LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the lectures students have acquainted with the fundamental historical, political and social developments of the 5^th century B.C. In particular, they have deeply understood the causes and consequences of the Persian Wars, the circumstances that have shaped the conditions in which the city of Athens has reached the glory of the 5^th century B.C. In the end they have comprehended the causes and the disastrous consequences of the Peloponnesian War (431-404) on the solidarity of Hellenism. They can realize and explain how deeply these significant historical events have influenced the content of ancient Greek drama and on other hand, the way the tragic poets of the 5^th century B.C. have taken in these events. Eventually, they have come to the conclusion that there is a very close association between political and cultural developments.