Chapter 5 Classical Greece
Unit 2: Warring City-States
World History Core
Main Idea
• Power and Authority– The growth of city-states in Greece led to the
development of several political systems, including democracy
Why it matters now?
• Many political systems in today’s world mirror the varied forms of government that evolved in Greece
Terms and Names
• Polis• Acropolis• Monarchy• Aristocracy• Oligarchy• Tyrant• Democracy• Helot• Phalanx• Persian Wars
Setting the Stage
• Dorian period Greece experienced a decline
• 2 things changed:– 1. Developed a new personal culture (not
ancestral)– 2. Government changed from tribal to more
formal city-state structure
Rule and Order in Greek City-States
• 750 BC, city-states (POLIS) was the political unit in Greece– Made up of a city and its surrounding country– 50-500 square miles– Fewer than 10,000 residents– People gathered in two spots to discuss
government• 1. AGORA: Marketplace• 2. ACROPOLIS: Fortified hilltop
Athenian agora to the left
Greek acropolis to the right
Rule and Order in Greek City-States
Greek Political StructureMonarchy Aristocracy Oligarchy Direct
Democracy
• State ruled by a king• Rule is hereditary• Some rulers claim divine right• Practiced in Mycenae by 2000BC
• State ruled by nobility• Rule is hereditary and based on family ties, social rank, and wealth• Social status and wealth support rulers’ authority• Practiced by Athens prior to 594BC
• State ruled by a small group of citizens• Rule is based on wealth or ability• Ruling group controls military• Practiced by Sparta by 500BC
• State ruled by its citizens• Rule is based on citizenship• Majority rule decides vote• Practiced by Athens by about 500BC
Rule and Order in Greek City-States
Tyrants Seize Power
• Many clashes about power in city-states between common people and nobility
• Tyrants: individuals who seized control of government by appealing to the common people for support– Work for interest of ordinary people (unlike
today)
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
• Representative government took hold in Athens
• Rich and poor clashed BUT solved issues quickly– Moved toward DEMOCRACY (rule by the
people)• Citizens participated directly
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
Building a Democracy
• Steps towards democracy– 1. Draco: 621BC
• Developed a legal code based on Athenian idea, rich and poor equal under the law
• Extremely harsh with criminals and types of punishment
• Had debt slavery
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
• Steps toward democracy con’t.– 2. Solon: 594BC
• Outlawed debt slavery• Organized Athens into four social groups
– Only citizens in the top three levels can hold public office
• All citizens participated in government– Athenian Assembly
• Bring charges against a wrongdoer
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
• Steps towards democracy con’t 2– 3. Cleisthenes: 500BC
• Broke up power of nobility by organizing citizens in ten groups based on where they lived rather than wealth
• Increased power of assembly by allowing all citizens to present laws for debate and passage
• Council of 500– Proposed laws and counseled assembly – Members chosen by lot
• Citizenship: free, adult males, who owned property– Women, slaves, foreigners were excluded and had
few rights
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
Athenian Education• Sons of wealthy received formal education
– Age 7– Prepared to be good citizens– Reading, grammar, poetry, history, math, and music– Expected to debate in assembly also taught logic and public
speaking (rhetoric)– Important to develop and train body – so they also spent each
day in athletic activities• Military school when older (duty of citizens)• Girls educated at home by moms
– Child rearing, cloth weaving, cooking, clean house, and to be good wives/mothers
– Few learned to read and write
Ancient Athens
SPARTA
Sparta Builds A Military State
• Located on the Peloponnesus• Cut off by rest of Greece by Gulf of Corinth• Completely different from much of Greece, especially
Athens• Built a military stateSparta Dominates Messenians• 725BC Sparta conquered Messina and neighboring
lands– Messenians became HELOTS (peasants forced to stay on land
they worked)• Had to give ½ of crops to Spartans• Messenians revolted in 650BC-Sparta barely won=VOWED TO BE
STRONGER
Sparta Builds A Military State
Sparta’s Government and Society• Branches of government:
– 1. Assembly: all Spartan citizens and elected officials.• Voted on major issues proposed by Council of Elders
– 2. Council of Elders: 30 older citizens• Proposed laws to Assembly
– 3. 5 Elected Officials• carried out laws passed by Assembly
– 4. Two Kings• In charge of military
Sparta Builds A Military State
Sparta’s Government and Society con’t.
