AO 31 The Greeks at War The Greeks

AO 31: The Greeks at War: The Greeks defend themselves. 499 Bc-479 BC 1) Who were the Greeks and the Persians? In this lesson we will: • Be introduced to Ancient History • Be introduced to the Greeks and Persians • Be aware of why the Persians invaded Greece In this lesson we will: Be introduced to Ancient history Be introduced to the Greeks and Persians Who is Herodotus

What is Ancient History • Ancient History is the study of Ancient Civilisations from before Christianity. • It is a form of history which relies upon stories from the past and archaeological digs. • You will learn the stories of these civilisations and use them to complete 3 exams and one piece of coursework. In this lesson we will: Be introduced to Ancient history Be introduced to the Greeks and Persians Who is Herodotus

What do we study In this lesson we will: • Unit 1: The Greeks at War. 499 -79 BC • We will find out how the Greek tribes managed to unite and defeat the mighty Persian empire who had crushed the Egyptian Empire. • Unit 2: Hannibal’s invasion of Rome • We will explore why Hannibal failed to help Carthage destroy the Roman Empire. • Unit 3: Women in Ancient Politics • Unit 4: Controlled Assessment (From a choice of Egypt, Greece, Persia or Celts) Be introduced to Ancient history Be introduced to the Greeks and Persians Who is Herodotus

Unit 1: The Greeks at War - Introduction In this lesson we will: • During the 6 th Century BC the Persian Empire had grown. • Persian Kings used a tactic of conquer and assimilate to create a huge Empire. • Rather than destroy the civilisations they defeated they absorbed them. • They used their science, their engineers, their armies and their trading to make them the most powerful country in the world. • The Greeks on the other hand were a series of small tribes which could not agree. • This unit looks at how small and very different people could unite to defeat and unbeatable army. Be introduced to Ancient history Be introduced to the Greeks and Persians Who is Herodotus

Who were the Greeks? In this lesson we will: • They were not a single country. • But they loved their independence. • Each group was a small city-state. (poleis) • Each poleis was separated by mountains • Without an external threat it is unlikely the Greeks would have come together. • BUT the organised machine of the Persian Empire threatened them. • They had to find a way of working together, which would enable them to maintain their unique way of life. Be introduced to Ancient history Be introduced to the Greeks and Persians Who is Herodotus

What does this clip tell us about the Greeks?

Who were the Persians? In this lesson we will: • The Persians had a very organised empire. • Even though they had a King who controlled each country – these countries had a lot of freedom. • The Persians were a very advanced Empire. • Their roads, for example, linked all of their Empire. The Greeks did not even have roads linking all of their cities. • Unfortunately we find it difficult to assess the Persian empire. • Most of the information we have comes from the Greeks who did not like the Persians. Be introduced to Ancient history Be introduced to the Greeks and Persians Who is Herodotus

Do you think this interpretation is based on Greek or Persian sources?

Why is Herodotus so important • Not too much is known about Herodotus – but what we do know is that he has written the best account about the expansion of Persia and the Persian Wars. • His book is a mix of History, sociology and geography. • Some of it is very informative, whereas some of it is very strange (Giant wasps and ants the size of men and lots of Gods) • You will need to use Herodotus with care and assess how representative his views are. In this lesson we will: Be introduced to Ancient history Be introduced to the Greeks and Persians Who is Herodotus?

Task: Answer the questions on the worksheet • Being able to work independently is crucial to success. • You can also download the textbook and Herodotus on the VLE if you wish to read ahead or read further. • You can ask for help with difficult words – but you should try to use a dictionary first. In this lesson we will: Be introduced to Ancient history Be introduced to the Greeks and Persians Who is Herodotus?