The Greeks 4

• History
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

2. The Time of Greeks and Romans

The Greeks 4. WAR

(TB ch 3.7)

What you will learn in 

this lesson

• What hoplites are
• What a hoplite's equipment is
• Why the phalanx was a successful tactic 
• Why and when the Persian Wars were fought

The Greeks were often at war with each other. They fought their near neighbours often - each trying to gain control over the other. Athens and Sparta fought two separate wars that dragged in their various allies and went on for many years. 

The Greeks were also often at war with neighbouring Persia. This did not stop them from fighting each other. But they were most likely to fight on the same side when Persia attacked. Even then, some of the city states chose to make an alliance with Persia, not to fight. These were often the city states in modern Turkey, which would be the first to be attacked by the invading Persian army. 

Who fought whom, and who allied with whom, depended on which city state or country was most powerful. So, Persia invaded Greece when the Persians felt their army were strong enough to win. At other times, as for much of the fourth century BC, the Persians helped Athens or Sparta fight the other.

WAR

website: click for more info on the Persian Wars

a modern map of the Persian Wars. click for larger view

1. What was a good reason for Greek city-states to stop fighting amongst themselves?

Ch 3.7 The Persian Wars

Visit the website about the Persian Wars (previous slide)

Copy this schematic in your notebook and use the website information to fill in the blocks with a v

2. Who were the Ionians?

1. Greek people who lived in the city-state Ionia
2. Greeks who lived in Greek colonies on the Western Turkish coast
3. Persian people who lived in Persian colonies in Western Turkey
4. Persians who lived in Persian city-states in Greece

3. Which of these modern
countries
was NOT a part of the
Persian empire?
(click to enlarge picture)

1. Afghanistan
2. Syria
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Iraq

4. What was the cause of the first Persian invasion?

In about 700 BC, there was a revolution in the way the Greeks fought. 

The earliest Greek armies had used cavalry and soldiers who provided their own armour and seldom trained together. The new Greek armies relied mostly on hoplites; soldiers who were citizens and landowners. 

Hoplites had to have the money and time to provide their own armour (all of a similar design) and to train together regularly. 

For several hundred years the Spartan army was the best in Greece. Preparing for war was the most important job for a Spartan citizen. The Spartans practised hoplite tactics a great deal. Hoplites got their name from their most important piece of equipment, a wooden hoplon (shield). All hoplites had similar equipment (see picture)

Hoplites

hoplon

The wooden shield weighed 9 kg. It was 1m across and curved to fit on the shoulder. 

helmet

The bronze helmet covered his head. However, it got very hot and he could see very little

breastplate

The breastplate was made from linnen and was sometimes strengthened with bronze scales. It covered the front and back of his body from waist to neck

greaves

The bronze greaves covered his shins

spear

The wooden spear was 2-3m long.lt had a long, sharp, iron stabbing point.

sword

The bronze sword had a 60 cm long blade for cutting and stabbing.

Source A: reconstruction of hoplite equipment

5. Could a slave become a hoplite? Explain your answer

Their equipment made hoplites slow moving and made turning and bending difficult. So why was a hoplite army such a good thing? When hoplites fought as a group, on level ground, they were very difficult to beat. 

Hoplites fought in ‘phalanx’. They marched together in rows. When they were close to the enemy they moved together so their shields made a wall between them and the enemy. 

If a hoplite in the front row was killed, the man behind him in the second row stepped forward to take his place and kept the 'wall' together.

Phalanx

Source B: reconstruction of hoplite phalanx

Source D

Let each man plant himself with both feet firmly on the ground, his thighs, calves, breast and shoulders covered with the belly of his broad shield. Let him shake his mighty spear in his right hand. Let him learn to fight by fighting bravely and not by standing out of range. Let him go close, hand-to-hand with his long spear or his sword and let him wound and take his enemy. Let him set foot beside foot, rest shield against shield, and fight his man breast to breast. And you, you light armed soldiers, crouching beneath the shield, throw your great sling stones and your spears at the enemy, standing beside the men in heavy armour. 

Written by Tyrtaeus, a Spartan citizen, in about 650 BC.  

Source C: Hoplitodromos (armoured race); on the right some tripods as winning prizes. Side A of an Attic black-figure neck-amphora, ca. 550 BC. From Vulci.

6. Read Source D
Which hoplite weapons / equipment are mentioned in the source?

Source E: sculpted hoplite figure

from around 500 BC

Source G: hoplites fighting. Detail from a vase made in 560 BC

Source F: hoplites fighting. Detail from a vase made in 640 BC

7. Which sources in this lesson are primary sources?

1. b,c,d,e
2. a,b
3. b,c,e,f
4. c,d,e,f

8. Do you think Source A is a good reconstruction? Explain your answer and write down at least one element from the other sources that you do NOT see in source A

Word Duty

Lesson 3.7:

• revolution
  
• cavalry
• tactics
• equipment

all these words are in the glossary in your textbook

Copy this in your notebook and fill in the gaps.

Summary ch 3.7

The two city-states ______ and ________ often fought each other. But they fought on the same side when ________ attacked. Who fought whom often depended on who was the most ________ at the moment.

The Persian Wars started in ________ BC when the Persian king ________ attacked the Greek __________ on the west coast of modern ___________. 

After several years of fighting the Persians were successful / unsuccessful (choose)

Greek soldiers were called __________, named after their shield (= ________).

Hoplites were citizens. They provided their own ___________ and they _____________ regularly.

For a long time the best army in Greece was the _________ army. 

Hoplites were difficult to beat when they fought in a group formation called a _______________.

Athens also had a powerful fleet of ships called _______________.

What you have learned in 

this lesson

• What hoplites are
  
• What a hoplite's equipment is
  
• Why the phalanx was a successful tactic 
  
• Why and when the Persian Wars were fought
  

Which question(s) would you like to be discussed in class when we check this lesson?

congratulations