Chapter 5 Classical Greece
Unit 2: Warring City-States
World History Core
Main Idea
• Power and Authority
– The growth of city-states in Greece led to the
development of several political systems,
including democracy
Why it matters now?
• Many political systems in today’s world
mirror the varied forms of government that
evolved in Greece
Terms and Names
• Polis
• Acropolis
• Monarchy
• Aristocracy
• Oligarchy
• Tyrant
• Democracy
• Helot
• Phalanx
• Persian Wars
Setting the Stage
• Dorian period Greece experienced a
decline
• 2 things changed:
– 1. Developed a new personal culture (not
ancestral)
– 2. Government changed from tribal to more
formal city-state structure
Rule and Order in Greek City-States
• 750 BC, city-states (POLIS) was the
political unit in Greece
– Made up of a city and its surrounding country
– 50-500 square miles
– Fewer than 10,000 residents
– People gathered in two spots to discuss
government
• 1. AGORA: Marketplace
• 2. ACROPOLIS: Fortified hilltop
Athenian agora to the left
Greek acropolis to the
right
Rule and Order in Greek City-States
Greek Political Structure
Monarchy Aristocracy Oligarchy Direct
Democracy
• State ruled by a • State ruled by • State ruled by a • State ruled by its
king nobility small group of citizens
• Rule is hereditary • Rule is hereditary citizens • Rule is based on
• Some rulers claim and based on family • Rule is based on citizenship
divine right ties, social rank, and wealth or ability • Majority rule
• Practiced in wealth • Ruling group decides vote
Mycenae by • Social status and controls military • Practiced by
2000BC wealth support • Practiced by Athens by about
rulers’ authority Sparta by 500BC 500BC
• Practiced by
Athens prior to
594BC
Rule and Order in Greek City-States
Tyrants Seize Power
• Many clashes about power in city-states
between common people and nobility
• Tyrants: individuals who seized control of
government by appealing to the common
people for support
– Work for interest of ordinary people (unlike
today)
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
• Representative government took hold in
Athens
• Rich and poor clashed BUT solved issues
quickly
– Moved toward DEMOCRACY (rule by the
people)
• Citizens participated directly
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
Building a Democracy
• Steps towards democracy
– 1. Draco: 621BC
• Developed a legal code based on Athenian idea,
rich and poor equal under the law
• Extremely harsh with criminals and types of
punishment
• Had debt slavery
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
• Steps toward democracy con’t.
– 2. Solon: 594BC
• Outlawed debt slavery
• Organized Athens into four social groups
– Only citizens in the top three levels can hold public office
• All citizens participated in government
– Athenian Assembly
• Bring charges against a wrongdoer
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
• Steps towards democracy con’t 2
– 3. Cleisthenes: 500BC
• Broke up power of nobility by organizing citizens in ten
groups based on where they lived rather than wealth
• Increased power of assembly by allowing all citizens to
present laws for debate and passage
• Council of 500
– Proposed laws and counseled assembly
– Members chosen by lot
• Citizenship: free, adult males, who owned
property
– Women, slaves, foreigners were excluded and had
few rights
Athens Builds Limited Democracy
Athenian Education
• Sons of wealthy received formal education
– Age 7
– Prepared to be good citizens
– Reading, grammar, poetry, history, math, and music
– Expected to debate in assembly also taught logic and public
speaking (rhetoric)
– Important to develop and train body – so they also spent each
day in athletic activities
• Military school when older (duty of citizens)
• Girls educated at home by moms
– Child rearing, cloth weaving, cooking, clean house, and to be
good wives/mothers
– Few learned to read and write
Ancient Athens
SPARTA
Sparta Builds A Military State
• Located on the Peloponnesus
• Cut off by rest of Greece by Gulf of Corinth
• Completely different from much of Greece, especially
Athens
• Built a military state
Sparta Dominates Messenians
• 725BC Sparta conquered Messina and neighboring
lands
– Messenians became HELOTS (peasants forced to stay on land
they worked)
• Had to give ½ of crops to Spartans
• Messenians revolted in 650BC-Sparta barely won=VOWED TO BE
STRONGER
Sparta Builds A Military State
Sparta’s Government and Society
• Branches of government:
– 1. Assembly: all Spartan citizens and elected officials.
