Period+1+Athens

Period 1
=__**Athens (500-300 B.C.)**__= = =

[[image:http://www.forumancientcoins.com/articles/maps/images/Map_Ancient_City_of_Athens.jpg width="560" height="407"]]
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Athens is classically known for creating democracy, where the government is ruled by the people. People make the decisions- the majority of the people's vote decides. But it wasn't always like that in Athens, it changed its form a lot. Orginally a monarchy like most of the surrounding countries (ruled by a single king, passes down from generation to generation), it was changed to an oligarchy in the seventh century. An oligarchy is when you have a few leaders, two or three rich aristocrats in power and make all the decisions. The former king position became known as a king archon, and as part of the oligarchy two other archons were present. They made all the decisions as part of the oligarchy. But as time went on, more archons were added. With 9 total archons, (all aristocrats), governed Athens. They were not alone, as they also had the Areopagus council as well. That is made up of old archons formally in power, and they selected new archons to be in power. This started to show signs of a democratic goverment, with a council making some decisions. After years, an aristocrat named Solon reformed the government, after much crisis occurred in their economy because of the government. Even after he solved an immediate crisis, but many aristocratic families were wanting of power, and there was a big mess. Tyranny started to take place, and a ruler Peisistratos took control. One Aristocrat leader with the help of the Spartans drove out the tyrant later. His name is Cleisthenes, and the athenian people rallied behind him and drove out of the Spartans. He made the changes to the greek goverment which gave them a democratic government. He created demes, local administrative units around Athens and parts claimed by it. They were divided into thirds based on location, and then those were divided into tribes. These tribes selected 500 people each to be in a council, the most important in the city in making decisions. The goverment was set this way, with the people making the decisions, (council). This was the trademark greek democracy, and even though it was the result of Ancient Athens downfall (this early system did not work to well), it was the starting of democracy and worked very well in the future.
 * GOVERNMENT: **

**RELIGION:****﻿**
**- The religion in Ancient Athens consists of Greek mythology.** **- Zeus, Hades, Poseidon are the more important gods in the Athenian religion.** **- Greek mythology helps the citizens of Athens explain confusions in the world around them.** **- The Athenians were polytheistic; they had a belief in many gods.** **- Greek mythology includes many gods for different aspects of their lives and includes many stories portraying the gods.**

**ECONOMY:**

**The economy of Ancient Athens was a mystery, but we can find that it was based on heavily on importing goods. Since it is close to other european civlizations, this was an easy process and very common. Back then in ancient times. there wasn't any term for economy, (no dow or anything), so everything was based on trading. Big cities around and in Athens exported olive oil, wine, and pottery. At Piraeus, the main trading port in Athens, the taxes were sometimes raised to give Athens money, but port was where most imports came into Athens, so the tax was still paid anyways. Athens relied heavily on importing wheat, from places like Italy, Egypt, and places near the Black Sea mostly. Athens also imported spices, ship building materials, fabrics, and metals. Farming was not-well developed in Athens, the land was not great for it, and required over 80 percent of the population to work in agriculture. Athens relied on importing wheat and others of the sort due to the lack of great farmland. Slavery was also a big part of the economy of Athens, as they commonly relied on slaves in their workshops to labor and trade away. The common currency in Greece (used in Athens), was of coins, and throughout Athenian times it was the common system of currency. They were made of electrum orginally, changed to silver, and as Athens came to its end it changed to bronze.**

**ART AND ARCHITECHURE:**
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- The Parthenon is is Doric Style.

- ionic is Erechtheum, Temple of Apollo at Didyma, and Temple of Athena Nike - corinthian is Apollo at Bassae, Lysicrates, Temple of Zeus

- Michelangelo - used stone, limestone, and marble - used to tell stories about gods, heroes, mythology, events, mythical creatures, and culture - based on Roman art - Mycenaean Art, Sub-Mycenaean or Dark Age, Proto-Geometric, Geometric Art, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic

**﻿**
-Height of power was in 500-300 B.C -fifth century B.C Athens was a commercial center for wine and olive oil -soon after it developed art, architecture and literature; it held numerous public festivals -480 B.C persian Army captured and destroyed there city -Athens regained power in 479 B.C, made city stronger by building buildings of fortification -very wealthy from silver mines -leader pericles used money to build theaters, acropolis ( highest building in athens), auditoriums, plazas, several schools, market places and more.

-People were classified by 3 social classes, citizens ( adult men ), Freemen ( women and foreigners ) and slaves -Women were expected to stay indoors and manage the household and slaves -Servants and slaves did the daily work and were treated very kindly -As of being a citizen of athens they were expected to attend meetings having to do with politics and attend juror in courts. -Citizens also spend much of there time at agora which was a place where they discussed politics and trade goods. - Girls weren't expected to get an education but if there wealthy families the family would hire a tutor.

**SUMMIRIZATION OF CIVILIZATION'S ACHIEVEMENTS:** **Athens had many achievements like that they came up with many myths that greeks now also use and that we now learn, and still tell about. It also became the prime academic center of the roman empires.**

Athens and Sparta (Overview). (2011). In // World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //. Retrieved September 15, 2011, from http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/
 * CITATIONS:**

"Athenian democracy." //World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras//. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2011.

"Economy of ancient Greece." From Wikipedia, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2011.

Athens. (2011). In // World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //. Retrieved September 15, 2011, from http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/

"Greek mythology." // World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras //. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.

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