In the Classical Age, Ancient Greece was divided into City States including Athens and Sparta (c. 600 BCE).  These city states went to war with their neighbors to the east in the Persian Wars

Religion to gain legitimacy    

Greek Polytheism binds together Greeks in things like the Olympic Games                                      

Monumental art and architecture

They built the monument of the Acropolis in Athens and many other monuments.  Some of which are still sanding.

Make sure the state controls important economic systems

Commerce & Trade key to development of the Greek city states.  Greece needed more resources gained through trade.  Also, because both the governments of Athens and Sparta took much of the time of male citizens, they needed others to do agriculture.  So in Athens, people were enslaved to do agricultural work and in Sparta, Helots (serfs) did farm work.

Build infrastructure

Defensive walls protected many poleis including Athens.  Pericles famously extended the long wall of Athens.

Important Ruler

• Pericles

Click on Link to learn more about him.

Treatment of “others?”

Tries to work with other Greek city States, but steals (borrows) from them (See Pericles & Peloponnesian War for more info)

How resistance was dealt with

Athens goes to war with Sparta when they complain about the “Borrowing” (See Pericles & Peloponnesian War for more info)

Philosophy

Greek philosophy, especially from Athens, was especially influential in world history.  The Skeptics were a philosophical school that doubted many things.  Famous Skeptics include Socrates, Plato and Aristotle

Math and Science

The ancient Greeks also excelled in Math & Science.  Famous Mathematicians include: Euclid, Pythagoras and Thales.  Influential Scientists include: Aristotle and Hippocrates.