The historical period of the 5th centuries a. Ç. and IV a. C., in the Greek region, was called by historians as Classic Period for containing the main characteristics of the Greek civilization. This period was marked by several wars waged against external enemies and among the Greeks themselves. But it was also in this historical period that the Greek civilization managed to reach the highest point of its economic and cultural development, having as its main city-state Athens.
The main external enemies of the Greeks in this period were the Persians (also called fears). The conflicts between the two civilizations became known as Medical Wars (name derived from the fears) and occurred between 500 BC. Ç. and 479 a. Ç.
The Persians dominated the Ionian Sea region where a number of city-states of Greek origin were subjected to the Persian Empire. By rebelling against the Persians, they gained the support of other city-states, mainly Athens, which led to war between the two civilizations.
Two battles were marked as the main ones of the two Medical Wars. In the first medical war it was the marathon battle, when the army of the Persian king Darius I crossed the Aegean Sea in 490 BC. Ç. and he intended to attack Athens from the north, on the narrow plain of Marathon. The rapid onslaught of Athenian troops commanded by Milciades led the Persians to defeat, causing them to retreat.
When the Greeks had won the battle, according to legend, the soldier fidipeds he ran just over 40 km to Athens to break the news of victory, dying at the gates of the city after saying that the Greeks had won. The Fidípedes race became famous, and today the marathon, as it became known, is one of the most traditional events in athletics.
The second medical war was marked by the Battle of Thermopylae. The Greeks, knowing of a new Persian attack, now under the command of Darius I's son the king Xerxes, united to face the enemy. Thermopylae was a 15-meter-wide pass between the mountains and the sea, which, if crossed, would allow enemy troops to enter the Greek peninsula.
Possibly, in this battle, the king Leonidas it had 300 Spartan soldiers and 6,000 more from elsewhere against 150,000 soldiers from Xerxes. Xerxes had threatened to hide the sun with the arrows his army would hurl at the Greeks. Leonidas had replied that this would be better, as they would fight in the shadows.
The Spartan soldiers resisted the Persian attack, but a betrayal prompted the Persians to attack from the rear. This attack defeated the Greeks and allowed the Persians to enter the territory, destroying several cities, including Athens.
The Greeks fled to the Salamis Channel, where their agile ships managed to defeat the strong Persian fleet, ending the war.
The victory strengthened Athens, who led the formation of the Confederation of Delos, a union of city-states based on the island of Delos and where a treasure was kept to finance the defense of the Greeks in case of new wars.
Athens also strengthened its maritime trade, and the financial resources obtained were used to rebuild the city. The Athenian Political Leader pericles, who ruled the polis for 30 years (461 a. Ç. to 429 a. Ç. ), strengthened the democratic regime, with the participation in political decisions of all citizens.
Parthenon on the summit of the Acropolis of Athens
The reconstruction of the city was guided with the objective of raising new buildings and also making them beautiful. This proposal by Pericles stimulated cultural production in Athens, encouraging art, architecture, sculpture, painting, theater and philosophy. It was under Pericles' government that the Parthenon, on the acropolis, being the main architectural symbol of the city. This period was known as the century of Pericles, marking the moment of greatest development of the Greek civilization.
But Sparta and other cities did not agree with the Athenian rule and formed the Confederation of Peloponnese to oppose the Confederation of Delos. The result was the Peloponnesian War, which occurred between 431 a. Ç. and 404 a. Ç. Sparta was victorious in the war, but it weakened the unity of Greek civilization. Thebes went to war with Sparta and won. But they couldn't contain the force of the Macedonian Empire. In 338 a. C., the Macedonian king Philip II conquered Greece, keeping this people dominated by foreigners until the 19th century d. Ç.
By Tales Pinto
Graduated in History
