Greek Civilization

Greek Civilization • mid 400’s BCE was the pinnacle (height) • Age of Pericles • Golden Mean - nothing in excess

Architecture • temples • 3 styles • Doric-plain • Ionic – curved • Corinthian- fancy

Buildings • Parthenon (Doric) • Erechtheum(Ionic) • Zeus (Corinthian)

Arts • pottery • red on black • black on red • decorated with human figures

sculpture • idealized human figure • but carved to look like humans • realism • Myron - discus thrower • Phidias - parthenon • Praxiteles - everyday

Drama • tragic morality tales • chorus • all male actors

Playwrights • Aeschylus 90 plays • Oresteia a trilogy story • Agamemnon, Oestrias, Furies • story of family • Sophocles- fate • Oedipus trilogy • Oedipus Rex • Oedipus at Colon • Antigone

Playwrights II • Euripides • showed how many created his own tragedy • The Trojan Women most famous • Comedy by Aristophanes • political and social satire • The clouds

Poetry • Sappho – female poet • Wrote of wonders of women • Instructed women in music and literature • Priestess was only public position open to women • Criticized

The Olympic Games • believed healthy bodies made healthy minds • men practiced sports part of the day • every four years • religious festival • all trade and fighting stopped • only men • individual events • footrace • broad jump,discus throw,boxing,wrestling • pentathlon-run,jump, throw discus,wrestle, hurl javelin

Philosophers • The Sophists • profession teachers • moved between the various cities • Athens freedom of speech drew many • rejected idea of god influencing human behavior • felt man responsible for his own actions and conditions • criticized for being mercenary

Socrates • born in Athens 470BCE • sculptor by trade • believed in absolute truth • used “Socratic method” taught by asking questions • required students to look inward for answers • criticized for corrupting youth found guilty and sentenced to death • drank hemlock poison and died according to law

Plato • aristocrat by birth • opened Academy on death of Socrates • recorded dialogs between Socrates and students • The Republic • presented a plan for ideal society and government • liked Sparta over Athens • rejected the senses as a source of truth • reality could only be understood through logical thought

Aristotle • studied with Plato for 20 years • tutored young Alexander of Macedonia • opened school in Athens called the Lyceum • worked in logic • scientific method • argued that all forms of government were workable

History • Herodotus - father of history • wrote about Persian wars • described Greek Colonies and • Thucydides • Pelopenisan war • rejected gods intervention • only humans make history • tried to be accurate and reliable

Scientists • Thales • mid 600’s BCE • trained in Egypt and Babylon • computed date of eclipse • formulated a theory that water was the basis of all things • Pythogoras • 500 BCE • tried to explain everything in mathematical terms • taught the world was round and revolved around a fixed point

Medicine • Hippocrates • Medicine • diseases had natural not supernatural cause • advocated proper hygiene

Alexander the Great • Macedonian • descendants of Dorian invaders • militaristic • Philip II trained in Thebes • Philip began conquest of Greece • 336 announced Greeks and Macedonia would go to war against Persia • assassinated before he began

Alexander age 20 takes control • educated by Aristotle • commander of field troops at age 16 • loved for his courage and skill • 334 BCE invades Persian territories

Empire • Coast of Turkey freeing Greek cities and colonies • forced Persian king Darius III to flee back to Persia • moved south and took Mediterranean coast all the way to Egypt • founded first Alexandria • declared Pharaoh • 331 began movement into Persia itself • took Babylon, Persepolis and Susa • marched all the way to Indus River in modern Pakistan • established cities and left troops all the way along

Empire II • 327BCE Macedonian troops refused to go farther • returned to Persepolis by way of coast • got sick and died at age 33 • holding were divided among his 3 strongest generals

Hellenistic culture • mix of Greek and Persian • built new cities • used grid line approach to development • stucco stone buildings • Alexandria • jewel • double harbor with light house • museum and library greatest in the world

Women in the Hellenistic world • upper class women could move out freely • learned to read and write • allowed occupations • no rights for commoners

Philosophers • Cynicism • Diogenes • give up material objects • live simply • Epicureans • avoid joy and pain • live simply with a few close friends • Stoicism • Zeno-everything is governed by natural law • ignore importune and follow reason

Art and Literature • showed people with emotion • art became a business • Meander famous writer of comedies

Science, Medicine, mathematics • Aristarchus • earth revolves around the sun • sun is larger then earth • Eratostenes • estimated earth's circumference • Doctors • discovered nervous system, • found drugs to help with pain • Euclid and Archimedes • geometry and physics

Bowman, J. (1980). Clash of East and West: Imperial Greece. New York: HBJ Press. • Bowra. C. M. (1968) Classical Greece. New York: Time-Life Books. • Pomeroy, S.B. (1995). Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves:Women in Classical Antiguity. New York: Schocken Books.

Greek Civilization