MMW 11 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Delian League, Phidias, Helots
5 Jun 2018
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Outline Lecture Sixteen—Test for Democracy: The Persian Wars
Key points from last lecture:
a) Geographical and social factors shaping a shared Hellenistic ethos of individualism and
independence
b) Cultural and political developments providing the seeds for democratic systems
●a. Cultural values: arête and agon
●b. Formation of the polis
●c. Ascendancy of the hoplite phalanx
●d. Reforms of the tyrants
Focus of next two lectures:
●a) Impact of the Persian wars
●b) Impact of the Peloponnesian wars
●c) Why cover these wars?
○a. Sources for historical parallels
○b. Expose the advantages and vulnerabilities of Greek democracy
I) The First Persian Challenge
●a) Expansion of the Persian Empire
○i) Collapse of Assyrian empire around 600 B.C.E.
■were the ones who conquered 10northern tribes
■dominant for 5 centuries
○ii) Rise of Neo-Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar
○iii) New Persian power around mid-6th century under Cyrus
■(1) Expansion into Asia Minor
●modern day turkey-ish
●area of greek colonies est 100yrs ago (ionian colonies est as a wake
of invasions)
■(2) Road from Susa to Sardis
●capital @ susa
●3mo long journey, road made to make travel easier
●iiii) Improved communication “upset the balance of world affairs”
○two cultures came into direct conflict with this road
○interactions were hostile
■persians: traditional, monolithic empire
■greeks: small, democratic poleis
●b) The Ionian Catalyst
○i) Ionian Rebellion led by Aristagoras of Miletus against Darius in 499
■went to sparta for military aid, denied
■spartans are cautious about getting involved overseas, threat of helot revolt
when leaving
■(1) Why Athens and Eretria intervened when Sparta would not
●stronger sense of affinity, cultural synonymity
●persia was also a threat to them-weaken the threat
■(2) Athens and Ionian allies attacked Sardis in 498
●successful in doing so, but incited a war with persians
○invasion in 494 of miletus, near destruction
○athenians debated due to democratic nature-too late when
decision to help was made
■made a bet to race each other along the way lmaooo
(crew?cru? racing)
○moral:potential weakness of democracy, responses
sometimes need urgent action
●c) The First Persian Invasion in 490
○i) A Crisis of Choice
■(1) What to do with Athens’s limited force?
●send hoplites out or keep them?
●(a) Lesson of Miletus
○what darius was capable of doing, first hand acc of persian
power and relentlessness
●(b) Fear of Hippias’s return with Persians
○what could happen to athens, who the persians could bring
with them
■hippias: exiled athenian
○external and internal threat
■class negotiations with the persians
■(2) Role of Miltiades
●old aristocratic general
●convinced majority to fight
○ii) Battle of Marathon
■(1) The Athenian spirit of To Koinon
●30000 persians and large contention of cavalry
●athenians able to repel forces even with 3:1 ratio
○terrain, strategy, morale
Document Summary
Outline lecture sixteen test for democracy: the persian wars. Key points from last lecture: geographical and social factors shaping a shared hellenistic ethos of individualism and independence, cultural and political developments providing the seeds for democratic systems. B. expose the advantages and vulnerabilities of greek democracy: the first persian challenge. I) collapse of assyrian empire around 600 b. c. e. Were the ones who conquered 10northern tribes. Iii) new persian power around mid-6th century under cyrus. Area of greek colonies est 100yrs ago (ionian colonies est as a wake of invasions) 3mo long journey, road made to make travel easier. Iiii) improved communication upset the balance of world affairs . Two cultures came into direct conflict with this road. I) ionian rebellion led by aristagoras of miletus against darius in 499. Went to sparta for military aid, denied. Spartans are cautious about getting involved overseas, threat of helot revolt when leaving. (1) why athens and eretria intervened when sparta would not.
