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Paragraph 3.4. Fighting or playing sports. Defence against the Persians. The Greek city-states were often at war with each other. But they worked together against 1 enemy: Persia. Persians had a huge empire around 500 BC. Athens led a war against Persia in 499 BC.
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Paragraph 3.4 Fighting or playingsports
Defenceagainst the Persians • The Greek city-states were often at war with each other. • But they worked together against 1 enemy: Persia. • Persians had a huge empire around 500 BC. • Athens led a war against Persia in 499 BC. • Persia quelled (=beat) the uprising. • Persian king Darius now had a motive to attack Athens.
490 BC • Dariusattacked Greece. • Theyweredefeatedby Athens, at the village Marathon. • 1 soldier had to run to Athens totell the goodnews. • The legend is: he ran without stopping. He told the news in Athens anddropped dead.
Marathon • When the Greek had the modern Olympic Games in 1896 the athletsran 40 km from Marathon to Athens. • We still have the 42 km running; the marathon.
The Persian attack again • In 480 BC The PersiankingXerxesattacked Greece again. • He had a very large army. • They met 300 Spartansoldiers. • In a narrowmountain pass the 300 men stoodtheirgroundfordays. • Theyalldied, but it gave the Athenianpeople time toflee.
The Athenianfleetattacked the Persians, and the Persians went home. • They never returned.
Greeks against Greeks • Athens became the political en cultural centre of Hellas ( Greece) • Athens was admired and hated. • Their foreign policy was very arrogant. • Other city-states had to copy their democracy, pay taxes and give soldiers to Athens.
Peloponnesian war • 431 BC Athens and its allies were fighting Corinth and Sparta. • The occasion ( direct cause) of this Peloponnesian war was about trade between Athens and the city-state Megara. • Corinth supported Megara. Sparta just wanted to fight against Athens. • They kept fighting on and off for 30 years.
The Athenians were strong on sea, the Persians were strong on land. • Both city-states were weak after this war. • Sparta won, so Athens lost its democracy. • Democracy came back later.
Sport and religion • Every 4 years: the Olympic games were held. • All athletes from Hellas were welcome at the games in the city-state Olympia. • If city-states were at war, they would sign a truce. So all athletes and spectators could travel safely. • The games at Olympia were to honour Zeus.
Olympic Games • Programme: • Sacrificial rituals, parades and competitions. • Sports was important! • Being fit is important, just like having a developed mind. • With sports, they honoured the gods with their athletic achievements.
Gymnasium • Training was important. • All city-states had a place where men could train: a gymnasium. • Sports were done naked, so the building was named after the Greek word for naked: gymnos.
There were more games in Hellas, but the Olympic games were the most important ones in pan-Hellas ( whole Greece). • Delphi: games for Apollo • Corinth: games for Poseidon • Women were never allowed to join. • They had their own games in Olympia for the goddess Hera.
Participating and winning • 776 BC: first Olympic Games were held. • They only lasted 1 day. • 5th century BC: it took 5 days. • Programme: wrestling, boxing and a pentathlon (= vijfkamp) • Running, long jump, javelin throw, discus throw and wrestling.
They also had horse races and chariot races. (=strijdwagen) • And very hard was the hoplitodromos=. • Running for 1 km, with full militairy attire, about 25 kg.
Athletes did not compete just for their own glory. • They also risked the honour of their city-state. • A winner would become a celebrity in all of Hellas. • Statues would be made and poems were written about them. • Sometimes he would get food for the rest of his life or didn’t have to pay taxes anymore.
