AGE OF LEARNING

ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE Graceful temples: for example the Parthenon Use of columns in building Sculptures in ideal graceful poses Painting on vases and other pottery featuring elegant scenes depicting Greek life

POETRY Sappho – love poems Pindar – poems celebrated great athletic victories

DRAMA Aschylus (526BCE-456BCE) He fought at the Battle of Marathon and the Battle of Salamis Wrote Oresteia, a trilogy – (1 st )about a king who returns from the defeat of Troy. His wife revenges the sacrificial death of her daughter by murdering the king.

(2 nd ) The king’s son avenges his father’s death by killing his mother. The son is now pursued by the avengers furies who torment him for killing his mother. (3 rd ) The son is put on trial and acquitted by Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. “evil acts breed evil acts and suffering is ones lot” (Aeschylus) Sophocles- wrote Oedipus. The story of a man who does not know the true identity of his parents, kills his father and marries his mother

DRAMA Euripedes – wrote of life in Greece after the Peloponnesian War. To him human life was often pathetic. The gods ridiculous. His plays were very popular because he wrote in the everyday speech of the time.

COMEDY Comedy, an amusing play or a play with a happy ending. Aristophanes – wrote plays that often ridiculed important citizens and politicians

HERODOTUS Greek historian Wrote History of the Persian Wars 5 th century BCE We get most all of our information from Herodotus regarding the Persian Wars.

PERICLES Athenian statesman and military commander Under his leadership Athens will reach its high point of democracy This era of prosperity was called the Golden Age of Pericles 460 BCE – 429 BCE The Parthenon was built and the Greek era of arts and literature flourished.

PELOPONNESIAN WAR 431 BCE – 404 BCE Resentment of other city states against Athens developed in open war Sparta will lead and other city-states will follow in fighting Athens in this disastrous war. This war will be long and costly. Sparta will defeat Athens BUT This war left the Greeks weakened and divided.

HIPPOCRATES Greek scientist 3 rd Century BCE Founded a medical school His work helped end some of the superstitions and belief in magic that had stood in the way of the study of disease. Physicians today swear an oath of ethical conduct, called the Hippocratic oath, based on one that Hippocrates drew up.

TROJAN WAR Around 1200 BCE Legends told how Paris, a Trojan prince, stole Helen, the beautiful wife of a Mycenaean king. The Mycenaeans sent a great sea expedition against Troy. The Mycenaeans after nearly 10 years of war, built a giant wooden horse outside Troy’s walls. The Mycenaeans filled the horse with soldiers. Once inside the walls of Troy, they destroyed Troy. “Beware of Greeks baring gifts”