Year 4 - History
The wars between Greece and Persia
Ancient Greek civilisation: why is Alexander called 'The Great'?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn about the historical conflict between the Greek city-states and Persia. They then broaden their knowledge of this rivalry by learning about Alexander the Great's life. They end the unit by considering the reasons why Alexander has been called 'The Great'.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe some of the famous battles between the Greeks and the Persians.
Key Notes
- The first major battle between the Greek city-states and Persia was at Marathon.
- The Persian army fought its way onto the beach before being repulsed; a runner was sent to declare victory in Athens.
- The new Persian king Xerxes attacked Greece by land, taking days to defeat a small band of Greeks at Thermopylae.
- The Persians then captured Athens, destroying the temple atop the acropolis before the sea-battle of Salamis.
- At Salamis, the Persians were defeated, preventing Persia from conquering Greece.
Vocabulary To Learn
- conquer: in warfare, to conquer something such as a place or people is to defeat them in battle, and then take over them
- runner: in this lesson, a runner is a messenger who carries messages by running between places
- acropolis: the fortified hill of an ancient Greek city was called an acropolis
- sea-battle: when boats are used to attack an enemy during a war, this is a sea-battle
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- That battles are always fought on land, by soldiers or warriors who are physically fighting each other.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
The first major battle between the Greek city-states and Persia was at Marathon. The Persian army fought its way onto the beach before being repulsed; a runner was sent to declare victory in Athens.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'conquer'
in warfare, to conquer something such as a place or people is to defeat them in battle, and then take over them.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: That battles are always fought on land, by soldiers or warriors who are physically fighting each other. Correction: Battles can be fought many ways - some Ancient Greek battles were land based and warriors used chariots and weapons like javelins. Other battles were at sea using boats that would be rammed into the enemy and archers that would fire arrows at them.
More Lessons In This Unit
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