Unit 2 Map

In ancient times, Greece was not a united country but a collection of separate lands where Greek-speaking people lived. Geography shaped their lives with its the mountainous peninsula, multiple seas, and two thousand islands. They developed a fundamental political unit known as a polis or city-state. Each had its own form of government, focal deity or god/goddess, and competed with each other until a common enemy forced them together.

Using the maps provided, locate, label and color each of the following. Underline and color each item (No two side by side the same color) and color all water areas blue and lands green.

1. Adriatic Sea

2. Ionian Sea

3. Aegean Sea

4. Black Sea

5. Mediterranean Sea

6. Africa

7. Red Sea

8. Nile River

9. Persian Gulf

10. Peloponnesus Peninsula

11. Caucasus Mountains

12. Anatolia Peninsula (Asia Minor)

13. Minoan Civilization

14. Knossos

15. Mycenaean Civilization

16. Troy

17. Athens

18. Sparta

19. Persia

20. Sicily

21. Caspian Sea

22. Crete

23. Rhodes

24. Marathon

25. Thermopylae

26. Cyprus

27. Egypt

28. Macedonia

29. Mt. Olympus

30. Thebes

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Ancient Greece

Washed by the waters of three seas—the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean--Greece was a crossroads for different cultures. Its history began on the island of Crete about 6,000 years ago. Major seaways, power, religion, and law were the basis for Crete's developed commerce and trade. At the heart of that civilization was a huge palace at Knossos--a city in ancient Crete. Knossos was the capital of the legendary King Minos. This civilization of Crete is also called the Minoan civilization because of him.

The history and culture of ancient Greece is closely tied to the seas and natural forces. Around 1,500 BC, a terrible earthquake happened not far from Crete and destroyed much of the island. Scientists supposed that was one of the main causes of the end of the great Crete civilization. It was not completely gone, though. Art, culture, and traditions of Crete had a very strong influence on those of mainland Greece.

The first important civilization on mainland Greece developed around 1,400 BC in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese (a peninsula). Many small kingdoms and fortresses were built, and the most important of them was the city of Mycenae. Mycenaeans were very strong and powerful. They learned to sail as far as Egypt, developed the cult of Olympic (Mount Olympus) gods and the basics of the culture that was later known as the culture of ancient Greece.

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This period in Greek history is called the Heroic age. It is described in the poems of Homer and Greek myths about Heracles (Hercules in Roman myths), Theseus, Jason, and others. The culmination of that period was the Trojan War. According to legend, Greece fought the ten-year Trojan War to win back beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaus, who had been abducted by Paris and taken to Troy.

According to the cartoon above, in what book was this story recorded? _________________________ What city-state was asked to assist getting the Queen back from Troy? ______________________ What goddess did the King of Ithaca ask for help?

You probably know the story about the Greek trick with the wooden horse. Greeks (Mycenaeans) ended the siege of Troy by leaving the horse outside the city and pretending to sail away. The Trojans dragged the horse inside the city walls, not realizing that it was filled with Greek warriors. The soldiers got out of the horse at night and opened the city gates for the Greek army.

The real causes of the war might be different, but the war weakened the country and tribes of wild and uncivilized Dorians took over the Peloponnese. After the invasion, it took Greece a very long time to revive and reestablish its former prosperity. It gradually turned into a new civilization as a mix of Cretans, Mycenaeans, Dorians, and other cultures.

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The period from 800 to 500 BC is called the archaic age. It was marked with great economic and cultural growth, and the political development of Greece. The country was not united under the same government; it was made up of about 300 separate city-states. Each city-state, called "polis"--that's where the modern word politics came from--had its own laws and government. Athens and Sparta were the two largest and most powerful city-states. They were very different in their lifestyles and laws and often competed with each other.

Sparta was founded by war-like Dorians and was un-walled because its citizens boasted that their swords and their courage were better than any walls! Their state was the most disciplined in Greece. When children were born the city elders inspected them and, if considered weak, they were exposed (left out) on a hillside to die. At the age of seven, boys were taken to military-style schools and trained to endure hardship and discomfort. The Spartan Code produced the best soldiers, but very little culture.

