1. Chapter 8: Greek Civilization Lesson 1: Greek Culture Bell Ringer On page 213, answer questions #1 and #2 in complete sentences.

2. Greek Beliefs
Greeks were separated by the city- states they lived in, but united by a common culture
Spoke Greek language
Shared many beliefs/customs
Believed the same myths – story that explains practices or beliefs of people, or something in the natural world

3. Who were the Greek Gods? Did not think of Gods as “all-powerful”
They had great powers, but looked and acted like humans
They marry and have children
Greeks did not fear the gods
Believed 12 most important gods/goddesses lived on Mt. Olympus
A gate of clouds protected Mt. Olympus
Humans could not enter
Zeus – king of the Olympian gods
Athena – goddess of wisdom and craft
Apollo – god of the sun and poetry
Aphrodite – goddess of love
Ares – god of war
Poseidon – god of the sea and earthquakes

4. Who were the Greek Gods? (continued)
Each city-state chose one god/goddess as their protector
Wanted gods to reward them, so in their honor they performed rituals – words or actions that are part of a religious ceremony
Worshipped in temples and at home
Festivals were very important to the Greeks
Scheduled public feasts and sacrifices
Held the Olympics every 4 years “for the greater glory of Zeus”
Began in 776 BC and lasted 1,000 years

5. Greek Oracles Believed everyone had a fate/destiny
Certain events would happen to them no matter what
Believed in prophecy
Predictions about the future
Thought gods gave these to warn people in time to change the future
Many Greeks visited oracles – sacred shrines where priests spoke for a god
Most famous was the oracle at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

6. Epics and Fables
Two great epics of ancient Greece were written by the poet Homer:
The Iliad and the Odyssey
Written about a war between Greece and the city of Troy
The Trojan Horse
A prince of Troy falls in love with Helen, wife of a Greek king
He steals her away to Troy
Greeks attack Troy, but cannot break through the city walls
They build a large, hollow wooden horse and hide their best soldiers inside
The Trojans think it is a gift and roll the horse into the city
The Greeks sneak out, destroy the city, and take Helen back to Greece
The Odyssey
Tells the story of a great Greek warrior named Odysseus
After the war, he faces many obstacles on his way home to Greece
He faces storms, witches, monsters
After 10 years he returns home to his wife

7. Aesop’s Fables Fable – a short tale that teaches a lesson
Examples are “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” and “The Tortoise and the Hare”
Aesop was said to be a real person, however history shows he never existed
These stories contain animals who speak and act like people
They are usually funny, and show human weakness
Part of Greek oral tradition – the custom of passing along stories by speech

8. The Impact of Greek Drama
Ancient Greeks created and performed dramas – stories told mainly through words and actions of a cast of characters
These were performed on stage
Greek drama was divided into two categories:
Tragedy – where the main character struggles to overcome hardships but does not succeed and has an unhappy ending
Comedy – a story with a happy ending, today they are filled with humor
Famous Greek writers:
Aeschylus – earliest Greek dramatist, wrote the Oresteia about revenge and murder
Sophocles – a great Athenian writer, questioned whether it is better to obey orders or to do what you believe is right
Euripides – wrote plays about ordinary people, often showed suffering of war
Aristophanes – most famous Greek comedy writer, poked fun at leaders and issues of his time
Drama was more than entertainment
It was a part of religious ceremony
Showed loyalty to their city-states

9. What two types of drama did the Greeks create? How did they differ?
Greek Art and Architecture
Ancient Greeks excelled in the arts/architecture
Ancient Greek art is now called “classical”
Still considered standards of beautiful
Greeks constructed beautiful building
Every city had a temple
Large, graceful columns supported many Greek buildings
The White House has Greek columns
Greek artists loved to sculpt the human body
Wanted to show ideal beauty in human forms
Comparing
What two types of drama did the Greeks create? How did they differ?