whap unit 0: ancient greece and persia

what was another name for a city-state in greece?

polis

what’s a monarchy?

a state ruled by a king and power is inherited

what’s an oligarchy?

a state ruled by a small group of powerful people

what is a democratic republic (democracy)?

a state ruled by its citizens through representative or directly

what is a helot?

a slave bound to the land

depiction of powerful city-state: sparta

developed a military state (army), put sparta above everything, individual expression discouraged

depiction of powerful city-state: athens

1/3 of athenians were slaves, women had few rights, pericles ruled during golden age and create direct democracy in athens, military strength = navy, classical arts, reformers (tyrants) responsible for bring about democracy, the parthenon

bonds uniting the greeks

language/culture (hellenic = greek culture), polytheistic, olympic games, superiority over non-greeks

cyrus (persian empire)

conquest spread from indus river to anatolia, subjected peoples = freedom, jews rebuilt city under his rule

darius (persian empire)

divided land into 20 provinces, absolute power, installed satraps

what are satraps?

a governor who rules locally in each providence

how was the persian king able to hold his empire together?

the royal road and the use of standard money

religion in persia

under darius’s rule, zoroastrianism religion developed by a reformer named zoroaster

the persian wars

greek vs persia, greeks settled in anatolia but persia later conquered, athens sent ships and soldiers, darius defeated the rebels and vowed to destroy athens in revenge

battle of marathon

persian fleet northwest of athens on plain called marathon, later persians fled battlefield with casualties

persian war (xerxes as persian ruler)

300 spartans blocked way of invasion in mountains, 3 days of fighting (greeks fear defeat), spartans risk their lives to protect while greeks save their city-states, athens took to water, naval battle, greece defeats the persians

peloponnesian war

spartan declares war on athens, spartan = strong army, athens = strong navy, athens goal = avoid land battles with superior spartan army, sparta gains edge when plague kills population in athens, fight for 9 years then athens surrenders, both are now weak

philip of macedonia

developed fighting force (phalanx), philip threatened greece their disunity proved to be their demise (quickly defeated them at chaeronea)

rise of alexander the great

became king after philip’s unexpected death, known for military training and cruelty towards captured people, able to capture persia, accomplishments earned him the name ‘alexander the great’

end of alexander the great’s empire

died before 33rd birthday (from illness), lasting contribution led to blending of eastern and western culture with greek culture (hellenistic culture)