Greek CityStates Athens and Sparta 6152021 Greek CityStates

Greek City-States: Athens and Sparta 6/15/2021

Greek City-States • Similarities • Covered small areas of land • Athens (smaller than Rhode Island) • Sparta (smaller than Connecticut) • Large compared to others • Small populations (most fewer than 10, 000) 2

Sparta • Sparta was an isolated city-state that was culturally and politically different from Athens. • Great military, army feared by other nations. • Fighting Machines! • During the Peloponnesian War Sparta sacked Athens.

Spartan society • 3 social groups • Equals: descended from the invaders, controlled Sparta • Half-citizens: free, paid taxes and served in the army but had no political power, some farmed but others worked in the city as traders or artisans • Helots: slaves, greatly outnumbered the other groups so Spartans used force to control them, in large part this is why Sparta became a military city-state 6/15/2021

• Sparta was an oligarchy: rule by the few! • Sparta was ruled by two kings • Helots outnumbered Spartans 7 to 1! This was the main reason for the strict war-like society… • Breakdown of Spartan Social Structure Perioeci (Perioikoi) Helots

Spartan Government • Two kings led Sparta • 1 king handled military • 1 king took care of domestic matters • A council of Elders • Made up of 28 male citizens over the age of 60 • Proposed laws and served as a criminal court • An assembly • Included all male citizens over 30 • Elected 5 ephors • Made sure the kings stayed within the law • Elected for a 1 year term • Controlled the education of Spartans 6/15/2021

Sparta’s Military Society • Goal was to make every male citizen a part of the military machine • Military worked to expand Sparta and control the helots • A group of officials examined new born babies and those deemed unhealthy were left to die • At 7 boys left home to join the barracks • Mainly military training but they also learned how to read and write • From age 18 -20 they learned specifically about warfare • At 20 they could marry but could not live at home until age 30 • Were available for military service until the age of 60 6/15/2021

Sparta’s Military Society (cont’d) • Spartan women • Received strict physical training • Taught to be devoted to the city-state • Their best value was seen as producing Spartan soldiers • Results of military society: • • 6/15/2021 Strong government Almost unbeatable army No individual freedom Created almost no art or literature and made almost no advances in science

Result of Militarism • Succeeded in holding power over perioeci and helots for 250 years • Suspicious of new ideas and lagged behind other cities in business • Much poorer • Lagged in intellectual development • Exceptional athletes and best protector of Greece 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 9

Athens was the first democracy. • Democracy: type of government where people vote. • Athens was a direct democracy where people vote on everything. However, only citizens could vote • Breakdown of Athenian Social Structure Adult Male Citizens w Women, childre Non-citi

Athenian Society • 3 class groups • Citizens: extended to all those born in Athens, only the men had political rights • Metics: born outside Athens, free and had to pay taxes but had no political rights and could not own land • Slaves: captured in war, together with metics made up more than half of Athenian society 6/15/2021

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Early Athenian Government • After the monarchy ended, an aristocracy took its place • All adult male citizens met in an assembly • Elected generals in time of war • Elected nine archons (rulers with a 1 year term) • First written code created around 621 • Solon (archon in 594 B. C. ) • Outlawed selling people into slavery to pay their debt • Divided citizens into 4 groups based on wealth: wealthiest 2 could hold office 6/15/2021

On its way from a Monarchy to Democracy Athens had several people who made important reforms to develop their government Early Athens was ruled by a king after it became a unified polis about 700 B. C. Later Aristocrats took power as they controlled most of the land. Increased trade led to the development of a merchant class, these merchants became the Tyrants (Tyrants were not necessarily bad) 6/15/2021

Draco’s Law Code • Draco issued an improved code of written laws • Aristocrats could no longer dictate what was legal. • Some of his laws were harsh: e. g. , death for stealing cabbage. • Over time, the term “draconian” has come to mean something cruel and severe. • Positive side—the laws were written down and aristocrats could no langer take advantage 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 15

Solon’s Reforms • Leader of Athens 594 B. C. • Cancelled all debts and freed debtors from slavery • Solon improved economic conditions, promoted trade, fostered industry, and introduced political reforms that moved Athens toward democracy • Ordered fathers to teach sons a trade • Established 2 -house government for political equality 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 16

Radical Reformers • Peistratus (pih*SIHS*truh*tuhs) • divided large estates among landless farmers • extended citizenship to men who did not own land • offered the poor loans and jobs. 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 17

Radical Reformers • Cleisthenes came to power in 508 B. C. • Introduced laws that established democracy • Sought to • • 6/15/2021 End local rivalries Break power of aristocracy Extend guarantees to more citizens Reorganize central government John 3: 16 18

Greek Military • This is a hoplite, a Greek infantry soldier. • Hoplites were middle class freemen who had to pay for their own weapon and shield.