Meanwhile, Athens was rising to the greatness of its classical age. Intellectual and artistic achievements were encouraged by the growing political freedom introduced by the reforms of Solon (640-560 BC), the statesman who laid the foundation of Athenian democracy. Science, art, and philosophy flourished in Athens at that time. Democracy helped education to be available to almost everyone. Books written by famous Greek historians, philosophers, orators, and poets were very popular among common citizens of Athens.

Athens was a very human society, completely different from Sparta. Not to show any interest in public events was considered something very stupid. Greeks even had a special term for someone who attended only to his own affairs and did not bother with those of the city. The modern word "idiot" derives from that Greek term.

Watch this video: Wife Swap https://app.schooltube.com/video/451e22eef24f48cc98d0/Horrible_Histories_Athens%2FSparta_Wifeswap

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The Persian Wars- The 20-year Persian (Persia)War starts the classical period in the history of ancient Greece.

By 500 B.C.E., the Persian Empire had conquered all of the Fertile Crescent and Asia Minor (Anatolia). Several Ionian Greek city-states on the west coast of Anatolia decided to revolt against the Persian Empire in 499 B.C.E. The Ionian Greeks asked for help from Greeks on the mainland. Athens was one of the few city- states to send help. The Persian navy fought mostly against the Athenian navy and was defeated. King Darius I of Persia was angry that the Athenians had helped the Ionians rebel against the Persia and declared war on Athens and its allies in 492 B.C.E.

The First Persian War: 491- 490 B. C. E

In 490 B.C.E., Darius sent a representative to several Greek city-states with the message that all Greeks should send him “earth and water” to show that the Greeks recognized Darius as the ruler of their lands and seas. Characteristic of their city-state’s attitude, the Spartans threw the representative down a well, saying Darius could have both “earth and water” at the same time! This was also their way of showing Darius that the Spartans were not intimidated.

Darius responded by sending his huge navy, carrying the massive Persian army, across the Aegean Sea to have his troops start the land war. His goal was to conquer Athens first, then control the other arrogant city- states. His troops landed at Marathon, which is just north of Athens.

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The militarily brilliant Spartans refused to help Athens. Even without the Spartans help, the Athenians – against all odds –destroyed the Persian invading force. How? The Greek soldiers, called hoplites, had perfected a battle formation called a Phalanx. The Persian forces had no fighting experience against this formation, and they were quickly defeated in the Battle of Marathon.

The remaining Persian force attempted to leave Marathon and make their way toward Athens in hopes the city would surrender without its hoplites to protect it. The popular story tells us that, luckily for the Athenians, they had an incredible runner name Pheidippides. Pheidippides sprinted just 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to warn them of the approaching Persian force. Legend says that when he got to Athens, he yelled, “Rejoice, we conquer!” and then dropped dead. Since they had advance notice, the Athenians were able to fight the invaders back rather than surrender. Darius I was forced to return to Persia defeated and embarrassed by the Athenians yet again.

The Second Persian War: 480- 479 B. C. E.

After his father Darius I died, the next Persian king, Xerxes, swore to take revenge on all of Greece, especially the Athenians. He spent 10 years raising a massive to destroy Greece. The first major battle of this portion of the war was the Battle of Thermopylae.

For one of the few times in Greek history, Athens and Sparta united to defend themselves against the Persians. The Spartan king, Leonidas, led a small army of just 300 Spartans warriors to defend the pass at Thermopylae. Thermopylae was the entrance from Macedonia in the north to Greece. Leonidas and his small group of men stalled the massive Persian force from entering Greece while the other Greek forces retreated to further prepare for the Persian invasion. After a valiant struggle, the Persians slaughtered Leonidas and every one of his men. Not surprisingly, the Spartans willingly sacrificed themselves for the good of Greece.

