Persian War

Athens & Sparta vs. Persian Empire

Peloponnesian War

Athens vs. Sparta

A Tale of Two Cities A Tale of Two Wars

Brief History of Greece

The first great civilization in Greece and Crete was the Minoan (2000 BCE – 1400 BCE).

Around 1400 BCE, the Mycenaean civilization supplanted the Minoan, and dominated Greece until about 1100 BCE, when barbarians known as Dorians invaded.

The Hellenic Era

Founding of Mycenae on the Peloponnesus (2000-1250 B.C.)

Mycenae (Greeks) battled for control of the Aegean Sea with Troy

Trojan War

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Introduction to Ancient Introduction to Ancient GreeceGreece

Learning IntentionsLearning Intentions1.1. Describe some key events in the history of Describe some key events in the history of

Ancient Greece.Ancient Greece.2.2. Explain how Geography affected the Explain how Geography affected the

development of Greek citiesdevelopment of Greek cities3.3. Understand the rivalry between Athens and Understand the rivalry between Athens and

SpartaSparta

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Geography of GreeceGeography of Greece• Greece is surrounded by

the Mediterranean, Ionian and Aegean seas.

• It is a mountainous country

• Small mountain ranges kept villages separated.

• A lot of Greek villages are isolated on the coasts, making the sea an important means of transport.

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The impact of geographyThe impact of geography

• The brown areas are mountainous.

.Write down the advantages and disadvantages of living in coastal settlements in a mountainous land.

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The impact of geographyThe impact of geographyAdvantages•Encouraged the development of independent cities.•Barrier for invaders.Disadvantages•Physically isolated communities?.

1.Monarchy

• Rule by a king

2.Oligarchy

• Rule by a small group of people. Usually elites bound together by interests and wealth.

3.Aristocracy

• Rule by a small group of people, but in the classical definition, they’re chosen for their virtue and wise rule (though this wasn’t always the case).

TERMS

4. Tyranny

• Rule by a individual with absolute power who took power by force, sometimes with popular support

5.Acropolis

• Center and citadel of city-state. Literally means “high city” or “city at the top.”

• Usually refers to the one in Athens today

6.Agora

• An open public area acting as a center of public life and also the marketplace

TERMS

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Shopping = Democracy?Shopping = Democracy?• One of the purposes of

the AGORA was to provide an open marketplace.

• Some historians argue that along with the exchange of olives and bread people also exchanged ideas.

• This may have helped democracy develop.

7.Helot

• Land-bound serfs that worked Spartan land

• From surrounding land of Laconia and Messenia that were conquered.

• Owned by the state and not individual masters--masters could not sell them.

• Sparta got half of the helot’s crops.

• Significantly outnumbered the citizens.

• The potential threat they presented was another reason why the Spartans had such a potent army

• Spartans were reluctant to fight too far from Sparta lest the helots act up

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Timeline of Greek history: Minoans

Minoans

Arrived on the island of Crete in 2000 B.C.

Built a great civilization

Volcanic eruptions cause tidal waves

Destroys settlements and weakens Minoan civilization

Would this rock painting of a Minoan settlement be a primary or secondary source?

How could we find out for sure?

What PRIMARY sources could you locate to investigate the impact of the tidal waves?

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MycenaeansWarriors from the city of Mycenae conquered the rest of Greece in 1400 B.C.

Warlike people

Advanced civilisation for the time

Earthquakes and warfare destroyed many cities by 1200 B.C.

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1200BC: The Dorians arrive

The next wave of invaders were the Dorians.

They originally came from the mountainous region in the north of Greece.

They swept through Ancient Greece and eventually settled the city which would become known as Sparta.

Emergence of the Polis, or Greek City-State

Starting around 800 BCE a new civilization, the Hellenic, became dominant in Greece.

By 750 B.C. city-states began to form

The Hellenic civilization was composed of two strands, the Dorian and the Ionian.

This civilization gave rise to a new form of social/political organization: the polis.

The Polis

The polis was an independent, self-governing city of between 50,000 and 300,000 people.

Several dozen polises (Greek “poleis”) dotted the Greek countryside

In each polis, politics, religion, and social life were closely intertwined.

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Greek City-States – The PolisGreek City-States – The Polis• Known as a POLIS.

• Usually had significant locations (such as temples) built on a high rocky hill. The fortress was known as the ACROPOLIS (High Polis).

• The acropolis overlooked a town, farmlands and the marketplace in the open space below (agora).

• Poleis had very different cultures but agreed on one thing – all non-Greeks were Barbarians.

Types of Government

Two types of government were used in the Greek Polises.

