It’s All Gr k to Me 700 B.C. to 145 B.C.. Section 1: City-States Polis – “city-state” –Geographic & political center of Greek Life –City was in the inner.

It’s All Gr k to Me700 B.C. to 145 B.C.

Section 1: City-States

• Polis – “city-state”– Geographic & political center of Greek Life– City was in the inner & farms on the outer

Acropolis– Built on an Acropolis: fortified(military) limestone hill

Agora• Bottom of hill was the agora: open

marketplace– Political & legal center, shops, water for the

women

Running the City-States• Own government & laws

• Contained 5,000 to 10,000 citizens

• Only males from Greece could vote– Citzens could vote, own property, and hold

gov. positions

• Polis gave them sense of belonging and civic & personal honor

Section 2: Sparta

Assembly: passed laws & made decisions about war

Ephors: Public affairs and education of the young

Council of Elders: suggested laws & was high court

• Aristocrats (nobles) took over gov.– Led by 2 Kings who lead the army and conducted

religious services

• Aristocrats = only Spartan citizens

Helots and Perioeci• Spartans believed in totalitarianism

– Gov. that uses force & power to rule

• Helots: enslaved people who farmed the land

• Perioeci: merchants and artisans who lived in villages– Neither enslaved ppl nor citizens

• Helots & Perioeci outnumber aristocrats

• Aristocrats trained for army & war

Spartan Way of Life• Goal: to be militarily strong

– Did not believe in change b/c it would weaken way of life• Newborns check to see if they were healthy• Men

– At 7, sent to military camps to be educated & to train for fighting• Strict Rules: silence, 1 piece of clothing, slept outdoors, measured

weight– Expected to marry at 20 & Became hoplites– Left army at 60

• Women– Had more freedom then other women in Greece– Had public schooling – read & write– Owned land– Loved sports such as wrestling & racing– Told men to come home w/ their shields or on them

Section 3: Athens

• 750 BC – Set up an oligarchy

• 594 – Solon made plans to change gov.– Made constitution: set of principles & rules for ruling

• Broke power of rich, established an assembly, offered citizenship, and trade

• 508 – Spartans overthrown by Cleisthenes– Created 1st democratic society

Democratic Constitution• Freedom of speech

• Opened assembly

• Council of Five Hundred– Handled daily business– Chosen by lot

• Required to educate sons

• At 18, took an oath of citizenship

Daily Life in Athens• Young children would read Aesop’s fables

• Youth were to develop artistic and intellectual talents• Men

– Boys from wealthy families would go to school– Age 12: Phys. Ed. was most important– 18 to 20: went to military training school– Clothing: wool tunics or himation– Hair: Short (young) & Long (old)– Did the shopping

• Women– Only did physical activities at festivals– No schooling– Clothing: long wool or linen tunics– Hair: Long but pulled up in bun or pony tail– Marriages were arranged– Confined to certain part of the house– Jobs: cook, weave, raise children– No social life w/ husband

• Homes– Large, airy luxurious buildings made of mud brick

Persian Wars• 545 B.C. – Persia

conquered Ionia

• Ionians w/help from mainland Greece revolted against the Persians – Persians won

• Darius (Persian King) wanted to continue to punish the Greeks

Battle of Marathon

• 490 – Darius & Persians sailed to Marathon– They then decided to sail to Athens

• Athenians decided to surprise attack the Persians– Ran down the hills of Marathon– Athenians defeated the Persians

• Afraid that the Persians would still come to Athens after, Athenians sent Pheidippides to tell them: “Nike”

Battle of Thermopylae• Athenians triremes built

– Made strong navy

• Xerxes (New King of Persia) brings his large army back to Northern Greece

• Sparta & Athens teamed together

• Met the Persians at the narrow pass

• For the first few days, the Greeks esp. the Spartans held off the Persians– While doing so, people of Athens were told to flee

• A Greek traitor helped the Persians through the mountain pass– Persian were able to surround the Greeks– 300 Spartans and 700 Greeks stayed to

fight to the bitter end• 1 Spartan survived the war• Athens burned

Battle of Salamis• Persians moved toward Athens

• Greek army went to Salamis & waited for Persians– Themistocles tricked the Persians

• Caused Persians to come through narrow pass– Difficult: Too many ships & large ships

• Greeks destroyed Persians

Battle of Plataea• Xerxes went back to Persia

• ½ his army stayed in N. Greece– They decided to go South

• Greeks crushed the Persians

Delian League & Athenian Empire

Effects of the Delian League

in Athens•Controlled ships

•Led gov.’s of other city-states•Gained more power over others

•Rebuilt palaces & temples

in other city-states•Had a common navy

•Had to use Athenian money•Controlled by Athens

•Disliked the Athenian power

•Delian League: protective group head-quarted on the island of Delos

• Most city-states joined – Sparta did not

Peloponnesian War• 433 BC – Athens aligned themselves with Corinth a

Sparta ally– Sparta accused Athens of aggression & threatened war

• 431 – War starts when Sparta allies attack Athens’ ally• 1st Phase – 10 years of fighting• 2nd Phase – Nicias – a truce of 6 years• 3rd Phase – Athens lost attack on Sicily• Ended with a crushing defeat of Athens by Sparta• Sparta set up a King in Athens

– Athens was never again as strong even though they would revolt and set up a democracy once again

Decline of City-States

1. Lost sense of community

2. Money issues

3. Harsh rule by the Spartans and then Thebes