Download Chapter 10 Outline/Review: Test-Friday, March 15th Polis

Chapter 10 Outline/Review: Test-Friday, March 15th
Polis- a Greek city-state
Acropolis-fortified hill
Agora- open marketplace
Aristocrats- nobles
Magistrates- judges
Oligarchy-form of government where a few people have power
Mercenaries- hired soldiers
Helots- enslaved people
Perioeci – merchants and artisans
Democratic- favoring equality of all people
Defensive League – protective group
Constitution – set of principles and rules for governing
Ephors- group of 5 managers
Triremes- warships with 3 levels of rowers
Draco – a nobleman, the first to attempt to take over the government. He failed because punishments he
gave were considered too harsh. People failed to support him.
Solon – a rich merchant, chosen to lead the government. Created a constitution which broke the power of the
the rich. He set a limit on the amount of land one person could own. Gave all landowners the right to vote.
Gave the Assembly the power to pass laws, erased all debts from the people, freed all slaves who were
enslaved due to money owed, offered citizenship to Artisans, required every father to teacher their son a
trade, and increased trade.
Cleisthenes- overthrew the Spartans. Put into effect the world’s first Democratic constitution. Offered the
people the right to freedom of speech. Opened the Assembly to all males over the age of 20. Started the
yearly vote of the Assembly to elect 10 generals to run the Athenian army and navy and act as chief
magistrates. Made it a requirement that citizens were required to educate their sons. They had to hire a tutor
or send him to a private school. At age 7 they began writing, music and math, sports and works by Homer. At
age 18, males became citizens. To become a citizen, they had to take an oath at the Temple of Zeus where
they promised to make Athens better, be honorable in battle, follow the constitution and respect their religion
Council of 500 – handled everyday business of the Assembly. Members were chosen each year by lot. No
member could serve more than twice. Each citizen had the chance to be a member.
Persian Wars: Persians defeated Ionia- the Greek city-states in Asia Minor and Aegean Islands
Darius- the Persian King. Sent 600 ships and soldiers to attack Athens. Landed at the town of Marathon, 26
miles from Athens. Greek soldiers were ready and defeated the attack. A Greek soldier ran back to Athens
and yelled “Nike” the Greek goddess of victory and then he collapsed and died.
Xerxes – the son of Darius, sent 250,000 solders to northern Greece. The Greek city-states banded together
against him. Athens ran the Navy and Sparta ruled the Army. The Persians made it to Athens and burned
down the city. The Greeks though were able to defeat the Persian navy. Xerex returned to Asia, but left some
troops behind to fight. The remaining Persians were defeated at the Battle of Plataea.
The Greek city-states formed the Delian League- a combined defensive league with its headquarters on the
island of Delos. Sparta chose not to join the league. The league had a common navy, built in Athens, but
paid for by all the city-states. The city-state of Athens began gaining power and started ruling the league.
Pericles – known as the first citizen of Athens. Rebuilt the palace and temples of the Acropolis. Built the
Parthenon, the temple to the goddess Athena. Built the Longwalls, two parallel walls with a tiled roof that
connected Athens to Piraeus at the sea, five miles away. It allowed supplies and forces to get from the ships
back to Athens. Pericles increased philosophy and literature within the culture.
The Peloponnesian War – lasted about 30 years. Athens attacked another city-state that was allies with
Sparta. Sparta responded and defeated the Athenians. The Spartans set up an oligarchy with 30 Athenian
aristocrats. Athens started a revolt and overturned the government and returned it to a democracy; however,
Athens was never again as powerful. Due to the weakening of Athens and the constant battles within the citystates, they grew weaker.
Philip II of Macedonia was able to use those weaknesses and attacked and defeated the Greek city-states.