Classical Greece

Hello students! I am your teacher

rhye and lets start a day with a smile.
Now to continue the story about the
ancient Greece, I will tell you about
the story of classical Greece of

ancient Greece…
TO CONTINUE THE STORY …
Did you know that the Classical Greece is the name given to the
period of Greek history from around 500 B.C. to the conquest of
Greece by the Macedonian king Philip II in 338 B.C. This period
was marked not only by a brilliant culture but also by a disastrous
war among the Greeks, the Peloponnesian War.

When the Challenge of Persia occurs

The Greek states of Athens and Sparta formed alliances to defeat the Persian invaders.

As the Greeks spread throughout the Mediterranean, they came

out in contact with the Persian Empire. There was a time an
unsuccessful revolt by the Ionian cities—assisted by the Athenian
navy—led by the Persian ruler Darius to seek revenge. It is said
that Darius ordered one of his slaves to say to him at every meal,
“Sire, remember the Athenians.” The Persians landed on the plain
of Marathon, only 26 miles (42 km) from Athens. In there, an
outnumbered Athenian army attacked and defeated the Persians
decisively. Legend says that the news of Persia’s defeat was
brought by an Athenian runner named Pheidippides, who raced
from Marathon to Athens. With his last breath, he announced,
the“Victory, we win,” before dropping dead and as today’s
marathon race is based on this heroic story. The Battle of
Marathon was a minor defeat to the Persians, to the Athenians it
is proved that the Persians could be beaten and gave them new
confidence in their city-state.

After Darius died Xerxes (ZUHRK•seez) became the new Persian

monarch. Xerxes vowed to get revenge and planned to invade
Greece. Some of the Greek states formed a defensive league
under the Spartans. The Athenians followed a new military policy
insisted on by Themistocles, one of the Athenian leaders, and
built a navy. By the time the Persians invaded the Athenians had
a fleet of about 200 vessels. And Xerxes led a massive invasion
force into Greece. Xerxes forces included troops and thousands of
warships and supply vessels. In spite of the differences of,
Athenians, Spartans, and other Greeks they were united by a
common goal of defeating the Persian invaders. The Greeks tried
to delay the Persians at the pass of Thermopylae, along the main
road into central Greece. The 300 Spartans in the Greek army
were especially brave. When told that Persian arrows would
darken the sky in battle, one Spartan responded, “That is good
news. We will fight in the shade!”. Little did they know that a
traitor told the Persians how to use a mountain path to outflank
the Greek force.

The Athenians, now threatened by the arrival of Persian forces, so

they abandoned their city. Near the island of Salamis, the Greek
fleet, though outnumbered, they managed to defeat the Persians.
A few months later, the Greeks formed the largest Greek army up
to that time and defeated the Persian army at Plataea
(pluh•TEE•uh), northwest of Athens.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY THERE IS PERICLES THE ONE
WHO EXPANDS THE ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY…

Pericles was a prominent political leader in

Athens from 461 B.C. to 429 B.C. During the
Time of Pericles, he expanded the Athenian democracy to
enable all citizens to play a role in government.

His famous speech, the Funeral Oration,

give to honor those who perished in Athens’s
war with Sparta, he, then Pericles describes the Greek
ideal of democracy:

The Athenian Empire

During the Age of Pericles, Athens
became the center of Greek culture. The beginning of the
Athenian Empire.

After the defeat of the Persians, the Athens took over the
leadership of the entire Greek world, the Athenians formed a
defensive alliance against the Persians known as the Delian
League. Its main headquarters was on the island of Delos.
However, its chief officials, including the treasurers and
commanders of the fleet, were Athenian. Under the leader ship of
Athenian, the Delian League pursued the attack against the
Persian Empire, eventually liberating virtually all of the Greek
states in the Aegean from Persian control. By controlling the
Delian League, Athens had created an empire. Under Pericles, a
dominant figure in Athenian politics between 461 and 429 b.c.,
Athens expanded its empire abroad while democracy flourished at
home. This period of classical Athenian and Greek history, which
historians have called the Age of Pericles, saw the height of
Athenian power and brilliance.

The Age of Pericles

By creating a direct democracy, Pericles have expanded the

involvement of Athenians in their democracy. In such a system,
every male citizen participates directly in government decision
making through mass meetings. In Athens, every male citizen
participated in the governing assembly and voted on all major
issues. Every ten days the assembly met on a hillside east of the
Acropolis. The assembly passed all laws, elected public officials,
and made decisions concerning war and foreign policy. Anyone
attending the assembly could speak, but usually only respected
leaders did so. Pericles made it possible for poor citizens to take
part in public affairs by paying officeholders. A large body of city
officials ran the government on a daily basis. Ten officials, or
generals, directed policy. The generals could be reelected, so
individual leaders could play an important political role.
Athenians devised the practice of ostracism to protect against
ambitious politicians. On a pottery fragment (ostrakon), members
of the assembly could write the name of a person they considered
harmful. By that a person named by at least 6,000 members was
banned from the city for 10 years. Under Pericles, the Athens
became the center of Greek culture. Since the Persian Wars had
destroyed much of the city, Pericles began a massive rebuilding
program with new temples and statues that signified the
greatness of Athens. Art, architecture, and philosophy flourished.
Pericles proudly called Athens the “school of Greece.”

