greece’s cultural contributions
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Mythology, Olympics, Culture, and Philosophy. Greece’s Cultural Contributions. Objectives:. Student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ancient Greece in terms of its impact on Western civilization by: Describing Greek Mythology and religion - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Mythology, Olympics, Culture, and Philosophy
Student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ancient Greece in terms of its impact on Western civilization by: Describing Greek
Mythology and religion Citing contributions in
drama, poetry, history, sculpture, architecture, science and mathematics
Essential Questions: How did mythology help
the early Greek civilization explain the natural world and the human condition?
What impact did Greek mythology have on later civilizations and the contemporary world?
What were some important contributions of Greek culture to Western civilization?
A term that shows emphasis on exciting stories rather than precise moral laws Morals come from
philosophies
Greek Mythology is polytheistic
Zeus: Chief ruler of the gods God of the sky, lightening
and thunder Hera
wife of Zeus and protector of marriage
Athena goddess of wisdom and
crafts Apollo
God of the sun and poetry Aphrodite
Goddess of love Poseidon
God of the Seas
Hades God of the Underworld
Artemis Goddess of the Hunt,
Apollo’s twin sister
Each city-state had a special guardian
Guardian was celebrated with special prayers , gifts, rituals, and festivals.
Helpful to keep Gods in good moods
No moral guidance or hope of happy afterlife
Oracles: Locations where you
could ask the Gods questions
Answers were interpreted by Priests
Greek mythology differed from other religions in that it was more an attempt to understand human qualities than divine ones.
The gods and goddesses represented human strengths and weaknesses
Moral issues were left for the humans to solve themselves.
No single source of written scripture such as the Qur’an or the Bible
Myths gave the Greeks explanations to questions they couldn’t answer
Greek mythology still continues to influence the Western world in literature, art, architecture, and politics
Athletic contests Several games:
Isthmos games held every two years at the Gulf of Corinth
Pythian games held every four years at Delphi
Most Famous: held at Olympia, took place every four years
The Ancient Olympics started roughly around 700 B.C.E to honor Zeus
No women allowed Not even to watch
Only Greek nationals could perform
Performed nude Inside temple at
Olympia was Phidias's statue of Zeus, an Ancient wonder of the World
Originally a one-day festival of athletics and wrestling
By 472 B.C.E it had expanded to five day and many more events
One the “middle day” or third day of the festival 100 oxen were sacrificed to Zeus
Races The Stadion (oldest)▪ A sprint one length of the
stadium (192 m) 2- Stade Race’ Long distance▪ Between 7-24 stades
Race in full armor▪ 2-4 stades
Wrestling Had to throw opponent on
the ground three times No biting or genital holds
Boxing Vicious and brutal Leather and sometimes
metal strapped over hands Continued until one
opponent acknowledged defeat
Horse-racing Confined to wealthy Had to own horse 6 laps of track Also had Chariot races
Pentathlon A series of five events▪ Sprinting▪ Long-jumping▪ Used stone weights to increase
the length of their jump ▪ Javelin▪ Long wooden stick with spear
head▪ Usually height of thrower
▪ Discus▪ Circle-shaped stone, iron,
bronze or lead▪ wrestling
Traditional style Parthenon Used for 200 years Set standards for future
artists
Sculpture Phidias▪ Sculpture of Athena▪ Figures that were graceful,
strong, and perfectly formed▪ Faces only showed serenity
Classical Art▪ Valued order, balance, and
proportion
Balance, Harmony
Parthenon: simple rectangle, tall columns, gently sloping roof
Columns: Doric Ionic Corinthian
By 450 B.C. Greek Sculptors feature natural poses
Carved gods, goddesses, men, women to most perfect and graceful form.
Epic poems The oldest known Greek
literary sources, the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, focus on events surrounding the Trojan War.
Both written by Homer▪ In these stories the Greeks
interacted with the Gods ▪ Humans were differentiated
by their lack of miraculous powers
▪ The stories of the Gods explained the sorrows and surprises of human life as the whims and actions of the Gods
Greeks invented it
Productions in Athens were both an expression of civic pride and tribute to the gods
Actors used colorful costumes, masks, and sets to dramatize stories about leadership, justice, and the duties owed to the gods.
Two kinds of plays: Tragedy Comedy
1st plays out of religious festivals
Performed in large outdoor theaters
Chorus sang or chanted comments on the action
Explored the relationships between people and the gods
Tragedies: told stories of human suffering that usually ended in disaster
Purpose to stir emotions of pity and fear
Serious drama about common themes such as love, hate, war, or betrayal
Featured: Main character, or
tragic hero Often had
extraordinary talents and a tragic flaw
Flaw led to hero’s downfall
Three famous dramatists: Aeschylus▪ The Oresteia▪ Wrote more than 80
plays
Sophocles▪ Oedipus, Antigone▪ Wrote more than 100
plays
Euripides▪ Medea▪ Sympathetic to women
Powerful family torn apart by betrayal, murder, and revenge
Saw how pride could cause horrifying misfortune and how gods could bring down even the greatest heroes
Explored what happens when an individuals’ moral duty conflicts with the laws of the state
Young women whose brother killed in rebellion
King forbids her to bury him, she does anyways
She is sentenced to death
Duty to gods is greater than human law
Contained scenes filled with slap-stick and crude humor
Often satires Works that poked fun
at the subject Customs, politics,
respected people
Aristophanes The Birds Lysistrata
Allowed for free discussion and criticism
Herodotus “father of history” Visited lands,
chronicled information
Thucydides wrote about
Peloponnesian war▪ Lived through the war
Vividly described savagery
Set standards for future historians
Student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ancient Greece in terms of its impact on Western civilization by: Describing Greek
Mythology and religion Citing contributions in
drama, poetry, history, sculpture, architecture, science and mathematics
Essential Questions: How did mythology help
the early Greek civilization explain the natural world and the human condition?
What impact did Greek mythology have on later civilizations and the contemporary world?
What were some important contributions of Greek culture to Western civilization?