From the dark centuries - period of decline, which began in XI-IX of substances B.C. - [Ellada] carried out the seeds of new political system. From the first reigns remained the scatterings of the villages, which fed the nearest city - the center of public life, market and refuge to the period of war. Together they composed state- city (“policy”). The largest policies were Athens, [Sparta], Corinth and [Fivy].
Revival from the dark
In the times of dark centuries, Greek settlements were extended from the southern part of the Balkan peninsula to the West Coast of Asia Minor (present territory of Turkey), covering the islands of Aegean sea. At the beginning ViII of century B.C. Greeks began to restore commercial relations with other peoples, exporting olive oil, wine, potter and metalware. By Phoenicians the written language, lost in the period of dark centuries, began to revive because of the recent invention of alphabet. However, steady peace and prosperity led to a sharp increase in the population, and to feed it was begun increasingly more difficultly because of the limited agricultural base.
Attempting to solve this problem, Greeks sent the entire parties of their citizens to master the new earth, to base the new colonies, capable of ensuring themselves. Many Greek colonies were based on the south of Italy and on Sicily; therefore this entire territory began to be called “large Greece”. In two centuries the Greeks constructed numerous cities around of the Mediterranean and even on the coast Black Sea.
The process of colonization was accompanied by sharp changes in the policies. Monarchy was inferior the place for aristocracy, i.e., to the administration of the most notable landowners. But approximately in 600 B.C. on an example of adjacent reign Lydia in the south of Asia Minor their positions noticeably shook with the expansion of trade and the introduction into the turnover of metallic money.
In VI century B.C. in the policies constantly appeared the conflicts, to the authority frequently came the tyrants. “The Tiranas” - word Greek as “aristocracy”, but in ancient Greeks was not implied that the regime of tyrant was severe and anti-people, but it meant that man forcibly took authority, but it could in this case be reformer.
In spite of the reform of famous legislator it is saline, authority in Athens took tyrant [Pisistrat]. But after the expulsion from Athens of the successor Of [pisistrata] Of [gippiya] in 510 was B.C. accepted the democratic constitution. This is one additional word of Greek origin, which indicates the administration of the demos, i.e., people. Greek democracy was limited, since the women and slaves did not have voting rights. But in view of the small sizes of cities citizens could not depend on the representatives selected them, since took direct part in the determination of laws and the consideration of especially decisions of major importance at the people meetings.
IN the V century the conflicts between the democratic and oligarchical parties B.C. in many policies flared up. The supporters of oligarchy assumed that the authority in the society must belong to the most well-off townspeople.
Athens and [Sparta]
If Athens can be named the stronghold of democracy, then [Sparta] rightfully it was considered the center of oligarchy. [Spartu] distinguished a whole series also of other special features.
In the majority of Greek states the percent ratio of slaves to the free citizens was sufficient to low, while of [spartiaty] they lived as “ruling race” in the environment of the exceeding quantity of the potentially dangerous slave- Helot. For maintaining its supremacy entire people Of [sparty] was converted into the caste of the soldiers, whom from the early childhood they trained to suffer pain and to live under the barrack conditions.
Although the Greeks were the ardent patriots of their cities, they recognized that they are one people - hellenes. Them united poetry of Homer, faith in omnipotent Zeus and other Olympic gods, and cult of the development of mental and physical abilities, expression of which were the Olympic Games. In addition to this the Greeks, who honored the command of right, perceived their difference from other peoples, which they without grounds baptized “by barbarians”. Both with democracy and in the oligarchical policies in all was juridical rights, and citizen it was not possible to deprive life on the whim of emperor - in contrast to, for example, the Persians, whom the Greeks considered barbarians.
Nevertheless, the Persian expansion, which was begun in VI century B.C. and directed against the peoples of ancient Greece and Asia Minor, seemed unavoidable. However, Persians were not especially interested in the earth of Greeks - poor and removed on that side of Aegean sea, until Athens support Asian Greeks, who incited to revolt themselves against the Persian administration. Uprising was depressed, and in 490 B.C. Persian tsar [Dariy] sent the troops to take vengeance upon Athens. However, Athenians gained convincing victory in the battle with the Marathon - in 42 km from Athens. In the memory about the exploit of messenger, who ran all this distance without the stoppage, in order to somewhat more rapidly report glad to [nest], in the program of the Olympic Games is included the Marathon.