The Daily Life in Classical Athens

The Athens had the largest population of the Greek city-states.
Most residents of Athens were not citizens. They were also
subject to some of the responsibilities of citizens—military service
and the funding of festivals. Slavery was common in the ancient
world. Most people in Athens—except the very poor—owned at
least one slave. The very wealthy might own large numbers.
Those who did usually employed them in industry. Most often,
slaves worked in the fields or in the home as cooks and maids.
Some slaves were owned by the state and worked on public
construction projects.

The Economy and Society

The Athenian economy was largely based on farming and trade.

Athenians grew grains, vegetables, and fruit for local use. Grapes
and olive trees were cultivated for wine and olive oil, which were
used locally and also exported. Athenians raised sheep and goats
for wool, milk, and dairy products. Because of the number of
people and the lack of fertile land, Athens had to import from 50
to 80 percent of its grain, a basic item in the Athenian diet. This
meant that trade was highly important to the Athenian economy.
The building of a port at nearby Piraeus (py•REE•uhs) helped
Athens become the leading trade center in the fifth-century b.c.
Greek world. The family was an important institution in ancient
Athens. It was composed of a husband, wife, and children,
although Athenians also regarded other dependent relatives and
even slaves as parts of their families. The family’s primary
function was to produce new citizens by having children. Women
who were citizens could take part in most religious festivals but
otherwise were excluded from public life. They were expected to
remain at home, out of sight in special quarters, unless attending
funerals or festivals. If they left the house, women had to have a
companion. An Athenian woman was expected to be a good wife.
Her chief obligation was to bear children, especially male children
who would preserve the family line. She was also expected to
take care of her family and her house. She either did the
housework herself or supervised the slaves who did the work.
Women were strictly controlled. Women could not own property
other than personal items. They always had a male guardian: if
unmarried, a father; if married, a husband; if widowed, a son or
male relative. Because they married at 14 or 15, girls learned
their responsibilities early. Their mothers taught them how to run
a home, including how to spin and weave cloth. Although many
learned to read and to play musical instruments, girls were not
provided with any formal education. Women did not work outside
the home unless they were poor. Then they could only work at
unskilled jobs, not skilled trades.

The Great Peloponnesian War

The creation of an Athenian empire led to tensions with
Sparta and, eventually, war, the great peloponnesian war

After the defeat of the Persians, the Greek world came to be

divided into two major camps: the Athenian Empire and Sparta
and its supporters. Athens and Sparta had built two very different
kinds of societies, and neither state was able to tolerate the
other’s system. Sparta and its allies feared the growing Athenian
Empire, and a series of disputes finally led to the outbreak of the
Great Peloponnesian War in 431 b.c. At the beginning of the war,
both sides believed they had winning strategies. The Athenians
planned to remain behind the city’s protective walls and receive
supplies from their colonies and navy. The Spartans and their
allies surrounded Athens, hoping that the Athenians would send
out their army to fight beyond the walls. Pericles knew, however,
that the Spartan forces could beat the Athenians in open battles.
The Athenians had a better navy, but the Spartans had a stronger
army. Pericles also believed that Athens was secure behind its
walls, so the Athenians stayed put. In the first winter of the war,
the Athenians held a public funeral to honor those who had died
in combat. Pericles spoke about the greatness of Athens and the
strength of its political system. In the second year of the war, a
plague broke out the plague killed more than a third of the
people. Pericles himself died the following year (429 b.c.). Despite
these severe losses, the Athenians fought on in a struggle that
lasted for about another 25 years. A crushing blow to the
Athenians came in 405 b.c., when their fleet was destroyed at
Aegospotami (ee•guh• SPAH•tuh•mee) on the Hellespont. Within
the next year, Athens surrendered. Its walls were torn down, the
navy disbanded, and making the Athenian Empire destroyed. The
great war was finally over. The Great Peloponnesian War
weakened the major Greek states and ruined any possibility of
cooperation among them. During the next 66 years, Sparta,
Athens, and Thebes (a new Greek power) struggled to dominate
Greek affairs. In continuing their petty wars, the Greeks ignored
the growing power of Macedonia to their north. This oversight
would cost them their freedom.

Overall, the Classical Greece represents a period of

remarkable intellectual and cultural flourishing, and its
legacy continues to be celebrated and studied today. This
period serves as a timeless source of inspiration and a testament
to the heights of human civilization can achieve.

To continue the story let me now give you to the next

storyteller…

This is your teacher rhye signing off…

SUMMARY

The Greeks, as they expanded, encountered the Persian Empire in

the Mediterranean. In 499 BC, Persian ruler Darius sought revenge
after unsuccessful revolts by Ionian Greek cities. In 490 BC,
Persians attacked Marathon, but an outnumbered Athenian army
defeated them. Legend has it that Athenian runner Pheidippides
announced victory before dying, proving the Persians' defeat and
boosting Athenians' confidence. And It is said that Darius ordered
one of his slaves to say to him at every meal, “Sire, remember the
Athenians.” In 490 b.c., the Persians landed on the plain of
Marathon, only 26 miles (42 km) from Athens. Although the Battle
of Marathon was a minor defeat to the Persians, to the Athenians
it proved that the Persians could be beaten and gave them new
confidence in their city-state.

