Golden Age in Athens

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What comes to mind when you hear “Golden Age”?

• Wealth

• Glory

• Advances in arts

• Advances in technology

How Athens ….

•Citizens still votedCitizens still voted

•Still gathered at Still gathered at acropolis and agoraacropolis and agora

•Each summer held Each summer held festival to honor festival to honor AthenaAthena

•Used Navy to become leader Used Navy to become leader in Greek affairs in Greek affairs

•gained wealth through tradegained wealth through trade

•Acropolis had new buildings to Acropolis had new buildings to show increased wealth and show increased wealth and powerpower

•Built a marble temple to Built a marble temple to Athena called Parthenon-ruins Athena called Parthenon-ruins still there todaystill there today

•By 460 B.C. Athens is the By 460 B.C. Athens is the leading city-state in Greeceleading city-state in Greece

Parthenon-ruinsParthenon-ruins

Government• Athens was a democracy

• An assembly of citizens voted on issues that concerned the city

• citizens- some men; no women or slaves

• Assembly- lawmaking body of government

• Athens one of the first do have this

Key People

PERICLES-

SOCRATES-

PLATO-

PHILIP II-

Pericles• leader of Athens around 450 B.C.

• made sure all citizens could take part in government

• Any citizen could be in assembly or serve on a jury- arranged for them to be paid

• This allowed even

poor people to take

part in government

SOCRATES•Teacher of philosophy in Teacher of philosophy in the middle 400’s B.C.the middle 400’s B.C.

•Angered some by Angered some by questioning laws, questioning laws, customs, and religioncustoms, and religion

•Brought to trial in 399 Brought to trial in 399 B.C. for “urging Athens’ B.C. for “urging Athens’ young people to revolt”young people to revolt”

•Sentenced to deathSentenced to death

PLATO

Greek philosopher and student of Socrates

PHILIP II-• King of Macedonia• Father of Alexander the

Great• Conquered Greece in 338

B.C• Developed idea of Developed idea of

phalanxes- small fighting phalanxes- small fighting unitsunits

• His armies used 18 ft spears His armies used 18 ft spears and depended on soldiers on and depended on soldiers on horseback more than on foot horseback more than on foot soldiers in combatsoldiers in combat

phalanxesphalanxes

Effects of the Golden Age• Creation of the

Peloponnesian League-

(Sparta and its’ allies)

Effects of the Golden Age• Sparta- Jealous and fearful of the power of

Athens

• Sparta and allies attack Athens in 431 B.C.,

• Start of The Peloponnesian War

The Peloponnesian War

Major Events

• Pericles orders Athenians inside the city walls- acropolis

• Spartans destroy farmland to try to starve out Athenians, but Navy keeps bringing grain to city

• Nobody can gain an advantage--- leads to great loss of life on both sides

The War Ends• Athens wins sea battles and Sparta wins land battles• Plague breaks out in Athens-1/3 of population dies,

including Pericles= no strong leader for Athens• New leaders make mistakes-attack island of Sicily=

big loss of life and weakening of Navy• Spartans cut off food supply from Black Sea farmers

and Athens faced starvation • Allies left them and defeat was near--- surrendered in

404 B.C.

End of Golden Age• Other Greek city-states jealous and fearful

of Athen’s power

• After 27 years of fighting…

Athens surrenders to Sparta

Greece gets taken over by Macedonia!Constant warfare among the Greek city-Constant warfare among the Greek city-states left them open to attack!states left them open to attack!

Philip II organized a powerful army and Philip II organized a powerful army and made some changes in battle tactics!made some changes in battle tactics!

-Gave soldiers 18 ft. spears-Gave soldiers 18 ft. spears-Organized army into phalanxes, or -Organized army into phalanxes, or small unitssmall units-Used cavalry- soldiers on -Used cavalry- soldiers on horsebackhorseback

The Greek Times www.dailynews.com THE WORLD’S FAVORITE NEWSPAPER -338 B.C.

Democracy• citizens vote• First developed in Athens• Developed because poorer Athenian citizens began to demand a

voice in their government. • In first democracy every citizen was allowed to vote• Held large meetings to discuss and vote on important issues• Pay given to those participating in the government• Had assembly and juries• Citizens= men who were at least 18 years old• Not citizens= women, men under 18, and slaves

FAIR• Included rich and

poor• People could

speak their minds• All citizens could

participate• Peacefully settled

disputes• Age restrictions• Paid for service

UNFAIR• Only some men could vote• No women’s rights• Limited citizenship• Slavery• Money and power still had

advantages