Epics of HomerLacking writing, Greeks learned about the

Trojan War through the spoken wordGreatest storyteller was a blind poet named

HomerTrojan War forms the backdrop for the Iliad

and the Odyssey

Also called the Homeric AgeLearning took place through the spoken word

Homer – Greatest storyteller - Blind

Lyric Age 800 – 500 BCERecover from the dark agesGreeks grow in numbers and wealthLittle land in Greece so they had to look

elsewhereColonization

Come into contact with new ideasNew economic linksEastern and Egyptian designs in their artwork

Sparta and Athens

SPARTASPARTA

SPARTASPARTA

ATHENSATHENS

Evolution of the system to a democracyDRACO

Wrote the first code of lawsSOLON

allowed all citizens to participate and debate all policies

Set up a court of appeals for citizensStopped debt slaveryIntroduced political and economic reforms

CLEISTHENES All male citizens over age 20 could be in the

Assembly (only 1/5 were citizens)Set up the Council of 500Made Athens a full democracyMost severe restriction on democracy was

whether citizens could propose laws or merely vote on them

Persian Wars: 499 BCE – 480 BCE

Persian Wars: 499 BCE – 480 BCE

Major BattlesMajor BattlesMarathon (490 BCE)

Darius the Great (Persian)

26 miles from Athens (Pheidippides)

Persians not skilled in this type of warfare

Athenians victorious

6,400 Persians die v. 192 Athenians

Thermopylae (480 BCE) Xerxes (Persian) fighting with

support from some Greek city-states

300 Spartans at the Mountain pass (all die)

Salamis (480 BCE) Athenian navy victorious over

Xerxes

Persians lose 1/3 of their ships

Plain of Plataea (479 BCE) Spartans defeat the rest of

the Persian army

ConsequencesNew sense of confidence and freedomAthens enters a Golden AgeAthens becomes leader of a 140 city-

state allianceDelian LeagueDrove Persians from territories

surrounding Greece and ended the threat of future attacks

Golden “Age of Pericles”:

460 BCE – 429 BCE

Golden “Age of Pericles”:

460 BCE – 429 BCE

Pericles’ 3 Goals for AthensStrengthen Athenian Democracy

Hold and strengthen the empire

Glorify Athens

ActivityWith a partner read pages 134-135Create the following chart in your notesThe blank side should explain how Pericles

achieved each of his goals.

Stronger DemocracyAthenian EmpireGlorifying Athens

Sparta and Athens Go to WarTensions had been building for years

Athens evolved from a limited city state to a vast naval empire

Leaders from both pressed for war – believed their own city had the advantage

Peloponnesian WarsPeloponnesian Wars

Sparta declares war against Athens in 431 B.C.

Athens had the strongest sea power

Sparta had the advantage because the inland city could not easily be attacked from the sea

Spartans marched on Athens (siege)

Sparta Gains the EdgePlague kills roughly 1 to 2/3 of the population of Athens including Pericles

415 B.C. Athenian assembly sent a fleet carrying 27,000 soldiers to destroy the polis of Syracuse (one of Sparta’s wealthiest Allies)

Expedition was defeated404 B.C. Athens and its allies surrendered – Sparta WINSLeads to weakening of Athens as a whole

Philosophers

SocratesAbsolute standards existed for truth

and justiceEncouraged Greeks to question

themselves and their moral character“The unexamined life is not worth living”

70 years old sent to trial for “corrupting” the youthCondemned to death – drank poison

PlatoStudent of SocratesThe AcademyThe Republic – his vision of a perfectly governed society3 groups – farmers/artisans, warriors,

ruling classNot a democracyPhilosopher-King – greatest insight

and intellectWrote the Republic

Aristotle Questioned the nature of the world

and of human belief, thought, and knowledge

Scientific MethodEverything in moderation