5. After the Peloponnesian War, the Greek world was no longer a
bipolar political order. Which poleis rose to prominence during this
HIS 2201 Midterm 4
period? Why was it so difficult for any single polis to establish a
lasting hegemony over the other Greeks?
6. What is Hellenization? Why did Alexander and his Successors
initiate this process and how did they do it? Discuss at least three
different areas in the Hellenistic world in terms of how local rulers
encouraged the Hellenization of their territory.
7. Michael Parenti uses the term gentlemens history repeatedly in
The Assassination of Julius Caesar. What does he mean by this? What
are the blind spots and/or biases of gentlemen historians according to
Parenti? How does Parenti plan to correct this problem in his own
work?
8. Athens and Sparta were about as different from one another as any
two Greek poleis could be. Yet, both of the Athenian demokratia and
Sparta were built upon the mass exploitation of people who did not
reap much reward for their labor. Compare and contrast the economic
bases of Athens and Sparta. Given the obvious shortcomings of each
system, do you think that it is possible for people living in the 21st
Century to learn any lessons from these bygone ancient societies?
Please explain why and give examples of what we can or cannot learn.
1. The basic unit of economic, social, and political organization in the
Greek world was the polis. What is a polis? When did the polis
emerge? How did one become a citizen of a polis? What were some of
the limits of the polis that we begin to see by the late Classical and
early Hellenistic period?
2. One of the most common claims about Greek antiquity is that it
furnished us with democracy. Based on what you have learned about
Athenian demokratia, do you feel that the similarities between
Athenian and modern practice are sufficiently strong for modern
people to claim to be operating in the same tradition of government as
the Athenians? No matter which side you take, remember to point out
both similarities and differences between demokratia and modern
democracy.
