1. Classical Greece

2. The Challenge of Persia 1 st Persian War Persia was expanding at the same time as Greece Darius wanted to conquer Athens and the rest of the Greek Islands. ◦ The Greeks had fought and embarrassed him in an earlier war. In 490 BCE Darius sent a large army to Marathon ◦ A plain near the Athens ◦ Only 26 miles away from Athens

4. The Athenians decided that they had to attack ◦ They were badly outnumbered In case they were defeated and lost the citizens of Athens were ready to burn down the city When the Athenians won they had to stop the city from burning down ◦ They sent a runner to stop the burning of the city

6. The runner ran very fast ◦ He got to the city before the fire was started ◦ He saved the city ◦ As soon as he passed his message he dropped dead! In the end the Persians were forced to retreat

7. 2 nd Persian War Darius died and his son Xerses became king ◦ He hated the Greeks ◦ Vowed revenge for the defeat of his father’s army ◦ Decided to send another army to attack  This time the army would go by land

8. Crossing the Dardanells

9. Athens had built a great navy Xeres therefore sent an army of 180,000 soldiers The Greeks needed time to prepare to fight the Persians ◦ Needed to slow down the army

10. Athens called upon all the other city- states for help ◦ Sparta was celebrating a religious festival  This festival was several weeks long  Therefore Sparta could not send any soldiers

11. ◦ Spartan King Leonidas decided to take a small force of 300 soldiers to help, however ◦ These soldiers fought the Persians at a mountain pass called Thermopylae  300 Spartan soldiers fought 7,000 Persian Immortals for 2 days In the end the Spartans were defeated

13. War finally ended in 479 BCE ◦ Athenian navy defeated the Persian navy at Salamis ◦ Greek army defeated the Persian army near Plataea

14. Athenian Empire Persia no longer attacked, but were still a threat Athens and Sparta were now the most powerful city-states in the region. Athens wanted a strong alliance to protect all of Greece from any other threat, especially Persia ◦ They created the Delian League ◦ League = a group of countries or cities that come together for mutual support

15. Athens controlled the league ◦ Created a very powerful navy ◦ Sparta refused to be a part of the new league Athens then forced other city-states to pay high taxes to support the new navy One of Athens greatest leaders during this period was Pericles ◦ This was the height of Athenian power.

16. Age of Pericles Pericles created a direct democracy for Athens government ◦ This meant that all male citizens could vote on important issues Athenians also wanted to protect themselves from greedy and corrupt politicians ◦ Therefore created ostracism  Once a year all male citizens could vote on one person they didn’t like  If anyone received more than 6,000 votes they were kicked out of the city for 10 years

18. Slavery also flourished during this time ◦ Estimates of 100,000 slaves in Athens (50% of population) Athens depended on farming and trade for its economy ◦ Imported 50%-80% of its food (Problems?) Family was also important during this time ◦ women were strictly controlled

20. Peloponnesian War Athens was very controlling in the Delian League ◦ Scared many other city-states ◦ Eventually became bullies Sparta created the Peloponnesian League to fight Athens and Sparta went to war ◦ Athens blockaded Sparta with their navy ◦ Sparta surrounded Athens with their army

21. War was in a stalemate (neither side winning or losing) for 25 years Eventually Athens navy was defeated ◦ Athens was then forced to surrender Sparta wins ◦ Sparta now controlled all of Greece ◦ However, they were as bad as the Athenians

23. ◦ The other city-states turned on Sparta and defeated them  This war was led and won by Thebes Thebes rules all of Greece until they were conquered by the Macedonians

24. Arts and Literature Sculpture ◦ classical style ◦ Focused on a ideal style of beauty ◦ Especially the nude form of art Dramas ◦ 1 st Greek dramas were tragedies  Such as Oedipus Rex  Written by Sophocles  Euripdies was another dramatist

26. Writing ◦ Greeks were the first to develop true history ◦ Herodotus was the first to write history  Wrote “The History of the Persian War” ◦ Thucydides was the greatest historian of the ancient world ◦ Wrote “The Peloponnesian War”

28. Philosophy ◦ Sophists  Were travelling teachers  Stressed rhetoric  Taught people how to argue effectively  Saw 2 sides to any argument  No absolute right or wrong

30. ◦ Socrates  Critic of the sophists  Taught ethics  Taught Plato  You could be happy by living a moral life  Taught using the Socratic method  a method using question and answer  challenged people to question their lives  Eventually was forced to commit suicide

32. ◦ Plato  Student of Socrates  Taught that what we see is only a reflection of the ideal form  Wrote “The Republic”  Said people should live in a just and rational state  Argued there were 3 groups in society  1)philosopher king  2)warriors  3)everyone else

34. ◦ Aristotle  Student of Plato  You could know what something was by examining itself  Taught a happy life came from living with virtue  Studied natural science  Wanted to find a effective government form  Did not seek the ideal only the best