The Rise and Fall of Ancient Greece

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Greece

The Battle of Thermopylae

Introduction of Democracy

in Athens

In 510 B.C., a new type of government is established in Athens. This government is known as a "Democracy." A democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives.

The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place simultaneously with the naval battle at Artemisium, in August or September 480 BC, at the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae. Xerxes had amassed a huge army and navy, and set out to conquer all of Greece. A Greek force of approximately 7,000 men marched north to block the pass in the summer of 480 BC. The Persian army numbered over 100,000 too 300,000. The vastly outnumbered Greeks held off the Persians for seven days before the rear-guard was annihilated in one of history's most famous last stands, the battle of "300".

The Peloponnesian War

The Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Unfortunatly for Athens, Sparta won the war.

Development of the first Greek Alphabet

Somewhere between 850 - 700 BC the development of the first Greek alphabet began. If the Greeks had not decided to create this form of comunication, the Romans would have not evolved that alphabet into their own writings. This would have caused a completely different form of writing in todays' english culture.

Plato Founds the Academy

The Battle of Marathon

In 386 B.C., Plato founds the Academy. This is a significant event in the late Ancient Greek history. The great philosopher Aristotle would attend the Academy, who then in the coming years tutor Alexander the Great.

The Battle of Salamis

In September of 490 BC a Persian armada of 600 ships disgorged an invasion force of approximately 20,000 infantry and cavalry on Greek soil just north of Athens. Undaunted by the numerical superiority of the invaders, Athens mobilized 10,000 hoplite warriors to defend their territory. The two armies met on the Plain of Marathon twenty-six miles north of Athens. Even though the Greeks were out numbered, they charged toward the Persians.

In the ensuing melee, the middle of the Greek line weakened and gave way, but the flanks were able to engulf and slaughter the trapped Persians. An estimated 6,400 Persians were slaughtered while only 192 Greeks were killed.

The Battle of Salamis was fought between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire in September 480 B.C.E., in the straits between the mainland and Salamis, an island in the Saronic Gulf near Athens. Persian ships were lured into the strait by Greek ships.In the cramped conditions of the Straits the great Persian numbers were an active hindrance, as ships struggled to maneuver and became disorganised. Seizing the opportunity, the Greek fleet formed in line and scored a decisive victory, sinking or capturing at least 300 Persian ships.

Mycenaean Age

The First Olympic Games

Mycenaean is the term applied to the art and culture of Ancient Greece from 1600 to 1100 B.C. During the Mycenaean period, the Greek mainland enjoyed an era of prosperity centered in such strongholds as Mycenae, Tiryns, Thebes, and Athens. Local workshops produced utilitarian objects of pottery and bronze, as well as luxury items, such as carved gems, jewelry, vases in precious metals, and glass ornaments. Besides being expert craftsman, the Mycenaeans were also fierce warriors and great engineers who built remarkable bridges, fortification walls, and beehive-shaped tombs and elaborate drainage and irrigation systems. By the late thirteenth century B.C., however, mainland Greece witnessed a wave of destruction and the decline of the Mycenaean sites, and the withdrawal to more remote refuge settlements.

The Parthenon

The Olympic Games began in 776 B.C. in Olympia, in southwest Greece, over 2,700 years ago. The Games were part of a religious festival. The Greek Olympics inspired the modern Olympic Games which began in 1896. The Games were held in honor of Zeus, king of the gods, and were staged every four years. People from all over the Greek world come to watch and take part.

Work began on the Parthenon, built on the Acropolis, in 447 BC to replace an existing temple which was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC and cost 469 silver talents to build. The work began under the orders of Pericles to show the wealth and exuberance of Athenian power. The name of the building most likely came from a cult statue of Athena Parthenos housed in the eastern room of the building.

Geometric Age

Alexander the Great

The Geometric period was a time of startling innovation and transformation in Greek society. The population dramatically increased and proto-urban life re-emerged, bringing with it overcrowding and political tensions. The Greeks moved to new lands to the east and west where they founded commercial trading posts and colonies.

One of the greatest military geniuses in history, Alexander the Great was born in 356 B.C. in Pella, Macedonia. The son of Philip of Macedon, who was an excellent Army General and organizer. At the age of 20, Alexander assembled forces in Greek Cities in Corinth that recognized him as their Leader. His Army mainly consisted of Macedonian soldiers and also some Greeks. He then invaded the Persian Empire, but whilst he was at war in Thrace, some Greek cities rebelled, which brought him back South. Whereupon he captured the city of Thebes and demolished it as a warning to other Greek cities of what would become of them if they tried to resist his rule.

By: Dillon Caudell