ANCIENT GREECE Chapter 5 Notes

5.2-Athenian Democracy The Classical Age of Greece  Marked by great achievements, specifically democracy, and war Athenian Democracy  Conflict between the rich and poor led to a need for a change in government  The adoption of democracy would lead to stability and prosperity

5.2-Athenian Democracy The Development of Democracy  Several leaders attempted to stop/control the conflict before democracy was finally established  Draco – enacted harsh laws to control the conflict – ineffective  Solon – reversed the Draconian laws, outlawed debt-slavery, encourage trade, instituted a limited democracy where all men could serve in the assembly, but only the wealthy could run for and hold office – somewhat effective  Cleisthenes – broke up noble families, created 10 tribes for basis of elections instead of noble families, each tribe elected 50 men to represent them on the Council of 500 – successful

5.2-Athenian Democracy The Nature of Athenian Democracy  Voting requirements:  20 years old, military training, citizen, male, vote in all elections 10% of the population  Requirements  Vote in all elections  Serve in office in elected  Serve on juries  Serve in the military during war time  3 bodies of government:  Assembly – ( all eligible people) vote on laws – direct democracy Made all the laws and important decisions  Council of 500 – make/write the laws  Courts – heard trials and sentenced criminals (chosen by the assembly)  Elected Officials  War Generals  Archon – chief of state Head of the assembly and council of 500 Served 1 year term with no limits on reelection Could be Impeached

Knowledge Check Point Why did Draco reform laws in Athens? Which of Athens early reformers was the most effective and why? Which people were allowed to vote? Why do you suppose Cleisthenes had the council of 500 work with the assembly?

5.2- Persian Wars Causes and Conflicts  Greek city-states vs. Persia  Cause – Greek city-states in Ionia want independence from Persian rule – Ionians revolt against Persia and receive aid from Greece, but their revolt fails – Darius is mad and wants revenge on Greece for supporting the revolt First Persian Invasion  490BCE- tens of thousands of Persian soldiers land on the Greek island and town of marathon  Greeks were warned ahead of time  Greeks caught Persians when unloading their ships  Greeks attacked in a rectangle position with their spears out and shield up  Persian retreated  Legend says a Greek messenger ran from Marathon to Athens to announce their victory, but died from exhaustion once he reached Athens  The distance was 26 miles, where we get the term marathon

5.2-Persian Wars Preparation for a Second Invasion  Persians and Greeks were both shocked at Athens victory  Darius wanted revenge but died in 486BCE  His son Xerxes vowed to seek revenge and in 480 set out for Greece  Army included hundred of thousand of soliders and sailors together with all their animals, weapons, food, and supplies  According to legend the Persian army was so large it took them a week to cross a bridge they built into Greece (an exaggeration)  Athens called on other Greek city states to help  Sparta responded even though they were bitter rivals  Athens fought the Persians on Sea  Sparta fought Persians on land

5.2- Persian Wars The Second Persian Invasion  As the Persians marched into Greece, the Greeks worried they wouldn’t have enough time to prepare their armies  Sparta sent troops to stop the Persians at the mountain pass of Thermopylae (were the Persians would pass to get into the Greece mainland)  The Spartan army held off the Persians for days  Eventually a local showed the Persians alternate route  Legend says that the army of Sparta consisted of only 300 troops against the Persian army of 100,000 plus

5.2 Persian Wars The Second Persian Invasion  After Thermopylae the Persians marched south to Athens (Greeks had evacuated)  Persians attacked and burn the city  Persians need ships to bring them supplies  Athenians led the Persian ships to the strait of Salamis  Persian ships were much larger than the Athenian ones and they could not move well in the strait  Greek warship cut them to pieces  Xeres places a throne on the shore to watch the battle and saw all of his warships destroyed  Persian was not stuck in Greece  No supplies  The next year In 479BCE a huge army led by Sparta crushed the Persians in Plataea  After Plataea the Persians agreed to a peace settlement  Greece won the Persian wars

5.2- Persian Wars Persian Wars in a Nutshell  3 battles:  Marathon – Darius – Greeks win  Thermopylae – Xerxes – Persians win  Salamis – Xerxes – Greeks win  Greeks win the Persian Wars

Knowledge Check Point If the Persians were cut off from their supplies after the Battle of Salamis how had the supplies been delivered? What were the consequences of the Battle of Salamis?

5.2- The Golden Age of Athens Increased Influence  Following the Persian Wars Athens and Sparta competed for the most power/influence over Greek city-states – Athens wins  During the Persian War dozen of city states ban together after they stay in this alliance  Athens was the largest and richest in the alliance  You had to pay to be part of the league  Treasury held on the island of Delios so it became known as the Delian League  More city-states wanted to join the league  Cities began to resent Athens and tried to leave the league, Athens wouldn’t allow it. Anyone that wanted to rebel was attacked by the leagues fleet and forced back in  Athens controlled the league as it grew in power and influence – becomes the Athenian Empire.

5.2- The Golden Age of Athens Rebuilding Athens  Athens needed to rebuild after Persia had burnt their city down  Athens used the league’s treasury to rebuild the city becoming the cultural and political center of Greece- Other league members were angry  They built grand temples on the acropolis  Grandest was the Parthenon- dedicated to Athena  A city of stone and marble  The rebuilding of Athens was the height of culture, largely due to Pericles – the Parthenon is constructed  Athens was the heart of Greek art and culture during this time

5.2-The Golden Age of Athens The Age of Pericles  Much of the rebuilding of Athens was due to Pericles- one of the cities generals in 460BCE  One of the most influential politicians in Athens  He had a lot of power but was a champion for democracy  He introduced payments for those who served in the gov’t  Encouraged Athenians to introduce democracy in other part of the city-state  Great patron of the arts  He thought that Athens was the greatest city and the structure of the city should reflect that

5.2-Golden Age of Athens Life in the Golden Age  Great wealth to Athens  Merchants moved to Athens bring their own customs making it very cosmopolitan  Grand festivals  Public celebrations  Olympics  Plays and dramas  Athens was the heart of culture during it’s time

5.2- The Peloponnesian Wars The Peloponnesian League  League created by Sparta in 500BCE  Cause – conflict between Athens and Sparta – Athens is too powerful/influential – Sparta and other city-states want to reduce the power/influence – fear that either side would become dominant causes the conflict  As Athens headed the Delian League, Sparta headed the Peloponnesian League War in Greece  The war lasts many years, most of which is a stalemate – Sparta was supreme on land (army) & Athens was supreme on the sea (navy) – eventually call a truce  Truce does not last and war resumes, but a plague devastates Athens (Pericles died) which allows Sparta to win the conflict  Another Truce is called in 421BCE  Fighting broke out again and Sparta defeated Athens in 404 BCE  Sparta’s resources are stretched too thin and is defeated by the city-state of Thebes  City states began to fight one another and left all of Greece weak  340 BCE leads to instability until the Macedonians conquer Greece

Knowledge Check Point What contributed to the Macedonian victory over Greece? Would you rather have fought for Sparta or Greece (Athens)?

Assignment Work with your partner on your Greece Project Work on your vocabulary Work on your questions for Chapter 5