Archaic and Classical Greece

1
Western Civilization IHIS-101

• unit 3
• Archaic and Classical Greece
• (1150-400 BCE)

2
Greek Dark Age (c. 1150-800 BCE)

• After the fall of the Mycenaean kingdoms, Greece
  went into a period known as the Greek Dark Ages
• It lasted roughly from 1150-800 BCE
• This was a period of characterized by
• Instability due to the effects of the Sea People
  not only in Greece but in the entire eastern
  Mediterranean
• Failing food supplies
• Large migrations both within Greece and out of it
• The population of Greek declined by up to 90
  during this period
• Many moved to Asia Minor and islands in the
  Aegean Sea

3
Greek Dark Age (c. 1150-800 BCE)

• Those who remained in Greece moved inland
• It was safer to be away from the coast
• This isolated themselves from the rest of the
  Near East
• The Greek religion began to reflect the new
  attitudes of the time
• The gods were no longer viewed in positive light
  with the same faults as humans
• They were considered to be moody and petty and
  liked to interfere in the lives of humans
• To the Greeks, the gods were to be humored and
  placated but never trusted

4
Greek Dark Age (c. 1150-800 BCE)

• By 1000 BCE, other groups from around the Near
  East began to increase their contact with the
  Greeks
• Greek pottery was in huge demand so trade was
  opened up with them
• One of the first groups that the Greeks came into
  contact with was the Phoenicians
• The Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet and
  modified it to fit their language better
• They had originally used Linear B but it was not
  ideal since it did not contain vowels
• They also adopted the Phoenician boat designs for
  merchant sea vessels
• This allowed them to start trading with other
  countries

5
Greek Dark Age (c. 1150-800 BCE)

• As Greeces economy grew so did their movement
  throughout the region
• Many traveled between the mainland, the islands,
  and Asia Minor, coming into greater contact with
  other Greeks
• Also during this period, many Greeks moved into
  the cities from the rural areas
• As they came into greater contact with other
  communities, the Greeks needed to find better
  ways of cooperation
• This was going to be difficult because each of
  these communities were very independent
• By 800 BCE, the Dark Age ended

6

• Greece c. 750 BCE

7
Archaic Greece (800-480 BCE)

• In the Archaic period, Greek civilization broke
  out with new strength and energy
• The polis becomes the central institution in
  Greek life
• The Greeks begin to colonize the Mediterranean
  and Black Sea regions
• There is the rise of the Heroic Tradition
• There are new achievements in warfare, religion,
  society, and the arts
• The Polis - (pl. poleis) This is a small but
  autonomous political unit
• All major political, social, and religious
  activities were held in one central location

8
The Rise of the Greek Polis

• The polis encompassed a city, town or village and
  its surrounding countryside
• All major activities were carried out in the town
• The actual origins of the polis started with
  synoecism
• This is the process of conquering and absorbing,
  and/or working together with neighboring
  communities
• By the 8th century BCE, the polis was a unique
  and fundamental part of Greek civilization
• Not all poleis were the same
• The size of the polis varied from a few square
  miles to a few hundred the larger poleis usually
  were the product of consolidation

9
The Rise of the Greek Polis

• The population of a polis ranged from a few
  hundred people to several thousand
• Each polis also had its own patron deity
• Athens had Athena, Sparta had Ares and Artemis,
  and Miletus had Apollo
• What they did have in common was that their
  citizenry all possessed certain rights
• All citizens enjoyed certain rights but only
  adult males enjoyed political rights
• However, rivalries and animosity between poleis
  would eventually lead to the ruin of Greece

10
(No Transcript)
11
Greek Colonization

• Greek colonization began during the 8th and 7th
  centuries BCE
• This was part of the trading ventures throughout
  the Aegean area
• All of these colonies still had close ties to
  their mother cities, both politically and
  emotionally
• By the 6th century Greek colonization spread from
  the Black Sea to the western Mediterranean
• What were the reasons behind Greek colonization?

12
Greek Colonization

• Overpopulation There was a population boom that
  started in the 9th c. BCE
• Colonization gave the opportunity for people to
  move out of overpopulated areas to the less
  populated colonies
• Colonization helped with the land hunger by
  giving land opportunities to more people
• This eased tensions caused by overcrowding
• Migration was also encouraged by the aristocracy
  as a safety valve to release potentially
  dissident pressures

13
Greek Colonization

• Trade Routes Some colonies were established in
  ideal trade locations
• Colonization was seen as a way to promote trade
• They would be established near areas where raw
  materials, such as metals, could be obtained
• Greek tyrants were eager to win the approval of
  merchants and traders by establishing new
  colonies
• Shortage of Land
• While the Greeks had plenty of land, not all of
  it was arable so the land could not produce
  enough food to feed the population
• Also, as the wealthy aristocrats seized more and
  more land, the poor were left with nothing
  resulting in land hunger

14
Greek Colonization

• Colonization not only had a huge impact on the
  Greeks, but on the entire Mediterranean as well
• Greek culture spread throughout the Mediterranean
• There was an increase in trade and industry
• There was also the creation of a new group of
  wealthy elites
• They acquired their wealth through trade
• They wanted political privileges proportionate to
  their wealth
• However, the aristocracy was not willing to give
  this to them

15

• Homer (c. 8th c. BCE)

