Pericles lead Athens during much of Golden Age
- honest and fair
Had three goals-
1. To strengthen Athenian Democracy:
- Increased number of public officials who were paid salaries
2. To hold and strengthen empire:
- Athens took over leadership of the Delian League and dominated city states
- Pericles used money from league to make Athenian navy strongest on the Mediterranean
3. To glorify Athens:
- Also used money to beautify Athens
- Used the rest of money to pay artists, architects, and workers who used gold, ivory, and marble
The Parthenon- 23,000 square foot building constructed by Greeks in the traditional style used for 200 years
- Built to honor Athena
- Phidias- Sculpture who did much work on the Parthenon
Herodotus- Wrote a book on Persian Wars that is considered the first work of history
Thucydides- Greatest historian of Classical Age
- Believed certain types of events and political situations recur overtime
Athens vs Sparta
- Athenian and Spartan leaders believed war was inevitable and tried to make it begin instead of delay it
- Sparta declared war in 431 BC
- Pericles tried to avoid land battles
- Athens- stronger navy
- Sparta- stronger army
- Sparta marched into Athens and burnt food supply
- Pericles responded and brought residents from surrounding areas into city walls
- 2nd year of war- disaster struck Athens, plague killed 1/3 of population
- Athens continued to fight until 421 BC- signed a truce
- Truce lasted till 415 BC- Athens sent 20,000 soldiers onto island of Sicily
- Planned to destroy Syracuse
- Athens was defeated by Sparta
- Athens fended off attacks for 9 more years
- 404 BC- Athens and allies surrendered
- Lost everything including empire, power, and wealth
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