history of the peloponnesian war sparknotes

The Athenians put their faith in that sign, and their efforts into building something both beautiful and strong in her honour.Īthens had a system of democratic government (government 'by the people') which was unusual at that time. There is a legend that when Athena's temple was destroyed in the Persian War, a tiny olive shoot (the olive was her special tree) sprouted on the temple site as a sign of hope and rebirth. The goddess Athena (also called Pallas Athena) for whom Athens was named, wore armour and was called the goddess of victory, but she was also in charge of wisdom and the arts. The people of Athens believed that everyone could and should contribute to the life of the city: because the city wasn't where they lived, they were the city, in much the same way as Christians who say that the church is the body of believers.

It was more or less at peace after the worst battles of the Persian War it had a strong navy, created during that war it had also become the leader of a group of states called the Delian League. The time period covered in this story is the life of Pericles, but especially the fifty years from 480 to 430 B.C., the 'Golden Age of Athens.' During this time, the city-state of Athens was at its political and cultural peak. Pericles is considered the greatest statesman Athens ever had, although he was not the king, the president, or even the mayor of the city. They learn to answer such questions as,-'In what ways did Pericles make Athens beautiful? How did he persuade the people to help him?' And we may hope that the idea is engendered of preserving and increasing the beauty of their own neighbourhood without the staleness which comes of much exhortation.' Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education and narrated with great spirit by the children. 'We find Plutarch's Lives exceedingly inspiring. Please be conscientious in your desire to share AO, and link instead of copying. This copyrighted material is free to use, not free to repost or republish. However, out of respect for this work, please honor our long-standing terms of use, and do not repost this or any of the AO curriculum anywhere else, in any form. We offer it to be used freely, and hope it will be a blessing to many students, parents, and teachers. This study guide, and expurgated and annotated text, represent a great deal of research, thought, and work.

History of the peloponnesian war sparknotes