Watch: 300 Sparta the real story 480 B.C https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8cmc9Thq3c

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Meanwhile, the Athenian general Themistocles ordered the evacuation of all women and children in Athens while the Athenian men went to their warships. The Athenians decided to stake their survival on their powerful navy. After the Persians defeated Leonidas, Xerxes and his army swept into Greece and headed straight for Athens. When they found the city abandoned, they burned Athens to the ground. Xerxes then set his mind on destroying the Athenian navy and ending the war in victory.

Themistocles tricked Xerxes into believing the Athenian navy was retreating and the massive Persian navy pursued them into a small strip of sea off the island of Salamis. The Persian ships were much larger than the Greeks and were not built for confined spaces. The huge Persian navy found it could not maneuver and was trapped. The much smaller ships of the Athenian navy repeatedly smashed into the Persian warships. Xerxes, sitting upon a golden throne placed on a cliff high above the shore overlooking the battle, saw his navy completely destroyed.

Xerxes retreated with his remaining army. The Athenians and their allies defeated Xerxes' army for the last time at the Battle of Plataea in 479 B.C.E. Xerxes returned to Persia, defeated, and the Persian Empire never again invaded Greece.

The Aftermath of the War-Both Athens and Sparta claimed credit for the victory over Persia, which led to problems. Sparta was left very weak after its defeat at Thermopylae, while Athens emerged as the most powerful city-state after rebuilding. Athens created the Delian League: an alliance with other city states to protect themselves if Persia ever again invaded. Athens rebuilt their city-state more splendorous than ever, and experienced its Golden Age of economic and cultural magnificence.

The Persian Wars Battle M _____________

T_______________ S______________ P_______________

Combatants

(who fought?)

Vs.

Vs.

Vs.

Vs. Who won? Notes specific to this battle

Vocabulary Terms and People: Use the reading to find the correct term

_______________ 1. King of Persia who declared war on Athens and started the Persian Wars.

_______________ 2. King of Persia who fought Leonidas at the Battle of Thermopylae.

_______________3. Greek city-state with the strongest military.

________________4. Greek city-state which created the Delian League.

_______________ 5. Greek citizen-soldiers.

_______________ 6. Fighting formation that helped Greece win the Battle of Marathon.

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_______________ 7. Greek runner who yelled “Rejoice, we conquer!” Then, he died.

_______________ 8. Spartan leader of the brave 300.

_______________ 9. Greek general from Athens who commanded the navy at Salamis.

_______________ 10. Group of Greek city-states created to protect themselves from Persia.

Delian League and the Peloponnesian War

After the Persian War had ended, The Athenians convinced the other Greek cities that they needed to keep the strong Greek navy together in case the Persians came back again. At first everyone thought this was a good idea, and they formed an alliance called the Delian League. Then the Athenians said to the other cities, "Don't bother sending ships and men for the navy anymore; that is too hard. Just send money to Athens, and we will build ships and defend you against the Persians." So a lot of cities did that. But the Persians did not come back. After a while, some of the cities said, "We don't want to send any more money to Athens. We don't think the Persians are going to come back anymore." But the Athenians used their big navy to MAKE the other cities keep sending money. When the island of Naxos refused, the Athenians destroyed the walls of the Naxians' main city. The Athenians also spent some of the money on their own city. No Athenians had to pay taxes anymore. They used the money from the other cities to build great temples like the Parthenon.

Athens had become too greedy, and the other cities in Greece were angry. They asked the Spartans to help stop the Athenians, who were trying to take over all of Greece. The Spartans formed an alliance called the Peloponnesian League with Corinth and some other, smaller Greek cities, and brought an army to march to the walls of Athens in 431 BC. The Peloponnesian War had begun.

Even with all that money and such a powerful navy, Athens had a big geographical disadvantage. Sparta was inland, so the Athenian navy could attack Sparta directly. On the other hand, the Spartan’s powerful army only had to march north to attack Athens. Knowing this, the Athenian leader Pericles had allowed all of the people

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from the countryside to move into the city so its walls would protect them. The Spartans could not break through, and the Athenians could get food, and come and go as they pleased, by sailing out of their port in their ships. The Spartans didn't have any navy, so they couldn't stop the Athenians from sailing around.

