Essay Examples

1. Assess the relations between the Greek world and the Persians during this period

-Period 500-440

  • Highlighted by struggle and power of control the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean

-Ionian revolt

  • Expansion of the Persian Empire

-Relations revolved around conflict

  • “Power vacuum in the Aegean”
  • The Aegean world consisted of powers without anyone able to tie them together under one influence until the Athenian Empire

-Why did the Persians invade?

-What was the aim?

-And what were the consequences?

  • The Persians attempt at spreading across into the Greek world was “forever” dented, it never happened again

-Delian league  continuation of the struggle against the Persians

  • Liberating other Greeks from Persian control
  • Providing a system of security from future Persian threats
  • Seek revenge/compensation upon the territory of the Persians of the damage caused in the wars
  • Mycale  taking the war to Asia Minor
  • Hellespont
  • Siege of Sestos

-Was resolved with the battle of Eurymedon  468

-Peace of Callias  469?

-Main source  Herodotus

-The Athenian Empire copied many of the administrative principles that the Persians used in their Empire

  • Athenian Empire and control reflected the idea that the Persians were a model for them
  • Loyal citizens  proxenoi
  • Supervisor  episcopoi

-Pivotal point of Xerxes control

  • Salamis
  • Highlights the importance of the Navy
  • Development of Naval program and Athenian vision/expansion of making herself a naval power was central to that relation

The relations between the Greek world and the Persians during the period of 500-440BC revolved around conflict.

The Greeks and the Persians first came into contact during the Ionian Revolt where the Greek settlements along the Ionian coast rebelled against Persian rule. The Greeks desire for revenge led to the Marathon campaign of 490BC. The Marathon campaign reflected the growing intention of the Persians to expand across the Aegean and Xerxes’ mission of conquest is the pivotal issue.

The impact of the relations between the Greeks and Persians was that the Athenian Empire transposed Persian methods of control upon the states that had been previously ruled by Persians.

Athens came out dominant through her transformation of the Delian League into an Athenian Empire.

Therefore the 5th century relations between the two regions are characterised by extensive, continued and consistent conflict in a competition for power. While Athens became the dominant power through the Athenian Empire, the Persian threat remained and came about again during the Peloponnesian War, to be finally resolved with Alexanders conquest of the whole state.

2. Assess the significance of the Marathon campaign for Greece and Persia

-It is clear that the 490BCE Marathon Campaign was significant for both sides

-Impacted on preparations

  • Lessons were learnt

-CONSCRIPT VS CITIZEN

-Persia

  • Political
  • Darius dies  Xerxes takes over
  • Divisions in the court  Mardonius vs. Artabanus  Manifests later at Plataea
  • An overload of Persian tactics
  • Revenge  conquest  “Land-naval collaborations”
  • Preparations  Display might and power: Ehrenburg states that this has was rather a display of technological and engineering genius
  • Grain dumps in Macedonia
  • Cutting of the Athos canal
  • Hellespont bridge
  • Military
  • 2 million men (Herodotus)
  • Plucked from all corners of the empire
  • Conscript levies  Ethiopians  Persian Immortals
  • Lightly equipped with linen tunics, wicker shields  not as effective when compared to hoplite phalanx  fighting for their homeland

-Greece

  • Political
  • The rise of Themistocles
  • Realisation that a united national defence was needed  Congress at Isthmus
  • Miltiades imprisoned
  • Military
  • The naval programme of Themistocles
  • The value of hoplites
  • 483  Laurium
  • Persians lost many men  poor tactics, different forces
  • Leadership  Miltiades
  • Social
  • Treasury of Delphi

-Naval program had a critical impact on the 480BCE invasion

-While these outcomes were significant, it was Themistocles’ development of the naval program as well as his input in organising a unified Greek resistance that was instrumental in bringing about victory at the battle of Salamis.

