Rise of City States

Early City-States

• Separated by mountains and water, the early city-states were very independent

• Rivalries often developed between city-states• Each city-state relied heavily on sea trade for

exchange of goods and ideas; the Greeks adopted then expanded the Phoenician alphabet

• As the population grew, Greeks began to colonize new areas; colonies were created in Spain, Egypt, Asia Minor

City-State Governments

• Early city-states operated under a monarchy, where a king or queen has the most power

• Over time, the landowning elites gained control of the city-states, creating an aristocracy

• Eventually a small, wealthy group from the business class took over, making the government into an oligarchy

City State Rivalries Grow

• Just a handful of city-states grew really powerful

• They had to compete with each other to maintain their power

• A city state would try to form alliances with other city-states to increase its influence and power

• Two city-states eventually dominated most of ancient Greece

Athens and Sparta

Ancient Athens

Athenian government

• Government was first a monarchy, then an aristocracy, then a democracy

• Democracy was limited; only men could participate in government or go to school, Athenian citizenship was very limited.

• Women. children and slaves had no rights or privileges in public life.

Daily Life in Athens

• The farmers built terraces to farm on hillsides

• Boys were highly regarded, many girls were left to die at birth

• Boys received an education, girls did not

• Most girls were married by 14

• All males entered the army at 18 and served for at least 1 year

Sparta

Sparta – the Other Great City-State

• Only males over 30 were considered citizens; • Government consisted of two kings advised by a council

of elders• Believed art was a corrupting influence• Boys began military training at 7, forced to endure

coarse diet, hard exercise, and rigid discipline• Girls were trained to exercise their bodies and were

expected to produce sons for the military; babies were inspected at birth and sickly children were left to die

• Spartan life was very rigorous; “Spartans are willing to die for their city because they have no reason to live”

What kept them from fighting?

• They had common language

• They believed in the same gods

• They both looked down upon non-Greeks

• They both created strong alliances

The Greek Wars

The Persian War• Between Athens and Persia• Athenians helped Greek colonists rebelling against Persian rule in Asia minor. The

Persians crushed the uprising and were furious at Athens for helping the rebels.• Persia attacked Athens. Although the Athenians were greatly outnumbered and

technologically inferior, they fought off the Persians.• Persia sent an even larger army to attack Athens. Even with the help of Sparta, Athens

was taken over.• Later, Athenian warships launched an attack on the Persian navy and then defeated the

Persians in Asia minor. Athens became most powerful Greek City-state

The Peloponnesian War• Between Athens and Sparta,

as well as the city-states that supported them

• Sparta had a geographic advantage and a stronger Army, but Athens had a stronger navy

• Sparta attacked Athens and its ally city-states. Overcrowded

• Athens suffered a plague and its leader Pericles died.

• Sparta allied with Persia (a longtime Greek enemy) and cut off the food supply to Athens, causing Athens to surrender

• Athens lost badly

After the Peloponnesian War

• Sparta tried to rule over all of Greece but the war left the city-state almost broke

• Spartan government had grown weak

• Thebes, another city-state, conquered Sparta but also couldn’t rule over Greece

• Greece suffered decades of warfare and invasions after the fall of Athens and Sparta

Group Writing Assignment

• Contrast the results of the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War with regard to Athens.

• Identify three similarities and three differences between Sparta and Athens.

• Describe three kinds of government Greeks developed between 750 B.C. and 500 B.C.