The Dorians generally had an oligarchic form of government.

The Greek word oligarchy means rule by the few.

The Ionians developed the first democratic form of government.

Democracy means rule by the people.

Sparta and Athens

Generally speaking, the Dorians depended upon agriculture, while the Ionians were seafarers and merchants.

The two primary poleis were Sparta and Athens.

Sparta was Dorian, oligarchic, and had an agriculture-based economy.

Athens was Ionian, democratic, and depended on seafaring and trade.

Athens and Sparta were both poleis (plural of ‘polis.’)

• Both were city-states, independent, with their own sub-culture and form of governance.

• No “capital city” of Greece

• While you were Greek--and proud of it--your primary allegiance and loyalty were towards your city-state

• Many city-states in Greece and elsewhere.

• Athens and Sparta mentioned the most because they emerged as the most powerful ones.

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Athens – Birthplace of DemocracyAthens – Birthplace of Democracy

Culture of the Athenian PolisCulture of the Athenian Polis

• First true democracy (Demos = People, Cracy = Rule).

• Accepting and welcoming of foreigners.• Men expected to participate in politics.• Rich cultural life.• Female citizens had very little freedom.

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Sparta – Famous for warrior Sparta – Famous for warrior culture.culture.

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Culture of the Spartan PolisCulture of the Spartan Polis• Oligarchy – Rule by the few.• Disciplined life with few luxuries.• From the age of 7 males moved into

military barracks.• Suspicious of outsiders, did not like to be

away from home.• Strongest army in Ancient Greece.

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• In a series of raids, In a series of raids, the Spartans the Spartans defeated the defeated the Messenians and Messenians and transformed them transformed them into serf-like into serf-like peasants [Helots].peasants [Helots].

• Helots worked the Helots worked the land for the benefit land for the benefit of the Spartans.of the Spartans.

• Helots are the most Helots are the most important fact about important fact about ancient Spartaancient Sparta

• Helots provided Helots provided the Spartans the Spartans with the with the economic basis economic basis for their unique for their unique lifestyle.lifestyle.

• Spartan girls had a Spartan girls had a similar education as similar education as boys [read and boys [read and write].write].

• To attract men, To attract men, women:women:– Ran racesRan races– Oiled their bodiesOiled their bodies– WrestledWrestled– Threw a javelin or Threw a javelin or

discusdiscus– CompetedCompeted

Instructions for activityInstructions for activity

This is Sparta!!!!!!!!!.... But This is Sparta!!!!!!!!!.... But it’s not the whole story.it’s not the whole story.

• Select members to read the different documents out loud to your group.

• When you finish each document, answer the questions below the document.

• When you complete ALL the documents, collaborate with your group members to construct a short history describing who the Spartans were based on the documents you read. (2 paragraphs)

• Finally, answer this question: After you investigated all the documents, does the popular perception of Spartan life match up with historical evidence of the Spartans?

• All group work should be recorded by one group member with nice penmanship and will be collected at the end of the period.

In groups of 5 that will be selected In groups of 5 that will be selected for youfor you

“Sparta Document Investagation“Sparta Document Investagation

Different Values

Spartan Values

Strength

Duty

Discipline

Athenian Values

Individuality

Beauty

Freedom

City located on southern portion of the Greek peninsula, not on the Peloponnesus

A city run by thinkers and known for both its military might and wisdom in government and battle

Appropriately named after Athena, goddess of wisdom in battle and counsel

Athens-A city of the Wise

Athens

Around 1300-700, Athens is ruled by kings.

Over time it changes to an aristocracy (a few powerful, elite rule),

Then a tyranny (one person takes control)

Finally--by 450--a democracy (rule by many)

Athens-Evolution of Democracy

New, democratic ideas emerge from Athenian culture and society:

Direct Democracy: Citizens votes on public matters

Public Debate: Becomes an art in Athens to discuss and argue specifics of government

Duties of the Citizen: All citizens have responsibilities such as voting, participating in the government process

Athens-Democratic Principles

Women

Women didn’t have the same rights as in Sparta

• Expected to take care of the home

• Boys were taught reading and writing and

• Girls were taught domestic skills by slaves: like spinning and sewing

• Not allowed out of the house except nearby travels

• Main purpose was to produce healthy children

• Unusual considering that women played an important role in some religious rites and the city’s patron goddess was Athena

Women cont.

Women could be educated if they were Hetaerae

• A bit like Japanese geishas

• Educated to entertain men with good conversations at parties

• Learned physical talents, like dancing

• Some forced into prostitution

• Despite public social discrimination, their opinions were often respected by men

• Pericles’s mistress Aspasia was a hetaera

Slavery

Practiced throughout Greece and in Athens

• Rules governing it differed from city-state to city-state.

