objective: To review Pericles, the
leader during Athens's Golden Age
(what were his 3 objectives?)
To tour Athens during its Golden Age
and create a tour journal of 10 places
of interests.
Athens Acropolis
Athens is considered one of the most important ancient Greek city-states. Known as
the birthplace of democracy, Athens also gave modern society its foundations in art,
literature and philosophy. Athens is on the Attica peninsula located on a plain about 4
miles from the Aegean Sea. Its location and mild Mediterranean climate allowed
farmers in Athens to grow various crops but they still had to trade for many essentials
food items b/c it was not very fertile. Greek speaking tribes first came to Athens
around 2000BCE. They named their city after Athena. During the Mycenaean period
(1600-1200BCE) or Bronze Age, Athens was a second rank city overshadowed by
Mycenae, Thebes, and others. Over the next several hundred years, Athenians
resisted invading armies and eventually united as a democracy around 500BCE (Solon,
Cleisthenes)During the Golden Age Athens became the center of Greek commercial
cultural power. By late 400’s BCE the Athenian populated was about 150,000.
Ancient Map of city:
The physical layout of ancient Athens was dominated by surrounding mountains and rocky
coasts. Situated on a plain about 4 miles from Aegean, it was a city enclosed in defensive
walls. It was close enough to sea to have the advantages of a harbor in Piraeus, yet far
enough to discourage naval attacks. The city’s location provided a defensible position b/c
of its Acropolis which is 300 ft above the city. Athenians erected temple, altars and statues
at the top of the Acropolis. At its highest point is the Parthenon with its patron, Athena.
Two other important features of Athens were the Theater of Dionysus on the SE slope and
the Agora at the base. It was a densely populated city. With narrow streets and alleyways
that were not laid out in a formal plan and were often dirty and crowded. Outside the
center of the city were industrial suburbs. The metalworking district was on a low hill west
of the Agora, the potters quarter was in the Ceramicus and the graveyards of the
aristocratic families' were located at outer edge of Ceramicus.
agora
•
The market place (agora) was the center of life. Reconstructed after the end of the
Persian Wars in 479 BCE the agora contained temples, government buildings and
stoas. On the walls of most stoas, artist depicted various historical event showing
arete like the Battle of Marathon. Some even had religious scenes. The agora was
.
a bustling and noisy outside market Customers haggled with merchants over
food items to chariots, to animals to crafts. Public officials (paid by Pericles)
patrolled the merchant stalls and any merchandise that was inferior the merchant
was fined! Beautiful public buildings and temples lined the 2 sides of the Agora
and citizens used these for debates, voting and any public issues. The agora also
had recreation like a gymnasium with a running track, fields for javelin and discus
throwing and wrestling courts. There were rooms for changing and oiling down
and in the evenings men socialized in the agora, the most popular place being the
barber shop where they gossiped and talked politics.
Funerary amphora
Hydria
Pyxis
oenochoe
Lebes Gamikos
Amphora (grain)