Glory, War, and Decline
Chapter 7, Lesson 4
► With
The Rule of Pericles
the end of the Persian War, Athens
became a powerful and self-confident citystate.
 From 461 B.C. to 429 B.C., the Athenians,
under their new leader Pericles, enjoyed a
golden age of prosperity and achievement.
 Athens became a cultural and economic
economic center of Greece.
 It also began to practice a democratic form of
government.
Democracy in Athens
► Athenians
took great pride in their
democratic system.
 They practiced Direct Democracy (all citizens
meet to debate and vote on government
matters.)
 Representative Democracy (citizens elect a
small group of people, which in turn, represents
them makes laws, and governs on their behalf
ex: The United States of America)
► In
Democracy in Athens
Athens a direct democracy worked due to
their small population.
 The assembly consisted of 43,000 male
members over the age of 18.
 Often, however, fewer than 6,000 participated
in meetings held every 10 days where they
passed laws, elected officials, and made policy
on war and foreign affairs.
► The
top 10 officials, elected each year, were
known as generals.
► After
Pericles in Charge
the Persian Wars, the most important
general in the Athenian government was
Pericles.
 His wise rule guided Athens for over 30 years.
► He
made Athens more democratic.
 He appointed people based on skill not on their
social class.
► He
brought in more ordinary people in
government.
 This resulted in ordinary people (i.e.
shopkeepers and laborers could participate in
government along with nobles and farmers.
► Under
Pericles in Charge
his rule, Athens became a center of learning
and the arts and was rebuilt.
 The Persians destroyed much of city during the
Persian Wars and so he erected new temples,
monuments, and statues throughout the city.
► He supported writers artists, teachers, sculptors,
and architects.
 Philosophers (a person who searches for
wisdom or enlightenment) also flourished and
would reflect on the meaning of life.
► Since Athens had become such a great center for
knowledge, Pericles called it “the school of
Greece.”
► At
Athenian Life
its peak in the 400s B.C., Athens was the
largest Greek city-state.
 Population was about 285,000 of which 150,000
were citizens.
 Only 43,000 were males who had political
rights.
 Athens was also home to around 35,000
foreigners and 100,000 enslaved people.
Athenian Men and Women
► Men
worked as farmers, artisans and merchants.
 Often completed their work in the morning and
then would exercise in the gymnasium.
 In the evening, upper class men enjoyed allmale gatherings where they ate, drank, and
discussed philosophy or politics.
► Athenian women focused on their homes and
families.
 Girls often married in their mid-teens with
responsibilities centering around having children
and taking care of their household.
 Women from poor families helped work the
farm or sold goods in the local market place.
Athenian Men and Women
Most upper class women rarely left the home.
 Usually only left for funerals and festivals.
 Had to be accompanied by a male relative.
 They usually supervised servants and spun, dyed,
and wove cloth.
► Athenian women could not attend school, but many
were able to read and play music.
► Athenian society did not consider educated women
equal to men.
 Could not participate in political activities or own
property.
►
Athenian Men and Women
► They
were always under the care of a male
member.
 Husbands were responsible for their wives and
unmarried daughters while sons looked after
their widowed mothers.
► A few women had more freedom.
 These were usually foreigners who were seen
differently from Athenian women.
► Aspasia (as-PAY-zhuh) taught public speaking, and
her ideas were popular amongst Athenians.
► Both Plato (PLAY-toh) (famous Greek Philosopher)
and Pericles were influenced by her.
► Lived
Aspasia
from c.470 B.C. – 400 B.C.
► Originally from Miletus in Asia Minor.
► Beauty and intellect made her a democratic
symbol to the Greeks who looked up to her
like a rock star.
► She aggressively enter the male dominated
society and government of Greece.
► Also, was one of the first women to
encourage other women to participate in
government and demand their rights.
What Was the Role of Slavery in
Athens?
► Slavery
was common in ancient civilizations.
 It was often considered a normal part of life,
even by those who were slaves!
 Even in a democracy like Athens.
 Most homes in Athens has at least one enslaved
person while some wealthy families had more.
► Many of these slaves were prisoners captured in
battle.
 Included Greeks and non-Greeks.
► Men worked on farms, in an artisan’s shop or at
hard labor.
What Was the Role of Slavery in
Athens?
► Enslaved
women were cooks and servants in
wealthy homes.
 Sometimes even taught upper class children.
► The treatment of the slaves varied.
 Those who worked in mines usually died early.
 Those who worked as craftspeople had easier
lives.
 Occasionally, they could earn money and
sometimes buy their freedom.
 It may have also played a hand in developing
Athens’ prosperous economy.
The Athenian Economy
► Farming
was a common job amongst Athenians.
 They grew grains, vegetables, and fruits
including grapes for wine and olives for olive oil
to be shipped out to foreign markets.
► Their farms lacked enough space to grow enough
food for the city-state.
 Though they grew some grain they often
imported from other places.
► They constructed a large fleet for trading with
other city-states in the Mediterranean world.