16
The Heroic Tradition

• In Archaic Greece, wealth as well as trade became
  important in Greek society
• A small group of aristocrats began to emerge who
  saw their wealth as proof of their superiority
• But wealth was not the only thing the aristocracy
  strived for
• Rise of the heroic tradition
• They needed to be heroes as well they needed
  to win battles, travel to distant lands, be
  courageous, strong, and wise
• Overall, they must be favored by the gods
• This was known as the heroic tradition

17
The Heroic Tradition

• The Heroic Tradition is best illustrated in the
  works of Homer
• Homer was an epic writer during the 8th century
  BCE
• The two main works he is credited with were the
  Iliad and the Odyssey
• Both of these were epic poems written in the 8th
  century BCE but were about events that occurred
  during the Mycenaean period
• Both stories illustrate courage, acts of bravery,
  and battles the foundations of the Heroic
  Tradition

18
The Heroic Tradition

• These stories may have originated as oral
  traditions
• They were handed down over generations and
  modified over time to reflect the changing
  traditions and conditions
• While these two stories were based on events from
  the 13th century BCE, it is believed that the
  works reflect the social conditions of the 8th
  century BCE
• This gives an impression of what life was like in
  the 8th century BCE rather than the 13th century
  BCE
• Homers poems were treated as historical facts
• At the time, they were used as educational texts
  because they reflected the aristocratic values of
  honor and courage that were desires

19

• Homers Iliad

20
Rise of the Hoplites

• During the Dark Age, most of the battles were
  fought by aristocrat-warriors
• Their main tactic was to fight on horseback and
  have individual duels with enemy soldiers
• Because they were the dominant military force,
  the aristocracy was able to use it to hold
  political and social power
• But this changed in the 7th century BCE with a
  new military order based on the use of the
  hoplite warrior

21
Rise of the Hoplites

• The name hoplite derives from the Greek word
  hoplon, which is a piece of armor
• Hoplites were heavily armed infantrymen
• Each wore bronze or leather helmets,
  breastplates, and greaves (shin guards)
• They carried a round shield, a short sword, and
  an 8-10 foot long thrusting spear
• To become a hoplite, all you had to do was
  provide your own armor

22

• Hoplites

23
Hoplite Warfare

• In battle, the hoplites would stand in a
  formation called a phalanx
• The men would stand shoulder to shoulder in tight
  formation, usually eight ranks deep
• They would carry their large shields to protect
  the man next to him and a large spear
• When a man fell, the one behind him would quickly
  step in to replace him
• As long as they did not break their formation or
  were outflanked they were nearly unbeatable

24
Hoplite Warfare

• How the Greeks learned about hoplite warfare
  still remains a mystery
• There is some belief that they may have learned
  it from the Assyrians
• It was quickly adopted by the poleis and became
  standard military tactic throughout Greece
• This also meant that the aristocratic cavalry was
  now outdated
• As a result, the aristocracy was no longer the
  dominant military power

25
Hoplite Warfare

• The hoplites had political repercussions as well
• Since any man with property could be a hoplite,
  the new military would be composed of everything
  from small land holder to aristocratic elite
• At first this mixture created a bond between the
  aristocrats and the small land holders
• However, after some time, this hoplite class
  wanted their share in politics
• They were the ones the Greeks depended on and
  they wanted to be involved in the decision making
  process
• Eventually they would challenge the aristocrats
  for control

26

• Cup depicting a scene from a Greek symposium

27
Archaic Greek Society

• Society at this time was highly stratified based
  not only on wealth but status as well
• At the top was the king
• The kingdoms during the Archaic Period were much
  smaller in size than those of Mycenaean times
• Below the king was the warrior-aristocracy class
• They controlled much of the wealth and exercised
  considerable power
• Competition and status were important to them

28
Archaic Greek Society

• The roles of men and women at this time reflected
  the heroic tradition
• Men were to be the heroes
• They were willing to fight, protect their
  families, and earn his reputation and status
• Women helped their men live up to their roles
• They were to be faithful to their husbands
• They also had to display courage and wisdom in
  the running of the households while the men were
  gone in battle
• The aristocrats dominated the poleis during most
  of the 7th and 6th centuries BCE

29

• The Greek Symposium

30
Aristocratic Culture

• The aristocrats developed a very distinct culture
  and lifestyle
• Part of this including holding office in the
  polis
• They were the only ones who could afford to
  participate in politics which did not give a
  salary
• The symposium was a focal point of the male
  aristocracy
• Men would gather together, drink wine, enjoy the
  pleasures of female courtesans, tell stories and
  poems, etc.
• It was a highly choreographed affair that could
  be used for parties, heated discussion, or even
  the designing of plots

31
Aristocratic Culture

• Pederasty was another key part to aristocratic
  culture
• A man would take on a younger aristocratic boy as
  his protégé
• They would develop a strong bond that included
  friendship and possibly evolve into a sexual
  relationship
• This was socially acceptable behavior
• It was believed that the younger boy was
  receiving proper training in politics
• He would also be able to make important social
  and political connections through his mentor
• The man would get permission not only from the
  boys family but from the boy himself

32

• The erastes (lover) fondling the genitals of the
  eromenos (beloved)

33
Rise of Greek Tyranny

• Over the course of the 8th century BCE, the
  aristocracy became even more selective
• Small oligarchies that controlled the politics in
  the cities
• This left some aristocratic groups feeling
  alienated
• The aristocrats who were excluded from power
  looked for allies
• They found them in the hoplites who were also
  excluded from political power and thus sought
  allegiances with them
• Having the military behind them, these
  aristocrats could now take power through force

