Chapter 5 Greek Civilization Chapter 5 Greek Civilization

Greek Mythology The Greeks believed in many gods and goddesses.  The Greeks believed the 12 most important gods lived on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece.  (pages 155–156) They thought these deities affected people’s lives and shaped events.  Greek myths were stories about gods and heroes. The Culture of Ancient Greece

Greek Mythology (cont.) In these stories, gods had special powers but looked and acted like humans.  They hoped that the gods would grant good fortune to them in return.  The Greeks followed rituals to win the gods’ favor.  The Greeks believed in prophecy, or predictions about the future. The Culture of Ancient Greece (pages 155–156)

Greek Mythology (cont.) Many Greeks visited an oracle to receive a prophecy.  The most famous oracle was at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. An oracle was a sacred shrine where a priest or priestess spoke for a god or goddess.  The Culture of Ancient Greece (pages 155–156)

Greek Poetry and Fables Greek poems and stories are the oldest in the Western world and serve as models for European and American poems and stories.  (pages 157–158) An epic is a long poem about heroic deeds.  The first great epics were the Iliad and the Odyssey, written by a poet named Homer. The Culture of Ancient Greece

Greek Poetry and Fables (cont.) The Iliad is about a battle for the city of Troy.  The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus, a Greek hero.  Greeks believed these two epics were real history. The Culture of Ancient Greece (pages 157–158)

Greek Poetry and Fables (cont.) A fable is a short tale that teaches a lesson.  Fables were passed from person to person by oral tradition. A slave named Aesop wrote many fables.  The Culture of Ancient Greece (pages 157–158)

Greek Drama The Greeks used drama as part of their religious festivals.  (pages 160–161) The Greeks developed two types of drama— tragedies and comedies. Drama is a story told by actors who pretend to be characters in the story.  The Culture of Ancient Greece

Greek Drama (cont.) A comedy is a story with a happy ending.  Aeschylus was a writer who wrote a group of three plays called Oresteia.  A tragedy is the story of a person who tries to overcome difficulties but fails.  These plays teach that evil acts cause more evil and suffering. The Culture of Ancient Greece (pages 160–161)

Greek Drama (cont.) Euripides wrote plays about real-life people instead of gods.  Aristophanes wrote comedies that made fun of leading politicians and scholars. The Writer Sophocles wrote the plays Oedipus and Antigone.  The Culture of Ancient Greece (pages 160–161)

Greek Art and Architecture Although Greek murals have not survived, examples of Greek paintings still exist on decorated pottery.  The most important architecture in Greece was the temple dedicated to a god or goddess. Greek artists believed in the ideas of reason, balance, harmony, and moderation and tried to show these ideas in their work.  (pages 162–163) The Culture of Ancient Greece

Greek Art and Architecture (cont.) The most famous temple is the Parthenon.  Greek architecture included columns, which were first made from wood. The Culture of Ancient Greece (pages 162–163)

Greek Art and Architecture (cont.) Later, the Greeks began using marble.  Many of today’s churches and government buildings have columns.  Greek sculpture expressed Greek ideas. The Culture of Ancient Greece (pages 162–163)

Greek Philosophers Greek thinkers, called philosophers, believed the human mind could understand everything. The word philosophy comes from the Greek word for “love of wisdom.”  (pages 169–171) Greek Philosophy and History

Greek Philosophers (cont.) Sophists were professional teachers who traveled from city to city, teaching others.  They did not believe that gods and goddesses influenced people. He developed many ideas about mathematics.  Pythagoras was a Greek philosopher who taught that the universe followed the same laws that governed music and numbers.  Greek Philosophy and History (pages 169–171)

Greek Philosophers (cont.) Leaders did not trust Socrates, and accused him of teaching young Athenians to rebel. Socrates was a philosopher who believed that an absolute truth existed and that all real knowledge was within each person.  They also did not believe in absolute right or wrong.  Greek Philosophy and History (pages 169–171)

Greek Philosophers (cont.) Socrates was tried and sentenced to death.  Plato was on of Socrates’ best students.  The Socratic method is a form of teaching that uses questions to lead students to discover things for themselves.  In his book the Republic, Plato described the ideal government. Greek Philosophy and History (pages 169–171)

Greek Philosophers (cont.) At the top were rulers and philosophers, in the middle were warriors, and at the bottom were all others.  He opened his own school called the Lyceum.  Aristotle was one of Plato’s students.  Aristotle helped advance science and government. Greek Philosophy and History (pages 169–171)

