Lesson 3: The Golden

Age

The phrase describes the time when a people or civilization is at it’s best.

Beginning in the 500s B.C., a common enemy brought the Greek people together for a time--

The Greek city-states began to work together

in matters of war. To protect themselves,

they formed a or group of allies.

Sparta led southern city-states in the

Peloponnesian League.

This alliance made them stronger. They

defeated the Perians twice, outnumbered

both times.

Fast Fact What kind of ship

did the Greek sailors use in the Persian War?

Trireme

After the Persian wars, Athens made new allies with city-states from Attica, Asia Minor, and some of the Aegean Islands

and formed the Delian League

was elected as a leader in the

Athenian government in 460 B.C. He

introduced:

pay for

gave citizens of any

class the right to hold nearly any gov’t

office.

Pericles was a , or supporter, of learning and the arts.

Sophocles wrote plays with an unhappy ending called:

Aristophanes wrote plays designed to make audiences laugh:

A historian who wrote of the Persian Wars was

A great scientist from the Golden Age was

What is he known for today?

Rules of behavior for he wrote for Rules of behavior for he wrote for doctors: The Hippocratic Oath. doctors: The Hippocratic Oath.

Wanting Athens to be more powerful,

Pericles sent soldiers to conquer

________________ lands.

Athens also forced its Delian League

allies to pay ___________ as the price for

peace and protection.

In 431 B.C., Sparta and its allies in the Peloponnesian League went to war against Athens and its allies in the

In 430 B.C. the a deadly disease, broke out and spread quickly through the city, killing many people and Pericles himself.

Without the wise leadership of Pericles, the members of the Athenian assembly began to follow , leaders who stir up the feelings and fears of people to gain personal power.

Greek philosophers were considered

called himself the city’s “gadfly,” after an insect that bites horses and makes them jump. He taught by asking questions, not telling facts. He was found guilty of teaching dangerous ideas to the city’s young people and was ordered to end his own life by drinking poison. He felt it was important for all citizens to obey the law, so he drank the poison.

One of Socrates’ students was

He thought a ruler should be a person

of good character. He started a special

school, or , in which

future rulers could learn the lesson

that they would need to govern well.

entered Plato’s academy at the age of 18. He studied there for 20 years searching for knowledge and truth.