34
Rise of Greek Tyranny

• In the 7th c. BCE, violence increased between
  aristocrats
• Those who allied with the hoplites overthrew the
  old aristocracy (coup d'état) and took power for
  themselves
• They became known tyrants
• The term is believed to have come from the Lydian
  term tyrannos which meant someone who seized
  power illegally
• The hoplites gave the tyrants the military
  backing they needed to remain in power
• In return, the tyrants would give the hoplites
  legal and economic rights and even in some cases
  political rights

35
Rise of Greek Tyranny

• At first, the term tyrant did not have a
  negative connotation
• Because they had taken power illegally, they had
  to justify their rule
• They claimed that they could provide a more
  efficient government than the old oligarchies had
• The original tyrants were beneficial to their
  polis, as they promoted public works projects and
  encouraged the founding of new colonies
• Unfortunately, their heirs were corrupt and
  tended to be cruel and unjust rulers
• These corrupt rulers gave tyranny a negative
  connotation

36
Rise of Greek Tyranny

• Tyrannies did not usually last for more than two
  generations
• By the end of the 6th century, tyranny was
  largely eliminated in Greece
• It did have a number of long lasting effects
• It ended the rule of aristocratic oligarchies
• With the end of tyranny, the door was opened for
  more people to participate in government
• This led to the rise of democracy in some poleis
  and extended oligarchies in others

37

• The Greek World

38
Archaic Polis in Action

• During the Archaic period, the various Greek
  poleis developed in unique and very different
  ways
• The diversity is seen in three different Greek
  poleis Athens, Sparta, and Miletus
• None of these should be seen as typical Greek
  polis because of the level of diversity
• These are the three most documented poleis and
  historians know little about many of the others

39

• Vessel from Archaic Period Athens

40
Politics in Athens

• Athens was originally an agricultural polis with
  a monarchy
• By the 7th century, the polis was governed by an
  aristocratic oligarchy
• It was controlled by two aristocratic bodies a
  board of archons and the Areopagus Council
• There was an ecclesia, an assembly of full
  citizens, but it had very little power
• Archons acted as a magistrates
• They were originally elected by the Areopagus
  Council
• There were originally three archons but this was
  increased as the polis expanded in size and
  population

41
Politics in Athens

• The archons served a term of one year
• After that, they became permanent members of the
  Areopagus Council
• Areopagus Council The real power of Athens lay
  in this council
• Its name is derived from the Hill of Ares where
  the council was located
• It was a lifetime appointment
• It served as a high court with tremendous
  influence over the legal proceedings in Athens
• They elected the archons as a way of controlling
  its own future membership

42
Politics in Athens

• As the 7th century BCE progressed, social and
  economic problems arose
• Increasing numbers of farmers were sold into
  slavery
• There was the practice of debt slavery where a
  person would use himself as collateral on a loan
• Many farmers were unable to pay back their loans
  and were put into slavery
• There were numerous calls for debt cancellations
  and the redistribution of land
• Also during this period, there was an escalation
  in the rivalries between the aristocrats
• This brought further instability to Athens

43
Politics in Athens

• In 632 BCE, one aristocrat, Cylon, tried to seize
  control over Athens
• The Athenians revolted against him
• Cylon managed to flee the city but his followers
  were executed
• As time went on, the aristocracy became concerned
  about the growing instability of the government
• Many were fearful of another attempted coup
  d'état and/or civil war
• What they decided to do was find a neutral figure
  to act as the head of Athens to reorganize the
  government

44

• Solon (594-593 BCE)

45
Solon (594-593 BCE)

• In 594 BCE, the aristocracy selected Solon (c.
  640-561 BCE) to be sole archon of Athens for one
  year
• He was a liberally minded aristocrat who had
  risen to power and wealth as a merchant
• Many believed he was not tied to one single
  faction
• This was designed to give Solon complete control
  over the reorganization of Athens
• He brought about sweeping economic reforms to
  Athens
• Cancelled all land debts, outlawed debt slavery
  and bought the freedom for those already put into
  slavery
• Encouraged the cultivation of cash-crops such as
  grapes and olives

46
Solon (594-593 BCE)

• Solon also made sweeping political reforms by
  dividing up the citizen population into four
  classes
• Every male citizen, except those in the poorest
  class, could now hold political office
• Even the poorest class were eligible to vote
• He also created new elective bodies and increased
  the power of existing ones
• The Ecclesia This was the citizen assembly now
  had the right to elect archons
• The Heliaia A new court where all four classes
  could sit in as jurors and it heard appeals from
  cases tried before the archons or the Areopagus

47
Solon (594-593 BCE)

• However, even with all the changes he made, he
  did not solve the main problems for Athens
• He did not redistribute the land which was the
  main cause behind the economic crisis in Athens
• The aristocracy viewed his reforms as being too
  radical, especially giving the other classes more
  political participation
• The poorer classes believed that Solon had not
  done enough, especially in terms of land
  distribution
• For the next forty years, internal conflicts tore
  the city of Athens apart
• This set the stage for the rise of tyranny in
  Athens

48
Peisistratus (546 to c.527 BCE)

• Peisistratus was an aristocrat who had attempted
  to seize power in Athens as a tyrant
• He failed both times and was driven into exile
  each time
• In 546 BCE, he made a third attempt and this time
  he succeeded
• Part of this was due to the of the mercenary army
  he hired
• The other part was that things had gotten so bad
  in Athens that people wanted stability
• He remained in power until his death in 527 BCE

