Topic 5
Greek city-states
Objectives
Knowledge: 1. To know the concept of Greek city-states
2. To understand the principles of democracy practiced in the city-states
3. To understand Greece and Alexander the Great’s conquests
Skills:
1. To read and interpret sources
2. To induce and analyze sources
3. To compare sources
Attitude:
1. To develop the spirit of peace and fraternal love (e.g. by watching cartoons
showing the Olympic Games in ancient times)
2. To develop positive ethic and civil values and cherishing of voting rights
3. To respect the values of fairness and justice
Teaching Flow
Items
Format
Teaching Objectives
Content
Question to
ponder
To know more
(1)
Question
3
Task 1
Data-based
questions
4
Task 2
Data-based
questions
To guide the students to
explore the question
To enable students to
understand how the citystates were developed
To enable students to
understand how the
characteristics of Greek
city-states affected their
development
To introduce an important
Greek city-state: the
characteristics of Athens
What caused the rise of
Greek city-states?
To introduce the
development from rural
land to a city
To circle the location of
Greek city-states on a
map and identify their
geographical
characteristics
To find out Athens’s
characteristics from
photos and passages
1
2
Introduction
Extended
activity
5
To know more
(2)
Introduction
6
Task 3
Map and
questioning
7
Task 4
Data based
questions
8
Conclusion
Summary
Chart
To develop the spirit of
peace and fraternal love
To introduce interesting
history of the Olympic
Games
To enable students to
Democratic progress in
understand how democracy the Greek city-states and
developed in the Greek
the Rise of Alexander the
city-states and understand
Great and his expansion
Alexander the Great and
his expansion
To enable students to
Extent of Alexander the
understand Greece’s
Great’s expansion
expansion in Egypt and
Mesopotamia
To enable students to
Alexander the Great’s war
understand Alexander the
tactics and its advantages
Great’s way of success
Consolidation
Summary of the major
issues discussed in this
topic
1
Question to ponder
What caused the rise of Greek city-states?
To know more (1)



With agriculture, human beings settled down. They had to work on the
earth and improve the rivers.
They produced more food and so more people could be supported.
Some people did not farm, and so society became more varied.
Task 1: Learn from map
Try to circle the location of city states of Greece from the ancient map in Source A.
Source A
Italy
Aegean Sea
Sea
2
Mediterranean
Egypt
Source：J.G. Barthologmew LLD, A Literacy & Historical Atlas of Asia, London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd.;
New York: E.P. Dutton & Co, unknown publishing year.
Topic 5
City States
2. According to Source A, what are the characteristics of these Greek city states? How
did such characteristics contribute to their development?
Suggested answer: According to Source A, the southern part of the Greek peninsular is
close to the Mediterranean Sea, which contributed to the
development of sea trade. The Greek city states were located by the
sea, which contributed to their development into naval powers.
Teaching tips:
Teachers are suggested to provide the following table for less able
students to fill in the answers.
Suggested answer:
Geographical characteristics
Contributed to development of
The southern part of the Greek
peninsular is close to the Mediterranean
Sea.
Economic aspect: sea trade
Greek city states were located by the sea Military aspect : naval power
Task 2: Case study – Athens
Study Sources B, C and D, and then fill in the answers in the appropriate spaces.
Source B
The following is the most famous city in Greece today, Athens. You will see on top of the hill at
the city the ruins of the ancient city-states.
Source：http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:AthensAcropolisDawn06034.jpg
2
Source C The following text is the description of Athens:
The buildings on the mount were the main temples and the centres of government of the city of
Athens. The city was located by the sea. In fact, Athens was a strong naval power. It depended
on trade and its people migrated to the islands off the coast, founding cities in the model of
Athens itself.
Source D
In 430 BC, at the beginning of thirty years of war for the control of Greece between Athens and
another city, Sparta, Pericles, who commanded the Athenian army, said the following in a
speech he gave before battle:
4
Our form of government does not enter into rivalry with the institutions of others. We do not
copy our neighbours, but are an example to them. It is true that we are called a democracy, for
the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few. But while the law secures
equal justice to all alike in their private disputes, the claim of excellence is also recognized; and
when a citizen is in any way distinguished, he is preferred to the public service, not as a matter
of privilege, but as the reward of merit. Neither is poverty a bar, but a man may benefit his
country whatever be the obscurity of his condition.
We have not forgotten to provide for our weary spirits many relaxations from toil; we have
regular games and sacrifices throughout the year; our homes are beautiful and elegant; and the
delight which we daily feel in all these things helps to banish melancholy. Because of the
greatness of our city the fruits of the whole earth flow in upon us; so that we enjoy the goods of
other countries as freely as of our own.
Source：Leon Bernard and Theodore B. Hodges, Readings in European History, New York: Macmillan, 1958, p. 6.
1.
Identity the characteristics of Athens from Sources B, C and D.
Characteristics
Hints/clues from Sources B to D
1.
Located by the sea
A strong naval power (Source C)
2
Democratic city-states
Power to rule was in the hands of majority, not
minority (Source D)
3.
Trading city states
The fruits of the whole earth flow in upon them / free
to use products from other city-states (Source D)
4.
Emphasis on physical
activities
Held regular games throughout the year
(Source D)
5.
Emphasis on religious
activities


