Download Classical Greece The High Point of Greek civilization is the time

Classical Greece
The High Point of Greek civilization is the time period between 500 BC and 300 BC.
This time period is referred to as Classical Greece. This age began with the mighty confrontation
between the Greek states and the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire was the largest empire of
the world at its time. It controlled the majority of the Middle East.
Picture of Map of Persian Empire
1. What two civilizations (that we already learned about this year) were controlled by
the Persians in 500 BC?
As the Greeks spread throughout the Mediterranean, they came into contact with the
Persian Empire to the east. Greek cities in western Asia had already fallen to the Persian Empire
by 550 BC. In 499 BC Greek cities, aided by the Athenian navy, revolted against the Persians but
failed. The ruler of the Persian Empire at the time was Darius. He planned to seek revenge
against the Greeks, specifically Athens.
In 490 BC the Persians landed an army at the city of Marathon, only 26 miles from
Athens. The Athenians and their allies were clearly outnumbered but continued to attack and
crushed the Persian forces.
When King Darius died in 486 BC a new ruler, Xerxes, took over. Xerxes vowed revenge
and planned to invade Athens. In preparation for the attack, some of the Greek city-states formed
a defensive alliance under Spartan leadership while the Athenians pursued a new military policy
by developing a navy. Xerxes led a massive invasion force into Greece; close to 150,000 troops,
700 ships and hundreds of supply ships to keep the large army fed. As the Persians invaded
Greece, a Greek force of about 9,000 soldiers confronted the Persians. The Greeks were led by
the Spartan king, Leonidas, and his specially trained warriors of 300 Spartans.
2. Why were the Greeks having problems with the Persian Empire?
3. Who was Xerxes and what did he plan to do?
4. Think about what we have learned about Sparta and Athens, why would Sparta
have a great army and Athens have a great navy?
These 300 Spartans were especially brave. When told that Persian arrows would darken
the sky in battle, one Spartan warrior responded, “That is good news. We will fight in the
shade!” Unfortunately for the Greeks, a traitor told the Persians how to use a mountain pass to
outflank the Greek force. The Spartans lost as they fought to the last man. This battle is known as
the Battle of Thermopylae.
The Athenians, now threatened by the Persian forces, abandoned their city. While the
Persians sacked and burned Athens, the Greek navy challenged the Persian navy to fight.
Although the Greeks were outnumbered they managed to outmaneuver the Persian fleet and
utterly defeated them. A few months later, early in 479 BC, the Greeks formed the largest Greek
army seen up to that point in time and decisively defeated the Persian army. The Greeks had won
the war and were now free to pursue their own destiny.
5. How were the 300 Spartans under Leonidas brave?
6. Why did the Greeks lose the Battle of Thermopylae?
7. How did the war between the Greeks and the Persians come to an end?
Growth of he Athenian Empire
After the defeat of the Persians, Athens took over the leadership of the Greek world by
forming a defensive alliance against the Persians called the Delian league. Its main headquarters
was on the island of Delos, but its chief officials were from Athens. Eventually the Greek states
wanted to leave the league because they saw that the Persian threat was over. However, the
Athenians forced them to remain in the league and to pay tribute. In 454 BC the Athenians
moved the league from the island of Delos to Athens. By controlling the Delian League, Athens
now controlled an empire.
During the 40 years after the defeat of the Persians, the Greek world came to be divided
into two major camps: Sparta and it supporters and Athens and its supporters. Sparta and its
allies feared the growing city and the empire it was building. Athens and Sparta had created two
very different kinds of societies and neither state was able to tolerate the other. A series of
disputes finally led to the outbreak of war in 431 BC.
At the beginning of the war, both sides believed they had winning strategies. Athenians
planned to remain behind the protective walls of Athens, while the overseas empire and the navy
would keep them supplied. Pericles, the leader of Athens, knew that the Spartans and their allies
could beat the Athenians in open battle, which was the aim of the Spartan strategy.