Greece Golden Age and Hellenistic Culture

Golden Age of Arts Athens at the Center Center of Learning and Achievement Architecture Painting Sculpture

Golden Age of Arts Architecture Temple, Theatres, Gymnasiums Parthenon Built to honor the Goddess Athena White marble Balanced proportions Meant as a shrine, not a meeting place Richly, brilliantly decorated and painted 38 ft. tall statue of her using gold and ivory

Golden Age of Arts Painting Most of is lost Have written description and Roman copies Best examples of vases Scenes of everyday life Mythological events Dionysus wounds a Giant Hercules chaining Cerberus, hound of Hades Scene from Iliad

Golden Age of Arts Sculpture Many lost Roman copies Used Math Get proportions right More realistic then stiff Myron The Discus Thrower Phidias Athena in Parthenon 38 ft. high Zeus at Temple of Olympia 40 ft. high

Golden Age of Arts 1. Glorify Humans Human qualities & Actions Idealized view Greek ideal of beauty Traits admired by the Gods Strength, Intelligence, Pride, Courage, Grace 2. Pride in City State Art for public enjoyment Architecture = Power and glory of the city Honor the Gods to win favor Nature of Greek Art Portrayal of Greek Gods & Goddesses Reflects Greek self view in four ways 3. Greek Ideal Harmony, Balance & Order Simplicity & restraint Remove details not necessary to the work 4. Beauty & Usefulness Functional Defined purpose Vases

Questioning of reality and human existence to better understand the world. Means lover of wisdom. The idea that nature is based on natural laws, or truths. Truths can be discovered through reason. Philosophy

Socrates 469 – 399 BCE Urged students to question everything Education is key to growth “Know thyself” “An unexamined life is not worth living” We are born with all our personality Character traits, come out as we live Socratic Method Use of questioning to test values and ideas. Criticized ‘Democracy’ Unskilled people should not hold positions of power. Put on trial for corrupting the youth of Athens Would not deny teachings Found guilty and sentenced to death

Plato 427 – 347 BCE Wrestler, Poet, Teacher, Philosopher Student of Socrates, collected his teachings Founded ‘The Academy’ in Athens Believed life is a “Blank Slate” Formed as we go….. Opposite of Socrates view Theory of Forms Everything in life is an imperfect representation Perfection impossible in physical world Wrote The Republic - about the ‘perfect society’ Democracy doomed to fail due to human flaws/weaknesses Aristocracy- best form Philosopher-King chosen based on wisdom and ability

Aristotle 384 – 322 BCE Scientist, Teacher, Physician Student of Plato Started his own school in Athens Knowledge gained through logical study. Similar to Scientific Method Worked in fields of science, physics, biology, medicine, government Collected, described & classified plants & animals Foundation for anatomy, botany, zoology Written works “Ethics” – What makes us happy “Poetics” – What constitutes a good/bad play Best government form Limited Democracy Combination of monarchy, aristocracy, democracy Teacher of Alexander the Great

Mathematics, Medicine, Science Philosophy covered all areas of knowledge Pythagoras Believed everything could be explained in terms of mathematics Pythagorean Theorem Architecture, engineering, Navigation and surveying. Hippocrates Founder of medical science 60 studies based on observation, experiment, experience Disease comes from natural causes not punishment Rest, proper diet, fresh air are best cures Treatment based on reason, not magic Hippocratic Oath Treat the ill, do no harm, pass no judgment

History Herodotus Father of History First historian of western world Traveled to Middle East and Egypt Wrote his views in his histories Differentiated between what he saw versus been told Thucydides Studying the past helps understand human nature “History of the Peloponnesian War” Worked to keep accurate and fair account

Greek Theatre Plays written in poetic form Preformed in outdoor theatres Contained little scenery Chorus describes setting Drama Plays containing conflict and emotion Tragedy Struggles against fate or events Hero’s punished for showing pride Doomed to a tragic end Comedy Made fun of people or ideas Have both tragic and humorous characters Unlike Tragedies, characters are able to solve the problem

Macedon – Philip II Became King 359 – 336 BCE North of Greece Depended upon nobles for military troops Had been held hostage in Thebes Learned Greek ways Recruited able men for own military Use Greek Phalanx Restored order in Macedonia Started to take control of some northern Greek city states Savior or a threat (Athens) Eventually conquers all of Greece First time truly united Plans to invade Persia Assassinated before he could Son - Alexander

Alexander The Great 356 – 323 BCE King of Macedonia Educated by Aristotle Trained in military and government Capable general rarely lost Set out to conquer ‘known world’ As far as India, troops refuse to go further, turn back Half by land – Many die in desert Half by sea – Explore Persian Gulf area Discontent spreads In Babylon Alex gets sick and dies 32 years old. Spread Hellenistic Culture Founded cities as he went Greeks and Macedonians settled in them Used Greeks and Persians to rule cities Map

Empire After Alex Generals compete for control 3 main kingdoms, several smaller ones Macedon, Egypt, Syria Will be conquered by Romans in 200 BCE

Hellenistic Culture Blending of Greek culture with Mediterranean and Indian cultures Map Learning and Commerce Trade Routes linked Hellenistic cities Alexandria the largest Traded as far as China Everyone prospers Education becomes more widespread New societal values Women more visible Definition of “Greek” changes

Hellenistic Culture Religion Concept of ‘polis’ declines Who do we belong to? People confused Ruler-worship Kings in Egypt and Asia Sense of civic duty

Hellenistic Culture Philosophy – Four Schools Cynicism Live Simply w/o regard to pleasure, wealth or social status Skepticism Universe is always changing, all knowledge uncertain Stoicism Divine reason directs the world, accept w/o complaint –Only way to find happiness Epicureanism Seek pleasure, avoid pain Limit desires = avoiding suffering

Hellenistic Culture 1 - Started to use instruments 2 - Little interest in creating labor saving devices Map Mathematics Outstanding!!! Euclid Geometry Archimedes Calculated pi Used math to explain how levers work Created the compound pulley Archimedes Screw – water elevator

Hellenistic Culture Medicine Added to growing knowledge base Examined and categorized body parts Executed criminals Brain center of nervous system Astronomy Tracked movement of stars Aristarchus Earth and planets mover around the sun Couldn’t convince others Hipparchus Predicted eclipses Used sun and moon to calculate length of a year Geography Knew earth was round Eratosthenes Calculated distance around the earth