Battle of Salamis (480 BCE):
First is the Battle of Salamis. In 480 BCE, the Persian army was trying to take
over Greece. Athens had a smart leader named Themistocles. He came up
with a plan to trap the Persian ships in a narrow sea area near Salamis. The
Athenian navy won the battle, and this helped stop the Persian invasion. It
was a huge victory for Athens and for all of Greece.
Golden Age of Athens (Mid-400s BCE):
Next is the Golden Age of Athens. This happened in the middle of the 400s
BCE, when Pericles was in charge. Athens was rich and powerful because it
led the Delian League, a group of city-states that worked together. During
this time, they built amazing things like the Parthenon and rebuilt the
Acropolis. Arts, theater, and philosophy grew. Famous thinkers like Socrates,
Plato, and Aristotle lived during this time. Athenian democracy also improved
—people got paid to do public jobs, and leaders could be removed by voting
if they were dangerous.
Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE):
Last is the Peloponnesian War. This war was between Athens and its rival,
Sparta. It lasted for almost 30 years. Both sides lost a lot of people and
resources. In the end, Sparta won, and Athens became much weaker. This
war hurt all the Greek city-states.
Ottoman Governance (Rule Over the Greeks)
When the Ottoman Empire took over Greece (after the fall of
Constantinople in 1453 and through the 15th century), the Greeks became
part of a vast Muslim-led empire. The Ottomans used a system to control
their diverse population:
Millet System:
The empire was made up of different religious communities,
called millets.
The Orthodox Christians (Greeks) had their own millet and
were led by the Orthodox Patriarch (church leader).
This meant Greeks could run their own schools, churches, and
courts for religious matters. But they still had to obey the sultan
and Ottoman laws.
Taxes and Restrictions:
Greeks were second-class citizens. They had to pay extra
taxes like the jizya (a tax on non-Muslims).
They were also not allowed to carry weapons, serve in the
military (unless converted to Islam), or build new churches
without permission.
Devshirme System ("Blood Tax"):
Christian boys, mostly from the Balkans and Greece, were taken
from their families.
They were converted to Islam, trained, and became
Janissaries, elite soldiers who served the sultan.
Some of these boys rose to high ranks in the empire, but for
families, it was a traumatic experience
Cultural Persistence (How Greek Culture Survived)
Despite being ruled by a foreign power, Greek identity did not disappear:
The Orthodox Church played a central role. Churches were the
main places where the Greek language, religion, and traditions
were passed on.
Greek monasteries became centers of learning and preserved
ancient Greek texts.
Folktales, songs, dances, and poetry helped Greeks remember
their past and shared identity.
Even though the Ottoman Empire tried to control things, Greek
communities secretly taught Greek history and culture,
sometimes in hidden schools called "kryfo scholio" (secret school)
—though historians debate how common these really were.
Greek War of Independence (1821–1829)
By the late 1700s and early 1800s, Europe was changing. Ideas from
the Enlightenment (like democracy, human rights, and nationalism)
spread through books, secret societies, and Greek thinkers.
Many Greeks living abroad—especially in Western Europe and
Russia—started pushing for independence.
In 1821, the revolution began. One of the first leaders was Alexandros
Ypsilantis, who launched an early revolt in today’s Romania. It failed,
but it inspired other uprisings in Greece.
Fighters like Theodoros Kolokotronis, a skilled military leader,
organized guerrilla attacks and defended Greek territory.
The war was long and bloody, with many atrocities on both sides,
including the massacre of Chios (1822), which shocked Europe and
increased sympathy for the Greek cause.
The Massacre of Chios took place in April 1822 during the Greek War of
Independence, when the Ottoman Empire brutally attacked the Greek
population of the island of Chios after a small uprising by local rebels.
Although most of the island's people had not joined the revolt, the Ottomans
responded with extreme violence—killing an estimated 40,000–50,000
people, enslaving tens of thousands more, and destroying villages. This
horrific event shocked Europe, inspired sympathy for the Greek cause, and
became a powerful symbol of Greek suffering, especially through artworks
like Eugène Delacroix’s famous painting The Massacre at Chios. The
tragedy helped increase international support for Greek independence.
International Support and Final Victory
Many Europeans felt a deep connection to ancient Greece (the
birthplace of democracy and philosophy). They wanted to help "free"
modern Greeks from Ottoman rule. This was part of the Philhellenism
movement—love for Greek culture.
The Philhellenism movement was a wave of admiration and support
for Greek culture and independence, especially during the Greek War
of Independence (1821–1829). The word Philhellenism means “love of
Greece” (philos = love, Hellas = Greece).
Artists, poets, and thinkers like Lord Byron (a famous British poet who
even fought and died in Greece) raised awareness and money.
In 1827, Britain, France, and Russia sent their navies to help. At the
Battle of Navarino, they destroyed the Ottoman-Egyptian fleet.
This victory was a turning point. By 1830, Greece was recognized as
an independent country, and by 1832 it became a kingdom under a
European prince.
Who was he?
Name: Otto (also spelled Othon) (1832–1862)
From: The Kingdom of Bavaria (in what is now Germany
