Aeschylus & Athens
‘Dark Ages’Archaic PeriodClassical Athens 700 BCE Hesiod Aeschylus Works & Days Oresteia development of city-states (poleis)
c. 725?Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days ARCHAIC development of city-states 508-7Cleisthenes reforms Athenian democracy Greeks defeat two invasions by Persians 463-1Ephialtes reforms Athenian democracy 458Aeschylus wins first prize with Oresteia CLASSICAL
490-80Greeks defeat two invasions by Persians 470’srise of Athenian naval power AEGEAN
477Athens founds the Delian League 469Athens forces Naxos to remain in the League Naxos
Eurymedon 477Athens founds the Delian League 469Athens forces Naxos to remain in the League 468Athens defeats the Persian navy at the Eurymedon River
An Athenian Empire
The Athenian Acropolis
Temple of Virgin Athena (“Parthenon”)
Cult Statue of Virgin Athena (“Athena Parthenos”) NIKE
Rise of Ephialtes and establishment of “Periclean democracy” court on the Areopagus (“Hill of Ares”) restricted to homicide cases all criminal cases decided by a randomly selected jury equal access to all political offices 458Aeschylus wins first prize with Oresteia
retribution
deliberation