• Social Groups– 1. Citizens: descendants of original
inhabitants• Included ruling families who owned land
– 2. Noncitizens: were free, worked in commerce and industry
– 3. Helots: little better than slaves, field workers or home servants
Sparta Builds A Military State
Spartan Daily Life
• 600-371BC Sparta had strongest Army– No personal expression
• RESULT: didn’t value art, literature, or intellect
– VALUED: duty, strength, and discipline over freedom, individuality, beauty, and learning
– Men in Army till 60 years old (life centered on training)
Sparta Builds A Military State
Spartan Daily Life Con’t.• Age 7: moved into Army barracks
– Stayed until 30– Daily Life: marching, exercising, and fighting– Only light tunics and no shoes– Slept without blankets and on hard surfaces– Little food (encourage to steal for more)
• Age 30: join military• Age 60: Council of Elders
Sparta Builds A Military State
• Spartan Daily Life Con’t 2.– Girls:
• Received military training, put love for Sparta above all (even family)
– “Come back with your shield or on it.”
– Women:• Much freedom (run estate while husbands gone)
Persian Wars
• Greatest danger Athens and Sparta faced was the invasion of Greece by the Persians
A New Kind of Army Emerges• Shift from bronze to iron weapons made military
service more affordable• PHALANX: military formation
– Became the most powerful fighting force in the ancient world
• Side by side, locking shields, and holding spears = moved as one.
Persian Wars
Battle of Marathon• Persian Wars began in Ionia on the coast of Anatolia
– Persians attacked Ionia– Athens sent ships of aid the Ionians (Greeks)– Persian King Darius defeated Ionians and vowed to destroy
Athens (for interfering)
• 490BC Persian fleets cross the Aegean Sea with 25,000 men and landed on the northeast plain of Athens called Marathon– Waiting were 10,000 Athenians in the phalanx– Persians defeated: they wore light armor and were not use to the
land– Several hours later the Persians fled
Persian Wars
Pheidippides Brings News• Fearing the Persians would retreat to Athens the
leaders of the Army sent a young messenger to send word to Athens of victory
• Pheidippides ran 26 miles– When he reached Athens he yelled “Nike” (Goddess
of Victory) – Collapsed and died
• The Athenians got to Athens in time to see the Persians getting closer and defended the city
Persian Wars
Thermopylae and Salamis• 10 years later Xerxes (Darius’ son)
assembles Army to crush Athens• Greeks were divided
– 1. Fought with Athens– 2. Fought with Persians– 3. Didn’t fight – thought if Persians defeated
Athens they would leave Greece
• Xerxes’ army met little resistance
Persian Wars
Thermopylae and Salamis con’t
• Thermopylae– Narrow mountain pass– 7000 Greeks (300 Spartans)
• Stopped Persian advance for three days• Traitor gave Xerxes the location of the secret path• Spartans held Persians while other retreated
Persian Wars
Thermopylae and Salamis con’t 2• Salamis
– Thermistocles (Athenian leader) got Greeks to turn the war into a sea battle
– Positioned boats in narrow passage called Salamis
• Persian ships were to large to turn in channel and the Greeks used that to their advantage and defeated the Persians
– 479 BC crushed Persians in Battle of Plataea
Persian Wars
Thermopylae and Salamis con’t 3
• Greeks formed the Delian League: city-state alliance– Took name from island of Delos where the
headquarters were located– City-states gave money and ships to belong
to the League
Consequences of Persian Wars
• New sense of confidence and freedom• Athens emerges as leaders of Delian League
– 200 member states– Will become little more than provinces to Athens– Will use power over other league members– Moved headquarters from Delos to Athens
• Burst of wealth in Athens will lead to its Golden Age
Olympics