• Voted on major issues proposed by Council of Elders
– 2. Council of Elders: 30 older citizens
• Proposed laws to Assembly
– 3. 5 Elected Officials
• carried out laws passed by Assembly
– 4. Two Kings
• In charge of military
Sparta Builds A Military State
Sparta’s Government and Society con’t.
• Social Groups
– 1. Citizens: descendants of original
inhabitants
• Included ruling families who owned land
– 2. Noncitizens: were free, worked in
commerce and industry
– 3. Helots: little better than slaves, field
workers or home servants
Sparta Builds A Military State
Spartan Daily Life
• 600-371BC Sparta had strongest Army
– No personal expression
• RESULT: didn’t value art, literature, or intellect
– VALUED: duty, strength, and discipline over
freedom, individuality, beauty, and learning
– Men in Army till 60 years old (life centered on
training)
Sparta Builds A Military State
Spartan Daily Life Con’t.
• Age 7: moved into Army barracks
– Stayed until 30
– Daily Life: marching, exercising, and fighting
– Only light tunics and no shoes
– Slept without blankets and on hard surfaces
– Little food (encourage to steal for more)
• Age 30: join military
• Age 60: Council of Elders
Sparta Builds A Military State
• Spartan Daily Life Con’t 2.
– Girls:
• Received military training, put love for Sparta
above all (even family)
– “Come back with your shield or on it.”
– Women:
• Much freedom (run estate while husbands gone)
Persian Wars
• Greatest danger Athens and Sparta faced was
the invasion of Greece by the Persians
A New Kind of Army Emerges
• Shift from bronze to iron weapons made military
service more affordable
• PHALANX: military formation
– Became the most powerful fighting force in the
ancient world
• Side by side, locking shields, and holding spears = moved as
one.
Persian Wars
Battle of Marathon
• Persian Wars began in Ionia on the coast of Anatolia
– Persians attacked Ionia
– Athens sent ships of aid the Ionians (Greeks)
– Persian King Darius defeated Ionians and vowed to destroy
Athens (for interfering)
• 490BC Persian fleets cross the Aegean Sea with 25,000
men and landed on the northeast plain of Athens called
Marathon
– Waiting were 10,000 Athenians in the phalanx
– Persians defeated: they wore light armor and were not use to the
land
– Several hours later the Persians fled
Persian Wars
Pheidippides Brings News
• Fearing the Persians would retreat to Athens the
leaders of the Army sent a young messenger to
send word to Athens of victory
• Pheidippides ran 26 miles
– When he reached Athens he yelled “Nike” (Goddess
of Victory)
– Collapsed and died
• The Athenians got to Athens in time to see the
Persians getting closer and defended the city
Persian Wars
Thermopylae and Salamis
• 10 years later Xerxes (Darius’ son)
assembles Army to crush Athens
• Greeks were divided
– 1. Fought with Athens
– 2. Fought with Persians
– 3. Didn’t fight – thought if Persians defeated
Athens they would leave Greece
• Xerxes’ army met little resistance
Persian Wars
Thermopylae and Salamis con’t
• Thermopylae
– Narrow mountain pass
– 7000 Greeks (300 Spartans)
• Stopped Persian advance for three days
• Traitor gave Xerxes the location of the secret path
• Spartans held Persians while other retreated
Persian Wars
Thermopylae and Salamis con’t 2
• Salamis
– Thermistocles (Athenian leader) got Greeks to
turn the war into a sea battle
– Positioned boats in narrow passage called
Salamis
• Persian ships were to large to turn in channel and
the Greeks used that to their advantage and
defeated the Persians
– 479 BC crushed Persians in Battle of Plataea
Persian Wars
Thermopylae and Salamis con’t 3
• Greeks formed the Delian League: city-
state alliance
– Took name from island of Delos where the
headquarters were located
– City-states gave money and ships to belong
to the League
Consequences of Persian Wars
• New sense of confidence and freedom
• Athens emerges as leaders of Delian League
– 200 member states
– Will become little more than provinces to Athens
– Will use power over other league members
– Moved headquarters from Delos to Athens
• Burst of wealth in Athens will lead to its Golden
Age
Olympics