Persia vs. GreecePersia vs. Greece
• 546 B.C.: the Persian empire take Ionian Greek city-states 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. GreecePersia 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. GreecePersia 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 AthensRise of Athens• After defeat of the Persians, Athens rises
as the leader of the Greek world, create 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 & DemocracyAge of Pericles & Democracy• 461-429 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 DemocracyAthenian 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 WarGreat 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 AthensTrouble 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 AthensLife 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 & WomenAthenian 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