Download ANCIENT GREECE - Mr. Sager World History

ANCIENT GREECE
PELOPONNESIAN WAR AND GREEK
PHILOSOPHERS
PELOPONNESIAN WAR
• Reading – Read and answer the questions
• Also, answer these questions in addition to
the questions on the reading:
• 1. How could the goal of strengthening
democracy have helped lead Athens into
war?
• 2. How could war be used to strengthen
Athens’ trade empire?
• 3. How might war increase Athens’ prestige?
Peloponnesian War
• *Athens – stronger Navy
• *Sparta – stronger Army
– *Location- inland – could not be attacked by sea
– *During 2nd year of war, a plague killed almost
one-third of the population of Athens
– *Two sides sign a truce in 421 BC
Peloponnesian War
• *As Athens grew in wealth, prestige, and
power- other city-states began to view it with
hostility
• *Hostility was especially high between Sparta
and Athens
• *Sparta declared war on Athens in 431 B.C.
Peloponnesian War
• *415 BC – Athenians attacked an ally of Sparta
– Syracuse
– *Athenians defeated, surrendered in 404 BC
• *Following defeat, Athens had lost its empire,
power and wealth
PHILOSOPHERS
• Following the war, many Athenians lost
confidence in democratic government and
began to question their values.
• People began to seek the truth
• *Philosophers – means “lovers of wisdom”
PHILOSOPHERS
• *Philosophers based their philosophy on two
assumptions:
• *1. The universe is put together in an orderly
way
• *2. People can understand this order through
logic and reason
THREE PHILOSOPHERS
• Socrates – wanted people to think about their
values and actions
• Plato – wrote about a perfectly governed
society
PLATO’s PERFECT SOCIETY
• Three groups would exist in Plato’s perfect
society:
– Farmers and Artisans
– Warriors
– Ruling Class
THREE PHILOSOPHERS
• *Aristotle – developed rules of logic
• *One of Aristotle’s students was Alexander the
Great – future King
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
• *Peloponnesian War weakened several Greek
City –States
• *Caused a rapid decline in their military and
economic power
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
• *Kingdom of Macedonia, located just north of
Greece, had rough terrain and a cold climate.
• Greeks looked down on the Macedonians as
uncivilized foreigners who had no great
philosophers, sculptors, or writers
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
• *338 BC – Athens and Thebes (Greek City
state in central Greece) go to war against
Macedonia
– *Macedonia led by King Phillip II
– *Greek city- states not united in how to fight
– *Macedonia easily defeats the Greeks – take
control of Greece
– Phillip planned an invasion of Persia but was
stabbed to death before he could do so
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
• *Philip’s son, Alexander, becomes King
– Just 20 years old when he took over control
– *334 BC – invades Persia
– *Wanted to take over entire Persian empire
– *invaded Egypt and was crowned Pharaoh
– *eventually took control of Persian Empire, ended
Persia’s power
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
• *Became unchallenged ruler of southwest
Asia
• *More interested in expanding empire than
governing it
• *Kept going east until morale started to get
low and turned back
• *Died at 32 years old