themes as love, hate, war, or
betrayal
BEFORE YOU READ comedy Light and amusing play that
In the last section, you read about the government of the may poke fun at serious subjects
city-states. Peloponnesian War War in which
Athens and its allies were defeated
In this section, you will read about democracy and the by Sparta and its allies
Golden Age of Greece. philosopher Thinker who uses logic
and reason to explore life’s important
AS YOU READ questions
Use the web below to show characteristics and events of Socrates Greek thinker who explored
Greece’s Golden Age. truth and justice and developed a
method of questioning and answering
Plato Socrates’s student who wrote
The Republic, a view of the ideal
society
Aristotle Plato’s student who
developed a method for testing and
organizing ideas.

Art
Democracy
direct democracy

Golden Age
of Greece
Drama Philosophy
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Pericles’ Plan for Athens (pages 134–135) government. Pericles helped bring about direct
democracy. This meant that citizens ruled directly
How did Pericles change Athens? and not through representatives. An assembly of
Pericles led Athens during its golden age. He male citizens had a voice in making laws for Athens.
served in this role from 461 to 429 B.C. Greek cul- Another goal was to make Athens stronger.
ture reached new heights under his leadership. Pericles tried to increase its wealth and power. He
Pericles had a great influence over Athens. Pericles helped build up Athens’s navy. It became the
took many steps to make Athens better. strongest in the Mediterranean.
He set three goals. One goal was to make Athens Another goal was to make Athens beautiful.
much more democratic. More people served in the Pericles used money from the empire to buy gold,
ivory, and marble. He helped fund great works of art.

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1. What were Pericles’ three main goals for Athens? Athenians and Spartans Go to
War (pages 137–138)
What was the Peloponnesian War?
After being rivals for many years, Sparta and
Athens finally went to war. The Peloponnesian
War began in 431 B.C. The conflict ended badly for
Glorious Art and Architecture Athens. In 430 B.C. a horrible plague killed a great
(pages 135–136)
many people in Athens. After several battles, the
How was Greek art unique? two sides signed a truce. However, they were soon
back at war. Finally, Athens gave up in 404 B.C.
One of the glories of Athens was the Parthenon. Athens had lost its empire.
This temple was built to honor the goddess Athena.
It is a masterpiece of art. Like other buildings and 4. What was the result of the Peloponnesian War?
sculptures in Greece, it is an example of classical
art. It reflects order, balance, and proportion.
2. Why was the Parthenon built?

Philosophers Search for Truth

(pages 138–139)

What did philosophers contribute

Drama and History (page 136) to Greek culture?
What kinds of drama did Greeks After Athens’s defeat, this city-state became home to
produce? several philosophers. They were thinkers who tried
to understand human life. One of these great
Athens also became home to a group of very skilled
thinkers was Socrates. He believed deeply in truth
playwrights. Some wrote tragedies. These plays
and justice. Yet many people did not trust him. They
were about the pain and suffering of human life.
thought his teachings were a danger to young people.
Love, hate, and war were common themes. The
Socrates was brought to trial and condemned to
main characters were called tragic heroes. They
death.
had flaws that caused their downfall.
His pupil, Plato, recorded many of Socrates’s

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Other playwrights wrote comedies. These
ideas. Plato became an important thinker in his
plays made audiences laugh about important ideas.
own right. Plato’s student, Aristotle, wrote books
Some plays were critical of customs, politics, and
that summarized the knowledge of the Greeks. He
people. Such performances showed that Athens
also developed a way of reasoning. His system of
was a free and open society.
logic became the foundation of scientific thought
Also, such writers as Herodotus and
used today.
Thucydides pioneered the accurate reporting of
events. Their works led to the development of the 5. Who were three important Greek philosophers?
subject of history.
3. What was the purpose of Greek comedies?

