The Greek and Persian Wars and the Parthenon

I. The Persians

• $559-530\text{ BCE}$: Cyrus II "the Great" (r.);

  • Defeats Medes (c. $549\text{ BCE}$) and Lydia ($546\text{ BCE}$)

  • Conquest of Babylon ($539\text{ BCE}$)

• Multi-Cultural Empire/Confederation and Religious Toleration

  • Incorporated Phoenician city-states and Judea as vassal states; Egypt conquered ($525\text{ BCE}$)

• Religious policy

  • Persian rulers supported Zoroastrianism but allowed subject peoples to keep their own religions

  • Zoroastrianism: Ahura Mazda vs Angra Mainyu/Ahriman; Day of Judgment

• Cyrus Cylinder

  • Allowed Jews to return; decrees to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem

• Expansion toward the Greek mainland

  • Efforts to conquer the Greek mainland: $490-480\text{ BCE}$

II. The Parthenon: Reading and Context

• Reading method (for any building/art):

  • 1) Describe what you see without inferences

  • 2) Investigate material context: what it's made of, who made it, who paid

  • 3) Investigate intellectual/cultural/political context: ideas or conflicts that shaped it

• Parthenon and related structures on the Acropolis

  • Parthenon; Erechtheion; Cecropion; Pandroseion; Old Temple of Athena (destroyed by Persians); Nike Temple; Propylaea; Chalcotheke; Bravronion

• Key architectural elements

  • Frieze; Pediment; Metopes; cut-away diagram of the east side showing sculptures

III. The Parthenon: Architecture and Decoration

• Major decorative program (friezes and sculptures)

  • East Frieze: Deities, Magistrates or tribal heroes, Girls

  • West Frieze: Horsemen, Chariots, Elders

  • North Frieze: Elders, Musicians

  • South Frieze: Tray-bearers, Water-jar carriers, Victims

  • Peplos scene

• Context of the temple’s decoration

  • The Parthenon’s sculpture expresses Athenian religious devotion and political identity

IV. The Greco-Persian Wars and Greek Response

• Ionian Revolt ($499\text{ BCE}$)

  • Ionian cities revolted against Persian rule; sought help from Sparta and Athens; Athens participated in sack of Sardis (Anatolia)

• Major battles and turning points

  • Marathon ($490\text{ BCE}$): Greek phalanx defeats Persians

  • Xerxes’ Invasion ($480\text{ BCE}$): large Persian army and fleet; naval battles

  • Salamis: Greek naval victory; Persian fleet destroyed

  • Plataea ($479\text{ BCE}$): Persian defeat on land

• Scale of Greek response

  • Of roughly $700\text{ poleis}$, about $40$ formed an alliance against Persia

V. Aftermath and the Delian League

• Formation and leadership

  • Delian League formed in $477\text{ BCE}$; led by Athens

• Treasury transfer and usage

  • Treasury moved from Delos to Athens in $454\text{ BCE}$; funds used for common defense and cultural projects, including the Parthenon

VI. Political Context (Classical Greece)

• Post-war dynamics

  • Growing Athenian dominance and imperial ambitions; neighbors viewed Athens as domineering

  • The Parthenon as a symbol of Athenian imperial ambitions

• Peloponnesian War

  • Fought between Athens and Sparta from $431-404\text{ BCE}$

VII. The Parthenon: Architectural Program (Context and Details)

• On the Acropolis and surrounding structures

  • Erechtheion; Nike Temple; Propylaea; Old Temple of Athena (destroyed) and related monuments

• Key architectural terms and layout

  • Frieze; Pediment; Metopes; East-side sculptural program described in plan

VIII. Greek Civilization Timeline (Context)

• Minoan culture: $c. 2000-1500\text{ BCE}$

• Mycenaean Greece: $c. 1600-1200\text{ BCE}$

• Dark Ages: $c. 1200-800\text{ BCE}$

• Archaic Period: $750-500\text{ BCE}$

• Classical Period: $500-327\text{ BCE}$

IX. Thucydides and Terminology (Key Terms)

• City-states and regions

  • Sparta = Lacedaemon (Peloponnese region)

  • Athens = Attica

  • Mytilene = Lesbos

  • Hellas = Greece

  • Hellenes = Greeks

• Naval terms

  • Trireme = Greek battleship

X. Geography and Maps (Contextual References)

• Persian Empire: center of power with satrapies; major routes like the Royal Road

• Greek world: Ionian coast, Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Miletus, Samos, etc.

• Demonstrates the geographic scale and interactions between the two worlds