The emergence of the city-state

This is Athens. The capital of Greece. But Athens hasn’t always been the capital here in Hellas, as Greece used to be called. During the Bronze Age, people in the Mediterranean area were living in great kingdoms such as Egypt and Mycenae. But from the eighth century this changes.

The cities - and their rural surroundings - form independent states, each with their own political rulership. So Athens is not only a city but a city-state: a polis. Most city-states are built like this: The city rests against a cliff where the inhabitants can escape if they are under attack. And the buildings are positioned around a square - an Agora. Here they buy and sell, discuss politics, and - forty times a year - they make important political decisions.

The people of Athens are no longer merely inhabitants in a country ruled by a mighty king - instead they have a say in important decisions. They are citizens of their city-state. But this is not true for everyone. It’s only men, and only those men who are not slaves. There are several hundred city-states.

Besides Athens, some of the others were Sparta, Corinth, and Syracuse. But Syracuse is not actually here, but far away. On the island of Sicily. In the eighth century, the first city-states get more crowded, without enough food. So the citizens turn toward the neighbouring areas, conquering and colonizing them.

Even though the Greek city-states together aren’t one whole state, but many small ones, the inhabitants see themselves as one people – the Hellenes. The Hellenes share one language and one alphabet, and they believe in the same Gods. But despite them having so much in common, the way of life is fairly different in different city-states. Athenian men regard women almost as possessions. Women are not allowed to show themselves with too little clothing.

Their most important task in life is to give birth. In Sparta, military life is the important thing. Everyone exercises to keep fit. Even the women, who are much freer here - as long as they give birth, that is. The citizens of Athens turn their attention mostly toward culture and politics, while the Spartans spend most of their time in military training.

In spite of this Athenians and Spartans get along and this will change later but right now, they cooperate. The Spartan expertise in warfare also benefits Athens and the other city-states. Some of them have formed a union to defend against common enemies, like the Persians. Sparta leads the Hellenes in this military union. Thanks to this the Hellenes win an important battle against the Persian army at the village of Marathon.

After the battle, it’s said that, a messenger ran all the way from Marathon to Athens, just to tell everyone about the victory. It was so far that he died from exhaustion. Much, much later, in modern times, a running race of approximately the same length will be called a ‘Marathon’. But the fight against Persia is not over. Ten years after the Hellenes’ victory at Marathon, in the year 480 BCE, the Persians try to invade Hellas again.

They defeat the Greeks at a place called Thermopyle. Then the Persians march into Athens! And plunder the city! The Greeks are shocked but the same year they get their revenge. They defeat the Persians once more, near an island called Salamis.

The time from the eighth century BCE until the victory at Salamis is called The Archaic Period. Then starts a new period: The classical Greek period - “The Golden Age of Athens”