1. Ancient Greece
Battle of Salamis
480 B.C.E.

2. Essential Standards
6.G.1 Understand geographic factors that influenced the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions (i.e. Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas) over time.
6.C&G.1Understand the development of government in various civilizations, societies and regions.

3. Clarifying Objectives
6.G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of culture).
6.G.1.3 Compare distinguishing characteristics of various world regions (e.g., physical features, culture, political organization and ethnic make-up).
6.C&G.1.1 Explain the origins and structures of various governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy).

4. Essential Questions
Which NATURAL BARRIER did Themistocles to defeat the Persians in the Battle of Salamis?
Why would the Athenians choose to live in a region that had NATURAL BARRIERS?
How does the region of Greece’s physical features help Ancient Greece in their famous battles?
What is a DEMOCRACY?

5. Greek Trireme Ships Ancient Greece’s secret weapon
Greek war ships that were made from Oak…
Light
Fast
Easy to Steer
7:04-7:54

6. Admiral Themistocles Admiral Themistocles was a Greek sea captain
He was the leader of the Greek Navy
He was the last chance for Ancient Greece to fend off the Persians

7. Persians were Coming
Persians had made it past Leonidas & his 300 men and were coming straight for Athens
A decision had to be made to stay in Athens and fight or to run to escape the Persians

8. Delphi
An Oracle was a person that the Greek God communicated to humans through
Delphi was a mountain where the Oracle lived
Oracles were usually young women that had been heavily drugged
Oracles were often consulted before an important decision was made

9. Delphi
Athenians always consulted the Oracle per cultural tradition before they went to battle to see if it is a good idea or not
When asked the Oracle replied “the walls of wood will remain unsacked”

10. Athenians were Afraid Athenians wanted to run to the Island of Salamis
Themistocles however called them cowards and said the “walls of wood” were the ships he had built
Nobody believed him and they all left Athens to seek nearby protection on the island of Salamis

11. Athens Burns
Persians attacked from the North after their finally getting through the mountains at Thermopylae
They reached Athens and nobody was there
They burned the whole city all the way to the ground
Xerxes was victorious

12. Finishing the Greeks
Not satisfied with burning down Athens Xerxes wanted to finish the Greeks
He took his ships and sailed to the bay of Salamis to finish the Greeks

13. Admiral Themistocles Admiral Themistocles takes charge
He begins by organizing all of the Greek Trireme Ships
Then he sends one of his slaves to Xerxes to tell him that the Greeks were about to run

14. Xerxes falls for the Trick
Instead of attacking that day Xerxes sets up his ships to cut off all escape routes so the Greeks cannot escape
He spends the night blocking all escape routes
This tired out all the Persian sailors

15. Xerxes Climbs a Hill
Xerxes so confident in final victory climbs a hill to watch the battle from above
All of Xerxes Naval Captains advise him to attack the Greeks except one
The only woman Naval Captain Artemisia warned not to attack the Greeks

16. Queen Artemisia
Queen Artemisia was the only woman Naval Commander that the Persians had
She was a Greek Queen who had been captured by Xerxes Army and forced to fight for them
She knew that Greek Naval strategies & knew that it was not a good idea to attack

17. Xerxes Attacks Xerxes attacks sailing into the strait of Salamis
That is where the Greek Navy waits for him
Xerxes is quickly trapped and even though he has 3 times as many ships they cannot move

18. Essential Questions Get with a partner and answer…
Which NATURAL BARRIER did Themistocles to defeat the Persians in the Battle of Salamis?
Why would the Athenians choose to live in a region that had NATURAL BARRIERS?
How does the region of Greece’s physical features help Ancient Greece in their famous battles?

19. Gridlocked
Xerxes ships become Gridlocked and they cannot move without smashing into another one of his ships
Themistocles surrounds Xerxes ships and annihilates them

20. Ancient Greece wins at Salamis
Themistocles & Ancient Greece wins at Salamis
A furious but defeated Xerxes realizes that Greece will never be his
Greece has kept their independence from the largest Empire of Earth

21. With Victory comes Culture
Greece is able to keep their culture intact
They are able to keep their Democratic Government intact
Greece’s culture shapes the future culture of all the Western World

22. Essential Questions Get with a partner and answer…
What is a DEMOCRACY?

23. Important Points
6.G.1.1 (Natural Barriers) Themistocles uses the Strait of Salamis as a Natural Barrier to protect his ships and force Persia’s ships into gridlock
6.G.1.3 (distinguishing characteristic of regions [physical features]) Most of Greece has mountains which played an important role in Ancient Greece’s famous battles
6.C&G.1.1 (Democracy) Ancient Greece is the birthplace of democracy where the people/citizens vote on decisions