Download Persian Wars - By the Bellamy River

Happy Wednesday!
Please take out your poster & your
composition book- label your entry
with the date and “Test Review”
Review Questions:
1. Describe the climate in Greece.
2. Use one of these terms in a
complete sentence to demonstrate
the meaning:
Polis or Acropolis
3. ____ Why did Greeks develop a loyalty
to the community in which they lived?
A. They had never heard of the other city-states and
were unaware of them
B. They were isolated from one another due to the
mountains and sea.
C. No single community had power over the others.
D. Both A and B.
E. Both B and C.
4. True or False:
Ancient Greece was never a united
country, but sometimes city-states
worked together against a common
enemy.
5. What was one crop that was
successfully grown and exported from
Greece?
Short Response:
6. How was the role of women in Athens
different from women in Sparta? Give at least
one specific example of this difference:
Forms of Government
Complete the following paragraph using the
words provided in the term bank on the right.
About 800 B.C.E., the Greek villages began developing into larger
units centered on towns. Ancient Greek city-states experimented
with various forms of government. At first, most city-states were
ruled by kings. This type of government is called a ____(1)_____.
Sometimes a strong individual seized power and ruled alone. This
was called a _____(2)____. By 800 BC many city-states were ruled
by rich landowners. This type of government is called an
_____(3)_____. Where a small group ruled, government was
called an ______(4)_____. Such a powerful small group might
arise from the aristocracy, the wealthy, the military, strong
individuals or those experienced in government. The biggest citystate, Athens, experienced all these types of government at
different times, but the ordinary citizens of Athens gradually got
more and more say in how they were governed until, by around
500 BC, it became a ____(5)____. Sometimes, after one ruler or
group had been overthrown, no-one at all ruled for a while. This
was called ___(6)___.
Term Bank:
Democracy
Monarchy
Oligarchy
Tyranny
Aristocracy
Anarchy
Conf lict between the Greek city-states and
the Persian Empire was probably inevitable.
They were too big and too close together and
also too ambitious to not have clashed. And
in 499 B.C., it finally happened.
 For several decades leading up to this clash, Greeks
had settled in Asia Minor, on the western coast.
The Persians then conquered these colonies and
added them to the Empire.
 They soon revolted against the Persians; and in
499, their fellow Greeks (specifically, Athens) sent
troops to support this revolt. This was the
beginning of the Persian Wars.
 Even with Athens' help, the colonies didn't hold
out long against the much larger and stronger
Persian army. And when the revolt was crushed,
Persian Emperor Darius wanted to punish Athens
for aiding the Asia Minor colonies.
 Triremes- Greek warships that had three levels of rowers
on each side. Built to smash into enemy ships at great
speed!
 Built by Athens who had largest navy in Greece.
 A few years later, when his army was trained
and ready, Darius led his troops on an
invasion of Greece. They sailed to the Bay of
Marathon.
 Help Sparta? Nope, we’re busy
partying…
 Jealous much?
 Mismatch- not in Athens favor… 5:1
 Surprise & Discipline
 Expectations vs. Reality.
 Athens did it better
 Persians: 6,400 dead soldiers and many
more captured.
 Athenian: 192 dead.
 Darius never returned, but his son Xerxes
did.
Nike!
 In 480, (10 years later) Persians were back, this time with
even more men.
 A group of 7,000 soldiers easily held off the Persians for
two days.
 TRAITOR on day 3?
 A group of 300 Spartans and 1,000 Thesbians stayed on the
battlefield, fighting to the death and covering their fellow
Greeks' retreat.
 Athens burns, but no crispy people!
 FINE! Then the Greeks retreat… or do
they?
 Before Xerxes knew what had hit him,
half his fleet was on the ocean floor. In
frustration as great as his father's 10 years
earlier, Xerxes led his army back home.
 The very next year, the Persians and Greeks clashed
again. This time, the result had a more lasting effect.
 For the first time in the wars, the Greeks and Persians
had almost equal troop numbers. Also, Spartan and
Athenian fought side by side.
 In the Battle of Plataea, the Greeks again proved
their military superiority, and the Persians retreated
for good.
 First and foremost, they had the advantage of the
defender: They were fighting to protect their
homes and their way of life.
(Also, many Persian soldiers were mercenarieswho served only for a salary).
 Secondly, the Greeks proved that they were
better soldiers than their Persian counterparts.
They were better trained, and they were better
skilled.
 Thirdly, the Greeks effectively used the
element of surprise. They were better
strategists.
Had Darius or Xerxes won any of these historic
battles, the future of Greece and the immediate
present of Western civilization might have been
very different...