How was Athena born?

She burst out of Zeus's head in full battle armour

What happened in the contest between Athena and Poseidon?

- They fought over who would be patron of Athens - Poseidon created a salt water spring however the water was undrinkable - Athena planted an olive tree that provided food, wood and oil

What did Athenas gift symbolise?

- peace and prosperity - showed her foresight providing resources that would sustain Athens.

What happened Arachne vs. Athena?

- arachne said she was a better weaver than Athena - Athena challeneged her - Arachnes was better - Athena killed Arachne and destroyed her work - transformed arachne into a spider

Festivals associated with Athena?

- The most important festival of ancient Athens - Small Panathenaea and Great Panathenaea (every 4 years in July) - It was inaugurated by Erechtheus - It lasted up to 12 days

Events of Panathenaea

- The most prominent of the rites and sacrifices was called hecatomb (up to 100 cattle would be sacrificed) - Other important events were horse races, gymnastics and music competitions - The winner received a Panathenaic amphora and a branch of olive tree

The peplos...

- a gift to Athena - made by weavers - hung as a sail from a cart while paraded through the city - they would dress the wooden statue of the goddess

the procession

- started in the Kerameikos (cemetary of Athens) - There the horsemen could prepare themselves and the horses - The procession passes through the agora and ends up in the Acropolis - Purpose: to transfer offerings to Athena

taking part in the procession

- Women with baskets of offerings - Elderly men holding branches of olive - Young male riders and others with vessels - Women or young girls carrying water-jugs - Sacrificial animals-she-goats, rams, bulls, cows and sheep

why was the Panathenaea important?

- it was a display of Athens power and cultural sophistication - a symbol of unity

Describe the parthenons decoration.

- gold + ivory statue of Athena Parthenos - pediments depicting Athenas birth (east) and her contest with Poseidon (west) - double colonnade - freize on the outside of the inner building depicting panathenaea - metopes around outer wall

The parthenons construction

- over 10 years for building and decorating - commissioned by Pericles - built during the golden age of Athens after the Persian War

Where was the Parthenon located?

Acropolis, Athens

Greek schools

- fees were low (education wasn't free) - lasted from dawn to noon - only boys attended

Paidagogus

- slave taken to school with child - carried the boys books and instruments - made the boy behave in school

What was taught in Athenian schools?

- grammar (literacy and basic numeracy) - music (so that they could entertain friends at social gatherings) - gymnastics meaning exercise done naked (to make young men fit, graceful with developed coordination)

higher education

- most boys left school at 11-14 to learn their families trade - others learned rhetoric (the art of speechmaking) to help them in their political careers

Growing up as a boy in Athens

- school - boys from poorer families would learn their families trade to start helping to support the family - boys from wealthy families attended higher education - at 18 had to serve 2 years in the military - married to a girl of their fathers choice

Growing up as a girl in Athens

- no school - learnt how to look after the household and children - married very young to an older man of their fathers choice - cannot leave the house alone or be unsupervised

If a boy was born into the household....

an olive twig would be hung on the door

If a girl was born into the household....

a woollen ribbon was hung on the door

births in athens

- done at home - midwives had no formal training just experienced in those matters - often infection and mother died - the father would pick up the child to show he accepted it - child named at 10 days

Jurors

- citizens over 30 - 6000 selected each year - 600 from each area - up to 1500 for a particular case - usually 201 to 501 for a case

How were courts made fair?

- water clock: so everyone got the same time to speak - kleraterion: to decide which cases jurors would be appointed to - voting was anonymous - majority of the jurors decided the verdict - big jury's meant less chance of corruption

Punishments in Athens?

- Fines - Exile - Death

How were courts unfair?

- more money=advantage as people could hire speech writers - no women, metics or slaves could participate - decisions were made based on appeal to emotion - citizens from other states had to go to Athens to present a legal case and may face a bias Athenian jury

What is Ostracism?

- to remove any potential threat to democracy and the equality of power amongst citizens - to get rid of unwanted public figures who were thought to have gained too much personal power over the people

How did ostracism work?

- The assembly of citizens would vote on whether there was a need for ostracism that year. - A minimum of 6000 citizens were required to vote out any politician. - The name of the politician would be scratched on a piece of pottery known as an ostracon. - The individual would be sent into exile for ten years, after which he could return. - The individual kept their citizenship status and property. - This was a better way than killing them to get rid of them. It stopped any outbreak of civil violence.

The Boule...

- 50 people from each of the 10 parts of Athens - all citizens over 30 - had to serve at one point, no more than twice in a lifetime - elected by lottery - paid a drachma a day

Pnyx Hill...

- where the assembly met - around 40 meetings a year - seated 6000 people

The Assembly...

- meeting agenda decided before hand so people could decide to attend or not - voting done by show of hands

Scythian Archers

- Public slaves who served as police force (owned by the state) - made people move to the hill using red rope - red on clothes = not taking duties seriously

Where did slaves come from?

War prisoners, Debt, Born in the household, Exposure, Sold into slavery, Born into slavery

Jobs done by public slaves?

clearing up the streets, working on roads, scythian archers

Jobs done by household slaves?

- maids, wet-nurses, teachers, and messengers. - worked in the fields, usually beside their masters - Paedagogus - Accountants and other clerical job - making pottery and leather or weaving cloth - barbershops or public baths - Those talented in the arts would perform as musicians or dancers.

Worst job for a slave?

Mining: - Life expectancy was short, due to exhaustion, rock-falls, floods and other hazards - no incentive to treat the mining slaves well

Skilled slaves....

- could be set up in business by masters who would take part of the profits - producing clothes, weapons, pots, lamps, musical instruments and other goods

What could be bought at the Agora?

food (fish, meat, fruit), furniture, pottery, toys, household items, clothes, animals

What was around the Agora?

- market stalls/shops - people discussing politics - temples around the forum - slave market - parthenon on the skyline

Dinner parties (Symposia)

- held in the andron - only men attended - sometimes a cook was hired - Hetaira for convo and entertainment