But in the summer of 430 BC the Athenians began to die from a terrible plague. The overcrowding in the city made it was easy for the disease to spread. Tens of Thousands of people died, including the Athenian general Pericles. Things just kept getting worse for Athens. A failed attempt to attack Spartan food supplies led to an Athenian general named Alcibiades switching sides and joining with the Spartans. The Athenians formerly under his command were defeated. Then the Spartans received support from the PERSIANS, and together they helped subject states of Athens in the Aegean Sea and Ionia to rebel against Athens. The naval fleet of Athens was then destroyed and they had no choice but to surrender.

After the war was over, things slowly started to get better for Athens and the other states. The culture and economy of Athens began to repair itself, but it would never be the same. The Golden Age of Classical Greece had ended, and war had weakened all of the Greek states, which only made it easier for an outside force to conquer them. In Macedonia, just to the north of Greece, an ambitious ruler was planning to conquer Greece, and beyond...

Delian League and the Peloponnesian War Questions

1. Why did the Greek states form the Delian League? 2. Why did the Greek states change their minds about giving money to Athens? 3. Was it fair for Athens to spend the Delian money to improve their own city? 4. What was the money supposed to be for? 5. Why do you think the other city-states turned to Sparta for help? 6. Why would it have been difficult for Athens to attack Sparta? 7. What did Pericles do to protect the Athenians from Spartan attack? 8. How did that lead to the spread of disease? 9. Name three things that went wrong for Athens during the course of the war. 10. Why did the Peloponnesian War make Greece more vulnerable to being conquered?

World History “Alexander the Great”

Since the beginning of time, ambitious military commanders were never in short supply. Some of

them focused on gaining control inside their own kingdoms. Others set their goals higher. Alexander the Great

-- or Alexander III -- belonged to the second group. During his short reign of thirteen years, he defeated

several regional powerhouses. By the time he died in 323 B.C., he had done the unthinkable and built a

kingdom with lands stretching across three continents -- Europe, Asia, and Africa. After him, only a handful

of generals could duplicate or even surpass his success. For more than 2,000 years, Alexander the Great has

been recognized universally as the world's first greatest military commander.

Alexander the Great was born on July 20 or 26, 356 B.C. His father, Philip II, was the king of

Macedonia and his mother, Olympias, was the princess of Epirus. At the time of his birth, Macedonia was still

a backwater country lying north of Greece, but that was about to change. Using a combination of alliances and

warfare, Philip started to push his nation's boundary southward. His goal was to rule all of Greece one day.

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After years of planning and strategizing, he finally realized his dream in 338 B.C. That year, the Macedonians

defeated Athens and Thebes, the two strongest Greek city-states, at the Battle of Chaeronea. Alexander, a mere

teenager then, led a cavalry and fought fearlessly against the famed Sacred Band of Thebes. In the end, he

emerged as the victor and killed the elite Theban force that was once believed invincible!

Not long after this great success, Philip cast his eyes on the Persian Empire. Hoping to expand his

nation even farther than it already was, he began to prepare his armies for an invasion. Unfortunately, he never

got to carry out this grand military plan of his, for he was assassinated in 336 B.C.

Upon Philip's untimely death, his loyal troops hailed Alexander as their new king, but not everybody in

Macedonia welcomed this young ruler who just turned twenty years of age.

Having been recently conquered, both the Athenians and the Thebans wanted their independence back,

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so they began to plot against Alexander. When Alexander got wind of this, he and his soldiers moved swiftly.

In two weeks, they covered 240 miles and quickly took Thebes under siege. The Thebans' refusal to surrender

turned out to be a very costly mistake. As soon as Alexander subdued Thebes, he allowed his men to plunder

the entire city and kill anybody in sight! Whoever survived the attack was sold into slavery. Alexander's

intention was clear. He wanted to make an example out of Thebes for the rest of Greece to see. His warning

worked! Athens immediately changed its mind and swore allegiance to Macedonia. Now, with all the domestic

troubles being taken care of, Alexander could finally continue his father's unfulfilled dream -- conquering the

Persian Empire.

