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Chapter 5 Section 3 Democracy and Greece’s Golden Age. Golden Age of Athens 477 B.C. – 431 B.C. Pericles’ Plan for Athens. Pericles was a statesman who influenced life in Athens for 32 years. Pericles had three goals. 1. Create a Stronger Democracy.
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Chapter 5 Section 3Democracy and Greece’s Golden Age • Golden Age of Athens • 477 B.C. – 431 B.C.
Pericles’ Plan for Athens • Pericles was a statesman who influenced life in Athens for 32 years. • Pericles had three goals
1. Create a Stronger Democracy • Increased number of public officials and they were paid • Pericles developed a direct democracy. • What is it? • Citizens rule directly, not through representatives
2. Athenian Empire • Pericles took money from the Delian League’s treasury to strengthen the navy • Other members of Delian League were treated as part of the empire • Peloponnesus cities (Sparta) resisted Athens and formed their own alliances
3. Glorifying Athens • Without League’s approval, Pericles used money to beautify Athens
Glorious Art and Architecture • Wanted to create magnificent sculptures and buildings like the Parthenon
Architecture and Sculpture • Phidias worked on the Parthenon • Works portrayed ideal beauty not realism • These works became known as classical art Phidias
Drama and History • Greeks created drama as an art form and built the first theaters
Tragedy and Comedy • Tragedy: serious drama about common themes • Hero usually had a flaw such as hubris. • 3 tragedy writers • Aeschylus who wrote Oresteia a story based on Agamemnon • Sophocles wrote Oedipus the King and Antigone • Euripides wrote Medea
Tragedy and Comedy Cont.d’ • Comedies had slapstick and crude humor • Aristophanes wrote The Birds and Lysistrata
History • Homer’s records are not accurate. • Herodotus accurately reported events • Athenian Thucydides was the greatest historian
Other Greek city-states looked at Athens in a negative way 431 B.C. Sparta declared war on Athens Athenians and Spartans Go to War
Peloponnesian War • Athens vs. Spartans • Athens had a stronger navy, Sparta had a stronger army • Pericles wanted to avoid land battle and attack on the sea • Spartans marched into Athenian territory and burnt their food supply
Peloponnesian War Cont.d’ • Pericles brought people into the city walls • Food could be brought by ships that sailed into the ports of Athenian colonies. • 2nd year of war a plague swept through Athens killed 1/3 of the population including Pericles. • 421 B.C. a truce was signed
Sparta Gains Victory • Peace didn’t last • 415 B.C. Athenians sent a fleet with 20,000 soldiers to Sicily attempting to destroy Syracuse, Sparta's ally • 413 Athens was defeated • In 404 B.C. Athenians and allies surrendered
Philosophers Search for Truth • Athenians questioned Democratic government • Philosophers emerged to seek the truth and based their findings on two assumptions • 1. The universe is put together in an orderly way and subject to absolute and unchanging laws. • 2. People can understand these laws through logic and reason.
Philosophers Search for Truth • Protagoras, a philosopher in the Sophists group, questioned the existence of traditional Greek gods
Socrates • Critic of the Sophists • Stated absolute standard did exist for truth and justice • Either people admired him or thought he was strange • He encouraged students to examine their beliefs • Asked them questions to show that people had contradictory opinions • These question/answer sessions led to the Socratic method
Socrates Cont.d’ • 399 B.C. he was brought to trial for “corrupting the youth of Athens” and “neglecting the city’s gods” • Socrates said his teachings were good • Jury condemned him to death • He drank hemlock and died
Plato • Student of Socrates • Founded a school called the Academy • Wrote his most famous work, The Republic • Described his perfectly governed society • Not a democracy
Plato Cont.d’ • His ideal, citizens fell into three groups • Farmers and artisans, warriors, and ruling class • His rivals, Socrates and his pupil Aristotle • PLATO ARISTOTLE
Aristotle • Questioned the nature of the world and human belief, thought and knowledge • Invented a method for arguing according to logic. • This provides the basis of the scientific method used today.
Aristotle Cont.d’ • Opened a school called the Lyceum. • Alexander, son of King Philip II of Macedonia, was one of his most famous pupils • Taught him at age 13 until he was called back home at age 16.