Chapter 4
The Ancient
Greeks
The Ancient Greeks
Chapter Introduction
Section 1 The Early Greeks
Section 2 Sparta and Athens
Section 3 Persia Attacks the
Greeks
Section 4 The Age of Pericles
Reading Review
Chapter Assessment
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The Ancient Greeks
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The Early Greeks
The Geography of Greece
• Mainland Greece is a mountainous
peninsula—a body of land with water
on three sides. 
• Ancient Greeks were fishers, sailors,
traders, and farmers.
(page 117)
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The Early Greeks
The Geography of Greece
• Although Greece’s rocky soil made it
difficult to farm, people could grow
wheat, barley, olives, and grapes in the
favorable climate.
(page 117)
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The Early Greeks
How might a peninsula be affected
by its surrounding water?
Land might be limited, the climate
might be positively or adversely
affected, and occupations of the
people might be ocean-related,
such as sailing and fishing.
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The Early Greeks
The First Greek Kingdoms (cont.)
• The Greeks learned about an alphabet
from the Phoenicians, one of their
trading partners. 
(pages 119–120)
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The Early Greeks
A Move to Colonize
• Greek people began to set up colonies
in other countries. 
• This colonization spread Greek culture. 
(page 121)
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The Early Greeks
The Polis
• A polis, or city-state, was like an
independent country. 
• City-states varied in size and population. 
(pages 122–123)
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The Early Greeks
The Polis (cont.)
• The Greeks were the first people to
develop the idea of democracy, in which
citizens of a country are treated equally
and have rights and responsibilities. 
(pages 122–123)
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Sparta and Athens
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• The Spartans focused on military skills
to control the people they conquered. 
• Unlike Spartans, Athenians were more
interested in building a democracy than
building a military force.
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Sparta and Athens
Tyranny in the City-States (cont.)
• Unhappy farmers demanded changes in
the power structure of the city-states. 
• This unhappiness led to the rise of
tyrants, or people who take power by
force and rule with total authority. 
(pages 125–126)
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Sparta and Athens
Tyranny in the City-States (cont.)
• Tyrants maintained their popularity by
building marketplaces, temples, and
walls. 
• The Greek people eventually tired of the
tyrants and created oligarchies or
democracies. 
• An oligarchy is a form of government in
which a few people hold power.
(pages 125–126)
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Sparta and Athens
Tyranny in the City-States (cont.)
• A democracy is a form of government
in which all citizens share power. 
• Sparta was an oligarchy; Athens was a
democracy.
(pages 125–126)
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Sparta and Athens
Sparta
• To obtain more land, Spartans
conquered and enslaved their
neighbors, calling them helots. 
• To keep the helots from rebelling, the
Spartans created a strong military of
boys and men. 
• Boys entered the military at age 7. 
• At age 20, men entered the regular
army and lived in the barracks for 10
years.
(pages 126–127)
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Sparta and Athens
Sparta (cont.)
• They returned home at age 30 but
served in the army until age 60. 
• Spartan girls were trained in sports to
become healthy mothers and were freer
than other Greek women. 
• The Spartan government was an
oligarchy containing two branches, a
council of elders, and an assembly.
(pages 126–127)
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Sparta and Athens
Sparta (cont.)
• The Spartan government kept foreign
travelers out and discouraged its own
citizens from traveling in order to
maintain control of the country.
(pages 126–127)
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Sparta and Athens
What was one disadvantage of the
Spartans’ focus on the military?
They did not learn as much about
science or practice as much trade
as Greeks in Athens.
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Persia Attacks the Greeks
The Persian Empire
• Persians were warriors and nomads
who lived in Persia, the southwestern
area of what is today Iran. 
• Cyrus the Great united the Persians. 
• The Persians built a large empire,
conquering Mesopotamia, Asia Minor,
Syria, Canaan, and Phoenician cities.
(pages 132–133)
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Persia Attacks the Greeks
The Persian Wars
• The Battle of Marathon occurred in 490
B.C. on the plain of Marathon, a short
distance from Athens. 26 miles. 
• The Persians waited there for the
Athenians.
(pages 134–137)
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Persia Attacks the Greeks
The Persian Wars (cont.)
• Athens and Sparta joined forces to
defend against Xerxes’s attack. 
• The Greeks fought the Persians at
Thermopylae for two days. 
• The Greeks lost the battle, but 200
ships were assembled in Athens.
(pages 134–137)
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Persia Attacks the Greeks
The Persian Wars (cont.)
• At the Battle of Salamis, the Greeks
used their faster, smaller ships to defeat
the Persian fleet.
(pages 134–137)
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Persia Attacks the Greeks
The Persian Wars (cont.)
• The Persians entered Athens and burned
the city. 
• The Greek army won at Plataea. 
• This was the turning point of the wars
with Persia. 
(pages 134–137)
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The Age of Pericles
Daily Life in Athens (cont.)
(pages 142–144)
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The Age of Pericles
The Peloponnesian War
• Other city-states along with Sparta
became suspicious of Athens. 
• Sparta Attacked Athens and laid siege to
it. 
• The war that broke out is known as the
Peloponnesian War. 
(pages 144–146)
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The Age of Pericles
The Peloponnesian War (cont.)
• Athenians outside the city walls moved
inside the city to protect themselves. 
• In the second year of the war, a disease
killed more than one-third of the people
inside Athens’ walls, including Pericles. 
• Sparta made a deal with the Athenians
and built a navy.
(pages 144–146)
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The Age of Pericles
The Peloponnesian War (cont.)
• The Spartan navy defeated the Athenian
navy, which brought supplies to the
Athenians. 
• Athens then
surrendered.
(pages 144–146)
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The Age of Pericles
What was the effect of the
Peloponnesian War on the citystates?
Many people died, and others lost
jobs. Farmers also had their land
destroyed. The Greeks could not
reunite again.
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The Age of Pericles
What caused the Peloponnesian
War?
expansion of Athenian power and
Spartan jealousy
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The Ancient Greeks
Review Main Ideas
Section 2 Sparta and Athens
Describe the differences between
Athens and Sparta.
Sparta emphasized the military and
strict living, while Athens focused on
democracy and culture.
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The Ancient Greeks
Review Main Ideas
Section 4 The Age of Pericles
What was the result of the
Peloponnesian War?
Athens declined. Greece grew
weaker, opening it to conquest.
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Ancient Greece c. 750 B.C.
Greek Colonies and Trade 750–550 B.C.
Sparta and Athens c. 700 B.C.
The Persian Empire 500 B.C.
Persian Wars 499–479 B.C.
The Peloponnesian War 431–404 B.C.