Golden Age of Athens & the Peloponnesian War

Athens: Where Did We Leave Off? Greek city-states had just won a victory against the mighty Persian Empire Greek city-states had worked together for the first time Athens won great victories at Marathon and Salamis Sparta helped by sacrificing themselves at the Thermopylae

Delian League 478BC: Athens feared another attack from Persia and decided to prepare by forming a league of allied city-states that would work together if Persia came back Called the Delian League after the island where it had it treasury or bank

What Did the Delian League Do? Promised to defend the city-states who were members Worked to drive Persian out of Greek territories in Asia Minor

How Did it Work? Every city-state contributed soldiers and money to help the cause As time went on, Athens started to collect tribute or taxes from the members and used the money to strengthen its own military Smaller city-states had no choice: either pay or be left undefended Athens also used Delain League money to rebuild Athens after the Persian Wars

Pericles Athenian general who has elected as a political leader for more than 30 years from 461 BCE to 429 BCE Rebuilt Athens after the Persian Wars Expanded Democracy Allowed lower class people to run for office Paid officeholders which allowed poorer people to afford to run for office

Parthenon The Parthenon was built during this time Temple in Athens for the goddess Athena One of the greatest architectural achievements of Ancient Greece Still standing (in ruins) today!

Agora Downtown market place and business district Full of temples, stoas, and government buildings

Stoa Covered walkway with columns that house market stalls and stores Similar to an outdoor mall

Pnyx Hill

Pnyx Hill Meeting place of the Assembly

Theatre of Dionysus

Theatre of Dionysus Where plays were performed in the city

Acropolis

Acropolis Means “high city” Home of the grand temple to Athens: the Parthenon Also has many other temples and alters

Legend Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god of Athens by providing gifts to the people of the city on the Acropolis Legend says Poseidon lifted his trident and struck the earth with it. At the point where the spear struck, a spring burst out producing a sea The people loved it but as they went closer to taste the water, to their dismay the water was salty. Athena quietly knelt and buried something in the ground which in time grew into an olive tree. This turned out to be a much more useful gift, granting the Athenians, not only the olives for food, but also a source of oil for their lamps and for cooking their food as well as the wood from the olive tree to build their boasts and houses. Clearly Athena's gift was deemed by far the better she was declared the goddess of the city

Parthenon Built during Pericles’ rule & the Athenian Golden Age with money from the Delian League Treasury Sculptor Phidias was in charge of all of the temple’s sculpture

Entasis As you get further away from a building, your eyes naturally think straight lines look curved Entasis: slightly curved lines in architecture to create an optical allusion from far away of perfectly straight lines

Sculpture Terms

Phidias Athena Parthenos statue

Frieze

Metopes

Theatre of Dionysus

Peloponnesian League Sparta creates its own alliance called the Peloponnesian League Why do you think it was given this name? What do you notice about the location of the two leagues?

Cause of the War Sparta did not want Athens to become to rich or powerful 431 BCE War starts 404 BCE war ends

War Strategy Athens had the better navy and wanted to fight sea battles Sparta had the better army and wanted to fight land battles Pericles decided not to start a land battle with Sparta and instead let the Spartans come to Athens Spartans started a siege of Athens, surrounding the city and trying to starve out the Athenians

War Strategy Athenian navy delivered supplies to the Athenian port city of Piraeus so they could survive

Disease A deadly disease spread through Athens in the second year of the war, killing Pericles Athens continued to fight for another 25 years

Sparta Makes a Deal 205 BCE Sparta allies with Persia to get money to build a navy Sparta won several battles and finally Athens surrendered Sparta broke up the Athenian Empire

War Effects Greek city-states will never partner up again Ends the Athenian Golden Age Huge losses in land and people Weakens all city-states