• Slaves usually barbarians, typically captured in war.

• Others were born slaves or their free parents sold them into slavery for money.

• Considered by some an abomination to enslave a fellow Greek.

• Greeks could be slaves, but many free Greeks didn’t like the idea.

• Treatment different than that associated with American slavery.

Slavery cont.

• Relatively well-treated in Athens when compared with other places.

• Couldn’t slap a slave because you might inadvertently hit a citizen instead.

• A master could beat his slave, though.

• Testimony was taken only under torture.

• Could buy freedom or earn through fighting in war.

• Masters could free their slaves.

• Even then, though, they couldn’t be citizens and there were still conditions on them.

• In other city-states, treatment was much worse.

Sparta

It was here:

SPARTA

Those who lived around Sparta lived vastly different lives.

They were more focused on war and building up strength to fight

An early slave revolt causes the Spartans to create strict laws that demanded public allegiance to the state.

Although they did have artistic culture, much of their energy was spent tuning their military skills

Sparta- A City of Warriors

olig (few or little in Greek) arche (rule)

Rule by a few

Sparta develops a system where either the city-state was controlled by a king or by an oligarchy

Citizens are not encouraged to speak freely, the few who rule were usually powerful military leaders.

Sparta- Rise of the Oligarchy

In Greek, Spartans known as Lacedaemonians

• Lacedaemon was the name of the city-state while Sparta was the ancient town

• According to legend, founded by Lacedaemon, son of Zeus and Taygete (a nymph)

• Controlled most of southern Peloponnese

• Argos & Arcadia were main rivals on the Peloponnese

Plutarch, Greek Biographer

“The women did not bathe the babies with water, but with wine, making it a sort of test of their strength. For they say that the epileptic and sickly ones lose control and go into convulsions, but the healthy ones are rather toughened like steel and strengthened in their physique. The nurses displayed care and skill: they did not use swaddling-bands, making the babies free in their limbs and bodies. They also made them sensible and not fussy about their food, not afraid of the dark or frightened of being left alone, not inclined to unpleasant awkwardness or whining. So even some foreigners acquired Spartan nurses for their children.”

on Spartans

Plutarch on Spartans

"They learned reading and writing for basic needs, but all the rest of their education was to make them well-disciplined and steadfast in hardship and victorious in battle. For this reason, as boys grew older, the Spartans intensified their training, cutting their hair short and making them used to walking barefoot and for the most part playing naked. When the boys reached the age of twelve, they no longer had tunics to wear, but got one cloak a year. Their bodies were tough and unused to baths and lotions. They enjoyed such luxury only a few special days a year. They slept, in packs, on beds which they got together on their own, made from the tops of the rushes to be found by the river Eurotas. These they broke off with their bare hands, not using knives."

Culture

Sparta was a military culture

• The entire Spartan culture went towards developing and fielding a strong army

• This was to preserve itself as well as to keep down the helots

• Children were taught at home until they were seven• At Seven, began their training• Exercises for them and all ages were always in the

nude.• At 13, they were dropped off in the woods in

groups with nothing…had to survive (without theft)

Spartan Military

•Men married at the age of 20

•Had to live in barracks for ten years

•If they wanted to see their wives, they had to escape

•At the age of 30, men could finally move home and were full citizens

•Still ate every meal in the military dining hall

•Food was sparse and plain

MILITARY SERVICE

• Began military service at 20

• Soldiers not allowed to trade or hold non-military occupations.

• These were done by a class called the periokoi, free non-citizen inhabitants of Sparta.

• Exercised full rights and duties of citizens at 30.

• Weren’t free from military service until 60.

• To help ensure the physical superiority of their people, babies were bathed in wine shortly after birth.

• If they survived, they were taken to elders.

• If the elders deemed the baby unfit, it was left exposed to die on a hillside (other city-states practiced exposure).

Spartan mother to her son as he goes off to war:“Return with your shield, or on it.”

Government

Two (hereditary) Kings, Five Ephors, Gerousia & Apella

• Two kings equal in power & exercised various duties.

• Eventually became less powerful/important,

• were primarily generals

• Five Ephors: council elected for one year by the Apella. All citizens were eligible.

• Gerousia: (Senate) – a council of 30 elders (over 60 yrs)

• Elected for life by the Apella.

• Could veto the Apella.

• The Apella (lower legislative body).

• Every citizen over 30 could attend.

• Votes were taken by shouts.

