The Greeks
 Persians had always tried
to over take the Greek citystates.
 546 BC, Cyrus took over
the Ionians (colonies along
Asia minor coast)
 Ionians soon revolted
 Persians lost control.
 499 BC Darius re-took the
Ionians
 The Persians wanted all of
Greece to pay.
 488 BC, Darius tried to
invade by land but failed.
 Their supply ships were
destroyed in a storm at sea.
 2 yrs later they landed about
20,000 troops about 25 miles
from Athens. (Battle of
Marathon)
 Greeks only had 10,000
troops ready.
 Greeks did not attack right
away.
 Persians got tired waiting
and started to load on to
ships.
Greeks attacked while Persians were
loading.
 Terrible loss for the Persians
 Pheidippides was sent to
Athens to deliver a message
of victory.
 Ran about 280 miles in
the past four days.
 Died after he delivered
the message NIKE.
 Xerxes, ten years later, invaded
by land.
 200,000 Persians, supplied by
ships off shore.
 Greeks needed time to build
more ships.
 About 7,000 Greeks met the
Persians at Thermopylae.
 300 Spartans led by King
Leonidas
 The Greeks were betrayed and
were surrounded
 All of the Spartans died but one
 Gave Greece enough time to
prepare ships for battle.
 The Greeks lured the
Persian fleet into the
straits of Salamis.
 Shallow water made it hard
for the Persians to maneuver.
 Greeks had faster more
maneuverable ships.
 Destroyed almost all of the
Persian fleet.
 Persian army had to retreat
 No more supplies.
 The Athenians were the
political power in Greece.
 For most of the Golden Age
they were led by Pericles.
 He ruled for more than 30
yrs.
 He is responsible for most of
Athens advances and
buildings.
 He wanted Athens to stand
for what was best in Greek
Civilization.
 The threat from Persia was
not over
 Athens persuaded most of
the city-states to ally against
the Persians.
 Sparta did not ally.
 The alliance was known as
the Delian League
 Athens provided most of the
army and navy
 Others city-states supplied
the gold to build the ships
etc.
 Others city-states supplied the gold to
build the ships etc.
 Pericles began to dominate other citystates internal affairs.
 Had to adopt Athenian coinage
system.
 Turned into an Athenian Empire.
 Sparta was the main anti-Athenian rival.
 The war lasted from 431 to 404 BC.
 Athens could outlast Sparta because they had no navy.
 Sparta made an agreement with the Persia.
 Sparta could then build ships and Persia would get the Ionian
states back.
 This was followed by a outbreak of typhus.
 Killed Pericles
 Sparta eventually defeated Athens.
 Sparta took over role of leader in Greece.
 Did not do well, very in-flexible.
 Thebes eventually defeated the Spartans.
 Thebes was also not a good leader
 The fighting continued
 Greece was ready for a new leader (A Macedonian)