Greeks

The First European Civilization: The Greeks, 2200-400 B.C.

·         Barbarian- a term used to describe the distinctive way of life based on farming, warfare, and tribal organization that became the widespread in Europe beginning around 2500 B.C.

·         Began to migrate into Europe’s southeastern region, within easy reach of the peopled of Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and Egypt.

·         Emerged as “classical” Greek civilization about 800 B.C.

The European Barbarians

·         Over 3000 years up to the time of the Persian Empire, civilization had spread from its Sumerian and Egyptian homelands right across southwestern Asia and northeastern Africa, and other regions of civilization had also arisen in India, China, and the Western Hemisphere.

The Earliest Europeans.

·         By 4000 B.C, farming and village life had spread throughout the continent.

·         By 3500 B.C. there were peoples in Western Europe who were numerous and well organized enough to construct ceremonial monuments.

·         Megaliths- massive rough-cut stones used to construct monuments and tombs

·         The most impressive single early European Achievement was Stonehenge, a huge monument built by a prosperous farming and trading people in the west of England, probably as a religious center.

·         Was repeatedly rebuilt over a period of several hundred years, until it reached its final form about 2000 B.C.

The Barbarian Way of Life

·         From about 2500 B.C. onward, Indo-European peoples moved into Europe just as they did into Asia Minor and Persia

·         Instead of their earlier tongues, the peoples of the region began to speak languages of Indo- European origin that were the distant ancestors of Greek and Latin, as well as most European languages today.

·         When a leading warrior dies, his horse and chariot, his bronze swords, and daggers, and his gold and silver drinking cups would all go to the grave with him probably so that he could go on riding, fighting, and drinking as a comrade of the gods in the afterlife.

·         Next to the warrior would lie his wife, with her jewelry and her fine textiles and utensils, so that she, too, could go on fulfilling her role in the afterlife

·         Tribes- a social and political unit consisting of a group of communities held together by common interests, traditions, and real or mythical ties of kinship.

·         Would meet from time to time to conduct its business.  

·         Formed loose alliances under warrior kings or queens of exceptionally powerful tribes, together with their battle comrades.

·         Over a period of 3000 years form 2000 B.C. right down to A.D. 1000, the European barbarian peoples came into contact with civilization