Women

More independent than in other city-states

• Learned reading/writing

• Girls given similar harsh physical training as the boys

• Many domestic tasks were left to the helots & periokoi

• Received same amount/quality of food as boys

• Could own/control property and • Could overtake husband’s property while he was @ war.

• Expected to defend it too and to put down revolts.

• Not rushed into bearing children.

• Husbands also allowed other men to bed their wives and produce children. • May have practiced polyandry.

Each city had a vastly different social and government structure.

Although they agreed on issues such as the limited role of women and the role of slaves, they had many disagreements

Athenians were interested in military strength, but also in art and culture.

Spartans were only interested in military power.

This type of rift leads to fighting across the Peloponnesus.

Sparta- Athens in Conflict

The Persian Wars

Athens & Sparta

vs

Persian Empire

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Persia: The Rival of Ancient Greece

Tensions in the region – why did Tensions in the region – why did Persia and Greece go to war?Persia and Greece go to war?

1. Greeks travelled widely throughout the region and established colonies.

2. Several of these colonies were conquered by the Persians.

3. The Greeks who lived there resented being ruled by Persia.

4. They enlisted the help of mainland Greeks to stage a series of revolts.

5. The Persian emperors resented Greek interference and decided to teach the Greeks a lesson…. 5656

The Greeks at War

Between 500 and 400 B.C. the Greeks fought several wars.

Two were against the powerful Persian Empire to the east of Greece.

Then a civil war broke out among the city-states of Greece.

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Persia versus Ancient Greece

Between 490BC and 479BC a Persian Army of approximately 300,000 men attempted to conquer the Greeks.

A union of Greek cities (led by Sparta and Athens) defeated the Persians at the battle of Thermopylae.

The Greeks numbered around 7000 soldiers.

The movie 300 is set in this war.

Do you know how the Greeks managed to stop the Persian’s advance? (the Greeks were vastly outnumbered).

5959

And the winner is…Ancient Greece (with a little help from the And the winner is…Ancient Greece (with a little help from the landscape and weather)landscape and weather)

To get to central Greece the Persians needed to pass through a narrow canyon.

The canyon was at a place called Thermopylae.

The Spartan King Leonidas placed 300 Spartans at the mouth of the canyon and delayed the Persian advance.

Meanwhile, the Athenian navy destroyed the Persian fleet (with help from a storm)

Why did the Persians invade Greece?In 519 B.C. the Persians

conquered a group of people who lived in Asia Minor called the Ionian

Greeks.

In 499 B.C. the Ionian Greeks asked the mainland Greeks to help them rebel

against the Persians.

Help!

Athens sent warships to help them, but they were

not strong enough to defeat the Persian army.

We’re on the way

This made the Persian King, Darius, very angry with Greece.

AGH!Those Greeks will pay for

this

In 490 B.C. Darius sent 600 ships and thousands of soldiers to invade Greece. He wanted to punish the Athenians for helping the rebels.

The Persian army landed at Marathon, north of Athens, in

490 B.C.

Persians greatly outnumbered Greeks.

Marathon

The Persians were amazed at the

strong will of the small Athenian

force. They had no horses or archers, only fierce foot

soldiers.

Persian Empire

Athens

Sparta

After a few days, the Persians

decided to attack Athens by sea.

While they were loading their ships, the Athenians attacked and defeated them.

The Persians Retreated.

Marathon

The Greeks sent their fastest runner Pheidippides to carry home news of the victory.

He sprinted 26.2 miles from the battle site to the city-state of Athens.

He arrived and said, “Rejoice, we conquer,” and died from exhaustion

The Marathon race is named after this event.

What Happened at Thermopylae?The Greek ruler Themistocles knew this was a temporary victory. He encouraged the Athenians to build up their fleet and prepare

for battle with the Persians.

In 480 B.C. Darius’ son Xerxes sent a larger force to conquer Greece.

He sent 200,000 soldiers and nearly 1,000 ships.

By this time Athens had convinced Sparta to join them in battle. Twenty Greek city-states joined together to meet the Persian

invaders.

Sparta took charge of the army.

Persia Invades Greece

The Persian army had little trouble as it moved through northern Greece.

It came to a narrow mountain pass called Thermopylae...7,000 Greeks waited for the Persians.

For several days they stopped the Persian army from moving forward

Someone led the Persians behind the Greek army, the Spartan soldier began to retreat to their ships as

the Persians marched forward.

A Small Spartan force of about 300 men commanded by King Leonidas, guarded the mountain pass of Thermopylae.

They held out heroically against he enormous Persian force for three days.

They were betrayed when someone told the Persians how to get behind the army.

They were defeated, but won valuable time for the rest of the Greeks.