Temple built on the mountain (Source B)
Held regular sacrifices throughout the year
(Source D)
Topic 5
City States
Extended activity:
Visit http://www.olympic.org, the website offered by the International Olympic
Committee. It introduces interesting history about the Olympic Games. Watch the
cartoon video, and extract two pieces of information regarding the Olympic Games in
ancient times. (Look under “Olympic Games” (on the left-hand side), and then “The
ancient Olympic Games” at the bottom of the page).
Suggested answer:
Positive message
1.
During the Olympic Games period, the city-states would cease their fights
for the sake of the spirit of peace and fraternal love.
2.
The games could let people demonstrate their physical ability and advocate
the importance of a healthy body.
2
To know more (2)
Democracy in the city states was a direct form of democracy, in the sense that people of
the city voted directly for their government. The reason they could do that had to do with
their small population size, compared to most modern countries. Even then, not everybody
could vote. The Greek cities permitted slavery, and slaves did not vote. In a modern
society, voting is often indirect, in the sense that the electorate vote for the party rather
than members of government.
Athenian democracy did not last a long time. It lasted probably just about 200 years, from
the 5th to the 4th century BC Athens and Sparta fought and both weakened. A new city
came to the fore, which not only defeated them all, but went on to conquer Mesopotamia
and Egypt. This was the city that was ruled by Alexander’s father, Philip. Alexander,
known in history as Alexander the Great, succeeded as king of Macedon while a very
young man in 336 BC. He died in 323 BC at the age of 32. His conquests were conducted
in a little more than a decade.
Task 3: Learn from Map
Source E shows the conquests of Alexander the Great. Name the three areas marked A, B
and C.
Source E
Source：Department of history, Chinese University
2
Suggested answers:
A：Mesopotamia
B：Egypt
C：Macedonia
Topic 5
City States
Task 4: Alexander the Great: His way to success
Study Sources F and G.
Source F War tactics of Greeks
War tactics of Greeks
From around the 7th century, the Greeks invented a new battle field tactic which
involved the use of foot soldiers in formation. The men of the Greek city were required
to serve in war, but they brought their own weapons. Most farmers came with their
amour and a spear. Those who could not afford this equipment helped in other ways,
such as rowing boats. They had to train regularly for war. They fought in formation
(known as the phalanx), that is to say in tight masses of rows of men (often eight rows)
and were required to move forward and backward together. It was not easy to train and
command soldiers in these formations, but when that was successfully done, they could
be very effective. Alexander was a brilliant commander of men in formation. His use of
formations brought him many victories in the battlefield.
Source G
The relic in the diagram below shows the fighting tactics of the ancient Greeks.
7
Source：http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Achilles_Penthesileia_BM_B209.jpg
1. Referring to source F and G, what are the characteristics of Alexander the Great’s war
tactics? And what are their advantages?
Suggested answer:
Characteristics
Advantages
(1)
The men were required to serve in Possessed a large military force.
war / Receive training regularly.
(2)
The farmers brought their own Saved plenty of military expense;
armour and spear as their weapons.
Farmers were familiar with their
own weapons.
(3)
Those who could not afford the All people were involved, which
equipment helped in other ways.
helped to raise morale.
(4)
They fought in formation, i.e. in Power of attack and defence greatly
tight masses of rows of men and increased.
were required to move forward and
backward together.
2. What are the limitations of Alexander the Great’s war tactics?
Suggested answer: Free answer. For example, it required a lot of training / co-ordinating
plenty of manpower.
Conclusion
8

Most of the Greek city states were located by the sea.



The Greeks emphasized religious activity.
Democracy is the essential elements of the Greek city-states.
Under Alexander the Great, Greece expanded its territory to Mesopotamia.
Summary Chart
Greek
city-states
Conquest/expansion
Characteristics (e.g.
Athens)
Rise
From agricultural
society to diversified
society.




Build along the coast
Emphasized on trades,
physical education and
religious activities
Respected democracy



Led by Alexander the Great
Territory extended to as far as
Egypt and Mesopotamia
War tactics: fought in
formations formed by foot
soldiers