The Golden Age of Greece

The City-States of Ancient Greece

• Sparta and Athens• The Persian Wars• The Delian League• The Decline of Athens

Polis = City-State

• Greece was divided into city-states, each known as a polis. The two main city-states were Sparta and Athens. The greatest of these was Athens which was a center of intellectual and cultural development - “the nursery of western civilization.” What do you think that means?

Government & Education

• Athenian democracy was for free, male athenians only. Education for men was highly valued. Only boys of wealthy families attended schools. The term academy comes from athens.

Structure of the Polis

• Each polis was built around an acropolis, a fortified hill with the temple of the local god at the top.

Structure of the Polis

• At the foot of the acropolis was the agora, an open area used as a marketplace. By 700 B.C. This inner part of the polis had become a city. With the villages and farmland around it, it made up a city-state.

Athens

• Athens was knows for its great navy and was a rival of sparta. Its ships were known as triremes because they had three levels of rowers.

Battle of Marathon

• The Persians were defeated by the Athenians at the battle of marathon. The Athenians were so joyful in victory that they sent a professional runner, Pheidippides, back to Athens.

A run extraordinaire. . .

• Pheidippidies ran about 26 miles to athens to report the victory. When he arrived, he cried out, “Nike!” And died from exhaustion. Nike is the goddess of victory.

Sparta

• Sparta was known for its great army and was a rival of Athens. Their army was known for holding off the Persian army of 250,000 at Thermopylae for three days with only 7000 soldiers. This gave the people of Athens time to escape before the Persians invaded there.

Thermopylae

Spartan Goal

• Sparta tried to become the strongest people in Greece. They also disliked change. This would later prove to be a weakness for them. Spartans preferred actions to words. A “Spartan lifestyle” both then and today is one that is simple and highly disciplined with few luxuries.

Main Ideas

• Government – Democracy expanded under the leadership of Pericles.

• Economics – Pericles expanded the wealth and power of Athens through the Delian League.

• Culture – Pericles launched a program to make Athens beautiful.

Essential Question:What democratic changes

did Pericles bring?

Pericles Leads Athens

Pericles’ Three Goals• Pericles led athens after the

persian wars• Was the strongest leader

from 460 B.C.E until his death 31 years later

• This time was later called age of pericles

• Three goals: strengthen democracy, expand empire, beautify athens

Pericles Strengthens Democracy• Pericles supported democractic reforms

• Wanted to change balance of power between rich and poor

• In 430 B.C.E., Pericles gave speech honoring soldiers killed in war

• Stated his view of democracy• Spoke out for equality in laws• Praised public service and individual ability

over class

Paid Public Officials

• Changed rule for holding public office to spread power more evenly

• Paid more officials so poor could afford to hold office

• Citizen had to be free male, over 18, son of athenian-born parents

Direct Democracy• Direct democracy –

all citizens participate in running government

• All could propose and vote on laws

Review Question:How did Pericles strengthen

democracy in Athens?

Expanding the Empire

Essential Question:

How did Athens become more powerful?

Delian League• To protect

themselves, Greek city-states formed the Delian league

• Mutual protection group had center, treasury on island of Delos

• Pericles used league money to build navy of at least 300 warships

Athens Dominates the Delian League

•Athens had a superior navy and control of the delian league• Moved league treasury to athens in 454 B.C.E.

• This move strengthened athens•Other city-states eventually became part of athenian empire

Beautifying AthensEssential Question:

How did Pericles beautify Athens?

Rebuilding Athens

• In 480 B.C.E., Athens was in ruins from the persian wars

• Pericles rebuilt and beautified city with funds from delian league

• Other city-states were angry because he did not ask permission to use funds

• Pericles spent money on sculptures, buildings, expensive materials

• Materials included gold, ivory, and marble

The Acropolis• Athens rebuilt acropolis –

“high city” that included parthenon

• Parthenon housed statue of goddess athena, the city’s protector

• Parthenon architecture had graceful proportions, harmony, and order

The Acropolis (con’t.)

• Other acropolis temple dedicated to Athena Nike, goddess of victory

• Acropolis’ erechtheum was sacred site with beautiful architecture

• Legendary site where Athena beat Poseidon to be city’s patron

Why it matters now…Athenian democracy, art, and

architecture set standards that remain influential in the world today.