Changes

The beginning of the ancient or classical Greece (see map above) was 776 B.C.  The peak of ancient or classical Greece was 500-336 B.C. when Greece consisted of many small "city-states".  A city-state is a nation containing only one city.

The beginning of the ancient or classical Greece (see map above) was 776 B.C.  The peak of ancient or classical Greece was 500-336 B.C. when Greece consisted of many small "city-states".  A city-state is a nation containing only one city.

Why didn't classical Greece begin before 776 B.C.?  After all, Greeks migrated southward into the Greek peninsula as early as about 1600 B.C.  But from 1600 to 1100 B.C. was a period known as Mycenaean Greece, when progress was slow and few noteworthy advances were produced.  The period from 1100 to 800 B.C. was the "dark ages," during which there was little progress and from which little survived.  The momentous event that heralded the beginning of ancient or classical Greece was the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C.  This played a unifying role for the culture, and the Olympics were then held every four years for nearly 1000 years until A.D. 393, when they ended.  They were restarted in A.D. 1896, and again held every four years.  (The winter Olympics did not begin until A.D. 1924, in France.)

Why didn't classical Greece begin before 776 B.C.?  After all, Greeks migrated southward into the Greek peninsula as early as about 1600 B.C.  But from 1600 to 1100 B.C. was a period known as Mycenaean Greece, when progress was slow and few noteworthy advances were produced.  The period from 1100 to 800 B.C. was the "dark ages," during which there was little progress and from which little survived.  The momentous event that heralded the beginning of ancient or classical Greece was the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C.  This played a unifying role for the culture, and the Olympics were then held every four years for a millennium until A.D. 393, when they ended.  They were restarted in A.D. 1896, and held again every four years.  (The winter Olympics did not begin until A.D. 1924, in France.)

Greece thrived for hundreds of years, from 776 B.C. until Alexander the Great died in 323 B.C.  Afterward the term "Hellenistic Greece" is used to describe the region.  Greece's land extended far and wide during this period, even to Jerusalem.  Ultimately the Roman empire conquered Greece in 146 B.C.

Greece thrived for hundreds of years, from 776 B.C. until Alexander the Great died in 323 B.C.  Afterward the term "Hellenistic Greece" is used to describe the region.  Greece's land extended far and wide during this period, even to Jerusalem.  Ultimately the Roman empire conquered Greece in 146 B.C.

What can we thank Greece for today?  How about this: the Greeks started the Olympics!

What can we thank Greece for today?  How about this: the Greeks started the Olympics!

We thank Ancient Greece for far more than that.  Our system of laws and government is partly based on the Greek example, especially the concept of democratic participation in government.  Trial by jury is from Greece, as is the concept of a defense attorney (Roman law lacked a defense attorney - notice how Jesus did not have an attorney at His trial during the Passion).  Greece established democracy for the first time in history.  Our language, too, is due to the Greek adoption of an alphabet.  The Greeks invented the study of history, so this course is indebted to the Greeks!

We thank Ancient Greece for far more than that.  Our system of laws and government is based partly on the Greek example, especially the concept of democratic participation in government.  Trial by jury is from Greece, as is the concept of a defense attorney (Roman law lacked a defense attorney - notice how Jesus did not have an attorney at His trial during the Passion).  Greece established democracy for the first time in history.  Our language, too, is due to the Greek adoption of an alphabet.  The Greeks invented the study of history, so this course is indebted to the Greeks!

Ancient Greece had tremendous achievements in the fields of science, philosophy and art.  The concept of truth began to acquire meaning in ancient Greece, as did the concepts of freedom and knowledge.  The idea of moderation illustrated by the "Golden Mean": the whole is to the larger part as the larger part is to the smaller part, or in mathematical terms (a+b)/a = a/b = 1.618. The design of ancient Greek buildings like the Parthenon<ref>A full-sized replica of the Parthenon sits in Nashville, Tennessee.</ref> (built in 438 B.C. to honor the goddess Athena) used the Golden Mean in its dimensions.  The Golden Mean also occurs in many living creatures and has fascinated mathematicians ever since; for those interested in math, the Fibonacci sequence is a manifestation of the golden mean.