49
Peisistratus (546 to c.527 BCE)

• Like many of the other original tyrants, he had
  to justify his illegal takeover
• He used Solons reforms to run the government
• He allowed those in the Areopagus Council to keep
  their positions
• He made sure the assembly, council, and courts
  continued to function
• At the same time, he made sure that his
  supporters were elected to the councils and as
  magistrates
• His government was not a dictatorship but, as
  Aristotle wrote, appeared more like
  constitutional government than a tyranny

50
Peisistratus (546 to c.527 BCE)

• In instituted many policies that made him popular
  with the people
• He supported public works projects that included
  the beautification of Athens
• He also opened up the Black Sea to Athenian
  traders and merchants
• He lowered taxes for the lower classes
• He also sponsored the arts and theater
• When he died, his son Hippias became ruler
• Historians believe that he co-ruled with his
  brother Hipparchus or was at the very least
  strongly influenced by him

51
Hippias (c. 528-510 BCE)

• During the first few years of Hippias reign,
  Athens prospered
• Like his father, he was a patron of the arts and
  instituted many building projects in Athens
• However, in 514 BCE, everything changed
• Hipparchus became involved in a twisted love
  triangle which resulted in his assassination in
  514 BCE
• After this point, Hippias became a cruel and
  unjust ruler
• He instituted repressive measures and gave the
  word tyrant its current meaning

52
Hippias (c. 528-510 BCE)

• The people of Athens were desperate to get rid of
  Hippias
• One of the major families bribed the oracle at
  Delphi to get the Spartans to overthrow Hippias
• In 510 BCE, the Spartans besieged Athens
• Hippias was forced to flee
• He took refuge with Sardis, a Persian governor
• He was actually the one who advised the Persians
  to land at Marathon

53

• Harmodius and Aristogeiton
• The Tyranticides

54
Aristocratic Counterrevolution

• After the exile of Hippias, the aristocrats hoped
  to regain control of Athens with the help of the
  Spartans
• Their main goal was to bring back the oligarchy
• However, the people of Athens like having
  political rights and fought against the
  aristocrats
• In 508 BCE, they rose up, overthrew the
  government, and put Cleisthenes in as archon
• Cleisthenes had been an archon in Athens for a
  number of years but was considered a liberal
  aristocrat

55
Reforms of Cleisthenes

• When Cleisthenes became archon in 508 BCE, his
  main goal was to reform the government by
  limiting aristocratic power
• He knew that the only way to fulfill Solons
  ideas was to attack hereditary privilege at its
  base
• He created the deme, which was a small
  territorial unit based on location
• This became the basic unit of Athenian politics
  instead of family, clan or kinship group
• The demes were then combined into ten new tribes

56
Reforms of Cleisthenes

• These ten tribes were linked to a new Council of
  500
• Each of the ten tribes chose 50 members by lot
  each year
• No one was allowed to serve more than two years,
  and not consecutively, on the council
• It is believed Cleisthenes also introduced the
  system of ostracism
• Athenians would vote each year to banish someone
  for ten years
• The term ostracism comes from the Greek word
  ostraka, a type of potsherds on which the names
  of those to be banished would be written

57

• Examples of ostraka

58
Athens at 500 BCE

• The events of the 7th and 6th centuries BCE left
  Athens in a unique position
• It was an economic power as the principle
  exporter of wine, olive oils, and pottery in
  Greece
• It also had developed a new form of government
  that was more democratic and participatory
• This led the way for the dominance of Athens as a
  cultural and democratic power in the 5th century
  BCE

59
(No Transcript)
60
Sparta

• Sparta was located at the southern end of the
  Peloponnesus peninsula
• It was nothing like Athens
• While Athens was sophisticated and cosmopolitan,
  Sparta was down-to-earth and traditional
• It had been a monarchy through the Homeric age
• They had a two king system
• Their power was limited by a strong council and
  assembly
• It started off as a small polis but grew in size
  through conquering of neighboring poleis

61
Spartan Expansion

• The Spartans first conquered their neighbors in
  Laconia
• The people were forced into slavery as serfs
  working the land or as household slaves
• They were known as helots (Greek for capture)
• Starting in 720 BCE, the Spartans began
  conquering the region of Messenia
• This region contained fertile land
• Even though the region was larger and had a
  higher population, it was easily conquered
• The Messenians became helots as well

62
Spartan Military Machine

• In 650 BCE, the helots in Messenia revolted due
  to the harsh conditions they were living in
• In this war, the Messenians had almost defeated
  the Spartans
• The Spartans then made a decision to create a
  military state to protect itself
• It was to ensure control over the Laconians and
  Messenian helots to prevent further revolts
• Under a series of reforms, Sparta became
  literally a perpetual military camp
• It was based on the Spartitate, or Equal, a
  professional soldier that was part of the hoplite
  phalanx

63
Spartan Military Machine

• All of Spartan society was prepared for war, not
  only men but women and children
• All of the children in Sparta went through the
  same process from birth to adulthood
• At birth, each child was required to be examined
  by state officials
• If the child was healthy, he/she would remain
  with his mother until the age of seven unhealthy
  ones would be abandoned in the mountains to die
• At the age of seven, boys would be moved to the
  state-run barracks
• Here they received military training and
  education

64
Spartan Military Machine

• All Spartan men at the age of 20 were required to
  join the army for regular military duty
• Between the ages of 20 to 30, they were required
  to marry but they continued to live in the
  barracks
• This actually had a negative impact on the birth
  rate
• At the age of 30, the men were considered
  mature and allowed to live at home and to vote
  in the assembly
• They remained in military service until they were
  60

