It’s All Gr k to Me 700 B.C. to 145 B.C.

Section 1: City-States Polis – “city-state” Geographic & political center of Greek Life City was in the inner & farms on the outer

Acropolis Built on an Acropolis: fortified(military) limestone hill

Agora Bottom of hill was the agora: open marketplace Political & legal center, shops, water for the women

Running the City-States Own government & laws Contained 5,000 to 10,000 citizens Only males from Greece could vote Citzens could vote, own property, and hold gov. positions Polis gave them sense of belonging and civic & personal honor

Section 2: Sparta Aristocrats (nobles) took over gov. Led by 2 Kings who lead the army and conducted religious services Aristocrats = only Spartan citizens

Helots and Perioeci Spartans believed in totalitarianism Gov. that uses force & power to rule Helots: enslaved people who farmed the land Perioeci: merchants and artisans who lived in villages Neither enslaved ppl nor citizens Helots & Perioeci outnumber aristocrats Aristocrats trained for army & war

Spartan Way of Life Goal: to be militarily strong Did not believe in change b/c it would weaken way of life Newborns check to see if they were healthy Men At 7, sent to military camps to be educated & to train for fighting Strict Rules: silence, 1 piece of clothing, slept outdoors, measured weight Expected to marry at 20 & Became hoplites Left army at 60 Women Had more freedom then other women in Greece Had public schooling – read & write Owned land Loved sports such as wrestling & racing Told men to come home w/ their shields or on them

Section 3: Athens 750 BC – Set up an oligarchy 594 – Solon made plans to change gov. Made constitution: set of principles & rules for ruling Broke power of rich, established an assembly, offered citizenship, and trade 508 – Spartans overthrown by Cleisthenes Created 1st democratic society

Democratic Constitution Freedom of speech Opened assembly Council of Five Hundred Handled daily business Chosen by lot Required to educate sons At 18, took an oath of citizenship

Daily Life in Athens Young children would read Aesop’s fables Youth were to develop artistic and intellectual talents Men Boys from wealthy families would go to school Age 12: Phys. Ed. was most important 18 to 20: went to military training school Clothing: wool tunics or himation Hair: Short (young) & Long (old) Did the shopping

Women Homes Only did physical activities at festivals No schooling Clothing: long wool or linen tunics Hair: Long but pulled up in bun or pony tail Marriages were arranged Confined to certain part of the house Jobs: cook, weave, raise children No social life w/ husband Homes Large, airy luxurious buildings made of mud brick

Persian Wars 545 B.C. – Persia conquered Ionia Ionians w/help from mainland Greece revolted against the Persians Persians won Darius (Persian King) wanted to continue to punish the Greeks

Battle of Marathon 490 – Darius & Persians sailed to Marathon They then decided to sail to Athens Athenians decided to surprise attack the Persians Ran down the hills of Marathon Athenians defeated the Persians Afraid that the Persians would still come to Athens after, Athenians sent Pheidippides to tell them: “Nike”

Battle of Thermopylae Athenians triremes built Made strong navy Xerxes (New King of Persia) brings his large army back to Northern Greece Sparta & Athens teamed together Met the Persians at the narrow pass

A Greek traitor helped the Persians through the mountain pass For the first few days, the Greeks esp. the Spartans held off the Persians While doing so, people of Athens were told to flee A Greek traitor helped the Persians through the mountain pass Persian were able to surround the Greeks 300 Spartans and 700 Greeks stayed to fight to the bitter end 1 Spartan survived the war Athens burned

Battle of Salamis Persians moved toward Athens Greek army went to Salamis & waited for Persians Themistocles tricked the Persians Caused Persians to come through narrow pass Difficult: Too many ships & large ships Greeks destroyed Persians

Battle of Plataea Xerxes went back to Persia ½ his army stayed in N. Greece They decided to go South Greeks crushed the Persians

Delian League & Athenian Empire Delian League: protective group head-quarted on the island of Delos Most city-states joined – Sparta did not

Peloponnesian War 433 BC – Athens aligned themselves with Corinth a Sparta ally Sparta accused Athens of aggression & threatened war 431 – War starts when Sparta allies attack Athens’ ally 1st Phase – 10 years of fighting 2nd Phase – Nicias – a truce of 6 years 3rd Phase – Athens lost attack on Sicily Ended with a crushing defeat of Athens by Sparta Sparta set up a King in Athens Athens was never again as strong even though they would revolt and set up a democracy once again

Decline of City-States Lost sense of community Money issues Harsh rule by the Spartans and then Thebes