-Therefore, it is clear that the outcomes of the Marathon campaign were significant for the Greeks and the Persians due to the lessons learnt from the preparations underwent by both sides. These lessons enabled both sides, particularly the Persians, to develop their battle strategies

Arguments Against Greek Unity

-Sparta was recognised as leader even though it was unqualified to lead to navy

-Arguments about Salamis

  • “At each others throats”

-Delphi remained neutral and issued oracles that were not inspiring

3. Evaluate the contributions of Athens and Sparta in the defeat of Persia in 479BC

-Congress of Isthmus

  • Themistocles made a significant gesture,
  • Newfound cooperation?
  • Early 5th century politically divided
  • Power struggles
  • Degree of respect and cooperation
  • For the first time there was talk of a united defence against an external enemy

-Sparta

  • The leadership of Pausanias
  • The leadership of Leonidas
  • Commander of the navy  Eurybiades

-Athens

  • Athens naval prowess
  • The leadership of Themistocles
  • Strategy
  • Foresight
  • Naval program central to any discussion of Athens’ contribution

-Whilst both sides played distinctive roles they made equally significant contributions to Persian defeat

-It was necessary to avoid the Persians sailing to the Peloponnese and allying with the restless Helots

4. Assess the relations between Athens and Sparta during this period, 500-440BC

-Greek Unity

  • Congress of Isthmus

-Sparta  didn’t want to send troops to assist Athens

  • Marathon  didn’t turn up

-Delian League

  • Sparta gave “half” of their power to Athens

-Themistocles built up the walls

-Spartans assisted in the overthrow and invaded Athens under king Cleomenes and drove out the tyrants

  • Sparta was recognised as leader even though it was unqualified to lead to navy

-Traditional hegemony  assistance of alliance under Spartan domination

  • Allowed each state to retain their independence

-Cimon  pro-Spartan policies

-Friction despite unity  “Rollercoaster”

  • Spartan self interest
  • Isolationism
  • Power

-Vast difference between Athens and Sparta

  • Athens “School of Hellas”  different to the rest of Greece

Despite the fact that there were attempts at Greek unity, seen at the Congress, there were still multitudes of tension between the Athenians and the Spartans due to the growing Athenian Empire, which erupted in open conflicts at times.

  1. Marathon
  2. Didn’t rock up
  3. Congress
  4. 31 states
  5. Wars
  6. Tension before Plataea
  7. Salamis
  8. Heavily reliant on Athenian navy and Sparta was always lacking in sending reinforcements
  9. 5000 vs. 300
  10. Delian League
  11. Athens assuming leadership of the league
  12. Ionians looked towards Athens to assume leadership
  13. Athens building walls for protection
  14. Sparta felt “secretly aggrieved”  Thucydides
  15. Sparta would protect Athens, they didn’t need walls for protection
  16. Delian League

According to Thucydides, Thasos revolted against Athens over economic control

Spartans promised that they would assist Athens but then claimed they couldn’t due to an earthquake  Incident that highlights the emergence of the hawks within Athens

Confirmed by Cimon being sent back, Sparta didn’t trust the Athenians anymore

Pericles  first Peloponnesian War  30 year’s peace treaty, which brings about stability and agreement to return to the dual hegemony  can only exist as long as they believed they were equal

This could not go on forever, under Pericles guidance Athens, who started to encroach on Spartan allies, tipped the scale and headed towards the Peloponnesian War.

The relations between Athens and Sparta during this period are characterised by various instances of open cooperation between these two independent city states. However, a close examination of this period also highlights periods of tension and open warfare largely due to Athens’ growing power, coming into conflict with a more conservative Spartan policy.

At the outset of the 5th century, Sparta was recognised as the dominant authority and military power amongst the independent Greek states. When Miletus revolts, Aristagoras to Sparta in recognition of this importance. However, it was Athens that provided assistance in the Ionian revolt. The different outlook of Athens and Sparta are highlighted by the Marathon campaign, whereby Sparta fails to provide assistance for Athens, claiming religious festival obligations.

With Xerxes’ invasion, Athenian-Spartan relations gravitated between cooperation and disagreement.

  1. Cooperation
  2. However, cooperation often lapsed into open disagreement

Panhellenic league  continuation of the wars

The war against Persian was continued under the guidance of Spartan leadership, but control soon came under Athenian power. Pausanias was the leader but was discredited, Athens then became leader and Sparta was happy with this relationship as they were “friends” and Athens had a better Navy. Enabled a dual hegemony to develop.

This dual hegemony continued until there was a growth of dissatisfaction in Athens and Sparta with this policy by the 460s.

Helots  80% of the populations, apartheid system (minority keeping control of the majority)

Sparta’s growing concern about Athens’ rise to power, as well as fuelling a more aggressive policy in Athens under the leadership of Pericles.

It was during the 450s that open conflict finally occurred. Pericles made an alliance with Argos and other Peloponnesian states and attacked Boeotia, ending up in the first Peloponnesian War. This ended with the defeat of the Athenian land army and the signing of the 30 years peace treaty, which then maintained relative stability until Athens embarked on a further aggressive policy against Corinth and Megara.