Thermopylae Flashcards
The Greeks lived in the shadow of what great empire?
Persia
Greece was the gateway to what empire?
Europe
How many men did Xerxes have at Thermopylae?
250,000
What was Thermopylae?
Mountain pass
Why was Thermopylae important?
It was the gateway to Greece
What does Thermopylae mean?
Hot gates
Who comprised the 300 men?
Spartans
What kind of weapons did the Spartans carry?
Helmet, shield, spears, and swords
Shields: bowl shape
Spears: thrusting
Swords: short
What were the Persian soldiers called?
Meads/Immortals
Why were they called the immortals?
Every time one was killed, it seemed like two came back
What kinds of weapons did the Persians carry?
Bow and arrow
Did the Persians attack right away?
No, they waited 4 days because they didn’t believe that the Spartans were actually going to fight
Why were the Spartans successful in battle?
They were trained their whole lives for battle
How did the Persians finally defeat the spartans on day 3 of the battle?
They pushed through the crowd
Why did the Spartans fight to claim the body of king leonides?
It symbolized how important the role of the leader/king was
Why didn’t the Spartans like this tactic?
They felt that there was no honor in using bow and arrows
Xerxes finally defeated the Spartans using what battle tactic?
They used bow and arrow, they met a traitor which told them how to defeat the Spartans
Alliance
Formal agreement between nations to agree not to attack, but to protect each other
Persians
Conquered a huge empire, they were the largest empire to take over Greece
Why did the Persians have a problem with the Athenians?
The athenians were under Persian rule, so they decided to rebel (Iona)—have alliance
What happened at the battle of marathon?
Darius sent a huge force across the Aegean Sea, the Persians outnumbered the athenians, the athenians won, Themistocles warned of a temporary lull in fighting, the Persians came and overwhelmed Themistocles
Oh, since you’re stupid about this, this whole thing is about Athens vs. Persia.
Got that?
ATHENS VERSUS PERSIA
What happened at the battle of Thermopylae?
The Greek force was very small, but as determined to make a stand against the Persians
How did the Greeks eventually defeat the Persians?
The Greeks used its position of leadership to create an Athenian empire
What was the result of the Persian wars?
The Athens dominated the Delian league
Direct Democrazy
Citizens vote on political initiatives directly
Stipend
A fixed sum payed as a salary/allowance
Jury
Body or people sworn to give a verdict in a legal case
Ostracism
Exclusion from a society/group
When did he golden age of Athens look like, what were some of its features?
- riches and land abundance
- great military
Why did the Peloponnesian war start?
Athens became the supreme power known as the Athenian empire
What destroyed athens?
Acropolis was captured and destroyed by the Persians
What were the results of the Peloponnesian war?
Athens was reduced to a state of near-complete subjection, Sparta became established as the leading power of Greece
