Ancient Greece

Battle of Salamis480 B.C.E.

Essential Standards

• 6.G.1 Understand geographic factors that influenced the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions (i.e. Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas) over time.

• 6.C&G.1Understand the development of government in various civilizations, societies and regions.

Clarifying Objectives

• 6.G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of culture).

• 6.G.1.3 Compare distinguishing characteristics of various world regions (e.g., physical features, culture, political organization and ethnic make-up).

• 6.C&G.1.1 Explain the origins and structures of various governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy).

Essential Questions

• Which NATURAL BARRIER did Themistocles to defeat the Persians in the Battle of Salamis?

• Why would the Athenians choose to live in a region that had NATURAL BARRIERS?

• How does the region of Greece’s physical features help Ancient Greece in their famous battles?

• What is a DEMOCRACY?

Greek Trireme Ships

• Ancient Greece’s secret weapon

• Greek war ships that were made from Oak…① Light② Fast③ Easy to Steer

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhTET-JmFdM

• 7:04-7:54

Admiral Themistocles

• Admiral Themistocles was a Greek sea captain

• He was the leader of the Greek Navy

• He was the last chance for Ancient Greece to fend off the Persians

Persians were Coming

• Persians had made it past Leonidas & his 300 men and were coming straight for Athens

• A decision had to be made to stay in Athens and fight or to run to escape the Persians

Oracle @ Delphi• An Oracle was a person that the

Greek God communicated to humans through

• Delphi was a mountain where the Oracle lived

• Oracles were usually young women that had been heavily drugged

• Oracles were often consulted before an important decision was made

Oracle @ Delphi

• Athenians always consulted the Oracle per cultural tradition before they went to battle to see if it is a good idea or not

• When asked the Oracle replied “the walls of wood will remain unsacked”

Athenians were Afraid• Athenians wanted to run to

the Island of Salamis

• Themistocles however called them cowards and said the “walls of wood” were the ships he had built

• Nobody believed him and they all left Athens to seek nearby protection on the island of Salamis

Athens Burns

• Persians attacked from the North after their finally getting through the mountains at Thermopylae

• They reached Athens and nobody was there

• They burned the whole city all the way to the ground

• Xerxes was victorious

Finishing the Greeks

• Not satisfied with burning down Athens Xerxes wanted to finish the Greeks

• He took his ships and sailed to the bay of Salamis to finish the Greeks

Admiral Themistocles

• Admiral Themistocles takes charge

• He begins by organizing all of the Greek Trireme Ships

• Then he sends one of his slaves to Xerxes to tell him that the Greeks were about to run

Xerxes falls for the Trick

• Instead of attacking that day Xerxes sets up his ships to cut off all escape routes so the Greeks cannot escape

• He spends the night blocking all escape routes

• This tired out all the Persian sailors

Xerxes Climbs a Hill

• Xerxes so confident in final victory climbs a hill to watch the battle from above

• All of Xerxes Naval Captains advise him to attack the Greeks except one

• The only woman Naval Captain Artemisia warned not to attack the Greeks

Queen Artemisia• Queen Artemisia was the only

woman Naval Commander that the Persians had

• She was a Greek Queen who had been captured by Xerxes Army and forced to fight for them

• She knew that Greek Naval strategies & knew that it was not a good idea to attack

Xerxes Attacks

• Xerxes attacks sailing into the strait of Salamis

• That is where the Greek Navy waits for him

• Xerxes is quickly trapped and even though he has 3 times as many ships they cannot move

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CJT_v1Ukbg

Essential Questions

• Get with a partner and answer…

• Which NATURAL BARRIER did Themistocles to defeat the Persians in the Battle of Salamis?

• Why would the Athenians choose to live in a region that had NATURAL BARRIERS?

• How does the region of Greece’s physical features help Ancient Greece in their famous battles?

Gridlocked

• Xerxes ships become Gridlocked and they cannot move without smashing into another one of his ships

• Themistocles surrounds Xerxes ships and annihilates them

Ancient Greece wins at Salamis

• Themistocles & Ancient Greece wins at Salamis

• A furious but defeated Xerxes realizes that Greece will never be his

• Greece has kept their independence from the largest Empire of Earth

With Victory comes Culture

• Greece is able to keep their culture intact

• They are able to keep their Democratic Government intact

• Greece’s culture shapes the future culture of all the Western World

Essential Questions

• Get with a partner and answer…

• What is a DEMOCRACY?

Important Points• 6.G.1.1 (Natural Barriers)

Themistocles uses the Strait of Salamis as a Natural Barrier to protect his ships and force Persia’s ships into gridlock

• 6.G.1.3 (distinguishing characteristic of regions [physical features]) Most of Greece has mountains which played an important role in Ancient Greece’s famous battles

• 6.C&G.1.1 (Democracy) Ancient Greece is the birthplace of democracy where the people/citizens vote on decisions