After Darius' death in 486 BC, Xerxes became the Persian

monarch and planned to invade Greece. Greek states formed
defensive leagues, while Athenians built a navy. Xerxes led a
massive invasion force, including 180,000 troops and warships.
Despite the differences of Athenians, Spartans, and Greeks
united to defeat the Persian invaders. Greek forces held off
Persian forces at Thermopylae, with Spartans being particularly
brave. However, a traitor instructed Persians to use a mountain
path. Athenians abandoned city, defeated Persians near Salamis,
and formed largest Greek army in 479 BC, defeating Persians at
Plataea.

THE ATHENIAN EMPIRE

During the Age of Pericles, Athens became the center of Greek

culture after defeating the Persians. They formed the Delian
League, a defensive alliance against the Persians, which liberated
most Greek states in the Aegean. In 454 BC, the treasury of the
league was moved to Athens, creating an empire. Under Pericles,
Athens expanded its empire abroad while democracy flourished at
home.

THE AGE OF PERICLES

Pericles expanded Athenians' involvement in democracy by
creating a direct democracy, allowing every male citizen to
participate in government decision-making through mass
meetings. The assembly passed laws, elected officials, and made
decisions on war and foreign policy. Poor citizens could participate
by paying officeholders, and ten generals directed policy.
Athenians used ostracism to protect against ambitious politicians,
with 6,000 members banning names on pottery fragments. Under
Pericles, Athens became the center of Greek culture, rebuilding
after Persian Wars, and flourishing in art, architecture, and
philosophy.

DAILY LIFE IN CLASSICAL ATHENS

By the fifth century BC, Athens had the largest population of

Greek city-states, with 150,000 citizens before the plague. Most
residents were not citizens, while foreigners received protection
and responsibilities. Slavery was common in ancient times, with
most people owning at least one slave. Slaves worked in fields,
homes, and public construction projects.

ECONOMY AND SOCIETY

The Athenian economy was primarily based on farming and trade,
with Athenians growing grains, vegetables, fruit, grapes, olive
trees, sheep, and goats for local and export purposes. Trade was
crucial to the economy, and the construction of a port at Piraeus
helped Athens become a leading trade center in the fifth-century
BC Greek world. The family was a crucial institution, consisting of
a husband, wife, and children. Women were expected to be good
wives, bear children, and take care of their family and house.
Women were strictly controlled, with only personal property and a
male guardian. Girls learned responsibilities early and were not
provided with formal education.

THE GREAT PELOPONNESIAN WAR

The Great Peloponnesian War occurred in 431 BC, a conflict

between the Athenian Empire and Sparta. The two Greek states
had different societies, and neither could tolerate the other's
system. The war began with Athens planning to remain behind its
walls and receive supplies, while Sparta surrounded Athens.
Pericles believed Sparta could beat Athens in open battles, but
the Athenians stayed put. A plague killed over a third of the
people, and Pericles died the following year. Despite severe
losses, the Athenians fought on for 25 years. In 405 BC, their fleet
was destroyed at Aegospotami, and Athens surrendered. The war
weakened major Greek states and ruined cooperation. The Greeks
ignored Macedonia's growing power, which ultimately cost them
their freedom.

In conclusion, Classical Greece was a dynamic era defined by

political experimentation, cultural innovation, and intellectual
exploration. Its contributions to philosophy, literature, art, and
politics have left an indelible mark on the world. This period
serves as a timeless source of inspiration and a testament to the
heights human civilization can achieve.
Classical Greece, a period from around 500 B.C. to the conquest
of Greece by Macedonian king Philip II in 338 B.C., was marked by
a brilliant culture and a disastrous war among the Greeks, the
Peloponnesian War. The Greek states of Athens and Sparta formed
alliances to defeat Persian invaders, who had fallen to the Persian
Empire by the mid-sixth century B.C. In 499 B.C., an unsuccessful
revolt led Persian ruler Darius to seek revenge. In 490 B.C., the
Persians landed on the plain of Marathon, where an outnumbered
Athenian army defeated them decisively. After Darius' death in
486 B.C., Xerxes became the new Persian monarch and planned
to invade Greece. The Athenians followed a new military policy
and built a navy, leading a massive invasion force into Greece.
Despite their differences, Athenians, Spartans, and other Greeks
united by a common goal of defeating the Persian invaders.
Pericles, a prominent political leader in Athens, expanded
Athenian democracy and described the Greek ideal of democracy.

Pericles, a prominent political leader in Athens from 461 B.C. to

429 B.C., expanded Athenian democracy, allowing citizens to
participate in government. He described the Greek ideal of
democracy in his famous Funeral Oration.