Transcript Classical Greece - Miami Beach Senior High School

Classical Greece
SS.A.2.4.4, SS.B.2.4.1-3
Persia vs. Greece
• By the middle of the 6th Century B.C. the
Persian empire had conquered Ionian
Greek cities in Asia Minor
• 499 B.C.: Ionian cities revolt against the
Persian Empire, helped by Athenian Navy
• 490 B.C.: Persian army lands on the plain
of Marathon, lead by King Darius, but was
defeated by the Athenian army
Persia vs. Greece
• 486 B.C.: Darius dies, replaced by Xerxes
• Xerxes invades Greece with a huge force
of about 180,000 troops and thousands of
battle and supply ships
• By this time the Athens had rebuilt its navy
to about 200 warships
• Greeks and Persians meet at the main
road to central Greece—Thermopylae
Persia vs. Greece
• Persians win at Thermopylae, due to
advice from a Greek traitor
• Persians move on Athens, and Athenians
abandon their city
• Persian and Athenian navies clash near
island of Salamis—Athenians win
• 479 B.C.: Largest Greek force to that point
defeat Persians at Plataea
Rise of Athens
• After defeat of the Persians, Athens rises
as the leader of the Greek world, creat a
defensive alliance—the Delian League
• Delian League based on island of Delos
• Under Athenian leadership, most Greek
cities in the Aegean were freed from
Persian control
• 454 B.C.: Control of Delian treasury
moved to Athens, creating Athenian
Empire
Age of Pericles & Democracy
• 461-429 B.C.: Pericles rises as central
figure in Athenian politics, expanding
empire and allowing democracy to flourish
• Direct Democracy: people directly
participate in government decision making
through mass meetings
• Assembly=43,000 men over 18, meeting
every ten days, but attendance averaged
around 5,500
Athenian Democracy
• Pericles thought Athenians should be
proud of their democracy
• He expanded participation by lower-class
citizens by paying officials
• 10 Generals were directors of policy
• Ostracism, ban people from city for period
of 10 years—pottery fragment (ostrakon)
• Athens=center of Greek culture
Great Peloponnesian War
• After war with Persians, Greece split
between Athenian Empire & Sparta
• 431 B.C.: War breaks out in Greece
• Athenian strategy: stay behind city walls,
and get supplies from navy and colonies
• Spartan strategy: surround Athens, force
them to fight outside walls
• Pericles knew Spartans would win open
battle
Trouble In Athens
• Second year of war, plague breaks out in
Athens, killing 1/3 of city population,
including Pericles
• Athens continues fighting for 25 years
• 405 B.C.: Athenian fleet destroyed at
Hellespont, Athenian Empire falls
• For next 66 years; Athens, Sparta and
Thebes dominate Greek politics
Life In Athens
• Before plague, Athens was largest city in
Greece with 150,000 citizens
• 43,000 voting men, 35,000 non-citizens,
100,000 slaves
• Economy based on farming and trade
• Main products were sheep, grapes and
olives
• Imported 50-80% of its grain
Athenian Family Life & Women
• Family=husband, wife, children, other familial
dependents and slaves
• Women could participate in festivals, but were
otherwise excluded from public life
• Women always had male protection
• Woman’s job=childbearing, housekeeping or
supervise slaves
• Women married at 14 or 15
• Women could usually read and play instruments