Classical GreeceChapter 4 Section 3500 BCE – 338 BCE

Persia Poses a Challenge Ionian Greek cities (In Asia Minor) had fallen to the

Persian empire from the East. The Athenian Navy tried to help the Ionian Greeks revolt, but the challenge was unsuccessful. Darius, the Persian ruler at the time vowed to seek

revenge against the Athenians.

In 490 B.C.E. the Persians land near Athens Although the Persians outnumbered the Athenians,

the Athenians were victorious, marking the 1st time a group of Greeks defeated the Persian Empire.

Persia Poses a Challenge Mindful of a possible threat of more attacks by the

Persians, Some (not all) of the Greek city-states formed a defensive pact led by the Spartans, the most skillful of all the Greek warriors. The Athenian’s focused on building a Navy with

over 200 ships.

In 480 B.C.E. the Persians return to Greece to control the Greeks The Persians returned with over 180,000 troops and

thousands of war ships.

Persia Poses a Challenge The Greek city-states

were outnumbered by the Persians, so they united against and defeated the Persians

The first major battle was in Thermopylae 300 Spartans battled

against the larger Persian Army before falling

Battle of Thermopylae 480-479 BC - The battle of Thermopylae

was the first of many between the Persians and Greeks during the Persian invasion of Greece.

Greeks were led in battle by King Leonidas of Sparta, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I

Battle occurred over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece

Persia Poses a Challenge The Athenians, knowing that the Persians

had defeated the Greeks in Thermopylae, abandoned Athens for the island of Salamis as the Persians approached The Athenian Navy launched an attack from

Salamis on the Persian fleet, defeating them even though they were outnumbered

Following the defeat of the Persian Navy, an Army of united Greeks defeated the Persian Army near Athens

The Rule of Pericles Under Pericles, an Athenian

political figure, the Athenian Empire flourished mainly due to a democratic government Greece also expanded its

territories abroad Democracy (specifically direct

democracy) was a major reason why the Athenians maintained control of the Greek world

The poorer class also engaged in politics, some were now interested in running for certain positions because these posts paid well

Athenian Empire Following the defeat of the

Persians, Athens became the most powerful Greek city-state, and controlled the entire Greek world

Still fearful of the Persian threat, the Greek city-states, led by Athens created the Delian League to defend against the Persians

The league was not only formed for defensive purposes The league also initiated

conflicts with the Persian until virtually all the Greek city-states were free from Persian rule

Peloponnesian War Following the conflicts with the Persians, the Greeks split into

two groups. - The Athenian Empire - Sparta & their Allies The split was due to differences amongst their distinct society The Athenians knowing they could not defeat the Spartans in

battle, Stayed within Athens, whose great wall kept the Spartans from entering the city

The Athenians heavily weakened after spending much of their time behind the city walls, eventually fell to the Spartans when the Athenian Navy was destroyed

As a result of this war Athens and Sparta were both weakened vulnerable to attack from the growing Macedonian Empire to the North