65
Spartan Military Machine

• Girls would remain at home and receive training
  in letters until they were married
• Spartan women did not participate physically in
  the military machine, but their roles were
  considered vital to the success of the state
• Women were encouraged to exercise and stay in
  shape in order to have healthy babies
• They also upheld the strict value system
• This included remaining brave and running the
  household while their husbands and sons went off
  to war

66
Spartan Social Structure

• There were essentially three classes in Sparta
• Spartitates, perioeci, and helots
• Spartitates These were the full Spartan
  citizens
• They owned the land which was worked by helots
• They were essentially the ruling class
• Perioeci They were free but were not citizens
• They were typically merchants and artisans
• While they could not vote, they were still
  subject to military duty

67
Spartan Social Structure

• Helots These were the people who were forced to
  work the land
• Like the serfdom of the Middle Ages, they worked
  the land and gave half of the produce to their
  masters
• They outnumbered the Spartans 10-1
• The Spartans were constantly in fear of a helot
  revolt
• This prevented them from participating in
  campaigns abroad
• A secret police force (the krypteia) lived among
  the helots who were ordered to kill anyone deemed
  dangerous
• This was made legal by an annual declaration of
  war on the helots

68
Spartan State

• Along with the military changes made to Sparta,
  significant political changes were made as well
• The government was run by two kings, each of
  which came from different families
• They were primarily the military and religious
  leaders of the Spartan state
• The kings shared power with the Gerousia
• This was a council of 28 men over the age of 60
  who were elected for life
• They were responsible for most of the policy
  making and acted as the primary court of the polis

69
Spartan State

• The Apella was an assembly of all the Spartan
  male citizens over the age of 30
• They received proposals fro the gerousia on which
  they were to vote yes or no to
• They rarely rejected the proposals
• They elected the gerousia and the ephors
• Ephors were highest-ranking Spartan magistrates
• There were five ephors who were elected annually
  and swore an oath every month to uphold the
  kings authority
• They were responsible for presiding over both the
  gerousia and the apella and served as judges in
  all civil cases

70
Spartan State

• Other responsibilities of the ephors included
• They supervised the educational system and the
  conduct of all Spartan citizens
• They were the ones who made the annual
  declaration of war against the helots and were in
  charge of the krypteia
• In times of war, they even had the authority to
  bring charges against a king and depose him for
  wrong-doing
• In order to keep a pure military mind, all
  Spartans were forbidden from participating in
  outside trade
• It was believed that wealth would distract the
  Spartans from their primary duty as soldier

71
Spartan State

• The Spartan state also discouraged foreigners
  from visiting Sparta
• This was to prevent the importation of new ideas
  from other cultures
• Spartans were also discouraged from traveling for
  the same reasons
• Because of this, trade was very limited
• Spartans were also not allowed to come into
  contact with an persons or material that was
  dangerous

72
Peloponnesian League

• During the 6th century BCE, the Spartans sought
  greater control of the Peloponnesus
• They organized the Peloponnesian League which was
  a loose alliance of poleis on the peninsula
• It was seen basically as Sparta and her allies
• It was also created to prevent the helots from
  getting outside aid for their revolts
• By 500 BCE, the Spartans were in a unique
  position
• They were a powerful, highly-organized military
  state
• There was also a loss of freedom for not only the
  helots but the Spartans as well

73

• Miletus

74
Miletus

• Located in Anatolia, this Greek city became the
  largest commercial, military, and cultural power
  of the Greek colony of Ionia
• It became one of the main trading centers in
  Ionia with products coming from the interior
  sections of Anatolia and the Black Sea
• It was the largest and most powerful city in
  Ionia
• Because of its location, its culture saw a blend
  of both Greek and Near Eastern influences
• The Greek epic found its roots in this region and
  many historians believe that many of the heroes
  were based on Near Eastern models

75
Miletus

• The citys origins go back to 1500 BCE when
  Minoans first settled the region
• They were followed by the Mycenaean soon after
• Around 800 BCE, the Ionian city-states formed the
  Ionian League
• It was a religious and cultural league, rather
  than a political or military league
• Each city in the League remained autonomous
• At this time, the government switched from a
  monarchy to an aristocratic oligarchy

76
Milesian Politics

• In 687 BCE, Miletus fell under the control of
  tyrants
• During this period, Miletus began to expand its
  territory with the creation of colonies
• Miletus, along with the rest of Ionia, was
  conquered by Lydia c. 560 BCE
• The Lydians were under the leadership of King
  Croesus
• Then in 546 BCE, Croesus was defeated by the
  Cyrus and Persians
• At this point, Ionia became a Persian satrap

77

• Thales of Miletus (c.624545 BCE)

78
The Milesian School of Thought

• Along with being a cultural and economic power,
  Miletus also became the center of Greek
  philosophy
• The great thinkers of the time became known as
  the pre-Socraticsbefore Socrates
• They were mostly interested in physics and became
  known as the investigators of nature
• They wanted to remove myth from their
  understanding of nature, the kosmos
• Anaximenes - (c.585 BCE c.525 BCE)
• He argued that air was the source of all things
  found in nature
• As air becomes more dense, it transforms into
  fire, then wind, then water, the earth, then
  stones

