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 everythingEducation is key to growth“Know thyself”“An unexamined life is not worth living”

We are born with all our personalityCharacter traits, come out as we live

Socratic MethodUse 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 AthensWould not deny teachingsFound guilty and sentenced to death

Plato 427 – 347 BCE

Wrestler, Poet, Teacher, PhilosopherStudent of Socrates, collected his teachings

Founded ‘The Academy’ in AthensBelieved life is a “Blank Slate”

Formed as we go…..Opposite of Socrates view

Theory of FormsEverything in life is an imperfect representationPerfection impossible in physical world

Wrote The Republic - about the ‘perfect society’Democracy doomed to fail due to human flaws/weaknessesAristocracy- best form

Philosopher-King chosen based on wisdom and ability

Aristotle 384 – 322 BCE

Scientist, Teacher, PhysicianStudent of PlatoStarted 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 & animalsFoundation for anatomy, botany, zoology

Written works“Ethics” – What makes us happy“Poetics” – What constitutes a good/bad play

Best government formLimited Democracy

Combination of monarchy, aristocracy, democracyTeacher of Alexander the Great

Mathematics, Medicine, Science

Philosophy covered all areas of knowledgePythagoras

Believed everything could be explained in terms of mathematicsPythagorean Theorem

Architecture, engineering, Navigation and surveying.

HippocratesFounder of medical science60 studies based on observation, experiment, experienceDisease comes from natural causes not punishmentRest, proper diet, fresh air are best curesTreatment based on reason, not magicHippocratic Oath

Treat the ill, do no harm, pass no judgment

History

HerodotusFather 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

ThucydidesStudying the past helps understand human nature

“History of the Peloponnesian War”Worked to keep accurate and fair account

Greek Theatre

Plays written in poetic formPreformed in outdoor theatresContained little sceneryChorus describes setting

DramaPlays containing conflict and emotion

TragedyStruggles against fate or eventsHero’s punished for showing pride

Doomed to a tragic end

ComedyMade fun of people or ideasHave both tragic and humorous characters

Unlike Tragedies, characters are able to solve the problem

Macedon – Philip II

Became King 359 – 336 BCENorth of GreeceDepended upon nobles for military troops

Had been held hostage in ThebesLearned Greek ways

Recruited able men for own militaryUse Greek Phalanx

Restored order in MacedoniaStarted to take control of some northern Greek city states

Savior or a threat (Athens)Eventually conquers all of Greece

First time truly unitedPlans to invade Persia

Assassinated before he couldSon - Alexander

Alexander The Great 356 – 323 BCE

King of MacedoniaEducated by AristotleTrained 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 desertHalf by sea – Explore Persian Gulf areaDiscontent spreads

In Babylon Alex gets sick and dies32 years old.

Spread Hellenistic CultureFounded cities as he wentGreeks and Macedonians settled in themUsed Greeks and Persians to rule cities

Map

Empire After Alex

Generals compete for control3 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

ReligionConcept of ‘polis’ declines

Who do we belong to?

People confused

Ruler-worshipKings in Egypt and Asia

Sense of civic duty

Hellenistic Culture

Philosophy – Four SchoolsCynicism

Live Simply w/o regard to pleasure, wealth or social status

SkepticismUniverse is always changing, all knowledge uncertain

StoicismDivine reason directs the world, accept w/o complaint

– Only way to find happiness

EpicureanismSeek pleasure, avoid painLimit desires = avoiding suffering

Hellenistic Culture1 - Started to use instruments

2 - Little interest in creating labor saving devices

Map

MathematicsOutstanding!!!

EuclidGeometry

ArchimedesCalculated pi

Used math to explain how levers work

Created the compound pulley

Archimedes Screw – water elevator

Hellenistic CultureMedicine

Added to growing knowledge baseExamined and categorized body parts

Executed criminalsBrain center of nervous system

AstronomyTracked movement of starsAristarchus

Earth and planets mover around the sunCouldn’t convince others

HipparchusPredicted eclipsesUsed sun and moon to calculate length of a year

GeographyKnew earth was roundEratosthenes

Calculated distance around the earth