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Ancient Wars
The Ancient period is generally accepted as being 600 BCE to 500 CE, before which was the Archaic period, and after which began the Medieval period. However as there is not an Archaic Wars category, it is acceptable to post pre-500 BCE military questions in this area.
1,657 Questions
Pericles did not rule - Athens was a direct democracy, with the people assembling every couple of weeks to make laws and gice direction to a large executive council of 500. Pericles was a general (there were 10 of them - one elected by each tribe), however as a good orator, he was able to influence the popular assembly. He is better described as First Citizen. His influence lasted from about 450 BCE until hi death in 429 BCE.
Why was the battle of marathon important?
It was important to the Athenians in giving them confidence in their military ability and stoked their adventurous attitudes.
It was important to the Greeks as it demonstrated that the Persian empire was not invincible, and led the southern Greek cities to combine to resist the full-scale Persian invasion ten years later.
It provided an initial check to Persian dominance in Greece and demonstrated to the other Greek city-states that it was possible to resist the Persians. This encouraged them to league against the Persians ten years later when they attempted to subdue all of peninsular Greece.
The battle turned back a Persian attempt to subdue Athens, but brought on a later Persian expedition to subdue all of peninsular Greece. The success at Marathon encouraged enough of the Greek cities to believe that they could resist Persia, which they successfully did ten years later.
When and why was the first emperor chosen?
Rome's first emperor was not chosen, he earned the job buy winning the civil war between himself and Antony. This happened in 31 BC after the battle of Actium. The republican form of government had collapsed and there was actually no other alternative than a one man rule.
How does the concept of hubris from Greek tragedy apply to the Peloponnesian War?
Not at all.
The Athenians were self confident, not hubristic. They had a very real understanding of the extent of their power - in their fleet, their ability to use it to control their empire and disable efforts by Sparta and its allies, and the funds they had to support their activities.
The Spartans were anything but hubristic - slow to enter war and pessimistic about the effects of it.
The Athenian failure lay not in overconfidence or feelings of unweening superiority, but rather the weakness in a direct democracy of exposing the people to the traps of demagogues after Pericles' death early in the war, leading them into unwise and unsustainable actions, which reduced their military and self-sustainment capability.
Why did the Persian navy have to thank the Greeks?
The Persians were not seafarers, and relied on other ethnics within their empire to provide their navy and trading fleet. The Greeks within their empire in Asia Minor and the Islands provided a significant part of this shipping and fighters which supported Persian security and prosperity.
When was Phoenicians Carthage founded?
Carthage was founded sometime between 846 and 813 BC ; please note that most historical sources are not definitive because Rome did it's best to eradicate every trace of an erstwhile opponent and it's history .
What lands were conquered by Rome in 146 BC?
146 BCE saw the defeat of Carthage, Macedon and the Corinthian league. Rome destroyed Carthage and Corinth, and annexed north Africa and Macedon.
480 BCE, during the Persian invasion of mainland Greece.
Do we know the names of the 300 Spartans at the battle of Thermopylae?
No. The monument on which their names were supposedly inscribed is lost to time.
Few we know of from Herodotus are Leonidas son of Anaxandridas II, Dienekes, Alpheios and Maron sons of Orsiphantos, Eurystos,and Aristodemos who is supposedly the only Spartan hoplite(not helot/slave,many of them survived) who survived the battle of Thermopylae.
Why did the Persians attack Athens?
Athens and Eretria had supported the Greek city of Miletus in Asia Minor in a revolt against the Persians. They overplayed their hand by burning the Persian provincial capital of Sardis, and the Persian king Darius sent a punitive expedition against them in 490 BCE.
Eretria was captured and enslaved. The Athenians with their ally Plataia defeated the Persian infantry at Marathon, and turned back their cavalry in front of the city, after which the expedition went home.
What is the name of the country that borders Egypt to the west?
There is no country bordering Egypt to the north. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on the north.
Who was the Spartan leader during the Battle of Marathon?
Spartans did not fight at the Battle of Marathon. The fight was solely between the Persians, and the Athenians and Plataeans.
Patroclus was Achilles cousin and was killed in the Trojan War by Hector. He was killed while wearing Achilles armour.
Who was the greek king when the battle of marathon happened?
There was no Greek king. The Greek world consisted of several hundred independent city-states spread around the Mediterranean and Black Seas from Spain to Asia Minor.
Athens and Plataia who fought together at Marathon had an oligarchical government headed by magistrates called Archons. Their armies were commanded by several tribal generals who took it in turn for overall command. The general whose turn it was on the day of the battle was Miltiades.
Did king Solomon go to war with a brother?
David's first-born son was Amnon. Absalom born after Amnon of another David's wife known for his hair. Then came Adoniah and next Salomon. Absalom did revolt but it was Joab, one of the king's general who killed him.
What reforms did the plebeians win during the early republic?
They demanded equality, and their first win was around 450 B.C. when The Laws of the Twelve Tables was passed. Later, they were allowed to elect their own tribunes (people who would veto-or block- new laws that could harm Plebeians and finally, they could be elected into the senate itself.
How did athens feel when the Persians attacked in the battle of Marathon?
Confident. They were waiting for Spartan reinforcements when they saw an opportunity in the departure of the Persian cavalry and ran down and defeated the weaker Persian infantry. Then they felt really good.
How did the Sicilian war start?
Warfare between the Greek cities in Sicily had been going on throughout the Fifth Century BCE.
In a formal lull in the Peloponnesian War, Athens' ambitions led it to try to establish itself in Sicily by supporting Segesta against Syracuse in 416 BCE.
Syracuse destroyed the Athenian expeditionary force.
All of the Greek wars in order?
See the website in the separate Sources and related linkspanel below.
Achilles killed Hector mainly to avenge the death of his friend, Patrokolos. Also, it made sense for him to kill Hector because they both were the best fighters on their respective sides. If Achilles killed Hector, he would gain a lot of honor.
What are two factors that led to the weakening of the Roman Empire?
The vast size of the Roman empire contributed to its fall. The government was not efficient, and it suffered from corruption. Rome was no longer the great center it had once been.
