Persian Wars

In class today, we discussed military techniques of Ancient Greek city-states, focused on Sparta's infantry and Athens' Navy. We then looked at the Persian Wars and the advantages and disadvantages that each army had.
The Persian army had the advantages of larger numbers and better trained soldiers against Greece, but the Greek army had more motivation, desperately wanting to preserve democracy, as well as the advantage of being in their own territory. Greeks also had hoplites and Spartans that trained from a young age, and an. impressive battle formation called the phalanx, a close-rank and dense formation. The Persians had cavalry, archers, and near unlimited resources, but struggled so far from their own home turf.
We also learned that The 300 is a historically inaccurate movie. I've never seen it, and now I don't want to

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Caesar

I will be taking my test on June 2 from 1:25-2:15 pm. Plebeians were kept docile with free grain from the state, and entertainment such as Colosseum. Tiberius Gracchus, though unsuccessful, recognized the benefits of courting the plebeians. Military generals worked that angle, giving them a share in the spoils. Soldiers' loyalty was to their military leader more than to Rome/ the Republic. Julius Caesar, a very successful general, conquered the huge territory of Gaul. He was smart politically, pleasing both common people and important officials such as Pompey, another successful general, and Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome. Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus formed the first triumvirate/ "rule of three men." Caesar served as consul for a year (one full term) and appointed himself governor of Gaul, making Pompey jealous. He and Pompey became rivals and when their armies clashed, Caesar won. In 44 B.C.E. he was named dictator, at first it was for six months, then the positi
Read more

Theater

Image
1. Two kinds of drama were performed in greek theaters- Tragedy (serious dramas with themes such as love, hate, war or betrayal, typically featuring a tragic hero with a fatal flaw) and Comedy (contained slapstick situations and humor, mocking political figures and respected people). 2. A- When I was younger, I went to Girl Scout camp, and we would write and perform skits and plays for the other girls often. Usually, skits would contains jokes and dumb humor, as well as lines that made fun of our counselors or camp staff, similar to the mocking of important figures in comedic Greek theater. 3.   This theater is very large, to hold many people in the audience.  The circular shape with the stage at the center of the raised seats also benefits the acoustics and allows for everyone to see the performance.
Read more

Mycenaeans, Minoans, and Dorians.

Mycenaean influence in Greece began in 2000 BCE. Mycenae is located on a rocky ridge on Peloponnesus, protected by a 20 foot wall. From 1600 to 1100 BCE, Mycenaean kings controlled Greece, and all the trade in the region. By 1400 BCE, Mycenaeans had invaded Crete, and took over by adopting Minoan culture (language, politics, art, etc.) Around 1200 BCE, 'sea people' (unknown who they actually were) invaded Mycenae and began burning down palaces. Dorians moved into this war torn region and ruled from 1150 to 750 BCE. Dorians were less culturally advanced, and during the 'Greek Dark Ages' when Dories ruled, the trade-based economy collapsed, writing disappeared for 400 years, and there was a huge cultural decline. Homer was said to be a blind wandering minstrel living during the end of the Greek Dark Ages, telling stories as he went from city to city. It's debated whether or not he actually existed, but he's credited with the Iliad and the Odyssey. Another piec
Read more