Transcript Period 2 - Chapter 3- Greco-Persian Wars

The Greco-Persian Wars
5th Century BCE – 490-479 BCE
Key Concept
The Persians…
• Wealthy
• Largest civilization at the time
VS. The Greeks
• Poor
• Smaller population
• Lacked unity – constantly engaged in disputes
with one another – city-states
And the winner…
• THE GREEKS!
Roots of War
• A group of Greek Citystates were under the
control of the Persians
known to the Greeks as
Ionia.
• The Ionian Greeks revolted
against the Persians and
found an ally with Athens
on the Greek mainland
The Wars
• The Persians launched two wars in 10 years on
the Greeks – wanted to punish the Greeks and
destroy Athens
• The Greeks defeated the Persians both times –
on land and sea
Impact
• Little impact on the Persian Empire since it
was massive….but for the Greeks…
Impact of the wars on the Greeks
1. Source of pride
2. Significance of the Battle of Marathon
3. Sets up the modern world divide of East and
West:
1. Western worldview in which Persia represented
Asia and despotism (absolute power, cruel and
abusive) where Greece signified Europe and
freedom
Greece BOOMS after wars
• Peak of Athenian Democracy
– Poorer classes “rowed their way
to citizenship”
• The Golden Age of Greek
Culture – the Parthenon,
Greek Theater – Aeschylus,
Sophocles, Euripides
• Socrates beginning career as a
philosopher
Glory didn’t last
• Athens was made up of a group of thirty
Greek city-states
• Athens wanted a dominant position –
Imperialize – this led to a civil war
• Sparta took the lead
• The Peloponnesian War – Athens was
defeated
Macedonian invasion
• The Greeks exhausted themselves, as a result,
the Macedonians will take over Greece…
• The Conquest of Alexander the Great.