This is a rewrite of a paper I wrote for a Junior College History class. I thought it was different, but when I went back to read it, I found the spelling and what no to be atrocious, so I'm endeavouring to clean it up
Over the course of Western Civilization, and history in general, there are a few defining moments that genuinely affect our subsequent history and send as many ripples through history as the clash between the Greeks and the Persians in the 5th Century BC.
Greece, and Athens in particular, are for lack of a better term,”The Wellspring of Western Civilization”. It may also be said that these roots go even deeper, for the peoples of the Mesopotamian region also greatly influenced both the Greeks, and Western Civilization as a whole.
The people known as the Greeks were the cultural recipients of the first, the Minoans, and later the Mycenaens. The geographic nature of Greece led to the establishment of small city-states, which while somewhat culturally homogenous, also showed a marked streak of individualism.
The Persians were most likely, originally, peoples of the steppes, who absorbed the cultures of Mesopotamia Assyria, and Babylon, who had all established sizable Empires. The Persians would improve on this under Cyrus the Great, and establish an enormous Empire in the East.
The Persian-Greek Wars lead not only to the Spread of Hellenism under Alexander, but also to the diffusion of Eastern ideas as well, their organizational skills, and Zoroastrianism would profoundly affect the West.
It is the year 775 BC, Athens and the other Greek City-states are beginning to recover from a period of economic hardship, and decline. The Greeks begin to send out colonies to ease the pressure of excess population, political dissatisfaction, and acquire access to foodstuffs for its rapidly expanding cities.
Their adoption of the alphabet and the working of iron helped bring them up to speed with the rest of the known world. Their skill as sailors made them master traders, who would soon come into conflict with the Phoenicians.
The Greeks were quite content to spread throughout the western Mediterranean, and found not just trading posts, but colonies. From the shores of the Black Sea, up the Danube and Volga Rivers to the Straits of Gibraltar and Northern Africa, the Greeks began to slowly dominate the seas.
Not content with their colonies in Ionia, and elsewhere, . They also began to covet the rich resources of Anatolia,they slowly worked their way inland and along the coast. Strangely enough, few of the kingdoms in the area required all out war to subdue them.
The recent adoption of democracy, introduced by Cleisthenes, by Athens and other Greek cities beginning in 505 BC, and their commercial success made the prospect of joining their newly formed, “Delian League”, very inviting.
The fact that a powerful empire was being built up by the Persians, made it quite logical. It was in this way that between 501 BC and 483 BC, Phrygia, Mysia, Lydia, Caria, and Lycia came into the Greek fold. Fortunately for the Greeks and the Anatolians, Cyrus found himself immersed in a struggle with the people to his east. He would eventually establish himself all the way to the Indus River and Afghanistan. They would also occupy the areas of Anatolia not under Greek control.
The adoption of a coinage system like that of Lydia, made the Greek economy even more vigorous, and in the Early 5th century BC, Athens began to dominate the “Delian League”. This brought about the mistrust of Sparta, a powerful militaristic city-state which had held on to its monarchial form of government.
Over the course of Western Civilization, and history in general, there are a few defining moments that genuinely affect our subsequent history and send as many ripples through history as the clash between the Greeks and the Persians in the 5th Century BC.
Greece, and Athens in particular, are for lack of a better term,”The Wellspring of Western Civilization”. It may also be said that these roots go even deeper, for the peoples of the Mesopotamian region also greatly influenced both the Greeks, and Western Civilization as a whole.
The people known as the Greeks were the cultural recipients of the first, the Minoans, and later the Mycenaens. The geographic nature of Greece led to the establishment of small city-states, which while somewhat culturally homogenous, also showed a marked streak of individualism.
The Persians were most likely, originally, peoples of the steppes, who absorbed the cultures of Mesopotamia Assyria, and Babylon, who had all established sizable Empires. The Persians would improve on this under Cyrus the Great, and establish an enormous Empire in the East.
The Persian-Greek Wars lead not only to the Spread of Hellenism under Alexander, but also to the diffusion of Eastern ideas as well, their organizational skills, and Zoroastrianism would profoundly affect the West.
It is the year 775 BC, Athens and the other Greek City-states are beginning to recover from a period of economic hardship, and decline. The Greeks begin to send out colonies to ease the pressure of excess population, political dissatisfaction, and acquire access to foodstuffs for its rapidly expanding cities.
Their adoption of the alphabet and the working of iron helped bring them up to speed with the rest of the known world. Their skill as sailors made them master traders, who would soon come into conflict with the Phoenicians.
The Greeks were quite content to spread throughout the western Mediterranean, and found not just trading posts, but colonies. From the shores of the Black Sea, up the Danube and Volga Rivers to the Straits of Gibraltar and Northern Africa, the Greeks began to slowly dominate the seas.
Not content with their colonies in Ionia, and elsewhere, . They also began to covet the rich resources of Anatolia,they slowly worked their way inland and along the coast. Strangely enough, few of the kingdoms in the area required all out war to subdue them.
The recent adoption of democracy, introduced by Cleisthenes, by Athens and other Greek cities beginning in 505 BC, and their commercial success made the prospect of joining their newly formed, “Delian League”, very inviting.
The fact that a powerful empire was being built up by the Persians, made it quite logical. It was in this way that between 501 BC and 483 BC, Phrygia, Mysia, Lydia, Caria, and Lycia came into the Greek fold. Fortunately for the Greeks and the Anatolians, Cyrus found himself immersed in a struggle with the people to his east. He would eventually establish himself all the way to the Indus River and Afghanistan. They would also occupy the areas of Anatolia not under Greek control.
The adoption of a coinage system like that of Lydia, made the Greek economy even more vigorous, and in the Early 5th century BC, Athens began to dominate the “Delian League”. This brought about the mistrust of Sparta, a powerful militaristic city-state which had held on to its monarchial form of government.