79
The Milesian School of Thought

• Thales (c.624 BCEc.546 BCE)
• He wanted to know where things came without using
  supernatural explanations
• His main theory about water was the primary
  principleit was the basis for everything
• Anaximander (c.610-c.547 BCE)
• He believed that the world came from an invisible
  substance called the apeiron (Boundless) which
  was the origin of everything (the first
  principle)
• From there, it was separated into different
  qualities, the primary opposites hot and cold,
  moist and dry

80
The Milesian School of Thought

• With these philosophers attempting to explain the
  natural world without supernatural influence
  caused a struggle between religion and philosophy
• This debate was taken later on by the Athenian
  philosophers
• After the Persians conquered Lydia and thus
  Miletus in 546 BCE, this philosophical school of
  thought was temporarily brought to an end

81

• Greco-Persian Wars

82
Ionian Revolt (499-494 BCE)

• The Persian Wars mark the end of the archaic
  period and the start of the classical period
• The wars began in 499 BCE when the Ionian states
  revolted against Persian control
• The Ionians did not like being a Persian satrapy
• This hatred was flamed by Aristagoras, the tyrant
  of Miletus who was supported by the Persians
• He was afraid he had lost his support of Darius
  of Persia so he turned to the other side
• He rallied the support of the people against
  Persian rule
• Calls were made to the other Greeks states for
  help

83
Ionian Revolt (499-494 BCE)

• While the Spartans refused to help, the Athenians
  sent 20 ships to help the Ionians
• They helped capture and sack Sardis, the capital
  of Lydia
• After that, the Athenians left the Ionians on
  their own
• The Ionians were able to hold their own until 494
  BCE
• That year, the Persian fleet defeated the Ionians
  at the Battle of Lade
• The Persian king Darius realized that even with
  the defeat of the Ionians, their true loyalty was
  to mainland Greece

84
Greco-Persian Wars (492-449 BCE)

• The participation of the Athenians in the Ionian
  Revolt gave Darius the excuse to launch an attack
  against mainland Greece
• In 492 BCE, Darius sent the fleet to attack
  Athens directly
• However, the fleet was lost in a storm and that
  plan was abandoned
• In 490 BCE, Darius sent his ground forces to
  attack mainland Greece
• The Persian forces met the Athenians on the plain
  of Marathon

85
Battle of Marathon

• The Athenians forces were outnumbered 11,000 to
  the Persian 25,000
• They had requested help from the Spartans but
  they showed up too late for the battle
• They did have some assistance from the Plataeans,
  who were from Boeotia
• The two armies were very different
• The Persians had light infantry that was more
  mobile and flexible and they used ranged attacks,
  based on arrows and spears
• The Greeks had the hoplite forces that were armed
  with the long spears and heavy shields designed
  for close combat

86
Battle of Marathon

• When Miltiades, the Athenian general, learned
  that the Persian cavalry was not present, he led
  the attack
• The Persians were actually out watering their
  horses
• The Hoplites were better equipped than the
  Persian infantry
• This gave them not only a decisive victory over
  the Persians but kept the total losses down
• The Persians supposedly lost over 6,000 men while
  the Athenians only lost 192

87
Battle of Marathon

• According to legend, when the battle was over,
  Pheidippides ran to Athens 25 miles away
• He died of exhaustion after giving the message
• The loss at Marathon was the only major defeat
  during Darius reign
• Darius had planned a third attempt at Greece but
  his attention turned to uprisings in Egypt
• He died before he was able to mount another
  attack against Greece

88

• Model of a Greek trireme

89
Building the Greek Navy

• One of the Athenian politicians, Themistocles,
  understood the importance of the victory over the
  Persians
• However, he realized that they were going to
  return
• In 483 BCE, the Athenians discovered a new rich
  silver vein in Laurium
• Themistocles said that the funds from that silver
  should be used to build a new navy to protect
  Athens

90
Building the Greek Navy

• By 480 BCE, the Athenians built up a fleet of
  200 ships
• They were triremes, ships that had three banks of
  oars
• They also used the funds from the silver to
  construct new port facilities as well
• Athens now had a state-of-the-art navy to go
  alongside their hoplite forces
• Just in time for Persias next attack

91

• Xerxes (486-465 BCE)

92
Xerxes (486-465 BCE)

• Xerxes was the king of Persia from 486-465 BCE
• He was the son of Darius
• Like his father, he wanted to extract revenge on
  Athens and the other Greek states that
  participated in the Ionian revolt
• He first had to put down a revolt in Egypt before
  he was able to focus on Greece
• Starting in 483 BCE, he began preparations for a
  massive invasion of Greece

93
Xerxes (486-465 BCE)

• The actual invasion began in 480 BCE
• Xerxes had 150,000 to 400,000 troops, though
  modern estimates hold it around 200,000
• Approximately 700 naval ships
• Plenty of supplies either on ships or along the
  roads to feed his armies
• He lined the roads of Trace with provisions
• He also had two pontoon bridges built across the
  Hellespont at Abydos so that his army could cross
  from Persia into Greece

94

• Battle at Thermopylae

95
Battle at Thermopylae

• While many of the Greek poleis surrendered to the
  Persian force, Sparta and Athens and a number of
  other poleis refused to
• A general Hellenic League was formed to defend
  the Greeks against the Persians
• Sparta headed the military and Athens the Navy
• King Leonidas of Sparta met the Persian forces at
  the pass at Thermopylae
• He had only a small force of roughly 9,000 men
  when he first met the Persians
• They were able to hold the pass for three days,
  killing approximately 10,000 Persians a day