In the spring of 334 B.C., Alexander crossed the Strait of Dardanelles (formerly known as the

Hellespont) and brought his force to Asia Minor (modern day's Turkey). He had close to 30,000 infantry and

5,000 cavalry with him at the time. Though the size of his armies was not very impressive, he devised a smart

strategy and tackled the coastal cities first. By gaining control of the ports, he successfully blocked the

Persian navy from making landfall. After securing the coastline, Alexander directed his soldiers to travel

inland and reach Gordium, capital of Phrygia. According to legend, this city-state's founder, Gordius, had tied

an intricate knot in his chariot a long time ago. He proclaimed that only the future conqueror of Asia could

untie the knot. When the chariot was presented to Alexander upon his arrival, he boldly sliced through the

knot with his sword. With a quick move of his arm, he made it clear that he would be the conqueror of Asia!

In the autumn of 333 B.C., Alexander encountered Darius III, the Persian king, himself. At the decisive

Battle of Issus, Darius saw his force being crushed and fled before the war even ended. In haste, he never

bothered to take along his family members. All he cared about was saving his own skin. After claiming victory,

Alexander rounded up Darius' mother, wife, and children. He assured them of their safety and treated them

kindly. He even went on to marry Darius' eldest daughter as one of his many wives several years later.

Though Darius was fortunate to escape Issus, he had to be on the run all the time. He tried to negotiate peace

with Alexander by offering him lots of land and money, but to no avail. He did not want a portion of the Persian

Empire. Alexander wanted the whole thing! To get that, he led his men to advance across Syria and Phoenicia

in hot pursuit of Darius. While most of the cities in that region hardly put up a fight, Tyre and Gaza were two

exceptions, but even their resistance turned out to be fruitless. They all fell eventually. After taking down Gaza

and allegedly a brief visit to Jerusalem, Alexander reached Egypt in November 332 B.C. The Egyptians

received Alexander warmly as they welcomed the chance to be liberated from the Persians. Later that month,

they crowned Alexander in Memphis to be their pharaoh. Alexander stayed in Egypt for several months. During

his time there, he commissioned a city to be built at the mouth of the Nile River. He called the city Alexandria,

after himself.

In the spring of 331 B.C., Alexander left Egypt to invade Mesopotamia and had another showdown with

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Darius. At this final face-off, Darius lost and fled again. Though he might have considered himself extremely

lucky, his days were numbered. In route to capture Darius, Alexander attacked Babylon and Persepolis. The

latter was the capital and crown jewel of the Persian Empire. Alexander broke through Persepolis' defense in

late January 330 B.C. and moved in with his troops. Just as in Thebes, he showed absolutely no mercy this time

around either. Before burning down the palaces, he allowed his men to loot the city and to kill the Persian

nobles. When he was at last satisfied with the destruction, Persepolis was like a ghost town. It would never

reclaim its glory!

After the sacking, Alexander directed his formidable troops to be on Darius' trail again. His chase drove

this once powerful king to take shelter in Bactria. In July 330 B.C., Bessus, the governor of Bactria, killed

Darius and proclaimed himself the new ruler of the Persian Empire. When Alexander captured Bactria the

following year, he accused Bessus of committing regicide (the killing of a king) and executed him promptly.

Merely six years after ascending the throne, Alexander had managed to amass a vast kingdom. As his

power went unchallenged and his military undefeated, he decided to push his empire even farther east. In the

early summer of 327 B.C., Alexander led a large army and advanced toward the Punjab region in modern day

Pakistan and India. They crossed the Hindu Kush Mountain and arrived at Taxila the following spring.

Taxila's ruler, King Ambhi or Taxiles, chose not to fight and accepted the supremacy of Alexander. His

neighbor, King Porus, however, had a different idea. He resisted Alexander fiercely. Though King Porus lost,

Alexander admired his spirit and allowed him to continue ruling his kingdom.

