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Chapter 10
Section 1 and 2 Study Guide
Polis – city-state; geographic and political center of greek life
Acropolis – a fortified hill
Agora – at the foot of the acropolis; a market place
Aristocrats – nobles who took over Spartan government
 Farming villages, fields and orchards grouped around an acropolis. The agora
was at the foot of the acropolis.
 The rights and duties of Greek citizens:
Rights: to vote, own property, hold public office, speak for themselves in court
Duties: expected to take part in government and defend their polis
 Characteristics of Greek city-states:
Centered around an acropolis
Had own governments and laws
Contained an average of 5,000 – 10,000 citizens
Included an open-air market
Only citizens could: vote, Own property, Speak for themselves, Hold
office
 Helots were enslaved people who owned by the city-state and who did most of
the farming.
 The perioeci were artists and merchants who lived in the villages. The perioci
and helots worked while the aristocrats trained for the army and war.
 Spartan women had more freedom, mixed freely with their husbands’ friends,
enjoyed sports and encouraged their men in battle.
 Spartan tried to prevent change because they thought it would weaken their
way of life.
 Spartan Similarities and differences to other Greek city-states:
Similarities:
made own government and laws
Trained youth in sports
Differences:
more freedom for women
Spent energy on war
Little interest in trade or the arts
Depended on slave labor
Spartan babies who were unhealthy were left on a hillside to die.
Assembly: group that passed laws and decided questions of war and peace.
Ephors: five managers chosen by the Assembly to take charge of public affairs and
guide the education of young Spartans.
Council of Elders: were men over the age of 60 who helped the ephors; they
suggested laws to the Assembly and served as a high court.
Chapter 10
Sections 3 and 4
Oligarchy: a government in which a few people have the power. In Athens, around
750B.C., Athenian nobles, merchants and manufacturers took over the government and
set up an oligarchy.
Draco, a noble, tried to change this oligarchy. His rules were too harsh. The word
draconian means “extremely harsh or cruel”.
In 594 B.C., Solon, a rich merchant, made a constitution, or a set of principles and
rules for governing.
Cleisthenes, in 508 B.C., put into effect the world’s first democratic constitution,
which wants equality for all people.
Magistrates: judges; ran the army & navy
Triremes: warships with three levels of rowers on each side.
Council of Five Hundred: handled daily business of Athens. Every citizen had a
chance to be a Council member.
Nike: Greek goddess of victory
Persian Wars
Darius, the Persian King, attacked the Greeks for helping the Ionians. They attacked
at Marathon, near Athens.
The Battle of Marathon was important for Greeks because it gave the Greeks a great
sense of confidence!
A marathon today is a foot race of roughly 26 miles.
Later, Darius’ son, Xerxes, later attacked in Northern Greece. Sparta led the army
and Athens the navy. In the end, the Persian navy was destroyed and the Persian War
was over.
The defensive league is a group organized for the purpose of protection. The Greek
city-states formed a defensive league after the Persian wars. It was called Delian
League. (Sparta did NOT join)
Pericles was known as the “first citizen” of Athens. He rebuilt the palaces and
temples on the Acropolis, including the Parthenon. Built the long walls (walls
connecting Athens to its seaport of Piraeus that meant Athens could get supplies even
during times of war). He also encouraged philosophy and learning.
Parthenon – the temple of the goddess Athena.
Mercenaries were hired soldiers.
Sparta attacked Athens because Athens was becoming more and more powerful. This
was called the Peloponnesian War. It lasted almost 30 years. It ended when Athens
surrendered to Sparta.
The Peloponnesian War weakened the Greek city-states, leading to Phillip II of
Macedonia conquering them in 338 B.C.