Greece Chapter Notes | Social Studies for Grade 6 PDF Download

Introduction

Ancient Greece was a remarkable civilization that grew thousands of years ago in a region with mountains, islands, and a warm climate. This chapter explores the city-states of Athens and Sparta, their unique ways of life, and the incredible achievements of a leader named Alexander the Great. You will learn about the geography, society, government, and culture of Classical Athens, compare it with Sparta, and discover how Alexander spread Greek ideas across a vast empire. These notes will help you understand why Ancient Greece is so important in history!

Classical Athens

Geography and Society

Classical Athens was a major city-state in Ancient Greece during the 5th and 4th centuries BCE.

• It was located in a region called Attica, surrounded by mountains and near the Aegean Sea.
• The geography included rocky hills, small plains for farming, and a port called Piraeus for trade.
• The warm, sunny climate allowed people to grow olives, grapes, and grains.
• Athens was a busy center for trade, with ships bringing goods like pottery, wine, and olive oil.
• Society was divided into different groups: citizens, metics, and slaves.
  • Only free men born in Athens were citizens and could vote or hold office.
  • Metics were foreigners living in Athens who could work but had no political rights.
  • Slaves did much of the hard work, like farming, mining, or household tasks.
• Women in Athens had limited rights, mostly managing homes and raising children.
• Education was important for boys, who learned reading, writing, math, and music.
• Girls were taught at home, learning skills like weaving and cooking.
• Athenians valued community, often gathering in public spaces like the agora (marketplace).
• Religion was a big part of life, with festivals and temples for gods like Athena, the city’s protector.

Government and Culture

Athens had a democracy, a system where citizens could vote on decisions.

• Only male citizens over 18 could participate in the government.
• The Assembly was a group where citizens met to discuss and vote on laws.
• The Council of 500 planned meetings and suggested laws for the Assembly to vote on.
• Leaders called archons helped run the city and its courts.
• Courts used juries made of citizens to decide legal cases fairly.
• Athenian culture was rich, with art, theater, and philosophy flourishing.
• Plays, including tragedies and comedies, were performed at festivals like the Dionysia.
• Famous playwrights like Sophocles and Aristophanes wrote stories about gods and heroes.
• Philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle asked big questions about life and truth.
• Architecture was grand, with buildings like the Parthenon, a temple for Athena.
• Sculptors created detailed statues of gods, heroes, and athletes.
• Athenians loved sports and held events like the Panathenaic Games to honor Athena.
• Science and math grew, with thinkers like Pythagoras studying numbers and shapes.
• Literature, like the epic poems of Homer, was widely read and shared.

Comparing Athens and Sparta

Part I

Part II

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great was a king of Macedon, a region north of Greece, in the 4th century BCE.

• He was born in 356 BCE and taught by the philosopher Aristotle as a young boy.
• His father, King Philip II, united many Greek city-states under Macedonian rule.
• Alexander became king at age 20 after his father was assassinated.
• He was a brilliant military leader, never losing a battle in his conquests.
• Alexander created a vast empire, conquering Persia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and parts of India.
• His army used a phalanx, a tight formation of soldiers with long spears, to win battles.
• He founded many cities named Alexandria, spreading Greek culture and ideas.
• This blending of Greek and local cultures was called Hellenistic culture.
• Hellenistic culture mixed Greek art, language, and ideas with those of other regions.
• Alexander encouraged trade and learning, building libraries and schools in his empire.
• He treated conquered people fairly, often letting them keep their customs.
• Alexander died at age 32 in 323 BCE, possibly from illness, in Babylon.
• After his death, his empire split into smaller kingdoms ruled by his generals.
• His legacy lived on through Hellenistic culture, influencing art, science, and government.