Chapter 5 The Culture of Ancient Greece Section 1

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

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

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

The Culture of Ancient Greece How did the Greeks believe their gods and goddesses were like humans? Greek gods and goddesses married, had children, played tricks on each other, quarreled, and fought wars.

Greek Poetry and Fables The Culture of Ancient Greece 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. 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. (pages 157–158)

Greek Poetry and Fables (cont.) 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. (pages 157–158)

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

The Culture of Ancient Greece Why were the heroes of Homer’s epics considered role models? The heroes in Homer’s stories had courage and honor. They worked to be the best they could be, and they fought to protect their honor.

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

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

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

The Culture of Ancient Greece How are plays of today similar to those of ancient Greece? Actors in plays of today like those of ancient Greece wear costumes. Music and dance also occur in many of today’s plays, as they did in Greek plays.

Greek Art and Architecture The Culture of Ancient Greece Greek Art and Architecture Greek artists believed in the ideas of reason, balance, harmony, and moderation and tried to show these ideas in their work. 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. (pages 162–163)

Greek Art and Architecture (cont.) 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. (pages 162–163)

Greek Art and Architecture (cont.) The Culture of Ancient Greece 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. (pages 162–163)