Classical Greece Notes

Classical Greece Unit Overview

  • How did the Greco Persian Wars impact Greece?

    • They fostered the idea of a united Greece. They established Athens and Sparta as major powers. They led Greeks to believe their culture was superior to others.

  • What are the features of the Athenian Golden Age?

    • Rebuilding of Athens, funded by the Delian League treasury, which led to iconic structures like the Acropolis and Parthenon. Strengthening of democracy by Pericles through the introduction of paid public offices, allowing wider citizen participation. Transformation of the Delian League into the Athenian empire, solidifying Athens' naval power and dominance.

  • What were the impacts of the Peloponnesian Wars?

    • Weakened all Greek city-states, particularly Athens, leading to a decline in their power and prosperity. Ended the Athenian Golden Age and their naval supremacy, and led to the collapse of their empire. Resulted in widespread economic devastation and loss of life across Greece. Fostered political instability and disunity among Greek city-states, making them vulnerable to external powers like Macedon. Sparta emerged as the dominant power, though its hegemony was brief and unstable.



Geography

  • Persia

  • Athens 

    • middle claw (between thebes and mycenae)

    • social structure: Freeman (aristocrats, small farmers, urban craftsman), Metics (came from outside athens), Slaves (Lowest class, no rights)

    • starts as moncarchy, ends as democracy

  • Thermopylae 

  • Marathon

  • Macedon

  • Syracuse



Culture

  • Socrates

    • first great athenian philosopher

    • founded a school and thought by the socratic method

    • condemned to death for corrupting the youth of athens

  • Plato

    • socrates’ best student

    • wrote Republic

      • ideal society: philosophers as kings

      • warriors to defend the state

  • Aristotle

    • plato’s greatest student

    • founded the lyceum school

    • teacher of alexander

    • believed that the best government was a combination of democracy and oligarchy

  • Pythagorus

    • tried to explain everything in mathematical terms

    • pythagorean theroem

  • Herodotus

    • wrote about the persian wars

    • wanted to write about the facts, but when he didn’t know, he blamed it on the gods

    • father of history

  • Hippocrates

    • known as thbe father of medicine

    • believed to be healthy, people had to have good hygine, good diet, plenty of rest

    • developed a list of rules about how a doctor should help his patients

    • hippocratic oath

  • Thucydides 

    • wrote about the peloponnesian war

    • wanted to write only the facts

    • was at the peloponnesian war

  • Euclid

    • organized all existing knowleged of geometry in a book called the elements of geometry

  • Archimedes

    • estimated the value of pi

    • developed the compound pullery and the lever

  • Greek Columns

Athens-Sparta

  • Solon

    • 594 BCE

    • ended debt slavery

    • organized athens into 4 social classes

    • top 3 could hold publuc office

    • all athenian citizens, regardless of class, could participate

    • any citizen could bring charges against a criminal

  • Draco

    • developed legal code based on idea that all athenians were created equal

    • death was punishment for almost all crimes

    • kept debt slavery

    • 621 BCE

  • Cleisthenes  

    • 500 BCE

    • organized citizens according to where they lived

    • allowed any citizen to propose a law

    • created council of 500 to advice assembly

    • council made up of citizens chosen at random

  • Who is allowed to vote

    • Athenian citizen (free adult, property-owning males born in athens), Not a citizen (Women, enslaved, foreginers)

  • Sparta

    • located in big claw

    • Social Structure: Spartiates (Military professionals/citizens), Outsiders (Freeman, Artisans, craftsmen merchants), Helots (Conquered people, treated like slaves, owed 50% of produce to sparties)

  • Elections by lottery

    • chosen from pool of citizen voluenteers

  • Democracy

    • rule by citizens/ the people

  • Oligarchy

    • a small group of people having control

  • Agora

    • a public open space used for assemblies and markets

  • Ostracism

    • any citizen could be expelled from the citystate of athens for 10 year

  • Society and Life


Conflicts

  • Xerxes

  • Greco-Persian Wars

    • Battle of Marathon

      • Darius sends his army to punish the athenians

      • 25000 persians vs 10000 athenians

      • athenian army defeats the persians

      • darius swears to get revenge

      • athens becomes incredubly confident/arrogant

    • Round 2

      • darius dies, his son Xerxes comes to power

      • builds a huge army to conquer all of greece

      • demands greeks surrender

    • Battle of Thermopylae

      • persian army must pass theough narrow gap to invade greece

      • spartan king Leonidas and with 300 spartans and allies (900) hold the pass for 3 days vs 60000 persians

      • greeks lost and all die (betrayed by a fellow greek)

      • sacrifice moticated all of the greeks to fight together

    • Battle of Salamis

      • parsian navy 900 ships vs greek navy of 350 ships- themistocles

      • greek navy lure the persians into a trap and destroy most of the persian navy

      • persian navy and most the of army are forced to sail home to persia

      • athens becomes major naval power

    • Battle of Platea

      • 80000- greeks vs 120000 persians and allies

      • greeks try to retreat but are attacked by persians

      • greek army led by the spartan army decisively crushed persian army

      • persian army is crushed and forced to retreat

      • persia loses a lot of territory to greece

      • sparta goes back home, athens pursues an empire

  • Outcomes: Sparta and Athens are most powerful

    • created idea of united greece

    • established athens and sparta as major powers

    • greeks beliueve their culture to be superior to everyone else’s

  • Peloponnesian War (Athens vs. Sparta)

  • Delian League

    • sparta wanted to end its involvement in the war

    • athens built and alliance of greek city states who wanted to continue the war. they could join by paying a tax or by supplying soldiers

      • prepare for a future invasion from perisa

      • get revenge against perisa

      • get loot

    • city states were not allowed to leave the league

    • cities who refused to pay the tax had their walls destroyed and their ships confiscated

  • Pericles

    • athenian general and politician

      • decended from cleisthenes

    • transformed the delian leaug into the athenian empire by forcing all member states to pay taxes

    • moved the delian treasury to athens

      • used the money to rebuild athens

    • stregenthed democracy by having more paid positions in public office

    • the poorest people would now be willing and able to participate

  • Athenian Golden Age

    • Acropolis

    • Parthenon