Democracy and the Golden Age

Pericles’s 3 Goals for Athens Pericles leads Athens during it’s golden age 3 Goals Strengthen Athenian Democracy Hold and strengthen the empire Glorify Athens

Stronger Democracy Increased the number of paid public officials Poorest could serve if elected More citizens engaged in gov’t than ever Direct Democracy Form of gov’t in which citizens rule directly and not through representation

Athenian Empire Tried to enlarge the wealth and power of Athens Built Athens a 200 ship navy Strongest in Mediterranean Strengthened safety Needed overseas trade to gain supplies such as grain

Glorifying Athens Beautified Athens Persuaded the Athenian assembly to vote huge sums of money to buy gold, ivory, and marble The Parthenon One of architecture’s noblest works

Greek Art Sculpture Statue of Athena in Parthenon Sculptor Phidias 38 feet tall (gold and ivory) Aimed to create figures graceful, strong, and perfectly formed No expression on statues Wanted to capture normal human motion Called Classical Art

Greek Drama Built 1st theatres in the west Expression and civic pride and a tribute to the gods Wealthy citizens produced plays Tragedy Serious drama about common themes such as love, hate, war, and betrayal Comedy Slap-stick situations and crude humor Satires = poked fun at a subject Showed freedom and openness and freedom of public discussions

Spartans vs. Athenians Tensions building for years Leaders in both Athens and Sparta pressed for war Both groups believed they could win Peloponnesian War War between Sparta and Athens in 431 B.C. Athens = strongest sea power in Greece Sparta could not easily be attacked from sea Sparta attacks Athens Citizens brought into Athens city walls for protection

Sparta Gains the Edge Plague killed roughly 1/3 of Athens’ population including Pericles Athenian assembly sent huge fleet of 27,000 soldiers to destroy the polis of one of Spartan’s wealthiest allies Athenians were destroyed 404 B.C. Athens surrenders

Philosophers Lovers of wisdom Socrates Plata Aristotle Believed that absolute standards did exist for truth and justice Encouraged Greeks to go further and question themselves and their moral character Plata Student of Socrates Wrote “The Republic” Set forth vision of a perfectly governed society All citizens would fall naturally into three groups; famers and artisans, warriors, and the ruling class Aristotle Student of Plato Questioned nature of human belief, thought, and knowledge