Download Warring City

Warring City-States
Greece and Sparta
Rule and Order in City-States
Polis – The Fundamental Greek
political unit
• Made up of city-state and the
surrounding countryside
• At public center was Acropolis
– male citizens gathered there
Greek Political Structure
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Monarchy – Gov’t ruled by a King or
monarch
Aristocracy – Gov’t ruled by nobles
and landowners
Oligarchy – Gov’t ruled by a few
powerful people
Defending the Polis (city-state)
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Iron became cheaper than bronze
Now ordinary citizens could afford
Iron spears and shields
“Commoners” defending the polis
make up a “new” army
Foot-soldiers (Hoplites) used the
Phalanx formation to dominate
opposing armies
The Phalanx
Phalanx
Feared Warriors: The Spartans
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Uniqueness of
Sparta’s geography
(pg. 112)
Spartans built a
military state
Conquered areas –
made people
“helots” – or slaves
Spartan Government
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Government composed of two
groups: The Assembly (free adult
males – voted on issues) and the
Council of Elders (proposed laws)
5 elected ephors carried out the laws
Spartan Education
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Spartan’s lives were
completely focused on
the military
Spartan Goal:
Produced tough,
battle-tested warriors
• Age 7: Boys left home –
went into army
barracks
• Age 20: Allowed to
marry, but still lived
full-time with army
• Age 60: Retirement
from Army – live
w/family
Questions to answer
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How did life differ for Spartan
women? (Think about their
differences with Spartan men and
with Athenian women)
What did the Spartans “sacrifice” by
focusing so much on the military?
Democracy in Athens
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Athens avoided
problems by creating
the first democracy:
Rule by the people
Who were “excluded”
from being fullcitizens?
What was the
expected “role” for
women in Athens?
The Political and Economic
Reformers in Greece
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What was each of the following
reformers responsible for and what
did it do???
• Draco –
• Solon –
Reforms of Cleisthenes
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Helped the democracy
by limiting the nobility
Regular citizens now
could propose laws
and debate
Created the Council of
Five Hundred –
random collection that
proposed laws and
counseled the
assembly
1/5 of Athenian
residents were fullcitizens
The Persian Wars
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Persian King Darius
was upset that
Greeks were
settling in Ionia
(coast of Anatolia)
Darius put down
the revolt in
Anatolia and
wanted to burn
Athens in revenge
Battle of Marathon
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Persians sent a fleet
to Marathon
25,000 Persians vs.
10,000 Athenians
Persians light armor
no match for Greek
phalanx formations
Outcome: 6,400
Persians dead; only
192 Athenians
Athens Undefended
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After Marathon, the
city of Athens was
undefended
Army sent their best
runner: Pheidippides
to run to Athens to
alert them of possible
attack
26-mile journey now
known as a
“Marathon”
After 10 years – Persian War
continues
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Darius’ son Xerxes now in power for
Persia
• What did some people in Athens want to
do when the Persians came back?
• What happened at the following battles –
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Thermopylae
Salamis
Plataea