Ch10 The City-States
10-3 Athens
1. Athens
-northeast of Sparta
-city-state
-located on the Aegean Coast
-1st ruled by Kings
-750BC oligarchy
-fighting between farmers , artisans,
and government for land ownership
-oligarchy did not want
fights to occur
-looked for reform
2. Draco
-noble
-appointed to write a code of laws
-too harsh, death for many crimes
3. Solon
-rich merchant
-took over law making 594 BC
-1st Constitution
-broke political power of rich
-set limit on how much land a person
could own
-gave landowners the right to vote in
the assembly
-passed laws
-erased all debt
-freed slaves
-offered citizenship to artisans (not
Athenians)
-ordered fathers to teach sons a trade
-more government involvement
-trade increased
4. Peisistratus
-560BC took over government
-supported by lower class
-divided large estates and gave it to
farmers w/o land
-did not have to own land to be
citizen
-encouraged sculpture and art
-after his death, sons took over
-government overthrown by Spartans
5. Cleisthenes
-overthrew Spartans
-put world first Constitution into
effect
-beginning of democratic
form
-Athenians have freedom of
speech
-opened assembly to males 20
yrs. +
-assembly elected 10 generals/yr.
-Set-up the Council of Five Hundred
-Handled daily business
-Chosen each year by lot
-No one could serve more
than 2 terms
-Every one could serve
-War times required a
general to serve on
council
-Citizens required to educate sons
-Tutor
-Private school
-Age 7 boys studied writing,
math and music
-Played sports
-Memorized Homer
& other poets
-Age 18 males became citizens
-At Temple of Zeus took
citizenship oath
6. Persian Wars
-Persians have largest empire in
Western world
-545 BC conquered Ionia (Greek city-state
in Asia Minor and Aegean Islands)
-525 BC Ionians revolted
-asked city-states for help
-Athens responded by sending some
warships
-Fought for 5 years, Persians ended revolt
7. Darius
-Persian king
-Punish mainland Greeks for helping
Ionians
-490 BC sent 600 ships and army to Greece
-landed on Marathon
-decided to sail directly to Athens surprised
by Athenian soldiers and defeated
-Pheidippides ran 26 miles to tell of victory
-yelled Nike! (Greek goddess of
victory) and died
8. Wealth
-After Marathon, silver mines
discovered
-Athens spent money in triremes
-3 levels of rowers on each side
-largest navy in Greece
9. Xerxes
-son of Darius
-480 BC sent 250,000 soldiers across Aegean
to conquer Northern Greece
-20 city-states banded together to stop attacks
-Sparta-Army
-Athens-Navy
-Greek soldiers held off Persians
at Thermopylae for 3 days.
Athenians went to Salamis
-Persians defeated soldiers, set
fire to Athens
-Greeks tricked Persians into the Narrow
Straits of Salamis and defeated them
-Xerxes returned Asia
-479 BC Greeks defeated leftover
Persians in Battle of Plateau and
war ended
10. Delian League
-defensive league
-located on island of Delos
-Sparta not a member
-once a member, could not
withdraw w/o unanimous
agreement
-common navy
-built by Athenians
-Athens gaining power
-ask for permission to
trade
-trials held in Athens
-money replaced all other
-“Golden Age of Athens”
11. Pericles
-1st citizen of Athens
-general during “Golden Age of
Athens”
-led Athens for 30 yrs.
-rebuilt temples and palaces on
the acropolis
-built Parthenon to honor
goddess Athena
-built Long Walls to connect Athens
to seaport of Piraeus
-provided supplies during war
-promoted art, literature, and
philosophy
12. Peloponnesian War
-Athens was resented
-attacked one of Sparta’s allies
-Sparta attacked
-lasted 30 yrs.
-ended 404BC
-Athens surrendered to
Sparta
13. Decline of Athens
-war and plague caused great loss
of life
-land was ruined
-young men became mercenaries
-404 BC Sparta controls Athens
-set up oligarchy
-30 Athenian aristocrats
rule
-Athens successfully revolts and sets
up democracy
-not as powerful as before war