Classical Greece SS.A.2.4.4, SS.B

Persia vs. Greece By the middle of the 6 th Century B.C. the Persian empire had conquered Ionian Greek cities in Asia Minor 499 B.C.: Ionian cities revolt against the Persian Empire, helped by Athenian Navy 490 B.C.: Persian army lands on the plain of Marathon, lead by King Darius, but was defeated by the Athenian army

Persia vs. Greece 486 B.C.: Darius dies, replaced by Xerxes Xerxes invades Greece with a huge force of about 180,000 troops and thousands of battle and supply ships By this time the Athens had rebuilt its navy to about 200 warships Greeks and Persians meet at the main road to central Greece—Thermopylae

Persia vs. Greece Persians win at Thermopylae, due to advice from a Greek traitor Persians move on Athens, and Athenians abandon their city Persian and Athenian navies clash near island of Salamis—Athenians win 479 B.C.: Largest Greek force to that point defeat Persians at Plataea

Rise of Athens After defeat of the Persians, Athens rises as the leader of the Greek world, creat a defensive alliance—the Delian League Delian League based on island of Delos Under Athenian leadership, most Greek cities in the Aegean were freed from Persian control 454 B.C.: Control of Delian treasury moved to Athens, creating Athenian Empire

Age of Pericles & Democracy B.C.: Pericles rises as central figure in Athenian politics, expanding empire and allowing democracy to flourish Direct Democracy: people directly participate in government decision making through mass meetings Assembly=43,000 men over 18, meeting every ten days, but attendance averaged around 5,500

Athenian Democracy Pericles thought Athenians should be proud of their democracy He expanded participation by lower-class citizens by paying officials 10 Generals were directors of policy Ostracism, ban people from city for period of 10 years—pottery fragment (ostrakon) Athens=center of Greek culture

Great Peloponnesian War After war with Persians, Greece split between Athenian Empire & Sparta 431 B.C.: War breaks out in Greece Athenian strategy: stay behind city walls, and get supplies from navy and colonies Spartan strategy: surround Athens, force them to fight outside walls Pericles knew Spartans would win open battle

Trouble In Athens Second year of war, plague breaks out in Athens, killing 1/3 of city population, including Pericles Athens continues fighting for 25 years 405 B.C.: Athenian fleet destroyed at Hellespont, Athenian Empire falls For next 66 years; Athens, Sparta and Thebes dominate Greek politics

Life In Athens Before plague, Athens was largest city in Greece with 150,000 citizens 43,000 voting men, 35,000 non-citizens, 100,000 slaves Economy based on farming and trade Main products were sheep, grapes and olives Imported 50-80% of its grain

Athenian Family Life & Women Family=husband, wife, children, other familial dependents and slaves Women could participate in festivals, but were otherwise excluded from public life Women always had male protection Woman’s job=childbearing, housekeeping or supervise slaves Women married at 14 or 15 Women could usually read and play instruments