The Golden Age Chapter 8 - Lesson 3

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 In the beginning of the 500’s B.C. the city-states came together due to a common enemy. For hundreds of years the Greek city-states fought over land and trade. Who was the common enemy that brought the Greek people together? Persia.

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 Delian League Lead by Sparta. Consists of southern city-states. Delian League Lead by Athens Consists of city-states from Attica, Asia Minor, and some of the Aegean Islands.

The Age of Pericles 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. Athens was led by Pericles during the time of the Golden Age. 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.

“No one is prevented from being of service to the state because of being poor.” - Pericles

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

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.