tuesday is for the tuesday

Today in western civ we took more notes. We learned about the fight between the Persians and Greece. Here are some notes I took: 

• Athens had a great infantry, too, but nothing could compare with their navy
• their most effective weapon was the trireme. Trireme: a technological marvel, fastest ship in the world at the time, rowed by up to 170 men on three levels ,could be used as a battering ram, agile and fast. Phalanx:close-rank, dense grouping of warriors, armed with long spears and interlocking shields, soldiers would advance slowly toward the enemy, until they broke through their ranks. Greek army: iron weapons meant ordinary citizens could afford to arm themselves, foot soldiers (hoplites) trained from an early age, armed with spears, swords, shields, often fought in phalanx formation, “home field” advantage, motivated to preserve democracy. Persian army:first archers (do damage from a distance),then cavalry (they disrupt communication between generals and soldiers), then lightly armored infantry (carried spear, sword, and bow), huge numbers, long way from home, professional army (soldiers for hire, or mercenaries)