Greek Culture  And its Impact on the World

Alphabet and Language  Greek alphabet was adapted from the Phoenicians It uses 24 letters that stood for sounds Greek letters are still used in science and mathematics and are also the names of fraternity and sorority houses on college campuses Hundreds of Greek root words are still used as the basis of the English language today Bio, astro, geo, hydro

Philosophy  Love of wisdom Socrates wandered around asking questions with a group of young men following him around Socratic method is named after him Put on Trial and sentenced to death for corrupting the youth of Athens and disrespecting the Gods Socrates writes nothing but his student Plato will write down Socrates’ ideas Plato begins a school of thought—The Academy—and his student Aristotle will continue the tradition Aristotle was the tutor of Alexander the Great Stoicism, Skepticism and Epicureanism are philosophical schools of thought that will dominate the Hellenistic Age.

Architecture  The Parthenon in Athens is the ultimate example of Ancient Greek Architecture. The steps and the entablature both form convex curves—there are no straight lines! Names of styles are Corinthian, Dorian, Ionic Marble, frieze and sculptures used throughout

Olympic Games  Began in 776 BC in the city-state of Olympia Held to honor Zeus Competitions first included footraces then wrestling, boxing, javelin, discus throwing were added The pankration event combined wrestling and boxing and had no rules except scratching the facial area Winner would receive a wreath of Olive leaves

Drama  Comedies Aristophanes Plays satirized politics and politicians, poking fun at society and ridiculing the rich Tragedies Created to honor the God of Wine and fertility– Dionysus Performed in Amphitheatres Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides Sophocles focuses on the individual Oedipus Rex despite doing everything to change his fate still ends up killing his father and marrying his mother for which he punishes himself by stabbing himself in the eye

Study of History  Herodotus—History of the Persian wars—often called The father of history Thucydides—History of the Peloponnesian Wars Began the scientific analysis of events based on actual eyewitness accounts and factual evidence and then added their own poetic interpretations

Mythology  In the beginning is Chaos Ouranos—the Heavens and Gaea—the Earth create the Titans Kronos kills his father and marries his sister Rhea thus the Olympian Gods are created Kronos eats his Children

Literature  Homer Rhetoric Drama Mythology

Science  Eratosthenes—Correctly measures the earth’s circumference, Ptolemy—Geocentric theory— cartography, creation of latitude/longitude Archimedes—Develops a system of levers and pulleys Medicine—Hippocrates Astronomy—Aristarchus—proposed Heliocentric theory Anaxagoras—eclipses

Mathematics  Thales—the Father of Mathematics Geometry—Euclid wrote the Elements of Geometry used up until the late 1900s Pythagoras—Theorems, Pi

Sculpture  Ideals of classical art—Order, Balance and Proportion Sculptures show grace, serenity, strength and perfection Most Greek Sculptures exist today because the Romans copied them

 Discus Thrower

Democracy  Tyrants established the first steps to democracy Cleisthenes created the council of 500 Pericles ruled over the golden age—all male citizens 18 and older