Ten years later son and successor Of [dariya] Of [kserks] organized the considerably more concentrated attack. He ordered to build his ships, forming the bridge through [Gellespont] strait, which divided Asia Minor and Europe (present strait the Dardanelles), in a number, on which is past its huge army. Greek cities were forced to be combined before face of general threat. The army Of [kserksa] went from the north, and Greeks, who gathered the troops from the different cities, completed present exploit, after placing barrier in the way of Persians. Tsar Leonid and his 300 Spartans returned their lives, trying as it is possible to longer hold narrow [Fermopilskoe] gorge.
Unfortunately, the loss of Spartans proved to be useless, since ancient Greece nevertheless fall under the pressure of the enemy. They evacuated the inhabitants of Athens, and aggressors burnt all temples in the acropolis. Although in the year before the war the leader of the Athenians Of [femistokl] seriously strengthened fleet, in a quantity of ships he was hopeless inferior to superior forces of Persians and subjugated by them Phoenicians. But For [femistoklu] it was possible to drive in Persian armada into the narrow [Salaminskiy] strait, where it was deprived of the possibility of maneuver. This caused panic in the numbers of Persians and allowed Greeks to openly break enemy fleet.
The decisive battle
[Salaminskoe] battle can be considered one of the most great events of history. Year later Persian army was broken with [Plateyakh], and Greece again found freedom.
Since [Sparta] actually was removed from the liberation fight, Athens became indisputable leader in ancient Greece. In 478 was B.C. concluded [Delosskiy] union, which allowed Athens and their allies to combine their resources and to continue war. However, soon union became the instrument of political radicalism. Allies were obligated to introduce democratic governments in their states in the model of Athens and to finance the content of the constantly increasing herself fleet for the needs of general defense. In 449 B.C. the union was preserved after the end of war with the Persians, and all attempts to leave it sternly stopped themselves.
Classical Athens
The V century is B.C. considered as the great century of the classicism of Greek civilization, which, first of all, identifies with Athens. But also to, and after this period other Greek policies made a very significant contribution to the Greek culture, after presenting to peace numerous masterpieces of poetry, ceramics and sculpture, and also the first philosophers, who were attempting themselves to explain the universe from the positions of physics, but not by magic and by miracles.
And the nevertheless main achievements of human thought and skill are connected with Athens. Among the temples built in the acropolis the Parthenon with its perfect proportions and excellent stucco moldings is most famous. The first in the world dramatic works arose on the basis of Athenian rituals in the honor of the god Of [dionisa]. Athenian philosophers, including famous Socrates and Plato, first subjected to in-depth analysis questions of morals and political ideals. Furthermore, Athens were the native land of Herodotus [Galikarnasskiy], first real historian (i.e., scientist, who carries out critical studies, but it is not simple by [pereskazyvaniem] of fables and rumors).
Not less outstanding historian was Thucydides, who was not only by the military leader of Athenian army, but also by the chronicler of the great [Peloponnesskoy] war of 431-404 years those perturbed by the growth of the might of Athens, [spartiaty] B.C. established The [peloponnesskiy] union, into which entered the representatives of the large [Peloponnesskogo] peninsula in the south of the mainland territory of ancient Greece. The first collisions between two unions were irresolute, and it seemed this position will be preserved for a long time. However, the post as in Athens flared up plague, which took away the life of the leader of the Athenians of Pericles, [Sparta] gained victory in this opposition. But although Spartans controlled territory around Athens (Attica), city itself remained for them unapproachable, since the surrounded city famous long walls cut off approaches to the port Piraeus, from where supplies were reached into Athens. Thus, the supremacy of Athens at sea was preserved.
Conquered conquerors
After seven-year armistice again broke out the war, when the Athenian army, which assessed the powerful Greek city on Sicily Of [sirakuzy], itself proved to be in the environment, and entire expeditionary housing was completely destroyed. Spartans locked Athens into the dense ring of blockade. Athenian fleet was destroyed in the battle with [Egospotamakh]. The in 404 B.C. starving city was forced to be returned.
[Sparta] and [Fivy]
The domination Of [sparty] was also prolonged not long, it resisted the association of Athens, Corinth and [Fiv]. In 371. to i. e. Thebans under Epaminondas's leadership in the battle with [Lovktrakh] applied [Sparte] crushing defeat.
Superiority [Fiv] it proved to be even more fleeting, and the second-half IV of century Greece entered as by ever disconnected. In the comparison with other states, Macedonia, which was being located on the north of Greece, remained the under-developed outskirts, but by it guided talented tsar Philip THE II Macedonian, and it has the wonderfully prepared army. In 338 B.C. in the battle with [Kheronee] Macedonian army completely destroyed the united army of Athenians and [fivantsev]. In ancient Greece united ruler appeared. New era began.
