The Evolution of Greek Societies

A. Pre-Homeric

1. The Minoans

2. The Mycenaeans

3. The Dorians (aka Achaeans); the “Dark Ages”

B. The Homeric Greeks

1. Homer: The Oral tradition set down

2. The Trojan war as history, The Iliad

3. Heroic myths: The Odyssey

4. The Greek gods: stratification & limitations

5. Underlying forces: The fates

C. Arête: the primary Dorian virtue

1. Emulating the gods

2. Remembering one’s place: hubris

3. Worship: The Olympian games

4. Achieving immortality: a lasting memory

D. The Political Structure of Dorian Society

1. The influence of geography

2. The Polis, i.e., city-state

3. Agricultural underproduction

4. Overpopulation

5. Colonization

a. The spread of a common culture

b. Exposure to “other” ideas: Herodotus

6. The rise of a Commercial/entrepreneurial class

E. The Social Struggle: Accommodation of the New Class

1. Tyranny, Oligarchy, Democracy

2. The Spartan solution: force and anomie – side bar

3. The Athenian solution: reason and “Athenian Democracy”

F. Towards Unification: The Persian Wars

1. The threat of a common enemy

2. The creation of the “Delian League”

3. The conversion of the “Delian League” to an Athenian Empire