96
Battle at Thermopylae

• The Persians managed to find a traitor to lead
  them through a mountain path and outflank the
  Greeks
• When Leonidas heard of this, he sent most of his
  troops away to safety
• He stayed behind with 300 Spartans, their helots,
  and about and 1,100 Boeotians
• The purpose was to delay the Persians and allow
  the Greeks the time to regroup further south
• Leonidas was able to hold back Xerxes' forces for
  several days but in the end, his entire force was
  killed

97
(No Transcript)
98
Battle at Salamis

• The Athenians decided to evacuate Athens and
  Attica and regroup on the island of Salamis
• The Greek navy was placed in the Straights of
  Salamis to protect the island
• Even though the Greeks were outnumbered, they
  were able to use the narrow Straits to their
  advantage
• They were able to destroy around 200 Persian
  ships
• Xerxes returned to Persia after this loss but
  left most of the army behind to finish the war

99
Battle of Plataea

• By the summer of 479 BCE, the Greeks managed to
  put together one of the largest Greek armies seen
  up to date
• The next major battle took place near Plataea in
  Boeotia
• Here the Persian army had made camp
• The Spartans decimated the Persians
• What was left of the Persian forces retreated to
  Asia Minor

100

• The Delian League

101
Ushering in a New Age

• With the defeat of the mighty Persian empire, the
  Greek poleis entered a new phase
• This golden age sees Athens becoming the main
  powerful Greek polis with one of the most
  powerful navies in the eastern Mediterranean
• Sparta withdrew from its role in Greek affairs
  and the Athenians stepped into that role
• Some Greek poleis wanted to launch an offensive
  attack against the Persians to free Ionia
• These poleis met with Athens on the island of
  Delos in the winter of 478/477 BCE
• They formed the Delian League

102
Delian League

• While the League was led by Athens, it was a
  democratic league with each polis holding one
  vote
• The main function of the League was to battle the
  Persians
• It held close to 300 ships, most of which were
  Athenian
• If a polis could not provide ships, it provided
  money instead
• By 469 BCE, all of the Greek states in the Aegean
  region were freed
• Both the Persian army and navy had been defeated

103
Delian League

• After the threat of the Persians was gone, some
  members of the League wanted to withdraw
• First Naxos attempted to leave in 470 BCE and
  then Thasos in 465 BCE
• Athens attacked both poleis
• In both cases, the cities walled fortifications
  were destroyed, their navies captured, their
  lands confiscated, and the residents were all
  forced to pay tribute to the Athenians
• Once the revolts were put down, the Athenians
  took on the policy of no succession
• The League, in turn, became the heart of the
  Athenian empire and an instrument of Athenian
  imperialism

104

• Pericles (461-429 BCE)

105
Age of Pericles

• After the defeat of Persia, Athens went through
  an economic boom
• They had a steady flow of income from the Delian
  League, which was used to finance building
  projects
• This led to numerous construction jobs
• Unfortunately, not everyone was happy
• Many people wanted a greater role in the
  government, especially the lower class, the
  thetes
• Prior to 462 BCE, the conservatives held power
  under Cimon
• He had led the Delian League to its victories
  against the Persians and put down the revolts of
  Naxos and Thasos

106
Age of Pericles

• Cimon held the position of strategos
• Strategoi were responsible for drafting and
  overseeing troops and acting as military judges
• There were a total of ten strategoi at any one
  time
• Pericles (c.495-429 BCE) was a young aristocrat
  during this period
• He came from the liberal faction that wanted to
  see more changes taking place in the government
• The leader of the faction was Ephiltates and
  Pericles was his student
• This included ending the aristocratic power of
  the Aeropagus and severing ties with Sparta to
  expand Athenian power

107
Age of Pericles

• Pericles was elected stratego in 462 and 461 BCE
• In 461 BCE, Ephialtes and Pericles convinced the
  Ecclesia to vote on taking away the remaining
  powers of the Areopagus
• Ephialtes was assassinated after the vote
• This meant the leadership of the party went to
  Pericles
• In 461 BCE, Pericles also was able to secure the
  ostracism of Cimon
• He then pushed through reforms that strengthened
  the Athenian democracy

108
Age of Pericles

• He made it easier for poorer men to attend the
  Ecclesia
• He did this by giving the equivalent of a days
  pay to everyone who attended
• Members of the Ecclesia could also propose or
  amend legislation rather than just voting yes or
  no to it
• He also passed a controversial law in two citizen
  parents were required for a person to become a
  full citizen
• Pericles became heavily involved in public
  building projects
• This included the Acropolis which was started in
  447 BCE
• Also, the Parthenon, which was designed to
  replace the old Temple of Athena that was
  destroyed in 480 BCE
• It cost roughly 469 silver talents to build

109

• The Acropolis in Athens

110

• Great Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)

111
Great Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)

• Most of what we know comes from Thucydides
  History of the Peloponnesian War
• He had been an Athenian general and politician at
  the beginning of the war
• He wrote the book in 424 BCE
• Most historians agree that this is a rather
  accurate account of the war
• Thucydides believed that the long range cause of
  the war was the fear the Spartans held towards
  Athens and its empire
• They were wary about Athens naval capabilities
  and how it could be used against them

112
Great Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)

• Others believe the cause of the war was based on
  the fact that Athens had created a tyrannical
  empire
• In 433 BCE, Athens allied with Corcyra
• Corcyra was a strategically important colony of
  Corinth that wanted to break away from Corinth
  influence
• At the Battle of Syboda in 433 BCE, Athens was
  able to prevent Corinth from taking the island of
  Corcyra
• Corinth was furious at both Athens and Sparta
• The latter because Sparta was their ally and did
  not help out Corinth

