1. Ancient Greece Unit 3: Democracy and Greece’s Golden Age
World History Core

2. Cultural Interaction
Democratic principles and classical culture flourished during Greece’s golden age.

3. Why is it important today?!?!?
At its height, Greece set lasting standards in art, politics, literature, and philosophy that are still influential today.

4. Setting the Stage…….
For 50 years ( BC) Athens grew intellectually and artistically = Golden Age of Athens
Achievements in:
Drama
Sculpture
Poetry
Philosophy
Architecture
Science

5. Pericles’ Plan for Athens
leader of Athens through Golden Age
BC, aka Age of Pericles
3 GOALS
(1) strengthen democracy
(2) hold and strengthen empire
(3) glorify Athens

6. Political power exercised by citizens Three branches of government
Athenian Democracy
US Democracy
Both
Citizens: Born in US or completed citizenship process
Representatives elected to propose and vote on laws
Elected President
Executive branch made up of elected and appointed officials
Juries composed of 12 jurors
Defendants and plaintiffs have attorneys; on appeals process
Political power exercised by citizens
Three branches of government
Legislative branch passes laws
Executive branch carries out laws
Judicial branch conducts trial with paid jurors
Citizens: male, 18 years old, born of citizen parents
Laws voted on and proposed directly by assembly of all citizens
Leader chosen by lot
Executive branch composed of a council of 500 men
Juries varied in size
No attorneys; no appeals, one-day trials

7. GOAL 1: Strengthen Democracy
Increased # of paid public officials
Having paid officials meant even poor could serve if elected or chosen by lot
Direct Democracy: form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

8. Important Question??????
How accurate do you think Pericles’ statement that Athenian democracy was in the hands of the “whole people”?

9. Goal 2: Hold and Strengthen Empire
Delian League formed after Persian War. Athens took over leadership = dominated all city-states in it
Used $$$ from League to build up Athenian Navy
Athens needed trade (waterways) to obtain grain and raw materials to support the city-state
Athens military strength=Pericles treated members of league as part of an empire
Peloponnesus city-states resisted (Ex. Sparta)

10. Goal 3: Glorify Athens Used $$$ from League to make Athens beautiful
Convinced Assembly to buy gold, ivory, and marble with funds
More $$$ was also needed to contract artist, architects, and workers

11. Glorious Art and Architecture
Goal: Greatest Greek artists/architects to glorify Athens
PARTHENON = center of his plans

12. Architecture and Sculpture: Parthenon
Parthenon (temple)
23,000 sq foot building in tradition Greek design
Built to honor Athena (Goddess of wisdom and protector of Athens)
Statue of Athena inside 30 ft tall

13. Architecture and Sculpture: Sculptors
Graceful, strong, and perfect (ideal beauty)
Faces only show serenity (no other emotion)

14. Architecture and Sculptures: Classical Art
Classical Art: ancient Greece ideal, in which harmony, order, and proportion were emphasized

15. Drama and History
Greeks invented drama as an art form and built the 1st theaters
Civic Pride and Honor to Gods
Wealthy put on productions
Plays showed leadership, justice, and duties owed to Gods

16. Tragedy Serious drama about love, hate, war, and/or betrayal
Tragic hero: important figure and gifted with extraordinary ability
Tragic flaw: hero’s downfall
Sophocles: wrote 100 plays, Oedipus the King
Euripides: Medea

17. Comedy Scenes with slapstick comedy and crude humor
Made fun of politics and respected people
Satire:
Aristophanes: Lysistrata in which women of Athens try to force their husbands to end the Peloponnesian War

18. History
Recap: Dorian Age, no written records…had works of Homer, but not considered accurate
Herodotus: a Greek, living in Athens, pioneered accurate reporting
Book on Persian War = 1st history book
Thucydides: believed certain events and political situations recur over time = important to write events down

19. Important Question?????
Do you think that Thucydides was right in his assertion that history sometimes repeats itself??? YES OR NO…..

20. Athenians and Spartans Go to WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Athens = power, prestige, and power = other city-states hostility
SPARTA!!!
Sparta declared war in 431 BC

21. Important Question?????
What might have been Pericles’ goals in the Peloponnesian War?

22. Peloponnesian War Athens = Navy Sparta = Army
Pericles’ Strategy: avoid land battles and wait for a sea opportunity
Sparta marched into Athens territory
Pericles had no other choice but to bring people into city walls
City safe from hunger as long as ships could come into ports
2nd year of war PLAGUE outbreak in Athens, killing 1/3rd of population and PERICLES!!!
Athens still continued to fight for several years
421 BC signed a truce (worn out by war)

23. Important Question?????
Why might the plague that struck Athens in the second year of the war have been so devastating???

24. Sparta Gains VICTORY!
Peace did not last, 415 BC Athens sent fleet to Syracuse (Sicily) to destroy them, one of the greatest allies of Sparta
Ended in crushing defeat in 413 BC
Athens, weak and few, continued to fight for nine more years
404 BC Athenians surrendered
Lost empire, power, and wealth

25. Philosophers Search for TRUTH!
After war = time of doubt and uncertainty = rise of great thinkers
Determined to seek truth
Philosophers = “lovers of wisdom”
Based philosophy on 2 assumptions:
(1) The universe is put together in an orderly way, subject to absolute and unchanging laws
(2) Understand laws through logic and wisdom

26. Important Question?????
Why would philosophers start question traditional beliefs at this particular time in Athenian history????

27. Socrates Absolute standards did exist for truth and justice
Question yourself and moral character
“The unexamined life is not worth living”
399 BC, age 60, trial for “corrupting youth of Athens” and “neglecting the city’s Gods”
His defense: teachings good for Athens, because forced people to think about their actions and values
Condemned to death, drinking hemlock

28. Important Question?????
How does the trail of Socrates reflect on Athenian democracy???

29. Plato Student of Socrates
370 BC wrote The Republic, set forth vision of a perfectly governed society
Not democracy
All citizens fall naturally into 3 groups
(1) farmers and artisans
(2) warriors
(3) ruling class
Person with greatest insight and intellect from ruling class would e chosen as philosopher-king

30. IMPORTANT QUESTION???
Why wasn’t Plato put to death if he was doing the same thing as Socrates was?!?!?

31. Aristotle Student of Plato
Questioned nature of world and of human belief, thought, and knowledge
Invented method of arguing according to rules of logic
Invented basis of scientific method used today
Famous pupil Alexander the Great (more information to follow….)

32. Socrates
Alexander the Great
Raphael
Plato
Aristotle

33. TERMS, defined……
Direct Democracy: form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representation
Classical Art: ancient Greece, in which harmony, order, and proportion were emphasized
Tragedy: serious drama about love, hate, war, and/or betrayal
Comedy: Scenes with slapstick comedy and crude humor
Peloponnesian War: Sparta v. Athens
Socrates: philosopher, “the unexamined life is not worth living”, developed Socratic method of teaching, sentenced to death by drinking hemlock
Plato: philosopher, student of Socrates, The Republic was his vision of perfect government
Aristotle: philosopher, student of Plato, invented basis of scientific method and classifying plants and animals, most famous student was Alexander the Great