48 CHAPTER 5 SECTION 3
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Name ______________________________________________________________ Date ______________________

CHAPTER 5 Section 4 (pages 142–145)

TERMS AND NAMES
Philip II King of Macedonia who

Alexander’s Empire conquered Greece

Macedonia Kingdom located just
north of Greece
Alexander the Great Philip II’s son
BEFORE YOU READ who established a huge empire
In the last section, you read about the Golden Age of Darius III Persian king
Greece and the fall of Athens.
In this section, you will learn about Alexander the Great
and his empire.

AS YOU READ
Use the diagram below to take notes on Alexander’s
Invasions.

Persia Egypt India

in 334 B.C. soldiers invade Anatolia

Alexander’s Invasions

Philip Builds Macedonian Power 1. How did Greek independence end?

© McDougal Littell Inc. All rights reserved.

(pages 142–143)

Who were the Macedonians?

In 359 B.C., Philip II became king of Macedonia, a
kingdom located just to the north of Greece. He was Alexander Defeats Persia (pages 143–144)
a strong leader and trained his troops to be tough How did Alexander defeat Persia?
fighters. Philip prepared his army to invade Greece.
The Athenian orator Demosthenes tried to Alexander was a brilliant general, just like his
warn the Greeks. He told them about Philip’s father. He was prepared to carry out his father’s
plans. But they united too late to save themselves. dream of world conquest. In 334 B.C., Alexander
The Macedonians won. Greek independence was invaded Persia. After Alexander’s first victory, the
now over. king of Persia, Darius III, raised a huge army to
Philip planned to invade Persia next. He never face him. Alexander then used a surprise attack.
got the chance. He was killed. His son Alexander Darius III had to retreat.
became king at age 20. He became known as
Alexander the Great.

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Alexander then moved south to enter Egypt. and turned back. On the way home, he began to
He was crowned pharaoh and founded a city that make plans for how to govern his new empire.
he named for himself—Alexandria. He then turned Then he suddenly fell ill and died. He was not yet
back to Persia and won another great battle. It 33 years old.
ended all Persian resistance. The empire was his. Three of Alexander’s generals divided his
empire. One ruled Macedonia and Greece. Another
2. What two kingdoms did Alexander defeat?
took control of Egypt. The third became ruler of the
lands that used to be in the Persian Empire.
Alexander’s empire was not long lasting. Yet it had
important effects. After Alexander, the people of
Greece and Persia and all the lands between mixed
Alexander’s Other Conquests together and shared ideas and culture.
(pages 144–145)
3. How did Alexander’s power come to an end?
How far east did Alexander push?
Alexander pushed east, taking his army as far as
India. He moved deep into that country. After
many years of marching and fighting, however, his
soldiers wanted to return home. Alexander agreed

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50 CHAPTER 5 SECTION 4
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Name ______________________________________________________________ Date ______________________

CHAPTER 5 Section 5 (pages 146–149)

TERMS AND NAMES
Hellenistic Relating to the culture

The Spread of that blended Greek with Egyptian,

Persian, and Indian influences
Alexandria Egyptian city that was
Hellenistic Culture the center of Hellenistic culture
Euclid Greek mathematician and
pioneer in geometry
BEFORE YOU READ Archimedes Greek scientist,
In the last section, you read about the military conquests inventor, and mathematician
of Alexander the Great. Colossus of Rhodes Huge bronze
statue created on the island of
In this section, you will learn about the spread of Rhodes
Hellenistic culture.

AS YOU READ
Use the web below to take notes on developments in
Hellenistic culture.

Science

Museums/Libraries Mathematics

Hellenistic
Culture
Philosophy Art
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Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria Alexandria was also a beautiful city. Its huge
lighthouse towered over the harbor. Its famous
(pages 146–147)
museum had works of art, a zoo, and a garden.
What was Hellenistic culture? Alexandria had the first true research library. It
held half-million papyrus scrolls. These contained
A new culture arose—the Hellenistic culture. It
everything known in the Hellenistic world.
blended Greek with Egyptian, Persian, and Indian
influences. The center of this culture was 1. Give two reasons why Alexandria became a center
Alexandria, Egypt. This city was located near the of Hellenistic culture.
mouth of the Nile River on the Mediterranean Sea.
Alexandria had a ship harbor. Trade was lively.
Alexandria had a large population. These people
were from many different countries.

