Ancient Greece City states

The City of Athens

The Parthenon

Athens is one of the great cities of the world. During the time of the Ancient Greeks it was the
center of power, art, science, and philosophy in the world. Athens is one of the oldest cities in
the world as well, with recorded history going back over 3400 years. It is the birth place of
democracy and the heart of the Ancient Greek civilization.
Named after Athena
Athens is named after the Greek goddess Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom, war, and
civilization and the patron of the city of Athens. Her shrine, the Parthenon, sits on top of a hill in
the center of the city.
The Agora
The agora was the center of commerce and government for ancient Athens. It had a large open
area for meetings which was surrounded by buildings. Many of the buildings were temples,
including temples built to Zeus, Hephaestus, and Apollo. Some of the buildings were
government buildings like the Mint, where coins were made, and the Strategeion, where the 10
military leaders of Athens called the Strategoi met.
The agora was a place for people to meet and discuss ideas on philosophy and government.
This is the place where the democracy of ancient Greece first came to life.
The Acropolis
The Acropolis was built on a hill in the middle of the city of Athens. Surrounded by stone walls,
it was originally built as a citadel and fortress where the people could retreat when the city was
attacked. Later, many temples and buildings were built here to overlook the city. It was still
used as a fortress for some time, however.

The Acropolis of Athens.

At the center of the Acropolis is

the Parthenon. This building
was dedicated to the goddess
Athena and was also used to
store gold. Other temples were
in the acropolis such as the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erchtheum.
On the slope of the acropolis were theatres where plays and festivals were celebrated. The
largest was the Theatre of Dionysus, god of wine and patron of the theatre. There were
competitions held here to see who had written the best play. Up to 25,000 people could attend
and the design was so good that all could see and hear the play.
The Age of Pericles
The city of Ancient Athens reached its peak during the leadership of Pericles from 461 to 429
BC, called the Age of Pericles. During this time, Pericles promoted democracy, the arts, and
literature. He also built many of the cities great structures including rebuilding much of the
Acropolis and building the Parthenon.
Sparta was one of the most powerful city-states in Ancient Greece. It is famous for its powerful
army as well as its battles with the city-state of Athens during the Peloponnesian War. Sparta
was located in a valley on the banks of the Eurotas River in
the south-eastern portion of Greece. The lands it controlled
were called Laconia and Messenia.

Greek Hoplite by Johnny Shumate

Warrior Society
Unlike their counterparts in the city of Athens, the Spartans didn't study philosophy, art, or
theatre, they studied war. The Spartans were widely considered to have the strongest army and
the best soldiers of any city-state in Ancient Greece. All Spartan men trained to become
warriors from the day they were born.

The Spartan Army

The Spartan Army fought in a Phalanx formation. They would line up side by side and several
men deep. Then they would lock their shields together and advance on the enemy stabbing
them with their spears. The Spartans spent their lives drilling and practicing their formations
and it showed in battle. They rarely broke formation and could defeat much larger armies.
The basic equipment used by the Spartans included their shield (called an aspis), a spear (called
a dory), and a short sword (called a xiphos). They also wore a crimson tunic so their bloody
wounds wouldn't show. The most important piece of equipment to a Spartan was their shield.
The biggest disgrace a soldier could suffer was to lose his shield in battle.

Social Classes
Spartan society was divided into specific social classes.
 Spartan - At the top of Spartan society was the Spartan citizen. There were relatively
few Spartan citizens. Spartan citizens were those people who could trace their ancestry
to the original people who formed the city of Sparta. There were a few exceptions
where adopted sons who performed well in battle could be given citizenship.
  Perioikoi - The perioikoi were free people who lived in Spartan lands, but were not
Spartan citizens. They could travel to other cities, could own land, and were allowed to
trade. Many of the perioikoi were Laconians who were defeated by the Spartans.
 Helot - The helots were the largest portion of the population. They were basically slaves
or serfs to the Spartans. They farmed their own land, but had to give half of their crops
to the Spartans as payment. Helots were beaten once a year and were forced to wear
clothing made from animal skins. Helots caught trying to escape were generally killed.
What was it like to grow up as a boy in Sparta?
Spartan boys were trained to be soldiers from their youth. They were raised by their mothers
until the age of seven and then they would enter a military school called the Agoge. At the
Agoge the boys were trained how to fight, but also learned how to read and write.

The Agoge was a tough school. The boys lived in barracks and were often beaten to make them
tough. They were given little to eat in order to get used to what life would be like when they
went to war. The boys were encouraged to fight one another. When the boys turned 20 they
entered into the Spartan army.

What was it like to grow up as a girl in Sparta?

Spartan girls also went to school at the age of seven. Their school wasn't as tough as the boys,
but they did train in athletics and exercise. It was important that the women stay fit so they
would have strong sons who could fight for Sparta. The women of Sparta had more freedom
and education than most Greek city-states at the time. Girls usually were married at the age of
18.
History
The city of Sparta rose to power around 650 BC. From 492 BC to 449 BC, the Spartans led the
Greek city-states in a war against the Persians. It was during the Persian Wars that the Spartans
fought the famous battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartans held off hundreds of thousands
of Persians allowing the Greek army to escape.
After the Persian Wars, Sparta went to war against Athens in the Peloponnesian War. The two
city-states fought from 431 BC to 404 BC with Sparta eventually triumphing over Athens. Sparta
began to decline in the coming years and lost the Battle of Leuctra to Thebes in 371 BC.
However, it remained an independent city-state until Greece was conquered by the Roman
Empire in 146 BC.
The Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War was fought between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta. It
lasted from 431 BC to 404 BC. Athens ended up losing the war, bringing an end to the golden
age of Ancient Greece.

