3. The Polis
• A supposedly independent political entity.
• Defensible urban center, surrounded by
agricultural territory.
• Citizenship was based on birth, but political
rights were generally tied to land ownership.
• Most city-states had Oligarchic governments
– rule of the few.
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5. The Hoplite Warrior was Equipped with:
• Helmet
• Body Armor - corselet
• Greaves
• Spear, wood with bronze tip and butt-spike
• Short Sword
• Round, convex Hoplite shield - "Hoplon"
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8. Military and Political Values
• Hoplite armies developed during the
Archaic Period (700-500 B.C.)
• Hoplites armed themselves.
• They stood together in the front ranks.
• Safety depended on NOT breaking ranks.
• Spartans were considered the best
Hoplites.
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9. Size Matters
• Most poleis were relatively small.
• All poleis generally had some kind of
“council” or deliberative body.
• Membership in that council was often
restricted to the “best” citizens, who were
landowners, and able to afford their hoplite
armor.
• Oligarchy was normal.
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10. Tyranny vs. Oligarchy
• Usually, under oligarchy, the various
aristocratic families are evenly matched.
• Sometimes, in times of political struggle,
one aristocrat gains sole power over the
others.
• Usually, he does this by enlisting the
assistance of the poorer citizens.
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11. Two Important Exceptions
• Athens was a larger polis, with more
citizens, and naval power.
• Sparta had conquered the neighboring
territory of Messenia. This allowed it to use
the Messenians as serfs or “Hellots.”
• Spartans didn’t have to work their land, and
could spend all their time training and
fighting.
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12. Fifth Century Political Developments
• Following the Persian war in 480 – Athens
developed an “Empire” based on naval power.
• The Athenian Allies were mainly concentrated
in the islands and on the coast of Asia Minor.
• The smaller, poorer poleis of the mainland,
feared the Athenians and turned to the
Spartans for protection.
• City states took sides – and joined either the
Athenian or the Spartan Hegemony.
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14. Athenian Democracy
• Demos – literally means “people.”
• In places with only hoplite armies, they were
not politically important.
• As the Athenian Empire developed, rowers
were needed for the ships which secured
Athenian military supremacy.
• The rowers were citizens from the lower
economic classes.
• Their power in the Assembly led to the
development of Athenian Democracy.
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15. Why Would Other City States Resist
Democracy?
• Most “Ancestral Constitutions” took the form
of oligarchies. This was the traditional way
of doing things.
• The power of the “demos” in Athens was
based on the need of the city for rowers.
Small city-states without navies had less
work for the members of the demos.
• In practice a “democratic government”
meant a pro-Athenian government.
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16. Tribute
• Athens dominated the islands, and the city
states on the West Coast of Asia Minor.
• These places had been paying taxes or
“tribute” to the Persian empire.
• Athens demanded that these cities should
pay the same amount of tribute - for
protection from the Persians.
• Tribute was the major complaint of the
Athenian allies.
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17. Peloponnesian War
• Series of conflicts from 431 to 404 B.C.
• Athens, and its allies, struggled with
Sparta, and its protectorates.
• The conflict might have ended in
stalemate, except Persia began to send
funds (secretly) to both sides.
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18. Discussion?
• Why were the city-states often in conflict?
• Why were Athens and Sparta so much
stronger than the rest?
• What were the relative advantages of
hoplite armies?
• Why was naval power so important for
Greek political developments?
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20. Chronological Markers
• 404 B.C.E. After the defeat of Athens by
Sparta in the Peloponnesian War, Sparta
imposed an oligarchic government at Athens
(The Thirty Tyrants).
• 403 B.C.E. Many Athenians who opposed
The Thirty were executed or went into exile.
These exiles eventually expelled The Thirty,
with the Spartans failing to support their
own puppet govt.
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21. Chronological Markers
• 401 B.C.E. Greek mercenaries, including
Spartans, assist the Persian prince, Cyrus, in
his failed attempt to overthrow his brother
Artaxerxes II.
• Although Artaxerxes II and his satrap
Tissaphernes tried to punish the mercenaries
and the Greek cities of Asia Minor, they were
unsuccessful –
• Were the Persians now weak?
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22. Chronological Markers
• 400-396 B.C.E. The Spartans campaign
against the Persians, and attempt to
involve mainland Greeks in the campaign.
The Thebans, especially are unhelpful.
• At the same time, the Persians
(supposedly) were sending money to antiSpartan Greek cities.
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23. Chronological Markers
• 395 B.C.E. Athens joins Thebes in a war against
Sparta (The Corinthian War).
• The Spartans did fairly well on land in this war,
but got into a lot of trouble at sea. The Persians
hired an Athenian Admiral (Conon), and the
Spartans lost their fleet at the battle of Cnidus in
397 B.C.E.
• But, now the allies seemed to be winning, and
Athens seemed to regaining its naval power,
sooooo.
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24. Chronological Markers
• 388/7 – The Persians brokered a deal.
• Sparta gave up its campaign to “free the
Greeks” of Asia.
• The Persians, in return, blockaded the
Hellespont, cut of grain to Athens, and forced
it to compromise. The other city states had to
go along with this, because they were weak.
• The Spartan diplomat Antalcidas did the
negotiating.
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25. Chronological Markers
• 388/7 Peace of Antalcidas – Terms
• All foreign garrisons were to be disbanded,
and every city-state was supposed to be
autonomous.
• Therefore, there could be no “alliances.”
• Spartans, backed by the Persians, got the best
of this deal.
• Naturally, everyone else was unhappy.
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26. Chronological Markers
388-372
• 388-372 – The Spartans behave badly.
• 382 – Occupy the Citadel at Thebes.
• 379/8 – Allow one of their generals, Sphodrias
to make an abortive attack on Attica.
• Generally make things unpleasant for the
Thebans.
• Meanwhile, the Athenians form a new Sea
League, which somehow gets around the
“autonomy” clause.
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27. Chronological Markers
• 371 – (Our sources are very confused
here….)
• Athens is worried about the increasing
power of Thebes, but still doesn’t trust
Sparta.
• There is a peace conference at Sparta – and
Sparta and Thebes fall out even more than
before.
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29. Battle of Leuctra - 371
• For the first time, Sparta is fully defeated.
• The Thebans take their campaign into the
Peloponnese.
• Sparta looses control of Messenia.
• The economic basis of the Spartan system
is destroyed.
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30. Goals for the Class
Following our Break
• Credit/No Credit Vocabulary Quiz
• Discuss our sources for the Battle of
Leuctra – especially Plutarch.
• Discuss the Sacred Band.
• Discuss the weaknesses of the polis system
as shown by these events.
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31. Literary Sources for the Battle of Leuctra
• Xenophon – Athenian in Exile – Wrote a work
called “Hellenica 6.4.8-15. Xenophon writes from
the Spartan point of view. He died in 354 B.C. – so
his account is that of a contemporary.
• Diodorus 15.55.1-56.4. He wrote a “Universal
History” and worked during the reign of the
Emperor Augustus
• Plutarch – Life of Pelopidas. His life of
Epaminondas is lost. Plutarch was a Greek
philosopher and statesman, who died in 120 A.D.
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