The Golden Age of Athens

The Greeks Clash with the Persians

You already know about the Persian Empire. At the time, Athens was growing more powerful, Persia was the strongest military power in the world.

In 490 BC, Persia attacked the Greek mainland with a huge army. The two armies clashed at a plain northeast of Athens called Marathon.

According to legend, after the Athenian victory, the Athenian army sent a warrior named Pheidippides back to Athens with the news. He ran the entire distance—25 miles.

Today, we remember this legend in the name of the longest Olympic race—the marathon.

The Greeks knew the Persians would attack again with an even larger army. To survive, Spartans and Athenians put aside their differences and prepared to fight the Persians together.

In 480 BC, a Greek army held off a much larger Persian army for three days at a mountain pass north of Athens. A small force that included 300 Spartans stood its ground until almost all its soldiers were killed.

Then, in a mighty sea battle at Salamis, Athenian ships trapped and destroyed the Persian fleet. The Persian invasion ended soon afterwards.

In 479 BC, Athens and Sparta, working together, had defeated the most powerful empire of its time.

Stop and Ask

Which two enemies worked together to defeat the Persians?

The Golden Age

After the defeat of the Persians in 479 BC, Athens entered a period known as the Golden Age. New temples were built

Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle extended human knowledge. They searched for beauty and order in the world and tried to find natural laws that explained actions in the world. Philosophers had a respect for the power of reason.

Greek physicians studied causes of illness.

Stop and Ask

Why is the period after the defeat of the Persians considered a “golden age” for Athens?

What did Greek philosophers believe?

The Greeks Fight Against Each Other

During its Golden Age, Athens became the most powerful Greek city-state.

After the defeat of Persia, the leaders of Athens formed the Delian League. This was an alliance. Some city-states were forced to join.

Athenian generals began interfering in the affairs of other city-states, so other Greeks became angry and resentful.

Sparta became the leader of the city-states opposed to Athens.

In 431 BC, war broke out between Athens and Sparta. It was called the Peloponnesian War.

Athens great strength was sea power. Sparta was more of a land power.

A plague broke out in Athens. It killed thousands of people, including Pericles. After Pericles’ death, the government of Athens became unstable and surrendered.

Stop and Ask

What was the major reason for Sparta’s victory over Athens?

Decline of the Greek City-States

By the end of the Peloponnesian War, Greece had fallen on hard times. War had taken its toll.

The once victorious Sparta was defeated in a battle against the Greek city-state of Thebes.

Meanwhile, another power was rising to the north: Macedonia. A great leader was soon to emerge.

Stop and Ask

Why was Sparta so weak even though it was victorious in the Peloponnesian War?