Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Aeschylus’s The Persians is set during the aftermath of the Second Persian War, fought in 480-79 BCE. Why was this war fought? What was its outcome? Why was it so significant?

Teaching Suggestion: Students should review or be introduced to the First (490 BCE) and Second (480-79 BCE) Persian Wars before beginning this play. These wars were fought between the Achaemenid Persian Empire and the Greek city-states; both ended in a Greek victory. These wars are important because they put the Greek city-state of Athens on the map: By leading the charge against Persia, Athens was able to increase its power and even build a small sea-based empire of its own. The victory over the Persians also sparked a period of massive cultural and economic growth in Greece and especially in Athens. If students’ background knowledge of the Second Persian War is limited, they might address a more general task, such as listing 6-8 facts or suppositions about the time period, daily life in ancient times, or ancient Greek drama in order to connect with the play before learning more about the conflict through these or similar resources.