ANCIENT GREECE III
UNIT II
CLASH OF TITANS: PERSIA AND GREECE
During Greece’s colonization period, many colonies had been formed across the Aegean Sea on the western shore of
Asia Minor (present day Turkey). While practically independent from mainland Greece, these colonies were conquered
by Persia’s expanding Empire in 546B.C. ultimately pulling Athens and the rest of the Greeks into war with Persia.
Persia – created under Cyrus the Great in 559B.C., Persia was the largest empire of the ancient world at that time and took
up most of the Middle East
- by 546B.C. Cyrus had expanded his empire into Asia Minor conquering the areas of Lydia, Ionia, and other
colonies the Greeks had long established there
- while there was resistance to Persian control at first, by 530B.C. when King Darius took control of the Persian
Empire, he found them perfectly obedient to the Persian satraps (governors)
Ionian Revolt – in 499B.C. the Ionian-Greek cities in Asia Minor revolted against Persia (they had first asked Sparta for aid,
but were turned down and then asked the Athenians)
with aid from the Athenian Navy, Persia’s Lydian capital of Sardis is burned to the ground leading Darius to
seek revenge (Darius had a servant remind him three time as day “Master, remember the Athenians”)
GRECO-PERSIAN WAR
Battle of Marathon (490B.C.) – Darius launches an attack against the Athenians for their role in the Ionian Revolt with
the Greeks defeating the Persians showing that Persia could be defeated (26 miles from Athens)
- the victory at Marathon reached Athens 26 miles away when a runner (Pheidippides) ran the distance at
which he says one word, “Nike!” (Greek for victory)… then dies
- when Darius dies in 486B.C., his son Xerxes vows revenge against all of Greece
-
After the Battle of Marathon, the Athenians began construction of the first Parthenon to commemorate their victory and
began increasing the size of their navy for an inevitable invasion  doubling the number of their ships from 100 to 200
- Xerxes gathers a force of at least 150,000 men and 600 ships below the Hellespont (small waterway between
Asia Minor and Europe) for an invasion of Greece
Greek League – an alliance of Greek city-states was founded specifically for the purpose of resisting a Persian invasion
led by Sparta, Athens, and Corinth
- the league decides that Sparta would lead ground forces to attempt to halt the Persian advance while the
Athenian navy would attempt to destroy the Persian navy as the Persian army relied on its navy for supplies;
without it the army could not remain in Greece
Battle of Thermopylae (480B.C.) – Greek force of about 9,000 held off the Persian army at a narrow strip of land called
the “hot gates” (easiest land route to Athens from the North)
- the Greek force led by 300 Spartans and their king Leonidius held off the Persians for two days killing
thousands of Xerxes’s best troops without severe losses
- on the third day, a traitor revealed a path to the Greeks rear leading to the death of all 300 Spartans and
nearly 1,000 Thespians who had remained in one of histories most famous “last stands”
- with little resistance, the Persian army heads south and burns Athens
Battle of Salamis – the Persian fleet is destroyed by the smaller Greek fleet led by Themistocles
- this defeat leaves Xerxes and his troops nearly stranded in Greece without naval support or supplies forcing
Xerxes to retreat back to Asia with most of his troops
Battle of Plataea – the largest Greek army to that time faces and defeats the remaining Persian army after the successful
defeat of the Persian navy at the Battle of Salamis
Both the battle of Salamis and Plataea mark the end the Greco-Persian War as the Greeks now hold the advantage over
the Persians and will exploit that advantage in the future as a young Greek will go on the offensive taking the war to the
Persians home territory.
Ancient Greece III
1
GOLDEN AGE OF GREECE
After the Persians retreat back to Asia, the Greeks form the Delian League as an alliance to prevent future invasion from
Persia. With no immediate threat from Persia, Greece ushers in its Golden Age where democracy, theatre, philosophy,
and trade grow and expand throughout the region.
Pericles – ruler of the Greeks who helped bring about the Golden Age of Greece during his reign which lasted 30 years
helping to turn the Delian League into the Athenian Empire leading to peaceful tensions with Sparta
- helped led the reconstruction of much of Athenian buildings and temples after the Persian’s invasion
- also led to the spread of direct democracy in Athens, which spread even to the poor who could vote, propose
laws and were even allowed to hold paid public office  all male citizens of course
PELOPONNESIAN WAR
Sparta and their allies unhappy over paying tribute to Athens as part of the Delian League for the protection of their navy
(against a weakened Persian Empire) had caused peaceful tensions between Athens and Sparta that ultimately led to a
war over political control of Greece.
- Sparta surrounded Athens attempting to draw out the Athenians into an open battle while the Athenians were
content in fighting a defensive battle safe behind the walls of the city and being supplied by sea from their
enormous empire (Athens did however attack Sparta’s allies in the Peloponnese with their navy)
- after a long stalemate that lasted nearly 25 years, the Spartans gain victory after the Athenian navy was
destroyed at the Battle of Aegospotami in 405B.C.
THE RISE AND FALL OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
Macedonia had been a powerful city-state in the northern-most part of Greece and had grown more powerful during the
costly fighting between its two rivals Athens and Sparta during the Peloponnesian War. In their beaten and battered
condition, the Athenians and Spartans had turned a blind eye to the growing power of Macedonia in the north.
Philip II (359B.C.) – the king of Macedonia who leads an invasion of Greece uniting all the Greek city-states under
Macedonian control
- after uniting the Greeks, he planned an invasion of Persia for revenge, wealth and resources but is
unfortunately assassinated, leaving the invasion of Persia to his son Alexander
Alexander the Great – the young ruler of Macedonia and the Greeks at the age of 20 who continued his father’s dream
of an invasion of Persia
- in 334B.C., Alexander marched an army of 30,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry across the Hellespont into
Persia with no navy and limited money against the large army and navy of the Persian Empire  to
overcome this adversity, Alexander planned for quick, key battles to gain money and supplies quickly
- Alexander also stayed close to the coast when possible taking out ports to neutralize the Persian navy
- in Egypt, he builds Alexandria as the Greek capital of that area  the first of many cities to bare his name
- through many years of chasing down Darius III (leader of Persia), Alexander found himself in control of a
massive empire that extended from his home in Macedonia to Egypt and the far eastern land of India (the
largest land empire in history at that time (2nd largest continental empire to date))
- after reaching the Indus River, Alexander returned to Babylon where he died at the age of 32 leaving behind
a legacy and an empire that would spread Greek culture throughout southwest Asia for centuries
Hellenistic Kingdoms – (Hellenistic “to imitate Greeks”) - as a result of Alexander’s death, his empire was divided into
three major kingdoms by his highest generals: Antigonid, Ptolemy, and Selecus
 Greece/Macedonia – controlled by the Greeks until conquered by Rome during the 2nd century B.C.
 Ptolemy Empire (Egypt) – the wealthiest kingdom of the three, controlled by Ptolemy and his descendents
until Egypt (controlled by Cleopatra) is conquered by Rome in the 1st century B.C.
 Seleucid Empire (Asia Minor to India) – spread Greek culture and knowledge throughout the Middle East
before being conquered by the Parthians in the 2nd century B.C.
- these kingdoms continued to spread Greek culture (religion, architecture, science, and technology) which
would later led to the Middle East surpassing Europe in academics
Despite the Hellenistic expanse of Greek culture into the Middle East, a rising power in the West would eventually
conquer the Greeks and usher in an age of unpresidented power held by the people of one city: Rome.
Ancient Greece III
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