Warring City-States

The Persian Wars A new kind of army Phalanx – soldiers stood side by side, each holding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other – a fearsome formation

The Persian Wars Battle of Marathon 490 BCE Persian fleet of 25,000 men landed NE of Athens on a plain called Marathon Met by 10,000 Athenians arranged in phalanxes Persians no match for them – had light armor and lacked training Persia was defeated Greeks lost less than 200 men Persians lost over 6,000!! http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-greece/videos/the-battle-of-marathon?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Consequence of the Persian Wars All Greek city-states felt a new sense of confidence and freedom Athens emerged as the leader of the newly formed Delian League, an alliance of Greek city-states Athens began to control the other city-states Used military force, the prestige of their victory and their wealth to enter a Golden Age

Democracy and Greece’s Golden Age 477 to 431 BCE, Athens experienced a growth in intellectual and artistic learning Led by Pericles, an honest and fair man; skillful politician, inspiring speaker and respected general Led the Age of Pericles from 461 to 429 BCE

Age of Pericles Three goals: 1. To strengthen Athenian democracy- Increased the number of officials who were paid salaries so now even the poorest could serve if elected Introduced “direct democracy” where citizens ruled directly not through representatives To hold and strengthen the empire

Age of Pericles 2. To hold and strengthen the empire Pericles used the money in the Delian League’s treasury to make the Athenian navy the strongest in the Mediterranean A strong navy kept overseas trade open and increased safety of the empire 3. To glorify Athens Used money from the league to beautify Athens (gold, ivory, marble) Later caused resentment

THE AGE OF PERICLES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wG7xYG7HF8

Glorious Art and Architecture The Parthenon A masterpiece of architectural design and craftsmanship A traditional style for Greek temples Built to honor Athena, the goddess of wisdom and protector of Athens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGitmYl6U90

Glorious Art and Architecture Contained examples of Greek art that set standards for future generations Sculptures showed grace, strength and perfection and serenity; portrayed ideal beauty not realism Their values of harmony, order, balance and proportion became the standard of what is called classical art.

Peloponnesian War Athens versus Sparta Plague broke out in Athens Spartans were fearful of Athenian power Athenians wanted to reassert their power on the mainland of Greece Plague broke out in Athens After ten years of fighting the situation was no different than it was at the beginning of the war Truce Everyone was allowed to go home Territorial status remained the same

Peloponnesian War Six years later… Athens launched a massive assault against Sicily, an ally of Sparta This campaign was so catastrophic for Athens that the city barely recovered militarily After 27 years, Sparta defeated the Athenians Athens had lost its empire, power and wealth

Philosophers Search for Truth Means a “Lover of wisdom” After the wars, many lost confidence in democratic gov’ts and began to question their values Based their philosophy on: The universe is put together in an orderly way, and subject to absolute and unchanging laws People can understand these laws through logic and reason

Socrates 470-399 BCE Believed absolute standards existed for truth and justice Encouraged students to question themselves and their moral character “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socratic Method Devoted life to gaining self-knowledge “There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” 399 BCE – charged with corrupting the youth of Athens and neglecting the city’s gods Condemned to death – drank hemlock, a slow-acting poison

Plato 427-347 BCE Socrates was his teacher Wrote The Republic Described his vision of a perfectly governed society It was NOT democracy – all citizens would fall naturally into three groups His writings would dominate philosophic thought in Europe for nearly 1,500 years

Aristotle 384-322 BCE Studied under Plato at his Academy Lyceum School in Athens Developed rules of logic Scientific Method Tutored Alexander, son of King Philip II of Macedonia

School of Athens