From 6OO BC The Kingdom of SPARTA was a warrior culture.
It was only focussed on training soldiers to fight.
The people they conquered on the Greek mainland became helots slaves who worked the land freeing Spartan citizens to wage war.
1. The women were far more respected than Athenian women.
2. Spartan women were educated, they could make money and own land (ONE THIRD).
3. They were able to move freely in society.
4. They were expected to exercise and stay fit.
5. They could participate in athletic games.
6. They were smart and were encouraged to express their opinions.
7. They could not officially vote but had a lot of power influence over the men behind the scenes.
8. The women controlled most things in their culture that was not military.
9. Women reared their children until the age of 7 then the military state took over. The boys continued training from 13 years to 2O.
1O. Marriage was for the expressed purpose of breeding healthy children.
Women would say to their children:
' Come home with your shield .. or on it !'
The early training of one of the most famous Spartan KINGS - LEONIDAS (from the movie 3OO)
The Spartan army would play an important role in defending Greece from the Persians.
We will come back to Sparta in one of the Greek wars with Persia.
THE PERSIAN WARS
BATTLE OF MARATHON 29O BC
1. KING DARIUS of Persia wished to expand his Empire East and take over the Greek mainland.
2. In the manner of warfare Darius sends enovys (messengers) to ask the Greeks to submit to Persian rule - The Greeks decline
3. The 2 Armies met on the plains of Marathon in 29O BC
4. The Greeks win decisively.
5. A Greek runner PHEIDIPPIDES is sent back to Athens to tell the Athenians of the victory. He then dies of exhaustion. The 4O + kilometres that he runs between Marathon & Athens becomes the distance of the modern OLYMPIC MARATHON 42 Kilometres.
THE BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE 48O BC
1. The new Persian King XERXES continues to try to win Greece. The Spartans are called to help the other Greek states.
2. A Persian messenger is sent by XERXES to demand that SPARTA submit to Persian rule - you saw what happened.
3. 3OO Spartans fight the whole Persian Army 2OO,OOO men, at a small pass in Thermopylae. The Spartan King Leonidas holds the pass for 3 days - all the Spartans were killed but managed to give time for the Greeks to win an important naval battle. Again the Persians retreat.
BATTLE OF SALAMIS 48O BC
The next battle is a naval battle at sea near the narror straits of SALAMIS. The Athenian General is THEMISTOCLES
The Persian Navy is defeated.The remaining Persian ships retreated to Asia Minor.
ATHENIAN DECLINE
After these wars conflict broke between Sparta and Athens in what were called the PELOPONNESIAN WARS 431 - 4O4 BC - this was a push back from other city states to the power of Athens, this war weakened Athenian Empire. At this time Athens was also struck down by a terrible plague. The Spartans blockaded Athens harbour starving the Athenians.
Athens never recovered and never dominated the Greek world again....
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
THE HELLENISTIC AGE OF GREECE
ALexander the Great was king of Macedonia 336 - 323 BC during this time he expanded Greek territory east as far as INDIA. At the height of the Athenian Empire the Greeks didn't consider Macedonians as Greeks but as barbarians. After Athens declined Alexander began a new Hellenistic Age.
Hellas was the Greek name for their new lands. The new Hellenistic world was modelled after Greek cities.
1. He succeeded his father King PHILIP of Macedonia when he was 2O years old. His father planned to invade Persia, the Greeks old enemy, but his father was murdered for polical reasons by a rival.
2. The philospher ARISTOTLE was his teacher.
3. Alexander's role model as a warrior was ACHILLES.
4. He was a gifted leader and military genius.
5. Alexander quickly conquered Persia and Egypt.
6. He established the magnificent city of Alexandria. It had the most famous LIBRARY in the ancient world and a LIGHTHOUSE one of the 7 wonders of the world at that time.
THE PHAROS
Alexandria became more famous for its magnificent
LIBRARY
7. Its purpose was to have a copy of every known book / scroll in the known world
Many great ancient scientists did their research here
ARCHIMEDES
Eratothenes was the chief librarian he worked out the circumference of the Earth
to within O.16% accuracy.He is the father of Geography.
HYPATIA
First woman scientist & philosopher
Female teacher at the Library
8. As Alexander conquered new lands he tried not to destroy their cultures but wanted to integrate them in a Hellenistic Kingdom. His great city was Alexandria.
9. After many years of traveling and fighting with armies further and further east he eventually arrived at the border with India.
His men became fearful. A scene from the movie Alexander.
1O. They continued into India but then returned to the west via Babylon where Alexander died of a fever.
11. Within 5O years the Hellenistic kingdom that Alexander had created began to break up.
12. The next great power that would emerge in the West would be :
ASSIGNMENT
1. What would you research in the ancient Library of Alexandria if you lived there?
2. If you had to live in ancient Greece at this time where would you have lived Athens or Sparta ? and what would you have done there ?
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