The Golden Age of Athens Aka: The Age of Pericles Roughly BCE

Politics and Govt Philosophy Math &5 th c. BCE Athens ScienceThe Golden AgePoetry The Age of Pericles Art, Sculpture History Architecture Drama/Theatre

8 Hey Hey, We're the Thinkers... Socrates Plato Aristotle Diogenes

The Persian Wars ( BCE ) were decisive in the history of the West. Had the Greeks been defeated, the cultural and political vitality we associate and inherit from the Greeks would never have evolved. The confidence and pride from these victories propelled Greece and Athens, in particular, to its “Golden Age.”

The creation of the Delian League, 478 BC

Pericles, BCE Pericles was the central figure in Athens during its golden age Enlarged navy Subterranean water pipes The “Long Walls” The Parthenon & other public works

Civic pride: “look what we can do”

The Panathenaia Festival started by Pisistratus in 566 BCE Athletic, musical and theatre competitions held every four years. Lasted 12 days, ending on Athena's birthday when 100 bulls were sacrificed.

30 ft Statue of ivory and gold on a 14 ft base. Phidias ( BCE ) designed and created the state and the marble frieze around the temple. The figures represent human perfect, are shown serene, calm, peaceful, in contrrol of their emotions and bodies.

Architecture: The many public buildings and temples were constructed with marble and featured slender, well- proportioned columns. Many modern public buildings imitate the three great styles of Greek columns:

Doric Column

Ionic Style Column

Corinthian Column

In Sculpture: Sculptors reflected the ideals of the city-state, emphasizing simplicity, dignity and restraint. Subjects were gods, goddesses, athletes and men of achievement They realistically depicted the human body utilizing various materials such as marble, bronze, ivory and gold in 3-dimension.

Praxiteles ( BCE) “The Praxitelian curve ” Hermes

Aphrodite - Praxiteles the illusion of life through light, shadow, polished marble and contraposto

Artemis – Praxiteles

Dionysus – Praxiteles

Hermes Praxiteles- “The Praxitelian curve ”-

Myron, c. 450 BC The discabolus portrays strength, motion and ideal serenity, while honoring Olympic athletes.

A Dying Warrior

Philosophy “the search for truth”- the first thinkers to suggest that the forces of nature were not controlled by supernatural forces, personified by gods and goddesses, but could be understood through the use of observation and reason. This new, natural outlook suggests the emergence of scientific thought.

Socrates, BC Advocated the maxim: “Know Thyself” “…there are universal truths not based on the laws of the gods but rather, based on reason - rational analysis to do what is right.” He sought truth by persistent questioning. (The Socratic Method) Left no written work, his philosophy is contained in the writings of his students, especially Plato.

The Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David, 1790

Groovy Greeks: Socrates rescued?

Plato, BCE His philosophy is reflected in a series of Dialogues with Socrates and a student as the speakers. These discussions cover ethics, religion, beauty, logic and government, among other topics. Theory of ideas: there is a higher reality than just experience- a perfect form of everything exists. Most famous student was Aristotle

Aristotle, BC Wrote on philosophy, science, government, logic, ethics and literature…. His extensive works influenced European thinking for 2,000 years… >“nothing in excess” >“moderation in all things” >“what is reasonable?”

Aristotle tutoring Alexander J. L. Ferris, 1895

Theatre of Dionysus, Acropolis

Aeschylus, BC The Father of Tragedy >Employed a dialog between one actor and the chorus >Introduced the Trilogy >Wrote 90? Plays, 7 survive Won 13 first prizes

Sophocles, BC Dramatic plays added a 3 rd actor, dealt with the conflict between a person’s will and his fate; include Oedipus Rex, Antigone and Electra, 120 plays, with 18 first prizes, but only 7 survive

Euripides, BC Examined political and social ideas and vigorously criticized war, prejudice, hypocrisy and greed “Aeschylus and Sophocles showed how men ought to be, Euripides showed men as they are.” Ahead of his time, felt unappreciated-left Athens for Macedonia.

Aristophanes, BC Satirized the political and cultural leadership of Athens in his plays Lysistrata and The Frogs

Herodotus, 484 – 424 BC The “Father of History” Described the Persian invasions of Greece… He embellished facts with fable, superstition and hearsay but was the first to try and “recount the past so that future generations can benefit.”

Thucydides, BC The “first scientific historian” – he wrote an accurate and impartial account of the Peloponnesian Wars ( BC)

Pythagoras, BC Philosopher and mathematician discovered important mathematical principles: Pythagorean Theorem

Hippocrates, BC “Father of Medicine”- attributed disease to natural, not supernatural causes. The “Hippocratic Oath” to uphold medical standards is still taken by medical students upon graduation.

Democritus ( BC) Philosopher and scientist, advanced the theory that all matter is composed of small, invisible atoms

Greek pottery

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