Download Station 1 Greek Money Barter

Station 1
Greek Money
Barter: A long time ago, people traded for what they wanted. Perhaps
one person had a wonderful spear made of stone and wood. Another
person had a beautiful necklace made of stones and shells. Each
wanted what the other had. To solve this, they traded. This is called
bartering.
Different Kinds of Money: Sometimes, it was hard for people to put a barter price
on things. Instead of barter, people began to use money as a form of payment.
In the beginning, things were not very consistent…
 The ancient Egyptians used ring money. Ring money was an actual ring made of
bronze, copper, or gold. In ancient Egypt, people like to wear their wealth. When
it came time to pay their bills, they simply pulled off a ring or two to use as
payment.
 The Celts in ancient Ireland also used ring money, plus bracelet money.
 In other places in the world, people tried to use rice, or bread, or chocolate as
money. But that did not work very well. The food went bad, or it was eaten.
Ancient Greece: The Greeks had a great idea! Someone thought of using metal coins
as money. Before you know it, the idea of coinage spread rapidly. By 2,500 years ago,
each Greek city-state had developed its own coinage. Each Greek city-state had banks
where visiting traders could exchange their coins for Greek coins.
In ancient Greece, coins were also believed to have magical powers. The Greeks
designed their coins with pictures of their gods and goddesses. The Greeks were the
first civilization to use pictures of real people on their coins. The first was Alexander
the Great, back around 325 BCE. As time went on, the Greeks created bigger coins,
each designed to commemorate a special event.
*People other than the Greeks soon learned that although many things
would work as money, to be useful, the item or items they chose to use as
money had to follow a few simple rules:
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It had to be accepted as money by others
It had to have an assigned value or worth
It had to be easy to carry
It had to be made of a strong material, something that could be handed from
person to person.
Station 2
The Spartan Army
The Spartan Army was made up of elite warriors who were well trained from a young
age. Being a warrior was the only career the men of the Spartan Army ever held; it was
what their entire society and life was built upon, making the Army stronger. With the
weight and effort of the entire society behind the warriors, it is no surprise that they
had the strongest, most advanced, and most deadly weapons and military techniques.
Each Spartan was expected to provide his own weapons and armor. Due to the large
expense of good equipment the Spartans would frequently pass down weapons, armor
and particularly shields within families. It would not be unusual for a man to go to
battle equipped in his fathers and grandfathers, often even fighting on the same exact
battlefields. This added even more weight to their commitment to fight, to drop your
ancestral weapons and shield and run would be seen as a disgrace on multiple levels.
Watch the Video Clip
Station 3
Peloponnesian War
Peloponnesian War: a conflict between Athens and Sparta that lasted for 27 years
Throughout the Golden Age, Athens gradually became richer and more powerful than
all the other city-states. As its influence grew, the leaders of Athens began to demand
loyalty from the other city-states. This loyalty was further strengthened when an
alliance was formed to fight the Persians, who were invading Greece. After the Persians
were defeated, the troops raised for the war were used by Athens to control the other
city-states. Shortly after, an Athenian general by the name of Pericles insisted that all
criminal trials be held in Athens. He also attempted to force the other city-states to
adopt and use Athens money.
Led by Sparta, the other city-states rebelled against the growing strength of Athens.
This war lasted from 431 B.C. until 404 B.C., and had devastating effects on Greece. At
first it appeared that Athens would win. Their powerful navy dominated the
Mediterranean Sea. However, the Spartans traded their lands to Persia for money.
Sparta then used this gold to build a navy of their own.
For decades, the war tore the city-states of Greece apart. Finally, in 404 B.C., Sparta
was able to conquer the city of Athens and demand its surrender. Though Sparta had
won, no one could claim victory. The war had resulted in the deaths of many of their
citizens. Orchards, vineyards and fields had been destroyed. The treasuries of the citystates and faith in democracy had both been destroyed.
Delian League:
Athens and its Allies
Peloponnesian League:
Sparta and its Allies
(Persian Empire)
Station 4
The Agora of Athens
The agora is also known as the marketplace of Athens. It was the heartbeat of Ancient
Athens because all of the major daily activities occurred there. In addition, it was one
of the most important parts of an ancient city of Athens. The agora was the main place
for Ancient Greeks to buy and sell all types of goods. From fishes, to herbs and grains,
the people assembled there to find new goods and sell other goods.
Today the Agora still exists in Athens and it is still an important aspect of the City. The
Agora has three main parts today. It has the Ancient Agora, which is the ruins of the
past, the Market, which has buying/selling vendors, and the Businesses, which are
made up of the more permanent businesses of Athens. The Agora today is still and
incredibly busy place that many still consider to be the heartbeat of Athens.
Watch the Video Clip
Station 5
The Persian War
Greece was not alone in the ancient world. Egypt was flourishing. Other civilizations
were developing around the Mediterranean. One of the largest and most powerful was
the Persian Empire. As the Persians continued to expand their empire into Europe,
they counted on Greece being an easy win. The many islands and lack of unity between
city-states seemed to be a civilization that could be easily controlled.
What the Persians forgot, or perhaps they just did not know, was that the Greeks were
incredible warriors. Athens had a highly capable navy, with ships that were tiny and
easy to maneuver. The Spartan army was terrifying.
The Persians came three times, and fought three huge battles - Marathon,
Thermopylae, and Salamis. Each time the Persians were convinced they could easily
conquer the Greeks. Each time, the Greeks drove them away or.
Battle
Battle of
Marathon
(Greeks
Won)
Interesting Facts
After Athens defeated the Persian army, the
Athenian soldier Phidippides was asked to run to
Athens to bring the news of victory and a warning of
the approaching Persian ships. Phidippides' 26mile run from Marathon to Athens, the first
marathon ever, was successfully completed in about
three hours.
Battle of
The Spartan Army (elite 300) held off thousands of
Thermopylae Persian troops. Spartans forced the Persians into a
narrow pass in order to fight smaller groups of
(Greeks
Persian soldiers. This allowed other Greek armies to
Lost)
retreat and meet up with other Greek troops.
Battle of
Salamis
(Greeks
Won)
The Athenian Navy set the Persian ships on fire and
the Spartan Army killed all the Persians who swam
to shore for safety. This ended the Persian war and
helped establish the Delian League (Treaty between
city-states to stick together in times of war.)