Transcript Philip

Greece at War
Persian Wars and the
Peloponnesian War
Persian Wars (499 to 449 B.C.)
►
Wars with Persia were important to the
development of Greek culture.
► King
Darius I wanted to force Greece into
submission, but city-states united and fought
side by side.
► After
defeat of the Darius, his son Xerxes
attacked Greece with a stronger force.
►
Persian wars united Athens and Sparta
against the Persian Empire.
►
Athenian victories over the Persians at
Marathon and Salamis left Greeks in
control of the Aegean Sea.
Greek Victory
►
The Greeks defeated the Persian empire and preserved
their political independence.
►
They continued innovations in government and culture.
Peloponnesian War (431 – 404 B.C.)

Competition between Athens and Sparta for
control of Greece helped cause the
Peloponnesian War.
 It lasted 27 years.

Greek world split into rival camps (alliances)
– Athens created the Delian League
– Sparta organized the Peloponnesian League
The Aftermath

The Spartans captured Athens.

The Peloponnesian War ended Athenian
domination of the Greek world.

It resulted in the slowing of cultural advance and
the weakening of political power.

As Greeks battled among themselves, a new power rose in
Macedonia.

By 359 B.C., its ruler decided to conquer the Greek city-states.
The Age of Pericles
 The leadership of Pericles
was important to the
development of Athenian
life.
 Golden Age of Pericles
(Golden Age for Athens) occurred mostly between
the Persian and the
Peloponnesian Wars.
Under Pericles


Pericles extended democracy – most adult males
had equal voice.

Pericles believed that all male citizens, regardless of wealth or social class,
should take part in government.

He also reduced the citizenship age from 30 to 18.
Pericles had Athens rebuilt after destruction in the
Persian Wars.

The Parthenon is an example of this reconstruction.
Acropolis