Lesson 3: The Golden Age of Athens
*At the timeAthens was growing more powerful, Persia was the strongest military power in the world.
*In 490 B.C., Persia attacked the Greek mainland with a huge army. The two armies clashed at a plain northeast of Athens called Marathon.
*According to legend, after the Athenian victory, the Athenian army sent a warrior named Pheidippides back to Athens with the news. He ran 25 miles. Today, this legend is where we got the name for the longest Olympic race, the marathon.
*The Greeks knew the Persians would attack again. The Spartans and Athenians put their differences aside and prepared to fight together.
*In 480 B.C., a Greek army held off the larger Persian army for 3 days at a mountain pass north of Athens. A small force of Spartans, around 300, stood its ground until almost all the soldiers were killed.
*Then, in a mighty sea battle at Salamis, Athenian ships trapped and destroyed the Persian fleet. The invasion ended soon after. By working together, they had defeated the most powerful empire of its time.
*After this, Athens entered a period known as the Golden Age. They built magnificient new temples. Artists created statues and monuments of breathtaking beauty.
*During the Golden Age, Greek philosophers extended human knowledge. These included Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They looked for beauty and order in the world and find natural laws that explained actions in the world.
*Followers of the philosophers developed a respect for the power of reason, or logical thinking. They believed there was a explanation for why things happened not just the whims of gods and goddesses. For example, they were one of the first to study the causes of sicknesses.
*During the Golden Age, Athens became the most powerful Greek city-state. After defeating the Persians, the leaders began to act unwisely.
*They formed an alliance, an agreement to work together, called the Delian League. They forced city-states to join. It used the funds to put up public buildings. Athenian generals began to interfere in the affairs of other city-states. Other Greeks became angry and resentful.
*Sparta was the leader of those that opposed Athens. War broke out in 431 B.C. between these two. It was called the Peloponnesian War after the area of Greece where most of the fighting took place.
*Athens' greatest strength was sea power. Sparta was more of a land power. This made it hard for either one to gain a real advantage.
* A plague, or a fast-spreading, often deadly disease, broke out in Athens. It killed thousands of people, including Pericles. After his death, the government of Athens became unstable. Finally, in 404 B.C. an exhausted Athens surrendered.
*In the end of the Peloponnesian War, unemployment was high. Many young men joined his army as mercenaries, or hired soldiers.
*After so many years of war and plague, Athens was still able to regain its strength in trade. Two of Athens' greatest philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, taught and wrote in the century following the war. However, Greece was weakened by the war. The Spartans were also weak and were defeated in a battle against the Greek city of Thebes.
*Another power was rising to the north, Macedonia. They were gaining strength and great leaders.
Lesson 3: The Golden Age of Athens
*At the timeAthens was growing more powerful, ______was the strongest military power in the world.
*In 490 B.C., Persia attacked the Greek mainland with a ______- army. The two armies clashed at a plain northeast of Athens called ______.
*According to legend, after the Athenian victory, the Athenian army sent a ______named Pheidippides back to Athens with the news. He ran______miles. Today, this legend is where we got the name for the longest Olympic ______, the marathon.
*The Greeks knew the Persians would attack again. The Spartans and Athenians put their differences aside and prepared to fight ______.
*In 480 B.C., a Greek army held off the larger Persian army for ______days at a mountain pass north of Athens. A small force of Spartans, around 300, stood its ground until almost all the soldiers were ______.
*Then, in a mighty sea battle at ______, Athenian ships trapped and destroyed the Persian fleet. The invasion ended soon after. By working together, they had defeated the most ______empire of its time.
*After this, Athens entered a period known as the ______Age. They built magnificient new ______. Artists created statues and ______of breathtaking beauty.
*During the Golden Age, Greek philosophers extended ______knowledge. These included Socrates, ______, and Aristotle. They looked for beauty and order in the world and tried to find natural ______- that explained actions in the world.
*Followers of the philosophers developed a ______for the power of reason, or logical thinking. They believed there was an explanation for why things happened not just the ______of gods and goddesses. For example, they were one of the first to study the causes of ______--.
*During the Golden Age, Athens became the most powerful Greek city-state. After defeating the ______, the leaders began to act ______.
*They formed an ______, an agreement to work together, called the Delian ______. They forced city-states to join. It used the funds to put up ______buildings. Athenian generals began to interfere in the affairs of other city-states. Other Greeks became ______and resentful.
*Sparta was the leader of those that opposed ______. War broke out in 431 B.C. between these two. It was called the Peloponnesian ______after the area of Greece where most of the fighting took place.
*Athens' greatest strength was ______power. Sparta was more of a land ______. This made it hard for either one to gain a real advantage.
* A ______, or a fast-spreading, often deadly disease, broke out in Athens. It killed thousands of people, including ______. After his death, the government of Athens became ______. Finally, in 404 B.C. an exhausted Athens surrendered.
*In the end of the Peloponnesian War, ______was high. Many young men joined his army as mercenaries, or ______soldiers.
*After so many years of war and plague, Athens was still able to regain its strength in ______. Two of Athens' greatest philosophers, ______and Aristotle, taught and wrote in the century following the war. However, Greece was weakened by the war. The Spartans were also weak and were defeated in a battle against the Greek city of ______-.
*Another power was rising to the north, ______. They were gaining strength and great leaders.