The Spread of Greek Civilization • The period of 400 B.C. was Greece’s

Golden Age.

• The Athenians used public buildings as the showplace of Greek culture.

• The Acropolis - the huge statue of Athena.

• The Parthenon has been a model for public buildings ever since 447 B.C.

• The Golden Mean - a balance between excess and understatement.

• Temples were shrines to Greek culture.

Greek Sculpture and Painting • Most Greek paintings come to us from Roman

copies or descriptions.

• Greek vases are the most common example of everyday Greek life.

• An example of Greek paintings would be the “The Sack of Troy”, a public mural.

• Few original Greek works still exist in sculpture as well. Myron and Phidias are two famous Greek sculptors.

• Myron, “The Discus Thrower”. Phidias, The statue of Athena at the Parthenon.

Sculpture and Greek Art • Praxiteles work expressed the Greek ideal the

human body. They were delicate, lifelike.

• Four characteristics of Greek Art.

• 1. Greek art glorified humans, no blemishes.

• 2. Greek art symbolized the people’s pride in the city state. Shrines to the God and their own accomplishments.

• 3. All Greek Art expressed ideals of harmony and balance.

• Art should be useful and beautiful.

Greek Philosophers and Writers • Socrates - One of Histories Greatest thinkers.

He criticized the Sophists, he preferred Philosopher. ( Lover of Wisdom)

• The Socratic method of teaching is to pose a question. People should find their own answers. “Know thyself”

• He was forced to drink hemlock for corrupting the youth of Athens.

• Plato - Socrates’ greatest pupil, he wrote dialogues using Socrates as his speaker.

• Plato’s “Republic”, ideal government.

Greek Philosophers and Writers ( cont) • Aristotle - Plato’s student in the Academy.

Started his own school in 335 B.C.

• Aristotle wanted to compile and explore all fields of knowledge.

• Aristotle collected and cataloged plants, in Ethics, he examined belief systems, Poetics, Greek Drama, and Logic, reasoning, and Politics, he studies government.

• Aristotle believed in the division of power

• He worried in Democracy of the mob appointing a dictator.

Mathematics and Science • Mathematics - in 500 B.C. Pythagoras thought

that everything could be explained by numbers. Pythagorean theorem - the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

• Aristotle - laid the groundwork for botany and zoology.

• Democritus - developed the theory of the atom.

• Hippocrates - considered the founder of medicine. Hippocratic oath - a code of ethics.

History and Drama • Herodotus - Visited Babylon, Egypt, a

wonderful story teller. Considered the “Father of History.”

• Thucydides - wrote the “History of the Peloponnesian War”, a scientific approach to history. ( still used today as a primary source)

• Greeks were the first to write and perform dramas (plays containing action and dialogue involving conflict.)

• Greek dramas used little scenery. Men played women. Actors wore masks for emotion.

Greek Drama and Theatre • Greek dramas were held in honor of Dionysus.

• Greek tragedies - the main character struggled against fate. He displayed hubris or an assumption of godlike qualities.

• Three great writers of Greek tragedy were, Aeschylus, Sophocles, (Oedipus the Tyrant ) and Euripides.

• Greek comedies the characters were able to solve their problems.

• A Greek comedy writer was Aristophanes . Women were often put in power. ( satire)