Greek and Roman Learning Journal Notes

Learning Journal – Unit 3 The Athenian golden age also known as the Classical period came to an end around 338 BCE with the fall of Athens to Macedonia. During its existence from 500 BCE to 338 BCE, Athens gave us great monuments like the Parthenon and Acropolis, Classical architecture, philosophy, arts – particularly theater/drama and, government, literature etc., that are considered the fundamental building blocks of Western civilization. There were several factors in the decline and eventual fall of this great polis, including economic and military factors which led to cultural changes such as decline of small, family-owned farms, the Peloponnesian Wars (404-355 BCE) that dragged on for 30 years, draining Athens’ treasury. However, the conclusive blow came from the ascending star of Macedon, who’s military might, ironically, was a consequence of the spread of the Greek civilization. Macedon (355-336 B.C.E.) In 359 BCE Macedonia witnessed Phillip II ascend the throne following an invasion by the northern tribes that resulted in the killing of his predecessor. When Phillip II gain power, the Greek had little regard or respect for Macedonians who were considered as barbarians. However, the country to the north of Greece, who spoke a variant dialect of Greek always saw themselves as Greeks. Fortunately for Macedonia, Phillip II turned out to be an exceptionally capable, shrewd, ambitious and ruthless leader. As per Butler (2007), “Philip was one of the most remarkable figures in Greek history, only being overshadowed by his son Alexander. He [Phillip II] was an outstanding organizer and general who built what was probably the best army up to that point in history” (para 13). Phillip II executed a successful three-pronged strategy of: 1. Unifying his nation by building infrastructure to link all part of his country together, 2. Build a strong and powerful army and, 3. Bribe Greek leaders and politicians for political leverage. He was able to finance all of these initiatives because he had control of the Amphipolis gold mines. Historian have often attributed the inaction or the lack of vision of Athens as the single momentous strategic failure that led to the success of Macedon and their own downfall. In his own cunning ways, Phillip II primarily relied on the power of diplomacy over brute military force, to gain confidence of various Greek poleis to the point of eliminating their resistance when the time came for him to gather them under his control. His entry into Greece, as an example, involved helping Delphi defend themselves against the attack from Phokis. He also coopted Macedon as the champion of all Greek liberties and eroded Athenian authority by first capturing and then releasing an ally of Athens. As he skillfully worked his way south toward Athens, most Greeks did not recognize his dangerous designs. One of the few public figures who was alarmed by his advance was the greatest orator of the ancient world, Demosthenes, who constantly warned Athens in series of speeches known as Philippics. Even as Macedon continued to grow into a formidable power, strong enough to challenge Athens’s primacy in Greece, Athens was caught in a dilemma which was behind their paralysis of inaction.