The Persians and Greeks

In this video, John Green challenges us to reconsider the frictions and outcomes between ancient Greece and the Persian Empire, by pointing out that much of our perspective of these is shaped by pro-Greek historical bias, rather than a comprehensive view of history. He sketches out the Greek coalescence after the Persian Wars and the contributions of Greece’s golden age to the modern world. He concludes with an overview of the destructiveness of the Peloponnesian Wars and the decline of Greece.

https://youtu.be/oPf27gAup9U

https://youtu.be/Q-mkVSasZIM

Describe the sources that historians have used to study Greek history. What are the limitations of these sources? How do modern historians overcome these limitations?

Discuss the impact of the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars on the Greek world, specifically Athens and Sparta. Do you see any connection between the wars?

What made it possible for Philip II and Alexander the Great to conquer the Greek World, where the much larger Persian Empire had failed?

Discuss the disintegration of Alexander the Great’s empire following his death. Why did it fall apart so quickly?

Discuss the transition of Rome from a republic to an empire. Is it even accurate to call Rome a republic before the reign of Augustus? Or is it an empire in every way except for the name? Hint: a Roman Empire is different from the Roman Empire.

The period from 27 BCE to 180 CE is known as the Pax Romana, where Rome was powerful and prosperous. By 476, the Roman Empire in the west was no more, yet the empire in the east survived. What factors account for this, and why?