 During the 400s B.C., they led the Greek world
in trade trading items such as pottery and
leather products.
War Between Athens and Sparta
► As
time passed the Greek city-states
understood that to survive they needed to
cooperate with each other.
 Even after the Persian Wars were over the
Persians were still a threat.
 Athens had joined a defensive league to protect
its members against the Persians.
► The
league’s headquarters was first found
on an island known as Delos (DEE-LAHS),
and thus, became known as the Delian
League.
War Between Athens and Sparta
► Athens
had provided most of the sailors and
soldiers used by the Delian League.
 Other city-states provided money and ships.
► In
the following decades, they succeeded in
driving the Persians out of Anatolia.
► Freed from Persian rule, Greece grew richer
from increased overseas trade.
The Athenian Empire
► Despite
failed.
its success, the Delian League
 Athens was the strongest city-state, and most
of the league’s commanders and troops were
Athenian.
► Over
time Athens used its influence to
control other city-states.
 They were no longer an alliance of equal citystates fighting the Persians
 Instead, they were now a group of city-states
controlled by Athens.
The Athenian Empire
► Pericles’
leadership helped Athens dominate
the Delian League
 Treated the other city-states like subjects,
requiring strict loyalty and regular payment.
 He went so far as to demand they use their
measurements and coins.
► In
454 B.C., they had the Delian Leagues’
treasury moved from Delos to Athens.
► They also sent troops to other city-states to
help the common people rebel against
nobles in power.
► As
War Breaks Out
Athens grew in economic and political
power, Sparta became alarmed.
 Politically and socially Athens and Sparta were
very different and neither trusted the other.
 Both wanted to be the major power in Greece.
► Sparta
eventually became the leader of an
alliance of city-states against Athens.
 In 433 B.C., Athens began interfering with some
of Sparta’s allies which, in turn, pressured
Sparta to attack Athens.
 War broke out between 431 B.C. until 404 B.C.
Pericles’s Funeral Oration
► During
the war’s first winter, a public
funeral was held for the soldiers who fell in
battle.
 The Athenian families had gathered to mourn
their losses.
a famous speech known as the Funeral
Oration, Pericles spoke of the greatness of
Athens and reminded the people that they
made their government strong
► In
 He reminded them that people must obey their
constitution (the framework of government)
Pericles’s Funeral Oration
► Some
of the duties included paying taxes
and defending the city.
 They were also awarded certain rights, such as
the ability to vote and run for office.
“Our constitution is called a democracy
because power is in the hands of a minority
but of the whole people. When it is a
question of settling private disputes,
everyone is equal before the law…”
-Pericles, funeral Oration, quoted in History of the Peloponnesian War
► In
Pericles’s Funeral Oration
his speech, Pericles spoke emphasized
the importance of protecting a democratic
way of life.
 Urged listeners to continue fighting.
 These ideas are still valued by citizens of
democratic countries today.
Why Did Athens Lose the War?
► In
a battle after the war started, Sparta and
its allies surrounded Athens.
 They knew that in an open battle they could
defeat the Athenian army.
► Pericles
troops.
knew the weakness of the Athenian
 He chose to keep his army and people within
the walls of the city.
 The Athenian navy would bring supplies from
colonies and allies.
 Sparta lacked a navy and could not stop the
Athenian ships.
Why Did Athens Lose the War?
► For
almost two years, Athens remained
safe.
 However, a disease broke out with the
overcrowded city’s population.
 More than 1/3 of the people died, including
Pericles.
► During
the next 25 years they each would
attain some victories, but neither could
defeat the other.
Why Did Athens Lose the War?
► As
war dragged on, Athens fell into a state of
unrest.
 The democracy had been overthrown, and then that
government was overthrown.
 By 411 B.C., democracy was restored, but the war
continued.
► By
405
Sparta’s newly built navy destroyed the
Athenian fleet.
 After this, they created a blockade around Athens to
prevent it from receiving new supplies.
 A year later, the starving Athenians surrendered.
► Sparta
B.C.,
and its allies knocked the city walls down
and the Athenian empire collapsed.
► The
The Effects of the War
Peloponnesian War brought disaster to the
Greek city-states.
 Governments were left divided and weak.
 People died from battle or diseases.
 Fighting destroyed farms and left people
without a way to earn a living.
► This resulted in many young Greeks leaving to join
the Persian army.
► After the conflict, Sparta ruled over its new
empire, much like Athens did before it.
 The harsh treatment angered Sparta’s former
allies.
► An
The Effects of the War
uneasy situation developed.
 During the next 30 years, Sparta tried to put
down rebellions and fought the Persians again.
 By 371 B.C., they city-state of Thebes seized
Sparta and ended the Spartan empire.
 Then 10 years later, Thebes also collapsed.
► As
the kingdoms continued to fight they did
not pay attention to the growing threat from
Macedonia in the north.
 Macedonia’s strength and thirst for expansion
would cost the Greek city-states their
independence