Chapter 3

Cards (268)

  • Classical Age
    c.600-323 BC
  • Some historians refer to this period as "The Golden Age" of the Greeks
  • This period saw the development of democracy in Athens around the 6th century BC
  • The "Golden Age" was formed in a crucible of fire, with many tragic events taking place during this period
  • The Peloponnesian War of 430-404 BC tragically culminated the long rivalry of Athens and Sparta and greatly weakened both cities, especially Athens
  • The devastating plague that befell Athens in 430 BC and lasted two years carried off one-third of its population, including Perikles
  • Solon
    Introduced democratic reforms in Athens
  • Peisistratos
    Benevolent tyrant who ruled Athens from 561 to 527 BC
  • Kleisthenes
    Reorganized the Athenian state and broadened the application of power, establishing true representation of the people in government for the first time in history
  • Athens and Sparta were close rivals both before and during the Persian Wars
  • Delian League
    Confederacy created in 478-477 BC with Athens as its leader, including many Greek cities in addition to those of Asia Minor
  • Athens was gradually turning the Delian League alliance into an empire
  • Perikles
    Provided the leadership qualities that developed and brought together the political, financial, and cultural attributes that made Athens the unparalleled and unforgettable classical civilization
  • Perikles' building program transformed Athens into a beautiful and inspiring city
  • Prominent individuals of the Periklean Age
    • Anaxagoras
    • Hippodamos
    • Herodotos
    • Hippocrates
    • Protagoras
    • Pindar
  • Perikles kept the Delian League members together under Athens' leadership, even after Persia was no longer a threat and in spite of Spartan rivalry
  • The revolt of Samos in 441 BC, which for a time threatened to bring the Persians back into the Aegean, was severely punished by Athens
  • The Peloponnesian War, which began in 431 BC, and the devastating plague of 430 brought tragedy and an end to the Golden Age of Athens
  • Athens' point of view
    Keeping the league members together under her leadership, even after Persia was no longer a threat and in spite of Spartan rivalry
  • Certain court proceedings were reserved to be heard in Athens, which contributed to Athens' hold on the other city-states
  • A coinage law passed in 450 BC attempted to unify the currency among League members
  • While Athens was always helpful to cooperating members, she was harsh to rebellious ones
  • The revolt of Samos in 441 BC threatened to bring the Persians back into the Aegean on the island's side, but Athens prevailed after a long siege, and Samos was severely punished
  • The bitter consequences of the Samian revolt were not forgotten by the other members
  • The plague raged in Athens for two years, and about one-third of the Athenians died of it
  • Perikles was removed from office in the late summer of 430 BC, everyone blaming him for the war and other accumulated grievances, and even for the plague
  • Although he was brought back again in the spring of 429, he had already contracted the plague himself and died of it three months later
  • The Parthenon, crowning the hill of Akropolis in the center of Athens, is the greatest symbol of classical Greece
  • The existing Parthenon owes its existence to the Persians, who, invading Athens in 480 BC, destroyed the buildings that had originally stood over the Akropolis
  • Perikles decided to raise a new, magnificent temple to Athena, the city's patron-goddess, as a symbol of the revival of Athens
  • Pheidias, the most famous sculptor at the time, was appointed to be in charge of planning and overseeing the project, and Iktinos and Kallikrates were named as the architect-builders
  • The material used throughout was white marble, from the quarry of Mount Pentelikon, 11 miles (18 kilometers) to the northeast of the city
  • The Classical Age
    (c.600-323 BC)
  • Some historians refer to this period as "The Golden Age" of the Greeks
  • This period saw the introduction of democracy around the 6th century BC to a people who had been ruled by kings and oligarchs for many centuries
  • The "Golden Age" was formed in a crucible of fire, with numerous small wars between city-states, Persian invasions, the Peloponnesian War, and a devastating plague
  • Despite the turmoil, the rich creativity of the period and the development of democratic government in Athens under Solon has remained as its legacy
  • Solon
    Introduced democratic reforms in Athens
  • Solon exiled himself from Athens for 10 years to allow his democratic reforms to become established on their own merit
  • Peisistratos seized power in Athens in 561 BC, but did not change Solon's reforms and even encouraged them