Ancient Greece had tremendous achievements in the fields of science, philosophy and art.  The concept of truth began to acquire meaning in ancient Greece, as did the concepts of freedom and knowledge.  The idea of moderation illustrated by the "Golden Mean": the whole is to the larger part as the larger part is to the smaller part, or in mathematical terms (a+b)/a = a/b = 1.618. The design of ancient Greek buildings like the Parthenon<ref>A full-sized replica of the Parthenon sits in Nashville, Tennessee.</ref> (built in 438 B.C. to honor the goddess Athena) used the Golden Mean in its dimensions.  The Golden Mean also occurs in many living creatures and has fascinated mathematicians ever since; for those interested in math, the Fibonacci sequence is a manifestation of the golden mean.

The Aryans were nomadic people who migrated into India through the Kyber Pass around 1500 B.C.  The language in ancient Persia was Avestan and in Northern India it was Sanskrit.  All major European and Indian languages are considered related to the Aryan languages, but Hebrew and Arabic are not.

The Aryans were nomadic people who migrated into India through the Kyber Pass around 1500 B.C.  The language in ancient Persia was Avestan and in Northern India it was Sanskrit.  All major European and Indian languages are considered related to the Aryan languages, but Hebrew and Arabic are not.

:'''Fast-forward to the 20th century''': The Nazis, as ignorant as they were, used the term "Aryans" to refer to Nordic people, and as a result of the incorrect Nazi usage, the term "Aryan" today is misleadingly used to describe blond and blue-eyed people descended from Northern Europe rather than from the Persian region (the region between India and Europe, or Indo-European).  After Darwin's theory of evolution became popular in England and Germany around 1900, racists claimed that the Aryans (Nordics) were superior to everyone else.  One of the worst of these Darwinian racists was the Englishman Houston Stewart Chamberlain, who insisted that Aryans were responsible for all of human progress, and that Jewish people were somehow inferior because they did not descend from the Aryans (Hebrew developed independent from the Aryan language).  

:'''Fast-forward to the 20th century''': The Nazis, as ignorant as they were, used the term "Aryans" to refer to Nordic people, and as a result of the incorrect Nazi usage, the term "Aryan" today is misleadingly used to describe blond and blue-eyed people descended from Northern Europe rather than from the Persian region (the region between India and Europe, or Indo-European).  After Darwin's theory of evolution became popular in England and Germany around 1900, racists claimed that the Aryans (Nordics) were superior to everyone else.  One of the worst of these Darwinian racists was the Englishman Houston Stewart Chamberlain, who insisted that Aryans were responsible for all of human progress, and that Jewish people were somehow inferior because they did not descend from the Aryans (Hebrew developed independent of the Aryan language).  

Let's return to the ancient world.  The glory days of the Persian empire were from 550 to 331 B.C., and were discussed in detail earlier in this lecture.  The Old Testament mentions Persia frequently during this time period.  When the Persians took over Babylon, Daniel served under Cyrus and Darius (who threw him into the lion's den).  The Persians are also seen in the Bible in the story of Esther, when King Xerxes I held what might be called a "Miss Persia" beauty contest.  Esther, a beautiful Jewish girl, won the contest and she went on to save the Hebrews with her remarkable courage.  It is the Book of Esther that first refers to the Hebrew people as "Jewish", and it was written around 300 B.C.

Let's return to the ancient world.  The glory days of the Persian empire were from 550 to 331 B.C., and were discussed in detail earlier in this lecture.  The Old Testament mentions Persia frequently during this time period.  When the Persians took over Babylon, Daniel served under Cyrus and Darius (who threw him into the lion's den).  The Persians are also seen in the Bible in the story of Esther, when King Xerxes I held what might be called a "Miss Persia" beauty contest.  Esther, a beautiful Jewish girl, won the contest and she went on to save the Hebrews with her remarkable courage.  It is the Book of Esther that first refers to the Hebrew people as "Jewish", and it was written around 300 B.C.