After capturing the Punjab region, Alexander urged his men to press on. But his soldiers openly rebelled

and refused to go any farther. Upon consulting with his trusted general, Coenus, on the subject and hearing

what he had to say, Alexander decided to abort the expedition. His retreat spared India and the countries lying

beyond it.

Alexander died mysteriously around June 10, 323 B.C. Of the scant information we know, he fell ill

after going to a banquet in late May and passed 12 days later. Some historians believed that he got poisoned at

the party. But others disagreed. They pointed out that overdrinking, malaria, or typhoid fever could also be the

likely cause of death. While we might never find out what actually killed Alexander, we know precisely what

happened to his empire. As Alexander was lying on his deathbed, his generals surrounded him and asked him

who would inherit the throne. Alexander replied that he would give it to "the strongest." Though those

generals later supported Philip Arrhidaeus (Alexander's half-brother) and Alexander IV (Alexander's own son)

as the co-rulers of Macedonia, they never offered either any actual power. Instead, they fought among

themselves relentlessly and eventually broke the empire into pieces.

Even though his empire did not last after his death, Alexander would forever be remembered as one of

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the world's greatest leaders. His strength reflected not only in his ability to command troops, but also in his

ability to govern. Through his conquests, Alexander exported all things Hellenistic (Greek) - such as

philosophy, law, literature, religion, and art - to every corner of his empire, and imported other cultures. While

he led a relatively short life on Earth, his legacy has certainly lived on and will continue to inspire people

everywhere for centuries to come!

World History “Alexander the Great” Questions

Answer the following questions on your own paper in full sentences using the text above:

1) How far did Alexander the Greats kingdom stretch?

2) Where was Macedonia?

3) How did King Philip of Macedonia achieve his goal?

4) How did a young Alexander prove his military skill and leadership at the Battle of Chaeronea?

5) Who was named the new King upon Philips assassination? How old was he?

6) What city-states plotted against the new king?

7) How did Alexander deal with them? What was the result?

8) Explain the strategy Alexander used to conquer the Persian Empire.

9) What happened at the Battle of Issus?

10) How did the Egyptians respond to Alexander the Great invasion in 332 BCE?

11) What happened to Persepolis, the crown jewel of the Persian Empire?

12) What happened to Darius after he sought shelter in Bactria?

13) Where did Alexander push his unchallenged and undefeated military venture in 327 BCE?

14) Why did Alexander abort his expedition into India and beyond?

15) What do we know about Alexander’s death? What are the theories regarding the cause of death?

16) Who did Alexander want to inherit his throne?

17) What happened to Alexander’s Empire?

Essay: Explain the legacy of Alexander the Great. (4-6 sentences)

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AlexanderTheGreat’sEmpireMappingActivity

Name________________You’ve already learned that Alexander of Macedonian was great! He was very educated and an excellent soldier and leader. His greatest accomplishment was to spread Greek ideas and culture to just about the entire known world.In this assignment, you’ll find out how big Alexander the Great’s Empire really was. You’ll see it stretch all the way from Greece to Egypt to Persia. No wonder it’s called an “Empire”...

Use the map in your text book pp. 137 and 144 to complete the following:

#1. Label your map “MAP OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT’S EMPIRE”

#2. Label the following LOCATIONS on your map:

1) Black Sea 2) Mediterranean Sea 3) Caspian Sea4) Red Sea5) Persian Gulf 6) Indian Ocean7) Nile River

8) Macedonia9) Greece 10) Egypt 11) Persia 12) India Indus River 13) Troy 14) Athens

15) Caucus Mountains 16) Sparta 17) Alexandria, Egypt 18) Babylon 19) Persepolis 20) Strait of Dardanelles **

#3. Color all LAND that belonged to Alexander ONE COLOR!

#4. Color all LAND that did NOT belong to Alexander a SECOND COLOR!

#5. Color all WATER areas a THIRD COLOR!

#6. Color your MAP KEY the appropriate colors!

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