Chapter 8 lesson 3

Athens’ Age of Glory

Notes

THE PERSIAN WAR (490-479 B.C.)

In the first stage of the war between Persia and Greece the Persian armies were led by king Darius I (550-486 B. C.). The Persians lost to the Athenians and their Greek allies. In the famous land battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. the Persians were defeated by the Athenians and the Plataeans. News of the victory was delivered by a messenger who ran the 26 miles from Marathon to Athens, and who died afterwards. This is the origin of the modern Olympic event of the marathon.

THE PERSIAN WAR (490-479 B.C.)

The second stage of the war saw the Persians arrive on the Greek shore with perhaps as many as 2,000,000 men, between their army and navy, under the command of king Xeres I (519-465 B.C.), son of the deceased Darius I. An advance party of Greeks, including Spartans, under the command of one of the Spartan kings, Leonidas (a descendent of Hercules), held off the advancing Persian forces at the narrow pass between the cliffs and the sea at Thermopylae (the famous "Pass of Thermopylae").

THE PERSIAN WAR (490-479 B.C.)

The Greeks were eventually defeated after the Persian soldiers were shown a secret mountain way around the pass. Spartan king ,Leonidas, with his Royal Guard of 300 men delayed the Persians at a narrow pass at Thermopylae where they held out for three days before being overwhelmed and killed. Every last Spartan fought until he was killed. However, in the naval battle at Salamis in 480 B.C., which was masterminded by the Athenian general Themistocles, the Athenian navy defeated the Persian navy. Then, in a land battle in 479 B.C., the Spartan-led army defeated the Persian army. The Persians were driven from Greece. As Athens had masterminded the naval victory of Salamis, which was the decisive victory in the war, the Athenians could rightly be said to have saved all Greece from Persian domination.

A part of the Greek fleet advances on the Persian (Phoenicians, Egyptians and Persia's Greek allies) fleet around Artemisium. The sails and masts will be stowed and oars lowered into the water for battle when they are close enough to the enemy fleet.

                                                                                                                                               

View from Artemisium on the island of Euboea, where the naval battle between the Persian and Greek fleets were fought.

Athens’ Age of Glory

I. Life in Athens A. Around 460 B.C. Athens entered an age

known as the Golden Age of AthensB. Life revolved around the agora and

acropolis.C. The Acropolis

1. It is capitalized because it is the largest in Greece.2. At the center is the temple to Athena

a. The temple to Athena is called the Parthenon.

Athens’ Age of Glory

D. The agora people would meet to do business there merchants sold goods became the center of Athenian politics judges would hear court cases

Athens’ Age of Glory

II. Athenian Government

A. Early Athenian government was an oligarchy

B. This was replaced with a citizen’s assembly. C 510 B.C.

Athens’ Age of Glory

C. This is the world’s first democracy.1. Citizens vote on issues in a democracy.

2. Only freemen could be citizens in Ancient Greece

D. At first only wealthy men could take part in the government.

Athens’ Age of Glory

E. Pericles became an Athenian leader in 450 B.C.

He wanted to extend democracy to more people

Introduced payment for jury service. This was a major step for the poor, now they

could afford to become involved in politics. In 447 began building the Parthenon.

Athens’ Age of Glory

431 B.C. Pericles convinces the assembly to declare war on Sparta.

Plague breaks out in Athens Pericles was blamed for starting the war.

Athens’ Age of Glory

III. Education in Athens

A. New ways of thinking develop in Athens.

B. Socrates was the first philosopher. Born 469 B.C.

1. He was a great philosopher – meaning ‘a lover of wisdom’

Athens’ Age of Glory

famous for his questioning teaching method He asked, "What is wisdom?" and "What is

beauty?" and "What is the right thing to do?" He thought it would be better to have a lot of

people discuss the answers together, so that they might come up with more ideas.

4. He began questioning Athenian values, i.e. laws, customs, & religion

5. He was brought to trail for encouraging the youth to revolt

Athens’ Age of Glory

6. He was found guilty and sentenced to death.

7. In 399 B.C. he was executed by drinking a cup of hemlock (a poisonous plant).

8. Plato wrote down Socrates teachings

Athens’ Age of Glory

C. Plato is another important philosopher for Ancient Greece.

1. Plato was a student of Socrates.

2. Plato opened schools

3. Plato’s most famous student is Aristotle, the teacher of Alexander the Great.

Athens’ Age of Glory

IV. Gifts from the Greeks Trial by Jury Greek Myths Democracy Tragedy and Comedy Theatre The Olympics