Classical Greece

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Classical Greece

• 700-400 B.C.

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1. Athens becomes a unified polis, ruled by an
oligarchy.

• Oligarchy rule by a few
• Aristocrats (rich few) own the best land and
  basically control the country

• Economy starts to fail, farmers sold into slavery
  for not paying debts Athens is close to civil war

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2. Solon given control of Athens.

• He cancels all land debts (freeing people sold
  into slavery for not paying those debts)
• Refuses to take land from the aristocrats and
  give to the poor
• Leads to an aristocrat named Pisistratus seizing
  power. He and his son give land to the poorbut
  they also rule as tyrants.

Pisistratus
Solon
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3. Cleisthenes (a reformer) given power in
Athens.

• Creates new council of 500 to give more people a
  voice in the government.
• Foundations for Athenian democracy begin here!

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4. Athenian navy assists Ionian cities in
rebelling against Persian control.

• This makes the Persians a little grumpy
• Persian leader Darius I vows revenge!
• Beginning of the Persian Wars.

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5. Persians land at Marathon. (499 B.C.)

• City only 26 miles from Athens, Persians greatly
  outnumber the Athenians.
• Athenian army wins!

• Runner ( Pheidippides) sent to Athens with news
  of the victory. He arrives with message but dies
  of exhaustion soon after. Modern-day marathons
  are based on his heroic deed.

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6. The Persian leader Xerxes vows revenge on
Athens.

• Xerxes leads massive invasion force against
  Athens in 490 B.C.
• 300 Spartans try to hold off the army. A traitor
  tells the Persian army about a mountain pass to
  outflank the Spartanssound familiar?

• Athenians forced to abandon their city. By 479
  B.C. they are able to form the largest Greek army
  of the time and finally defeat the Persians.

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7. Age of Pericles begins.

• Athens becomes center of the Greek world.
• Delian League formed to protect against future
  Persian invasions.
• Most chief officials are Athenianeventually the
  treasury is in Athensso basically Athens
  controls the League.

• Massive rebuilding program to restore Athens.

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Age of Pericles (cont.)

• Direct democracy established people directly
  participate in government decisions.
• Citizens allowed to participate
• Used ostracism to protect against overly
  ambitious politicians. If 6,000 citizens named
  you as dangerous to the city you could be
  banished for 10 years.

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8. The Great Peloponnesian War begins.

• As Athens grows stronger, Sparta begins to fear
  their power.
• Great Peloponnesian War breaks out in 431 B.C.

• Spartans surround Athens while the Athenians stay
  inside their walls and wait for Sparta to go away.

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Peloponnesian War 431-404 B.C.

• Problems for Athens plague kills more than 1/3
  of population, Pericles dies in 429 B.C.
• Athens struggles on, but eventually Sparta wins.

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9. Macedonia grows stronger while Athens and
Sparta fight.

• Sparta, Athens, and Thebes (new power) would
  continue to struggle to powerand just make all
  city-states weaker.

• Macedonia considered barbarians to the north, but
  slowly growing in power.
• By 338 B.C., Macedonia would conquer all their
  southern neighbors.