The Origins of Greek Aretê, Part 2

Herbst HumanitiesDr. Fredricksmeyer

The Origins of Greek Aretê, Part 2:

Dark Ages-Early Archaic Period

Greece Reconfigured: The Dark Ages

1200-750

Downward trends

Severe depopulation (60-90%)

De-urbanization-fewer (1/8) and smaller settlements consisting of tribes or ethnê

(Aristotle), groups sharingcommon ancestry (vs. unrelated population of urban

centers)-less progressive

Cessation of travel and trade

Switch from monarchic to aristocrats, i.e., most prominent familiescontrol land, and

magistracies

Post-literate society: disappearance of Linear B

"Dorian invasion" from the north

Greek, dialect-Dorian

iron working (consequently the "Iron Age"), including weapons

settle esp. in Peloponnese (Sparta)

reinforces downward trend, since farmers not traders

Representational art of Mycenaean civilization largely disappears

Proto-geometric and geometric (with meander) vases of Dark Ages vs. earlier Mycenaean

representational vases

Migrations eastward to the Greek Islands and Asia Minor

Aiolis

Ionia-birthplace of philosophy, science, historiography, etc.

Doris

Late Dark Ages-Early Archaic Period

800-700

Reversal of trends at beginning of Dark Ages

repopulation

re-urbanization, and suburbs (sunoecism, astu and chora)

resumption of travel and trade

(later in the Archaic period-transition from aristocracy to tyranny-step toward democracy)

Rise of the polis (city state)

Greeks remain tribal in belief of common ancestry, hence EVERY MEMBER OF POLIS

RESPONSIBLE TO, AND FOR, EVERY OTHER/SHAME CULTURE- AretêA

COMMUNAL REQUIREMENT

Other unifying factors

Common Hero Cult Worship

Divine Cult Worship

Aristotle: man is a political animal (i.e., naturally belongs in a [relatively small]polis)-because of its unique powers of reason and language,mankind has the ability to distinguish right from wrong, and to establish and maintain justice (through, for example,written law codes) within a polis; the person unwilling to make the concessions necessary to live in the polisand who insists excessively on individual rights is no better than a beast (and is called an idios)

Agricultural/cultivation (much more proficient use of land that than animal grazing)

citizenship now based on ownership of land, those without land migrate/colonize

Colonization(vs. Spartan provincialism and Lebensraum policy)

to ease land-hunger

in every direction to include much of especially littoral Mediterranean

emporiathat help stimulate economy and culture exchange, including …

literacy

Greek alphabet adopted from Phoenicia (due to trade)-see also Rome and beyond

(internal) vowels added

first used by poets-Homer’s Iliad