Where did the name Peloponnesian come

from?
The word Peloponnesian comes from the
name of the peninsula in southern Greece
called the Peloponnese. This peninsula was
home to many of the great Greek city-states
including Sparta, Argos, Corinth, and
Messene.

Before the War

After the Persian War, Athens and Sparta had
agreed to a Thirty Year Peace. They didn't
want to fight each other while they were
trying to recover from the Persian War. During
this time, Athens became powerful and
wealthy and the Athenian empire grew under
the leadership of Pericles.

Sparta and its allies became increasingly
jealous and distrustful of Athens. Finally, in
431 BC, when Sparta and Athens ended up on
different sides in a conflict over the city of
Corinth, Sparta declared war on Athens.
Map of the Peloponnesian War
The Alliances of the Peloponnesian War from
the US Army
Click map to see larger version

The First War

The first Peloponnesian War lasted for 10 years. During this time the Spartans dominated the
land and the Athenians dominated the sea. Athens built long walls all the way from the city to
its seaport Piraeus. This enabled them to stay inside the city and still have access to trade and
supplies from their ships. Although the Spartans never breached the walls of Athens during the
first war, many people died inside the city due to plague. This included the great leader and
general of Athens, Pericles.

The Long wall of Athens

Peloponnesian War from the US Army
Click picture to see larger view

Peace of Nicias

After ten years of war, in 421 BC

Athens and Sparta agreed to a truce. It
was called the Peace of Nicias, named
after the general of the Athenian
army.

Athens Attacks Sicily

In 415 BC, Athens decided to help one of their allies on the island of Sicily. They sent a large
force there to attack the city of Syracuse. Athens lost the battle horribly and Sparta decided to
retaliate starting the Second Peloponnesian War.
The Second War
The Spartans began to gather allies to conquer Athens. They even enlisted the help of the
Persians who lent them money to build a fleet of warships. Athens, however recovered and
won a series of battles between 410 and 406 BC.
Athens is Defeated
In 405 BC the Spartan general Lysander defeated the Athenian fleet in battle. With the fleet
defeated, the people in the city of Athens began to starve. They did not have the army to take
on the Spartans on land. In 404 BC the city of Athens surrendered to the Spartans.
The city-states of Corinth and Thebes wanted the city of Athens destroyed and the people
enslaved. However, Sparta disagreed. They made the city tear down its walls, but refused to
destroy the city or enslave its people.
Ancient Greece
Greek Mythology

Statue of Zeus
Photo by Sanne Smit

Greek Mythology
The Greeks had numerous gods and many stories and myths that surrounded them. Greek
mythology consists of all the stories and tales about the Greek gods, goddesses, and heroes. It
is also the religion of Ancient Greece as the Greeks built temples and offered sacrifices to their
major gods.
Below are some of the major Greek gods. Click on the god or goddess to learn more about their
individual myths and stories.

The Titans
The Titans were the first or elder gods. There were twelve of them including the parents of
Zeus, Cronus and Rhea. They ruled during what was called the golden age. They were
overthrown by their children, led by Zeus.
The Olympians
The twelve Olympian gods were the major gods of the Greeks and lived on Mount Olympus.
They included:
 Zeus - Leader of the Olympians and god of the sky and lightning. His symbol is the
lighting bolt. He is married to Hera, his sister.
 Hera - Queen of the gods and married to Zeus. She is the goddess of marriage and
family. Her symbols are the peacock, pomegranate, lion, and cow.
 Poseidon - God of the ocean, earthquakes, and horses. His symbol is the trident. He is
Zeus' and Hades brother.
 Dionysus - Lord of wine and celebrations. Patron god of the theatre and art. His main
symbol is the grapevine. He is the son of Zeus and the youngest Olympian.
  Apollo - Greek god of archery, music, light, and prophecy. His symbols include the sun,
the bow and arrow, and the lyre. His twin sister is Artemis.
 Artemis - Goddess of the hunt, archery, and animals. Her symbols include the moon, the
bow and arrow, and the deer. Her twin brother is Apollo.
 Hermes - God of commerce and thieves. Hermes is also the messenger of the gods. His
symbols include winged sandals and the caduceus (which is a staff with two snakes
wrapped around it). His son Pan is the god of nature.
 Athena - Greek goddess of wisdom, defense, and war. Her symbols are the owl and the
olive branch. She is the patron god of Athens.
 Ares - God of war. His symbols are the spear and shield. He is the son of Zeus and Hera.
 Aphrodite - Goddess of love and beauty. Her symbols include the dove, swan, and rose.
She is married to Hephaestus.
 Hephaestus - God of fire. Blacksmith and craftsman for the gods. His symbols include
fire, the hammer, the anvil, and the donkey. He is married to Aphrodite.
 Demeter - Goddess of agriculture and the seasons. Her symbols include wheat and the
pig.

Athena - Goddess of Wisdom

Hades - God of the Underworld. He was a god of the Olympians stature, but lived in the
Underworld rather than on Mount Olympus.
Greek Heroes
A Greek hero was a brave and strong man that was favored by the gods. He performed brave
exploits and adventures. Sometimes the hero, even though mortal, was somehow related to
the gods.
 Hercules - A son of Zeus and the greatest hero in Greek Mythology, Hercules had many
labors he had to perform. He was very strong and fought many monsters in his
adventures.
 Achilles - The greatest hero of the Trojan war, Achilles was invulnerable except for his
heel. He is the central character in Homer's Iliad.
 Odysseus - The hero of Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey, Odysseus was brave and
strong, but mostly got by on his wits and intelligence.