Chapter 3

• 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