Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art I. Golden Age 479BC-431BC Rich from silver mining and trade Tributes paid to Athens by other city-states for protection Made contributions in art, philosophy, government, and literature Pericles, an Athenian leader, strengthened democracy by paying officials Built the Parthenon

Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art II. Religion Polytheistic- worshipped many gods Gods were immortal but had human form and characteristics Twelve major Gods and many minor ones Also worshipped heroes like Achilles, Hercules, and Perseus Each city-state honored one of the 12 Gods Mt. Olympus was the Gods’ home Believed in oracles, places/people where Gods spoke to people and told them what to do The Oracle at Delphi was the most famous

Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art III. Search for Knowledge Philosophers- Believed the mind and reason could be used to understand natural events Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are the most famous More to come tomorrow

Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art IV. Arts Architecture- Famous for columns and for structures like the Parthenon Goal of Greek Art: Present images of perfection in a balanced and orderly way Plays- First Tragedies (serious stories that end in disaster for the main character) and then Comedies (stories that made fun of famous people or politicians): they were about Greek history, achievements, politics and customs Plays first occurred at festivals to honor the gods

Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art V. Many City-States All city-states shared same language and many customs Had different governments and goals Competed against each other in trade and in war Olympic Games- Started 776 BCE and continued for 1000 years. Started at a festival to honor Zeus