CLAS201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Solonian Constitution, Thyrsus, Lapiths
Document Summary
Greece knew disaster was coming their way (they come together/work together for defense) Themistocles: coordinating a defense: uses money found in the vein of silver found to improve its army, creates 200 triremes, thetes are actually providing their services in public defense (as rowers) Built a wall across the isthmus (only a couple miles across: will prevent persian army to move in to pelepennesus. Delphic oracle tells the greeks to surrender: oracle loses a great deal of reputation, b/c it encouraged greeks to surrender, however the greeks actually succeed (prove the oracle wrong) Thermopylae is 100 miles north of athens. It was a way of making sure armies could not pour from the north into the south: persians would be coming at them 3 at a time (rather than thousands), which was easier to handle/fight off. Artemisium: where xerxes stationed his fleet/many of his ships: a storm blows over and 400 or so ships are destroyed (greeks got lucky)