Aim: What was the greatest achievement of the Athenian Golden Age? Do Now: Does truth exist? NY State Standards 2, 3 Common Core RS 7, 9

I Classical Greek Philosophers A) Philosophers are lovers of wisdom. They ask questions and try to answer these questions with logic and reason. B) Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were the most influential Greek philosophers. Socrates Plato Aristotle

Classical Greek Philosophers Continued… Socrates 470 – 399 BCE He lead open discussions in the Agora with his students, including Plato who wrote down Socrates’ dialogues [conversations]. UNLIKE the Sophists who charged money for their teachings, and believed you can argue anything, Socrates NEVER charged money, and believed that TRUTH EXISTS; therefore, some arguments are wrong. Developed the Socratic Method; you teach by asking questions, and have the students find the answer themselves.

Greek Philosophers Continued… 399 BCE Socrates was arrested for “corrupting” the youth. At his trial he refused to defend himself and was found guilty. He died by drinking poison hemlock. *Socrates believed that if he defended himself to the corrupt Athenian government that he would be sending the wrong message to his students.

Greek Philosophers Continued… 2. Plato 427 – 347 BCE Believed that ideas are more important than the physical world. Wrote The Republic; in it he described his ideal society, ruled by philosopher-kings. Founded The Academy, the world’s first university! One of Plato’s most important dialogues was the Allegory of the Cave [An allegory is a story that reveals a deeper meaning.]

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave A group of people have lived in a cave since birth, never seeing the light of day. These people are tied up so that they can only straight ahead. Behind them is a fire, and behind the fire is a partial wall. On top of the wall are statues, which are being manipulated by another group of people, lying out of sight behind the partial wall. Because of the fire, the statues cast shadows across the wall that the prisoners are facing. The prisoners watch these shadows, and because these shadows are all they ever get to see, they believe them to be the most real things in the world. A prisoner is freed from his bonds and ventures outside of the cave for the first time. He sees the sun, trees, flowers and other people. He realizes that what he had though was real were only shadows of reality. The prisoner returns to the cave and excitedly tells the prisoners what he had seen. They laugh at him, thinking it ridiculous that anything more “real” lies beyond their cave.

Greek Philosophers Continued… 3. Aristotle 384 – 322 BCE Used Socrates’ methods of questioning to understand how the world works. This is why Aristotle is often called the father of the scientific method. Tutored Alexander the Great. “A likely impossibility is always preferable to an unconvincing possibility.” “All men by nature desire knowledge.” “All animals whatsoever, whether they fly or swim or walk upon dry land, whether they bring forth their young alive or in the egg, develop in the same way.”

III Classical Greek Architecture A) The Egyptians invented columns, but they were not freestanding. The Greeks created 3 types of freestanding columns.

Classical Greek Architecture Continued… B) The Parthenon is a temple atop the Acropolis. The columns are not all the same size; it is an optical illusion! The architects wanted to show order and symmetry (the way they believed the universe to be).

Parthenon Reconstruction

Parthenon Interior Reconstruction

IV Classical Greek Art A) Classical Greeks believed the human body is beautiful. Therefore, they created detailed, realistic sculptures. *Unlike the later Romans, the Greeks would not show imperfections like wrinkles. Rather, they showed the ideal body.

Greek Art Continued… B) Greeks decorated vases and amophorae (a vase with two handles).

Actors would wear masks to convey their emotions. V Greek Theatre Ancient Greek theatre began as festivals to honor the gods. Different genres (types) of theatre developed. Tragedies: A hero suffers misfortune due to his own actions. Comedies: A mockery or satire of society. Actors would wear masks to convey their emotions.

VI The Olympics The Olympics began in Athens in 776 BCE. The games were dedicated to the Gods, and held every 4 years until 393 CE.

What is Sophocles telling us about human beings? VII Greek Literature Excerpt from Antigone by Sophocles: “There are many wonders, and none is more wonderful than man... He turns the dirt with mules, as the plows go back and forth through the fields... And the birds, and the gangs of savage beasts, and the salty sea creatures, he catches them all in nets he weaves… And he figured out how to flee the frost-arrows, when it's too cold to stay outside under the clear sky, and how to get out of the rushing rain; yes, he can do anything.” What is Sophocles telling us about human beings?

VIII Origin of Written History In the 5th century BCE Herodotus “the father of history” wrote about the history of Greece, Egypt, and other civilizations. “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.”

IX Math & Science Invented geometry and algebra. Hippocrates studied the human body and discovered there were scientific reasons for illnesses. Democritus realized the Milky Way was composed of millions of stars. Aristotle knew the Earth is a sphere. He also classified animals and is the father of zoology. He saw a chain of life running from the simple to more complex, from the plant through animals.

Do not forget… Athens was the birthplace of democracy! X Government Do not forget… Athens was the birthplace of democracy!

Summary Questions Draw a chart showing the 3 main Greek philosophers (Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle) and their main beliefs/achievements. Do you agree more with Socrates or the Sophists? Explain your position. If you were Socrates, would you have drank the poison? Why or why not? What is the main idea behind Plato’s Allegory of the Cave? How do you know? Do you agree? Why or why not? Describe any two other achievements of the Athenian Golden Age (not philosophers) and why they are important.

Key Vocabulary Allegory of the Cave Parthenon Amphorae Philosophy Aristotle Plato Classical Greek Sculpture Socrates Socratic Method Comedies Sophists Democracy The Academy Herodotus The Republic Hippocrates Tragedies Olympics