1. Sparta

2. Sparta Living in Sparta Life was harsh and cruel
One basic rule of law: Put Sparta’s needs above your own
Sparta had a huge, powerful army
Spartan citizens only trained for war
Helots farmed the land
Helots greatly outnumbered Spartan citizens

3. Sparta

4. Sparta Growing Up in Sparta
If a baby was born and it looked unhealthy, it was left to die.
Boys began military training at 7
Boys were encouraged to cheat and steal, but were punished if caught
At 20, boys became soldiers
At 30, they could join the Assembly
At 60, they could retire from the army
Girls had more freedom and opportunities than any other girls in Greece
Girls exercised and trained to have strong bodies to have healthy babies
Women ran farms and estates
Spartans only interest was to be strong, brave and powerful in battle.
Spartan women told their men, “Come home with your shield, or come home on it.”

5. Athens and Sparta The Persian Invade
Persian Empire was extending its control through the middle east around 500 BC
They attacked Greek City-States in Ionia (Asia Minor)
The Ionian Greeks asked the mainland Greeks for help
The help didn’t work and the Ionians were conquered by the Persians
Persians then invaded Greece with a huge army
King Darius wanted to punish Athens for helping the Ionians revolt against the Persians
They intended to conquer all city-states
Athens and Sparta and other city-states joined together and formed an alliance to defend their land
The Athenian army of Hoplite soldiers defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE even though they were outnumbered 20,000 vs. 10,000
The Persians left Greece defeated

6. Athens and Sparta

7. Athens and Sparta

8. The phalanx
The phalanx formation was a block of soldiers of many rows wide and deep carrying 21 foot spears.

9. The Athenian Hoplite The Hoplite was a citizen soldier who
paid for his own armor and weapons

10. Athens and Sparta The Persian Wars
In 480 BCE the Persians invaded again led by Darius’ son King Xerxes
Athens, Sparta, and many other city-states united to fight the Persians
Famous battle of The 300: 300 Spartans fought 5,000 Persians at the pass at Thermopylae. They held them for 2 days before all being killed
Athens built triremes, huge ships, to fight the Persians
At the battle of Salamis, the Persian navy was destroyed
Xerxes left Greece in defeat in 479 BCE never to return

12. Athens and Sparta

13. Athens and Sparta Conflict and the Athenian Army
After the Persian War, City-states formed the Delian League to protect themselves from invaders. Sparta did not join
Athens became the most powerful city-state. They controlled the sea, trade, and silver mining
Athens prospered from the alliance, due to tributes paid to them, but other city-states did not
Sparta and Athens at War
Athens used the Delian League to become rich and powerful
Pericles was the leader of Athens: He built palaces, temples like the Parthenon, roads and walls.
Pericles often used money from the Delian League to improve Athens
Sparta and other city-states formed the Peloponnesian League to protect themselves from Athens
In 431 BC, the Peloponnesian War began ( Athens vs. Sparta )
Athens had powerful navy, Sparta had a powerful army
Sparta could not be attacked by sea.
Sparta invaded Athens. The war lasted 27 years
Plague killed 1/3 of Athens’ population
Sparta won the war and Athens never recovered
But, the war weakened Sparta too, and they were eventually conquered as well