The Classical Age of Greece Golden Age of Athens, Persian Wars, and the Peloponnesian War

ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY Solon – Revised laws. Outlawed debt slavery and tried to reduce poverty by encouraging trade. Cleisthenes – Divided Athens into 10 tribes that became the basis for elections. (Credited for creating Democracy) Democracy?…Really? –Women, children, immigrants, slaves could NOT particpate. –10% of population participated. Athens used a Direct Democracy where people voted directly on issues. –Why not used in United States?

Persian Wars First Persian Invasion –Marathon (Phalanx) Athens beats Persia (Darius). Second Persian Invasion –Thermopylae Small Greek force held back large Persian force for 3 days. (Xerxes) –Salamis (Naval Battle) Persia lost and were stuck in Greece. Greece Wins Persian Wars!

Golden Age of Athens Athens & Delian League –Alliance of Greek city-states that was controlled by Athens. –Parthenon was built from $ from Delian League. Pericles –Skilled politician who encouraged the spreading of democracy. –Commissioned the building of the Parthenon.

ACROPOLIS

PARTHENON

TEMPLE OF ATHENA NIKE

ERECTHEION

Pericles’ 3 Goals for Athens 1. Stronger Democracy: Increased the number of paid public officials to strengthen democracy. –Athens had more citizen engaged in self- government than any other city-state. 2. Athenian Empire: Enlarged the wealth and power of Athens. –Used $ to build 200 navy ships. 3. Glorifying Athens: Used $ from the Empire to beautify Athens by buying gold, ivory, marble.

Greeks invented 2 types of drama (tragedy & comedy) and built first theaters in the west. Parthenon was a 23,000 sq. ft. building which contained the statue of Athena inside. Athena stood 38 feet tall and was made of gold and ivory. The Greeks values of order, balance, and proportions became the standard of classical art. Tried to capture grace of the human body in their art. Greek Styles in Art & Greek Drama

Declared war in 431 B.C. –Athens: Naval Ships –Sparta: Stronger Soldiers Plague killed almost two-third of Athenian population. Athenians had a wall that kept out the Spartans. After 18 years, Spartans took down the wall. 404 B.C. Athens surrendered & changed their political program. Spartans & Athenians Go to War

Philosophers are people who determined to seek truth. They based assumptions on: –1. Universe is put together in orderly way with subject absolute and unchanging laws. –2. People understand laws through logic and reason. Socrates who believed that absolute standards exist through truth & justice (Socratic Method) –Went to trial for corrupting youth of Athens. Plato was a student of Socrates and famous work is called “The Republic” Aristotle questioned nature of world and human belief and created scientific method. Philosophers Search for Truth