Greek Philosophers (cont.) Many of his ideas shaped the way European and American founders thought about government.  The “golden mean,” one of Aristotle’s ideas, states that a person should do nothing to excess. Greek Philosophy and History (pages 169–171)

Greek Historians (page 173) Many historians consider Herodotus the “father of history” because he wrote the history of the Persian Wars.  The Greek Thucydides is considered the greatest historian of the ancient world.  He wrote History of the Peloponnesian War. Greek Philosophy and History

Macedonia Attacks Greece Macedonia was a powerful kingdom that lay north of Greece.  Philip II needed to unite Greece with Macedonia to defeat the Persian Empire.  After training a vast army, Philip began taking over the Greek city-states. (pages 175–176) Alexander the Great

Macedonia Attacks Greece (cont.) A lawyer named Demosthenes tried to warn the Athenians about Philip, but it was too late.  The Macedonians defeated the Greeks at the Battle of Chaeronea.  After this battle, Philip controlled all of Greece. Alexander the Great (pages 175–176)

Alexander Builds an Empire Alexander began his conquest of the Persian Empire in 334 B.C. with the Battle of Granicus.  Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia after his father, Philip, died.  Alexander’s forces destroyed the Persian forces.  A year later, Alexander defeated the Persian army at Issus and freed the Greek cities in Asia Minor. Alexander the Great (pages 176–179)

Alexander Builds an Empire (cont.) Alexander built the city of Alexandria as the center of business.  He then captured Syria and Egypt.  It became one of the most important cities in the ancient world.  Alexander continued his conquest of the Persian Empire by fighting in modern Pakistan, India, and Iran. Alexander the Great (pages 176–179)

Alexander Builds an Empire (cont.) A legacy is what a person leaves behind when he or she dies.  In 323 B.C., Alexander planned to invade southern Arabia, but he became ill and died.  Alexander’s legacy is his skill and daring.  Alexander’s conquests marked the beginning of the Hellenistic Era. Alexander the Great (pages 176–179)

Alexander Builds an Empire (cont.) The lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. A fire in its tall tower guided ships into harbor. Alexander the Great (pages 176–179)

Alexander Builds an Empire (cont.) After Alexander’s death, his generals fought for power, and Alexander’s empire ended.  This was a time when Greek language and ideas spread to non Greek areas of southwest Asia.  Four kingdoms emerged in its place.  Government business in the four kingdoms was conducted in the Greek language. Alexander the Great (pages 176–179)

Alexander Builds an Empire (cont.) This helped the Greeks maintain control.  People who did not speak Greek could not hold government jobs.  New cities were created in the Hellenistic Era, and these cities needed architects, engineers, and philosophers.  The rulers of the four kingdoms sent Greek colonists to southwest Asia to help build the cities. In this way, Greek culture spread. Alexander the Great (pages 176–179)

Greek Culture Spreads Philosophers, poets, scientists, and writers moved to the new Greek cities in southwest Asia, particularly Alexandria, during the Hellenistic Era.  (page 183) Hellenistic kings wanted to make their cities like those in Greece, so they hired Greek architects and sculptors.  The writers of the Hellenistic Era produced a large body of literature. The Spread of Greek Culture

Greek Culture Spreads (cont.) Appolonius wrote the epic poem Argonautica, recounting the legend of Jason and his band of heroes.  (page 183) Theocritus wrote short poems about beauty and nature.  Athenians still created plays, but the plays of the Hellenistic Era were about love and relationships. The Spread of Greek Culture

Philosophy Epicurus, the founder of Epicureanism, taught that happiness was the goal of life.  (page 184) Stoicism was developed by a Phoenician named Zeno.  The Spread of Greek Culture This philosophy believes that happiness comes from reason, not emotions.

Greek Science and Math Astronomers study the stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies.  (pages 185–186) Aristarchus was an astronomer who claimed that the sun was at the center of the universe and that Earth revolved around the sun.  Eratosthenes was an astronomer who believed that the earth was round and measured Earth’s circumference. The Spread of Greek Culture

Greek Science and Math (cont.) Euclid, one of the most famous Greek mathematicians, described plane geometry.  Plane geometry is the study of points, lines, angles, and surfaces.  Archimedes was the most famous scientist of the Hellenistic Era. The Spread of Greek Culture (pages 185–186)

Greek Science and Math (cont.) He worked on solid geometry—the study of spheres and cylinders.  He also determined the value of pi, a number used to measure the area of circles.  Archimedes invented the catapult, among other weapons. The Spread of Greek Culture (pages 185–186)