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Science and Technology Philosophy and Art (pages 148–149)

(pages 147–148)
What new developments occurred
What new ideas arose in science, in philosophy and the arts?
technology, and mathematics? Two new schools of philosophy arose in these times.
While scholars kept what was known about science The Stoics argued that people should live a good
alive, others learned new ideas. Some used an life to keep themselves in harmony with natural
observatory to look at the stars and planets. One of laws. Desire, power, and wealth led people down
these astronomers developed the idea that the sun the wrong path. The Epicureans said that people
was actually larger than Earth. No one had could rely only on what they learned from their five
believed this before. senses. They urged everyone to live moral lives.
The thinkers in Alexandria also made advances The arts were also important in Hellenistic
in mathematics. Euclid wrote a book with the basic times. Great achievements occurred in sculpture.
ideas of geometry. His approach is still used today. Sculpture in the earlier Greek style aimed at show-
Archimedes invented many clever machines. One ing perfect forms. In the Hellenistic age, sculpted
was the pulley. Another is called Archimedes screw. figures were more realistic and emotional. The
Its purpose was to bring water from a lower level to largest known Hellenistic statue is the Colossus of
a higher one. Rhodes. It stood over 100 feet high.

2. What two inventions did Archimedes make? 3. How were Hellenistic sculptures different
from earlier Greek sculptures?

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52 CHAPTER 5 SECTION 5
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Name ______________________________________________________________ Date ______________________

Glossary CHAPTER 5 Classical Greece

assembly Law-making body in noble Of very high rank rivals Competitors; people or
ancient Greece observatory Place for observing groups determined to outdo each
astronomers Scientists who study the movement of heavenly bodies other
the stars and planets orator Public speaker; speech Stoics Philosophers who said
clashed Disagreed strongly maker people should live a moral life to
keep them in harmony with natural
conducted Did the work of Parthenon Temple in ancient
laws
conquest Act of conquering or Greece that is a masterpiece of
classical art united Brought together as one
taking over
Epicureans Philosophers who said plague Deadly disease that
people could rely only on what they spreads quickly killing many
learned through their five senses proportion A pleasing arrangement

AFTER YOU READ

Names and Terms
A. Write the name or term in each blank that best completes the meaning of the paragraph.
Aristotle Three of the greatest gifts to western culture from ancient Greece were

classical art developments in democracy, philosophy, and art. The Athenians had a form
of democracy in which all citizens, and not just their representatives, par-
Socrates
ticipated. This was 1 . In art, the Greeks valued balance,
direct democracy order, and proportion. The gave the world 2 . In philos-
Plato ophy, three Greek thinkers have influenced Western thought. The philoso-
pher 3 encouraged his thinkers to examine their beliefs
and developed a method of questioning and answering still used today. His
student, 4 , was also an important thinker. The philoso-
pher 5 invented a way of thinking logically.
© McDougal Littell Inc. All rights reserved.

B. Write the letter of the name next to the description that describes it best.
a. Archimedes 1. Leader of Macedonia who conquered Greece

b. Philip II 2. Persian king who fought Alexander the Great

c. Darius III 3. Greek poet
d. Euclid 4. Inventor of the pulley
e. Homer 5. Mathematician who wrote the book Elements

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Name ______________________________________________________________ Date ______________________

AFTER YOU READ (cont.) CHAPTER 5 Classical Greece

Main Ideas
1. Give three examples of how the geography of Greece affected its civilization.

2. What war did Athens and Sparta fight, and how did it end?

3. How was Athens governed under Pericles?

4. Where did Alexander the Great turn back and why?

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5. Name an advance made in science, technology, and mathematics during Hellenistic times.

Thinking Critically
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Compare and contrast Athens and Sparta.

2. Discuss the features of Alexandria that show it was a center of Hellenistic culture.

54 CHAPTER 5 REVIEW