Greek Military: Phalanx • Soldiers get in a tight box. They each have a large shield and a 9 foot long spear. • Was used in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. The Athenians defeated the Persians with this tactic.

The Persian Wars • In 546 B. C. , Persia, led by Cyrus II, conquered the Greek city-states in Ionia • Ionians disliked them • Considered them to be barbarians • Ionians revolted against the Persians • Athens and others helped, but Darius and his Persians defeated them • Darius decided to punish the Greeks 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 21

Battle of Marathon 6/15/2021 • Darius sent his fleet directly across the Aegean Sea north of Athens. • The Athenians were outnumbered 20, 000 to 10, 000. • The Persians decided to pack up and attack Athens directly, but at the moment of loading their ships back up, the Athenians attacked. • As the Persian army was standing in knee deep water waiting to board the ships, the Athenians attacked downhill and it was a rout—Persians lost 6, 400 men; Athenians lost 192 John men. 3: 16 22

Salamis • The Persians returned 10 years later and leading the army was Xerxes, son of Darius with 200, 000 soldiers. Off shore supply ships accompanied them. • The Greeks faced the Persians again, this time under Spartan leadership • The Oracle at Delphi, a few years earlier, had said Greece would be shielded by a wooden wall • Athenian general Themistocles believed that meant ships 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 23

Salamis • To challenge the Persians at sea, a delaying action had to be established • The Greek army set up a delaying action on land, led by King Leonidas of Sparta; knowing that a traitor had showed the Persians a way to attack the Greeks and realizing that he would soon be surrounded, Leonidas neverthelsss stayed to face his death. • The Athenians, led by Leonidas, held off the Persians for three days with his 7, 000 Athenian soldiers. • Leonidas sent most of the soldiers to escape to fight another day but put in a delaying action using 300 Spartans

Thermopylae— The Mountain Pass • The site where King Leonidas chose to make his stand. • The pass was narrow allowing the Greeks to have the advantage against the large force of the Persians. • King Leonidas chose to fight to the death—as their polis law called for 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 25

Themistocles—The Battle Near the Island of Salamis • The delaying action by King Leonidas allowed another spartan general, Themistocles, to defeat the Persians in the Salamis Strait. • He destroyed almost the entire Persian fleet near the island of Salamis. • Themistocles judged his faster, smaller ships could defeat the Persians in the narrow Strait of Salamis • After the battle of the Island of Salamis, the Persians returned to Asia Minor for good, and Athens emerged a powerful and self-confident city-state. 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 26

The Peloponnesian War • With the ongoing threat of the Persians, Athens formed the Delian league of city-states for protection…Sparta would not participate. • The treasury was kept on the sacred island of Delos. • The League freed the Ionians from Persian rule, cleared the seas of pirates, and fostered (promoted and helped) trade. 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 27

The Athenian Empire • Athens transformed the Delian League into an Athenian empire. • Athens began to dominate other city-states • The empire required the use of the same coins and made other changes that were for all citystates to adopt 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 28

The Conflict • The Peloponnesian War lasted from 431 B. C. to 404 B. C. • Sparta formed an alliance against Athens. • They didn’t have a navy but used money the Persians gave them for giving Ionia back to the Persians to buy ships and prep for war. • The Spartan-led alliance eventually destroyed the Athenian fleet and laid siege to Athens itself. The Athenians surrendered in 404 B. C. 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 29

The Conflict • Athens developed many problems • A disease—probably typhus--killed a third of its population • Pericles died from the disease • Athens couldn’t come to a decision about making peace with Sparta • Athenian allies switched sides and joined the Spartans

Effects of the War • The Peloponnesian War brought disaster to the Greek city-states, both victors and vanquished • Populations declined, much land was destroyed, and unemployment caused many men to become hired soldiers in the Persian army • The Greeks also lost faith in democracy. • The length of the war caused people to think only of making money. 6/15/2021 John 3: 16 31

Effects of the War • Feelings between aristocrats and commoners became more strained. People began to look down on free political discussion. • Rulers came and went. City-states were unable to join together for ultimate power. Then came the Macedonians—and someone called Alexander the Great