Pentecontaetia

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pentecontaetia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Pentecontaetia. Small Whale. https://smallwhale.org/articles/pentecontaetia. Accessed 2026-09-23. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. From the article, write the chronological boundaries:479 BC (Post-Plataea) to 431 BC (Start of Peloponnesian War)
2. From the article, write the defining transformation:The evolution of the Delian League into an Athenian Empire
3. What does the word "Pentecontaetia" mean?Pentecontaetia means "fifty years" in Greek. It describes a 50‑year period in ancient Greece.
4. When did the Pentecontaetia happen?The Pentecontaetia lasted from 479 BC, after the battle at Plataea, until 431 BC, when the Peloponnesian War began.

Pentecontaetia: The 50-year period of Athenian ascendancy and cultural brilliance in ancient Greece.
Delian League: An Athenian-led maritime alliance that transformed into an instrument of Athenian imperial control.
Radical Democracy: The form of Athenian democracy during the Pentecontaetia, emphasizing citizen participation and jury power.
Thirty Years' Peace: A treaty established in 445 BC that temporarily halted conflict between Athens and Sparta but ultimately failed.