113
Great Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)

• In 432 BCE, the Spartans held a meeting of the
  Peloponnesian League
• Athens was invited to attend to discuss the
  situation in Corcyra
• The meeting turned into a huge debate between
  Athens and Corinth
• The Corinthians accused Sparta of not doing
  enough and threatened to leave the League if they
  continued to remain absent
• The Athenians reminded the League of their power
  as an empire
• Sparta gave Athens an ultimatum either back down
  with Corinth or it would be war

114
Great Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)

• Athens refused to back down
• According to Pericles, it would be like admitting
  that Sparta was the dominant power in Greece
• Sparta declared that Athens broke the Thirty
  Years Peace and war began
• Neither side had a clear advantage
• While Athens had the superior navy, Sparta was
  inland and Athens did not have a good army
• While Sparta had the superior army, most of the
  Athenian empire consisted of islands in the
  Aegean and Sparta did not have a navy

115
The Archidamian War

• The first phase of the war, 431-421 BCE, was
  known as the Archidamian War
• Named after the king of Sparta, King Archidamus
  II
• The Spartan strategy was to invade Attica and lay
  siege to Athens
• This way they would cut it off from its supplies
  in the countryside
• However, the Spartans could only lay siege for a
  few weeks at a time
• They could not leave the helots unguarded
• Also, the soldiers needed to participate in the
  harvests

116
The Archidamian War

• Pericles believed that Athens could win the war
  if all the citizens of Attica were brought into
  the walled city of Athens
• He realized that the Athenians could not win a
  land battle against the Spartan hoplites
• The Long Walls protected the city and gave it a
  path to the port at Piraeus where it could
  receive its supplies from its empire
• The Spartans laid siege to the city but could not
  break through the walls
• They did plunder the countryside waiting for the
  Athenians to send out their hoplites

117
The Archidamian War

• In turn, the Athenians sent out their navy to
  raid the coast of Peloponnesus
• They also encouraged the helots to revolt against
  Sparta
• From 430-428 BCE, a plague swept through Athens
• Thucydides wrote about the panic that affected
  the city and how dead bodies were left abandoned
  in temples and streets
• Over 1/3 of its population was killed, including
  Pericles
• Even the Spartans temporarily retreated in fear
  of the plague
• For the next few years, the Spartans attacked
  numerous Athenian positions in west Greece and
  Sicily but failed

118
The Archidamian War

• The major turning point of the war was the Battle
  of Amphipolis in 422 BCE
• Amphipolis was an important Athenian colony
  because it contained valuable silver mines
• The Athenians lost the battle but both the
  Athenians and Spartans lost key leaders during
  the course of it
• By this point, both sides were ready for peace
• Peace of Nicias was signed in 421 BCE
• All lands would return to their pre-war status
  except for Nisaea and Amphipolis which would go
  to Athens
• Athens would help Sparta if the helots revolted
• They would keep peace for fifty years

119
Second Phase of the War Sicily

• This peace did not solve the problems that
  started the war in the first place
• Peace lasted for six years
• In 420 BCE, Alcibiades, who was a nephew of
  Pericles, was elected strategos
• He believed that if Athens invaded Sicily, it
  would cut off the Spartan supplies from Syracuse
• It was considered a good idea and the Athenians
  embraced it
• In 415 BCE, Alcibiades was removed as strategos
• He was charged with mutilating the hermai

120
Second Phase of the War Sicily

• Instead of going to trial, Alcibiades fled to
  Sparta
• There he informed them of the plans to invade
  Sicily
• He also told them how to defeat Athens by getting
  money and ships from the Persians, advice that
  the Spartans took
• Athens sent a force of 5,000 hoplites and 100
  ships
• They were able to blockade the city of Syracuse
• Sparta sent forces as well to break the blockade
• In 413 BCE, Athens sent reinforcements but were
  still unable to take the city
• First their army was defeated and then their navy

121
Second Phase of the War Sicily

• As Athens was retreating, the Sicilians and
  Spartans attacked the Athenian troops
• All of the Athenians were either killed or sold
  into slavery
• Even with that defeat, the Athenians still hoped
  to win the overall war but had to face serious
  problems at home
• With the defeat at Syracuse, the Athenian demos
  was in turmoil
• Many politicians were forced to flee the city in
  fear of repercussions

122
Second Phase of the War Sicily

• Those who remained in Athens essentially voted
  out democracy in 411 BCE
• It was replaced with an oligarchy of 400 men
• The Athenian navy refused to accept this new rule
  
• They set up a government in exile under
  Alcibiades
• Alcibiades actually played an important role in
  reinstituting democracy in Athens two years later
• The navy went on to defeat the Spartans in a
  number of key battles from 410-406 BCE

123
Second Phase of the War Sicily

• During this time, Sparta sought aid from the
  Persians
• The Persians provided money and expertise to help
  the Spartans build their own navy
• Under the command of Lysander, the Spartans began
  defeating the Athenians at sea starting in 407
  BCE
• The Athenians, meanwhile, were starting to
  self-destruct
• In 406 BCE, six generals were tried and executed
  for not going back into a storm to rescue
  survivors from 25 ships sunk in battle

124
Second Phase of the War Sicily

• In 405 BCE, Lysander destroyed the Athenian fleet
  at Aegospotami on the Helle