THE GOLDEN AGE

Chapter 8 - Lesson 3

OBJECTIVES:

Learn why Greek City-States became allies

during the Persian War.

Analyze how Pericles improved Athenian

Democracy.

Study the achievements of Athens Golden Age.

Evaluate the cause and affect of the

Peloponnesian War.

KEY CONTENT

Athens and other Greek City-States defeated the Persian Army, which led to the Golden Age of Classical Greek civilization, from 490 to 390 B.C.

Athenian leader Pericles initiated democratic reforms and supported the arts.

The Golden Age ended after Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War.

Great philosophers in Athens, such as Socrates and Plato, brought new ways of thinking to the world.

WHAT IS THE GOLDEN AGE?

Historians use the phrase

“Golden Age” to describe

the time when people or

civilization’s art,

architecture, literature,

and science is at its best.

The Golden Age existed

in the Classical Greek

civilization for about 100

years (a century) from

490 B.C. to 390 B.C.

THE PERSIAN WARS

For hundreds of years

the Greek city-states

fought over land and

trade.

Who was the common enemy

that brought the Greek people

together?

In the beginning of the

500’s B.C. the city-states

came together due to a

common enemy.

THE PERSIAN EMPIRE

During the century that the city-states were fighting with each other for land and trading, the Persians were building a huge empire.

This Persian Empire included:

Assyria

Babylonia

Egypt

& the Greek city-states in Asia Minor.

In 490 B.C., the Persian king, Darius I decided to try to invade Greece’s mainland (The Balkan and Peloponnesus Peninsula).

Darius I,

the king of

the Persian

Empire.

THE PERSIAN EMPIRE

THE PERSIAN WARS: BATTLE OF MARATHON

Athens vs Persians

Location: plain of

Marathon

Winner: Athens

Date: 490 B.C.

Fact: A messenger

ran from Marathon

to Athens to report

the amazing victory.

THE PERSIAN WARS: BATTLE OF SALAMIS

Greek city-states vs Persians

Location: At sea near the island of Salamis and on land at Plataea.

Winner: Greek city-states

Date: 480 B.C.

Fact: The Persian forces, outnumbered the Greeks, yet the Greek still won.

THE GREEK LEAGUES

Peloponnesian League

Lead by Sparta.

Consists of southern city-

states in the

Peloponnesus peninsula.

Delian League

Lead by Athens

Consists of city-states

from Attica, Asia Minor,

and some of the Aegean

Islands.

THE AGE OF PERICLES

Athens was led by

Pericles during the time

of the Golden Age.

Pericles was a relative of

Cleisthenes, the Athenian

leader who had taken

governing authority away

from the aristocracy and

given it to the city-state’s

assembly.

After the Persian War,

Pericles wanted to

continue making reforms

to the Athenian democracy.

Pericles was

a member of

the city-

state’s

wealthy ruling

class.

THE AGE OF PERICLES

In 460 B.C., Pericles

was elected as a leader

in the Athenian

Government.

Over the next 30 years,

Pericles made many

changes to the Athenian

government.

How did Pericles change

government in Athens?

He introduced pay for

public officials.

He opened offices to male

citizens in all classes.

- Pericles

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE GOLDEN AGE

Pericles was a patron of learning, the arts, and writing.

He hired the best architects and artists to build and decorate temples, theaters, and other public buildings.

The beauty of the city of Athens became an important cultural center.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE GOLDEN AGE

Writers: Herodotus

An early historian

Sophocles

Wrote tragedies which

were serious plays with

unhappy endings.

Aristophanes

Wrote comedies which

were plays design to make

people laugh.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE GOLDEN AGE

During the Golden Age,

scientist studied nature

and human life.

Some of there research

changed the way people

viewed there world.

One the greatest

scientists at the time was

Hippocrates.

He proved that illnesses

came from natural causes.

People at that time

believed that illnesses

were punishment from the

Greek Gods.

Hippocrates is best

remembered for this “rules

of behavior” that he wrote

for doctors known as the

Hippocrates Oath.

This oath is still used today

by doctors.

THE END OF THE GOLDEN AGE

What events brought to

the end of the Golden

Age?

The Peloponnesian War

The Plague

The Rise of demagogues

THE END OF THE GOLDEN AGE: PELOPONNESIAN WAR

Pericles wanted to make Athens not only the “ school of Greece” but also the most powerful city-states

As a result he started conquering lands in Egypt .

He also forces his allies from the Delian League to pay tribute as a price for peace and protection.

The Spartans did not like the that Athens was growing in power, so they cut off friendly relations.

In 431 B.C. Sparta and the Peloponnesus League went to war against Athens and the Delian League.

This was the start of the Peloponnesian war.

THE END OF THE GOLDEN AGE: THE PLAGUE

In 430 B.C. , still during

the Peloponnesian war,

a plague spread out in

Athens.

It killed many people

including ¼ of the

Athenian army and

Pericles himself.

THE END OF THE GOLDEN AGE: DEMAGOGUES

These new leaders

made promises they

could not keep and as a

result the led the

assembly to make poor

decisions.

These decisions began

to weaken the city-state

of Athens.

For the next 27 years,

the Peloponnesian and

Delian Leagues fought

each other.

Since Pericles was no

longer alive, the people

of Athens and its

assembly started

following demagogues.

END OF THE GOLDEN AGE

Since the Athenians

were no longer strong

enough to be in power,

Athens surrendered to

Sparta in the

Peloponnesian War.

Sparta quickly replaced

the Athenian democracy

with an Oligarchy like

their own.

The Athenians were not

happy with the new

system and soon

rebelled.

For a short time Athens

returned to a democracy

once again.

This was the end of the

Peloponnesian war.

THE GREEK PHILOSOPHERS

After the war, there

were still name great

thinkers and teachers in

Athens

These great thinkers

and teachers were

called Philosophers.

Philosopher means

“lover of wisdom” in

Greek.

One of the philosopher,

Socrates called himself

“gadfly”, after an insect

that bites horses and

makes them jump.

THE GREEK PHILOSOPHERS: SOCRATES

Socrates used criticism of the government to “sting” Athenians into thinking about life and the best way to live.

This criticism would have been welcomed during the time of Pericles, but instead it annoyed the new leaders of Athens.

THE GREEK PHILOSOPHERS: SOCRATES

In 399 B.C. an Athenian

court met to discuss

how they will react to

Socrates words of

criticism.

The Court found

Socrates guilty of

teaching dangerous

ideas to the city’s young

people.

The Court ordered

Socrates to end his own

life by drinking poison.

Though all of Socrates’s

followers, friends and

family wanted him to live,

he felt that it was

important for all citizens

to obey the law, so he

drank the poison.