1. The Expansion of Greece
Ch. 5 Sec. 5
The Expansion of Greece

2. The Persian Wars
Lasted from 500B.C. to 479B.C.
Athens decided to help the Greeks in Asia Minor rebel against the Persians

3. The Persian ruler, Darius, crushed the Greeks w/ ease, but also wanted to punish Athens for helping
490B.C. Persians invaded Greece & outnumbered the Greeks
The Greeks still defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon

4. 480B.C. Darius’s son, Xerxes, led the Persians against the Greeks again
At the Battle of Thermopylae the Persians had to go through a narrow mountain pass
They fought to the last soldier, but the Persians won

6. It was here that 300 Spartans held their ground for 3 days despite being outnumbered
The Persians then went on to Athens, but Themistocles, Athen’s leader, emptied the city & the city was destroyed

7. Themistocles tricked Xerxes into the narrow straits of Salamis
The Persian navy was larger than the Greek fleet, but the Greek ships were more maneuverable & defeated the Persians
479B.C. the Spartans & Athenians defeated the Persians at Platea & ended the Persian Wars

9. Results
Asia Minor was free from Persian rule
The Athenians rebuilt their city & entered a period of great cultural achievement
The threat of the Persians was still there, so Athens set up the Delian League, which was an alliance of city-states(140) w/ Athens as the leader

10. The Age of Pericles
Pericles was the leader of Athens from 461B.C. to 429B.C.

11. Athens reached its peak of power & wealth
This time period is called the Age of Pericles
Democracy reached its height; all male citizens except lower class could hold public office; officholders were paid a salary & were chosen by lot so no one had an advantage

12. Pericles extended the Athenian empire by establishing colonies in rebellious areas
The Athenian navy kept the Persians out of the Aegean Sea
The Athenians system of weights & measures became standard throughout the empire

13. Members of the Delian League reaped the benefits, but lost their independence—Athens made all the decisions for the league
Pericles moved the league’s treasury to Athens & used it for the good of Athens
Plus, he forced other city-states to join the league

14. The Peloponnesian War
The war began in 431 B.C.
Sparta had the stronger army & they advanced first
The Athenians stayed inside the city’s walls, but a plague broke out killing many including Pericles

16. The war went on for 27 yrs.
Sparta received help from Persia to cut off food supply to Athens; they did & Athens surrendered in 404 B.C.
After the war, Sparta & Thebes tried to control Greece, but they failed as well