Chapter 5 Notes Ancient Greece

Chapter 5 Notes Greek Achievements The ancient Greeks made great achievements in philosophy, literature, art, and architecture that influenced the development of later cultures and ideas

Chapter 5 Notes Greek Philosophy Search for knowledge and wisdom Golden age of Greek philosophy 400-300 BCE 3 greatest philosophers of ancient Greece Socrates – credited as the first great Greek philosopher Studied broad concepts of truth, justice, and virtue Believed people could learn best by asking questions Plato – student of Socrates, founded the Academy Believed philosophers were best suited to govern because they make “good” decisions Best known work “Republic” Believed every material object that exists was only a reflection of an ideal that did not exist

Chapter 5 Notes Aristotle Student of Plato at the academy Used reason (clear/ordered thinking) and logic (process of making inferences) to understand the natural world People can do the most good by practicing rational thought Contributed greatly to the development of science

Chapter 5 Notes Greek Literature Greeks excelled at poetry, history, and drama Several types of poetry: epic, descriptive, lyric Homer – debate whether Homer actually existed Best known for his epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” which describe the Trojan War, gods/goddesses, and heroes Works not written down originally, but influence many cultures over space and time Hesiod – wrote descriptive poetry, which described the works of gods and the lives of peasants

Chapter 5 Notes Sappho – Greek woman known for lyric poetry Poems were accompanied by music from the lyre instrument Poems dealt with emotions of daily life, marriage, love, relationships Pindar – lyric poet Wrote poems to commemorate public events – Olympic Games

Chapter 5 Notes Several key people provided histories of ancient Greece Herodotus – first major writer of history Detailed major events of the Persian Wars Best known work “Histories” Did not always use reliable sources – led to erroneous historical information Thucydides Detailed major events in the Peloponnesian War Used primary sources to construct his history of events More critical of his sources, ignored unreliable ones Xenophon – historian/soldier/philosopher Used personal experiences to describe events in history Helped us learn a great deal about Greek life

Chapter 5 Notes The Greeks wrote dramas for entertainment Two types: tragedy and comedy Tragedy focuses on hardships faced by the hero Aeschylus (es-kuh-luhs) – wrote tragedies Plays were about myths and history Best known play is “Oresteia” about the Trojan War Sophocles (sahph-uh-kleez) – wrote tragedies Plays concentrated on the suffering people brought upon themselves due to their own flaws Best known play is a trilogy based on King Oedipus Euripides (yoo-rip-uh-deez) – wrote tragedies Plays were about people’s suffering due to chance or irrational behavior Best known plays are “Bacchae” and “Medea”

Chapter 5 Notes Greek Art and Architecture Comedies focus on satire and exposing social flaws Aristophanes (ar-uh-stahf-uh-neez) – wrote comedies Plays satirized parts of Athenian society – government, religion, social policies Best known plays are the “Clouds” and the “Birds Greek Art and Architecture Athenians enjoyed beauty, both written and visual – love of visual beauty expressed in art and architecture Athenians wanted their city to be the most beautiful – constructed public buildings, temples, theatres Parthenon was the grandest of all buildings Set atop the acropolis Impressive size and proportions – power and glory of Athens Housed a giant gold and ivory statue of Athena

Chapter 5 Notes The Athenians used statues and art to decorate their city Greeks were skilled at sculpting the human form Greeks wanted their statues to look life-like, but not necessarily realistic Some statues look as if they are in motion – contrapposto (Discobolus Statue) Portrayed the subject as physically perfect – all statues depict beauty and grace Most Greek paintings that have survived to the modern era are seen on pottery Used two colors – red and black – red was the color of the clay and black was the color of the glaze Paintings depicted movement, depth, and beauty