Thursday, February 4, 2016

Athens and Sparta

Clash of the tyrants
- Hippias was a tyrant who ruled from 527 to 510 BCE
- After his brother was murdered his rule became harsh (probably the next one)
- He made a lot of enemies and was expelled from Athens (being ostracized)
- In revenge, he worked with Persian King and helped them invade Marathon (because Persians was different kind of people and had different language etc.) → provided information

Hippias was expelled and lost power → Isagoras and Cleisthenes (both aristocrats) engaged in the power struggle
Isagoras: support from fellow aristocrats from Sparta
Cleisthenes: majority of Athenians
Isagoras finally became archon eponymous tyrant → ostracized Cleistnenes
Cleisthenes' supporters and the original Athenian citizens revolt against his tyranny → first time regular people revolt their leader
They trap Isagoras for 2 days, on third day he fled and banished
ON 508 BCE
He told the secret path to Persian King when Greeks blocked them on Marathon

Cleisthenes and Democracy
- member of elites
- very rich
- insulated from the 'hoi polloi"
- a crafty politician
- first one shared power with others and made people be able to vote → always had one leader to make decision
- saw the value of the non-aristocrats (middle class citizens) but not women

God and Goddess
Unique: Gods have interaction with humans
Odysseus - God Poseidon

The fighting Spartans
Greeks are warlike people especially the Spartans
Spartans: known as their tough, ruthless infantry (soldiers who fought on land) → boys trained at the age of 7
Real Spartans were much more fearsome than oily rats in movie 30 (IMHO)

A naval power
Athens had great infantry but that cannot compare with their navy
The most effective weapon: trireme
- technological marvel
- the fastest ship in ancient time
- because rowed by 170 men on three levels
- be used as battering ram
- agile, fast
Phalanx (couple hundred of people) - worked for centuries
enermies cannot get anyone because weapons were around them

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