History: The Rise of the Greeks

We will be considering how Greek culture and civilization continued to expand through the 6th century BC in its various forms. We will examine the growth and evolution of archaic Greek poetry and also the development of sculpture and architecture and other forms of art before going on to consider the emergence of the Persian civilisation to the east. We will then examine the phenomenon of tyranny and how that emerged across the Greek world during the same era, in particular focusing on the tyranny at Athens under Peisistratos and his sons before its ultimate overthrow and replacement by the first democracy. We will then give some due consideration to how the Athene Democracy was established and its chief features, Including the key involvement of the law courts and also the important role of the rising Greek theatre. The remaining part of the course will be taken up with an examination of the course of the Ionian revolt, its impact and its immediate consequences for conflict between the rising Persian Empire and the various Greek city states Of the late archaic period.