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Rise of City States
Early City-States
• Separated by mountains and water, the early
city-states were very independent
• Rivalries often developed between city-states
• Each city-state relied heavily on sea trade for
exchange of goods and ideas; the Greeks
adopted then expanded the Phoenician alphabet
• As the population grew, Greeks began to
colonize new areas; colonies were created in
Spain, Egypt, Asia Minor
City-State Governments
• Early city-states operated under a
monarchy, where a king or queen has the
most power
• Over time, the landowning elites gained
control of the city-states, creating an
aristocracy
• Eventually a small, wealthy group from the
business class took over, making the
government into an oligarchy
City State Rivalries Grow
• Just a handful of citystates grew really
powerful
• They had to compete with
each other to maintain
their power
• A city state would try to
form alliances with other
city-states to increase its
influence and power
• Two city-states eventually
dominated most of
ancient Greece
Athens and Sparta
Ancient Athens
Athenian government
• Government was first a
monarchy, then an
aristocracy, then a
democracy
• Democracy was limited;
only men could
participate in government
or go to school, Athenian
citizenship was very
limited.
• Women. children and
slaves had no rights or
privileges in public life.
Daily Life in Athens
• The farmers built terraces
to farm on hillsides
• Boys were highly
regarded, many girls
were left to die at birth
• Boys received an
education, girls did not
• Most girls were married
by 14
• All males entered the
army at 18 and served for
at least 1 year
Sparta
Sparta – the Other Great CityState
• Only males over 30 were considered citizens;
• Government consisted of two kings advised by a council
of elders
• Believed art was a corrupting influence
• Boys began military training at 7, forced to endure
coarse diet, hard exercise, and rigid discipline
• Girls were trained to exercise their bodies and were
expected to produce sons for the military; babies were
inspected at birth and sickly children were left to die
• Spartan life was very rigorous; “Spartans are willing to
die for their city because they have no reason to live”
What kept them from fighting?
• They had common
language
• They believed in the
same gods
• They both looked
down upon nonGreeks
• They both created
strong alliances
The Greek Wars
The Persian War
• Between Athens and Persia
• Athenians helped Greek colonists rebelling against Persian rule in
Asia minor. The Persians crushed the uprising and were furious at
Athens for helping the rebels.
• Persia attacked Athens. Although the Athenians were greatly
outnumbered and technologically inferior, they fought off the
Persians.
• Persia sent an even larger army to attack Athens. Even with the help
of Sparta, Athens was taken over.
• Later, Athenian warships launched an attack on the Persian navy
and then defeated the Persians in Asia minor. Athens became
most powerful Greek City-state
The Peloponnesian War
• Between Athens and Sparta,
as well as the city-states that
supported them
• Sparta had a geographic
advantage and a stronger
Army, but Athens had a
stronger navy
• Sparta attacked Athens and
its ally city-states.
Overcrowded
• Athens suffered a plague and
its leader Pericles died.
• Sparta allied with Persia (a
longtime Greek enemy) and
cut off the food supply to
Athens, causing Athens to
surrender
• Athens lost badly
After the Peloponnesian War
• Sparta tried to rule over
all of Greece but the war
left the city-state almost
broke
• Spartan government had
grown weak
• Thebes, another citystate, conquered Sparta
but also couldn’t rule over
Greece
• Greece suffered decades
of warfare and invasions
after the fall of Athens
and Sparta
Group Writing Assignment
• Contrast the results of the Persian Wars
and the Peloponnesian War with regard to
Athens.
• Identify three similarities and three
differences between Sparta and Athens.
• Describe three kinds of government
Greeks developed between 750 B.C. and
500 B.C.