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The Age of Pericles
Chapter 7, Section 4
The Athenian Empire
• Even though the Persians retreated, they
still remained a threat.
• Athens joins with other city-states in 478
B.C. to form the Delian League to keep
the threat of the Persians under control
• Sparta did not join the league.
• Headquarters on the island of Delos.
• Chief officials of the league were from
Athens and little by little Athens took over.
• Headquarters of the league moved to
Athens in 454 B.C.
Athenian Empire
• Athenians had a Direct Democracy –
every citizen gathers at a mass meeting
and decides and votes
• 43,000 male citizens made up the
assembly, but usually only 6,000 citizens
showed up for the meetings, which were
held every 10 days. They passed laws,
elected officials, and made decisions on
war and foreign affairs.
These ruins are of the agora – an ancient
marketplace in Athens where the assembly met.
• A direct democracy only works for a place
with a relatively small amount of citizens.
Wouldn’t work for millions of citizens.
• The United States has a Representative
Democracy – citizens choose a smaller
group to represent them and make laws
and decisions for them
The Achievements of Pericles
• Pericles was the leading general in
Athenian politics after the Persian wars for
nearly 30 years.
• He treated the other city-states like
subjects, demanding loyalty and payments
from them.
The Achievements of Pericles
• Pericles made Athens more democratic.
• He believed that people’s talents were
more important than their social standing.
• He allowed lower-class male citizens to
run for public office.
• He paid officeholders.
• Even poor citizens could be a part of
running the government.
Statue
of
Pericles
• Culture blossomed under the rule of
Pericles.
• Pericles rebuilt new temples and statues in
Athens
• He supported artists, architects, writers
and philosophers
***Philosophers are thinkers who ponder
questions about life
Daily Life in Athens
• By 400’s B.C., Athens was the largest citystate
• Men - worked in morning, politics in the
afternoon and evenings, upper-class men
enjoyed all male gatherings where they
drank, dined and discussed politics and
philosophy
Daily Life in Athens
• C. ***Women
– 1. Home/family
– 2. Married at 14 or 15
– 3. Helped with fields or market
– 4. Upper class women stayed home
– 5. No school, but many learned to read and
write
– 6. ***Aspasia – famous woman, taught public
speaking, writers, helped shape Plato’s ideas
Daily Life in Athens
• D. Slavery
– 1. Slavery was normal
– 2. Most had at least one slave
– 3. Depended on the slave labor
Daily Life in Athens
• E. Athenian Economy (money)
– 1. farming and herding
– 2. located on trade route
Peloponnesian War
• A. Sparta – weakened by earthquakes and
revolt of the helots
• B. Athens – gained more power, tribute
paid to them
• C. Corinth and Thebes became allies with
Sparta
• D. War broke out, and lasted about 25
years
Peloponnesian War
• E. Pericles’ Funeral Oration
– 1. Public funeral for those who died in battle
– 2. Pericles gave a speech to the Athenians
– 3. The power of democracy, courage to keep
fighting
– 4. The speech’s ideas are still important to
democratic nations today
Peloponnesian War
•
•
•
F. Athens good navy,
G. Sparta good army
H. Athenians hid behind the city walls
–
–
1. Disease killed more that 1/3 of the
crowded city
2. Pericles killed by disease
Peloponnesian War
• I. Persians helped Sparta build navy
• J. Spartans crushed Athenians, broke up
empire
• K. Results
– 1. Winners and loser weakened
– 2. Farms destroyed
– 3. Many left jobless
Peloponnesian War
– 4. Spartan empire formed
– 5. Spartan empire fell
– 6. All city-states grew weaker
– 7. Kingdom of Macedonia grew more powerful
L. Thucydides – Major Greek historian