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The growth of city states in Greece lead to the
development of several political systems,
including democracy.

By 750 BCE the Greek city-state, or polis, is
the formal government.
◦ A polis is a city and its surrounding villages; 50500 square miles.
◦ Population of a city-state is often less than 10,000.

Citizens gather to discuss government in two
different places:
◦ the agora which was the marketplace
◦ the acropolis which was a fortified hilltop

Greek Political Structures
◦ City-states have different forms of government.
 Monarchy -rule by a king
 Aristocracy -rule by nobility
 Oligarchy -rule by a small group of powerful
merchants and artisans

Tyrants Seize Power
◦ Rulers and common people clash in many citystates.
◦ Tyrants — often nobles or wealthy citizens won
support of common people and seized control of
the government.
 They ruled in the interests of ordinary people.
 They often set up building programs to provide jobs
and housing for their supporters.

Athens avoided major political upheavals by
making timely reforms.

About 621 B.C., democracy —rule by the
people—develops in Athens.

Nobleman, Draco, develops legal code
◦ All Athenians, rich and poor, were equal under the
law.
◦ Strict laws. Death was the primary punishment
◦ Upheld debt slavery

Solon
◦ Abolishes debt slavery
 no citizen shall own another citizen
◦ All citizens could participate in the Athenian
assembly
 He divided citizens into four social classes according
to wealth
 Only top three classes could hold political office
◦ Any citizen could bring charges against wrongdoers

Divided citizens into 10 groups based on
geography instead of wealth
◦ This broke up the power of the nobility

Allowed all citizens to submit suggestions for
laws
◦ Only native-born, property-owning males are
citizens
 Women, slaves & foreigners were excluded from
citizenship and had few rights.

Created the Council of Five Hundred
◦ Proposed laws and counseled assembly
◦ Council members were chosen at random

Why was the Athenian Democracy a limited
democracy?
◦ Not all native born Athenians were citizens
 Ex. Women and slaves or foreigners who made Athens
their home.
◦ Only citizens had the right to participate in the
Assembly and vote

Schooling only for sons of wealthy families.
◦ Started at age 7
◦ Prepared them to be good citizens
 Reading, grammar, poetry, history, math, music, logic,
public speaking, and daily athletics
 Military school when older – learn to defend Athens

Girls learn from mothers and other female
members of the household.
◦ Child-rearing, weaving cloth, preparing meals,
managing the household
 Prepared to be wives and mothers
◦ Some learned to read and write

Most women had little to do with Athenian
life outside the boundaries of family and
home.

Athenian boys went to school to learn to be
good what?
◦ Citizens

Athenian girls were taught by their mothers
to be good what?
◦ Wives and mothers

A Unique City State
◦ Sparta, isolated from much of Greece, builds a
military state.

Sparta Dominates Messenians
◦ Around 725 B.C., Sparta conquers Messenia
 Forced Messenians become helots —peasants forced to
farm the land.
◦ Harsh rule leads to Messenian revolt; Spartans build
a stronger state.

Sparta’s Government and Society
◦ Four branches: citizens elect officials
 Assembly – composed of all Spartan citizens
 Council of Elders – 30 older citizens
 Proposed laws on which the assembly voted
 Five elected officials – carried out the laws passed by
the assembly
 Controlled education and prosecuted court cases
 Two kings – ruled over Sparta’s military forces

Three social classes:
 Citizens – ruling families who owned land
 Free non-citizens – worked in commerce and industry
 Helots--slaves

Sparta has the most powerful army in Greece
◦ Spartan’s valued duty, strength, and discipline.
◦ They did not value individual freedom, individuality
beauty, and arts, literature, or learning.

7 yrs old - move into barracks



Military training, marching, exercising, fighting in all
weather
Slept on hard benches without blankets
Fed a bowl of black porridge


20 yrs old – allowed to marry but still had to live in
barracks


Encouraged to steel if they were still hungry
Sneak out to see their wives
30 yrs old – training was complete

Could live at home with wife & children

60 yrs old – service in the military was complete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v97o90bnUVs

Girls receive some military training
◦ Ran, wrestled, and played sports


Girls are also taught to value service to Sparta
above all else.
Women had considerable freedom
◦ Ran family estate when husbands were on active
military service
◦ Ran businesses
◦ Owned property

How did Spartan and Athenian females differ?
◦ Spartan girls received military training, & played
sports
◦ They had considerable freedom
 Ran family estate when husbands were away

How long was military training for Spartan
males?
◦ From 7-30 years old (23 years)

What age were men done serving in any
aspect of the military?
◦ 60 yrs old

What did Spartans value?
◦ duty, strength, and discipline

What did they not value?
◦ individual freedom, individuality beauty, and arts,
literature, or learning

How many kings did Sparta have?
◦ Two

A New Kind of Army Emerges
◦ Cheaper iron replaces bronze
 Made arms and armor cheaper
 Now people from all classes could become soldiers
◦ Phalanx—side by side formation of soldiers
(hoplites) with spears and shields.
 Became the most powerful fighting force in the ancient
world.


Between Greece and Persian Empire
546 BCE Persians conquered Ionia (part of the
Greek city states)
◦ Ionian Greeks revolted; Athens sent aid
◦ Darius the Great defeated the rebels
 vowed to destroy Athens in revenge

Battle of Marathon
◦ 490 BCE Persian fleet landed in Marathon NE of
Athens.

Persians
Athenians
25,000
10,000
Athenians win because of the Greek Phalanx
◦ Persians wore light armor and lacked training in this
kind of land combat

Pheidippides Brings News
◦ Runner Pheidippides races 26 miles to Athens to
announce Greek victory.
 City was defenseless & they did not want the Athenian
people to surrender to the Persians

Battle of Thermopylae (10 yrs later)
◦ In 480 B.C. Persians launch a new invasion of Greece.
◦ Greeks are divided; many stay neutral or side with
Persians.
◦ Greek forces hold Thermopylae for three days before
retreating.

Battle of Salamis
◦ Athenians defeated Persians at sea, near island of
Salamis.
◦ Victories at Salamis and Plataea force Persian retreat.
◦ Many city-states form Delian League and continue to
fight Persians.

New self-confidence in Greece due to victory.

Development of Delian league - Alliance
among 200 Greek city states.
◦ Athens emerges as leader of Delian League.
 Controls the league by using force against opponents.
◦ League members essentially become provinces of
Athenian empire.

Why would this present a problem?
◦ history of independent city states individualistic
ideals & ways of life

Stage is set for a dazzling burst of creativity
in Athens.

What was the Delian League?
◦ An alliance between roughly 200 Greek city states

What prompted the establishment of the
Delian League?
◦ The Persian Wars

How did the Athenians win at the Battle of
Marathon?
◦ The Greek Phalanx

What was the Greek Phalanx?
◦ A side by side formation of soldiers (hoplites) with
spears and shields.

What was the importance of iron to the Greek
militaries?
◦ Made arms and armor cheaper. Now people from all
classes could become soldiers.
◦ Led to the creation of the Greek phalanx.