Chapter 6 Section 2

The years 479 B.C. to 431 B.C. are known as the Golden Age of Athens. During the Golden Age, Athens grew rich from trade and from silver mined in regions around the city. Athenians also made important achievements in the arts, philosophy, literature and democracy reached its high point.

For about 30 years during the Golden Age of Athens, Pericles was the most powerful man in Athenian politics. Pericles held the best interests of his city at heart. When he spoke he was able to persuade the citizens to action.

Pericles was a member of an aristocratic family, but he supported democracy. Around 640 B.C. he became the leader of a democratic group. As the leader of this group he introduced reforms that strengthen the city. The most important change he made was to have the city pay a salary to its officials, which allowed for the poor to afford to hold public office.

One of the greatest accomplishments under the rule of Pericles was the construction of the Parthenon. The construction of this temple was a part of the general construction of Athens’s acropolis. The Parthenon was built to honor the patron goddess of Athens Athena. Within the temple was a 30 foot statue of Athena holding the goddess Nike in her hand.

In ancient cultures, people often looked to the gods for signs or advice. The Greeks would visit oracles- sacred sites where it was believed the gods spoke. At these shrines, the people would ask the gods to give then advice or reveal the future. Sometimes advice would come through dreams. Or often it would come in the form of a riddle, delivered by a priest or priestess. Oracles of various gods were located throughout Greece. The most famous oracle was located at Delphi, and was dedicated to the god Apollo.

Greek philosophers believed that people could use the powers of the mind and reason to understand natural events. One of the first Greek philosophers was Thales, he believed that water was the basic material of the world, and that everything was made from water. Over the years various philosophers had other ideas about the universe. They were not scientists, because they did not perform experiments, but they made observations. Democritus thought that everything on earth was made of tiny particles called atoms. Little did he know that more than 2,000 years after his death modern science would prove that he had been correct.

During Athens Golden Age, several important philosophers came to the forefront of thinking. One of these men was Socrates. Socrates wanted people to consider the true meaning of qualities such as justice and courage. To do this he asked questions that made others question their own beliefs. Many people grew angry and frustrated with Socrates because when he asked them these questions they could not defend their beliefs. Socrates's most important lesson was “Know thyself”.

In the year 399 B.C. Socrates was brought to trial. He had had been accused by Athenian authorities of dishonoring the gods and misleading the youth. He was sentenced to death by forced suicide, which was a common punishment in Athens at the time. Socrates was forced to drink a cup of hemlock poison and died.

Socrates is one of the most famous thinkers the world has ever known, yet he did not write down any of his teachings. All that we know about Socrates comes from his student Plato. Plato’s most famous work is his writing entitled The Republic. After Socrates death Plato distrusted democracy and believed that philosophers should be entrusted with making decisions for the people. In this work Plato wrote that society should be divided into three groups 1) Workers 2) soldiers 3) Philosopher-rulers Plato also established a school in Athens called the Academy, where his most famous pupil was Aristotle.

Aristotle carried on the beliefs of Socrates and Plato. He believed that reason should guide the pursuit of knowledge. Like Plato, Aristotle founded his own school the Lyceum. Where his most famous pupil would be Alexander the Great of Macedonia.

Date: built between 447 B.C. and 432 B.C. Architect: Iktinos and Kallikrates Function: The Parthenon is the largest and most important building on the Acropolis. It was the temple built for Athena Parthenos, the virgin goddess. Worship did not actually take place in Greek temples. They were built as a home to the statue of the god or goddess. Sacrifices and other rituals happened outside, around open-air altars. Art and Architecture: The Parthenon was richly decorated with sculptures. Inside was the great gold and ivory statue of Athena Parthenos. The sculptor Phidias covered the statue with pure gold, which he made sure could be removed if Athens was in need of it.

Erechtheion Art and Architecture: The Erechtheion is one of the strangest Greek temples in its design. It does not follow the normal rules of Greek temple building and is not symmetrical, The Erechtheion is most famous for its columns carved into the form of women. Odeion This was the Theater on the Acroplois in Athens it was built by Herodes

Date: built between 438 BC and 432 BC Architect: Mnesikles The Propylaia was the entrance to the Acropolis. It acted as a gateway between the land of humans and the land of the gods on the Acropolis. The Propylaia is an impressive building in itself, and was designed to draw admiration from those who walked through it. The gateway was built on two different levels because of the uneven ground. The north wing contained painted panels, which is why it was called the Pinakotheke, meaning 'art gallery.'

The Athenians were the first people known to write dramas. Among the city’s greatest achievements were the plays written and produced in the 400’s B.C. during Athens' Golden Age. Some of the most famous Greek plays were tragedies. Often tragedies told of fictional characters who were destroyed when forced to make impossible choices. A Greek tragedy consisted of several scenes, a chorus chanted or sang poems. The Greeks also wrote comedies. Which often made fun of well known citizens and politicians, they also made jokes about the customs of the day. Because of Athens’ freedom people accepted the humor and jokes.

The citizens of Greek city states such as Athens had strong patriotic feelings and valued their freedoms. For these reasons they took a very active role in government. They developed new ideas in philosophy, religion, government, and the arts because they placed great value on free thinking. Though Athens was the most important city state, it was not the only one. City-States in Greece competed against one another, but their citizens spoke the same language and had the many of the same customs. Greeks thought of themselves as part of the same people calling themselves Hellenes. One example of the Hellenes common culture was the Olympic Games. These were held every four years, and were held to honor the god Zeus.