Who won at Salamis?

Salamis

The Persians marched south after their victory at

Thermopylae and destroyed the city of Athens.

Athens

ThermopylaeThe Athenians had already moved to

Salamis, a small nearby island.

The large Persian ships could not maneuver in the water.The smaller Greek ships destroyed them.

More than 800 Persian ships attacked the Athenian navy

near the island.

Results of the Persian Wars

•The Greek sense of uniqueness was increased.

•Athens emerged as the most powerful city-state in Greece.

•Athens takes credit leading the victory.

•Athens organized the Delian League, an alliance with other Greek city-states.

•Athens used the league to assert power and build an Athenian Empire.

•They moved the treasury to Athens, and forced people to stay in the league against their will.

•Persia still exists.

•Greek cities in Asia Minor are still controlled by Persia.

Athens in the Age of Pericles

The wise and skillful leadership of Pericles brought about a Golden age in Athens.

This was from about 460 to 429 B.C. and is often called the Age of Pericles.

•Pericles believed that all male citizens, regardless of wealth or social class, should take part in government.

•He paid salaries to men who held public office.

•This enabled the poor to serve in the government.

•The assembly met several times a month and needed at least 6,000 members present to take a vote.

•This was direct democracy, a large number of citizens took part in the day to day affairs of the government.

Pericles stated, “We alone, regard a man who takes no interest in public affairs, not as harmless, but as a useless character.

Pericles rebuilt the Acropolis and turned Athens into the cultural center of Greece.

Age of Pericles

Elected to lead Athens on and off for 30 years.

All citizens can hold office.

- ½ of population not citizens

Slaves made government participation possible.

City is rebuilt with Delian funds.

City-states that oppose Athens are crushed by League.

Athens as LeaderAthens rebuilds after the Persian War.

Rather than win by conquest, it tries diplomacy.

Many allies together, sharing money, troops and ships.

Delian League…or Empire?

League consists of Athens and 140 city-states.

No member can withdraw without all the others agreeing. (Athens can thus control)

465 BC: Xerxes dies – Persia not a threat.

League still exists

Athens takes treasury, spends $ on itself.

League becomes a financial empire.

The Peloponnesian War

Athens & Delian League

vs

Sparta & the Peloponnesian League

Greek against Greek

Many Greeks resented the Athenian domination.

The Greek world split into rival camps.

To counter the Delian League, Sparta and other enemies of Athens formed the Peloponnesian

League.

Sparta encouraged an Oligarchy (government run by business) in the states of the

Peloponnesian League, and Athens supported democracy.

A 27 year war broke out in 431 B.C. engulfing all of Greece

Peloponnesian War•Athens faced a serious geographic disadvantage from the start.•Sparta was located inland, the Athenian navy was no good against them.•When Sparta invaded Athens, Pericles allowed people from the countryside to move inside the city.•Overcrowding led to a plague that killed a third of the people.•Internal struggles undermined the Democratic government of Athens.•Sparta even allied with Persia, their old enemy, against the Delian League.•Finally, in 404 B.C., with the help of the Persian navy, the Spartans captured Athens and stripped it of its fleet and empire.

The Peloponnesian WarSparta attacks Athens

Sparta has no Navy

Athenians hide inside walls.

Athens controls the ocean, from Delian League.

Athens gets greedy, attacks Sicily & LOSES.

Sparta builds small navy, stops food from getting in.

Eventually, Athens surrenders.

The Aftermath of War

•The Peloponnesian war ended Athenian greatness.

•In Athens Democratic government suffered: Corruption and selfish interests replaced order.

•Fighting continued to disrupt the Greek world.

•Sparta itself suffered defeat at the hands of Thebes, another Greek city-state.

•Greece was left vulnerable to invasion.

•Cultural development was arrested.

Sparta Controls Greece Sparta gets respect, seems to rule.

But other city-states gain control. Corinth, then Thebes

Greece is left weak.

City-States fight, use up resources.

Greece conquered by Philip II from the region of Macedon to the North.

Philip unites, son Alexander takes over…

Macedonia and Alexander the Great

In 338 B.C. King Phillip II of Macedonia led his army from the

north and conquered Greece.

After his death his son, Alexander the Great, went on to conquer the

entire Greek world.

Macedonia

Philip II saw the weakened state of Greece

He valued Greek culture – his son Alexander was educated in Athens

He took over Greece before any other power could

Was Persia next?

Alexander the Great

Philip died before attacking Persia

His son, Alexander, took over and Persia fell to his armies

Alexander went on to control areas in the Middle East and Asia

Alexander’s Empire