ancient greece unit 3: democracy and greece’s golden age world history core
TRANSCRIPT
Cultural Interaction
Democratic principles and classical culture flourished during Greece’s golden age.
Why is it important today?!?!?
At its height, Greece set lasting standards in art, politics, literature, and philosophy that are still influential today.
Terms:
Be able to define these by the end of this PowerPoint Direct Democracy Classical Art Tragedy Comedy Peloponnesian War Philosopher Socrates Plato Aristotle
Setting the Stage…….
For 50 years (477-431 BC) Athens grew intellectually and artistically = Golden Age of Athens
Achievements in: Drama Sculpture Poetry Philosophy Architecture Science
Pericles’ Plan for Athens
leader of Athens through Golden Age 461-429 BC, aka Age of Pericles 3 GOALS
(1) strengthen democracy (2) hold and strengthen empire (3) glorify Athens
Athenian Democracy US Democracy Both
Citizens: male, 18 years old, born of citizen parents
Laws voted on and proposed directly by assembly of all citizens
Leader chosen by lot
Executive branch composed of a council of 500 men
Juries varied in size
No attorneys; no appeals, one-day trials
Citizens: Born in US or completed citizenship process
Representatives elected to propose and vote on laws
Elected President
Executive branch made up of elected and appointed officials
Juries composed of 12 jurors
Defendants and plaintiffs have attorneys; on appeals process
Political power exercised by citizens
Three branches of government
Legislative branch passes laws
Executive branch carries out laws
Judicial branch conducts trial with paid jurors
GOAL 1: Strengthen Democracy
Increased # of paid public officials Having paid officials meant even poor could
serve if elected or chosen by lot Direct Democracy: form of government in
which citizens rule directly and not through representatives
Important Question??????
How accurate do you think Pericles’ statement that Athenian democracy was in the hands of the “whole people”?
Goal 2: Hold and Strengthen Empire
Delian League formed after Persian War. Athens took over leadership = dominated all city-states in it
Used $$$ from League to build up Athenian Navy Athens needed trade (waterways) to obtain grain
and raw materials to support the city-state Athens military strength=Pericles treated members
of league as part of an empire Peloponnesus city-states resisted (Ex. Sparta)
Goal 3: Glorify Athens
Used $$$ from League to make Athens beautiful
Convinced Assembly to buy gold, ivory, and marble with funds
More $$$ was also needed to contract artist, architects, and workers
Glorious Art and Architecture
Goal: Greatest Greek artists/architects to glorify Athens
PARTHENON = center of his plans
Architecture and Sculpture: Parthenon
Parthenon (temple) 23,000 sq foot building in tradition Greek design Built to honor Athena (Goddess of wisdom and
protector of Athens) Statue of Athena inside 30 ft tall
Architecture and Sculpture: Sculptors
Graceful, strong, and perfect (ideal beauty) Faces only show serenity (no other emotion)
Architecture and Sculptures:Classical Art
Classical Art: ancient Greece ideal, in which harmony, order, and proportion were emphasized
Drama and History
Greeks invented drama as an art form and built the 1st theaters
Civic Pride and Honor to Gods Wealthy put on productions Plays showed leadership, justice, and duties
owed to Gods
Tragedy
Serious drama about love, hate, war, and/or betrayal
Tragic hero: important figure and gifted with extraordinary ability
Tragic flaw: hero’s downfall Sophocles: wrote 100 plays, Oedipus the
King Euripides: Medea
Comedy
Scenes with slapstick comedy and crude humor
Made fun of politics and respected people Satire: Aristophanes: Lysistrata in which women of
Athens try to force their husbands to end the Peloponnesian War
History
Recap: Dorian Age, no written records…had works of Homer, but not considered accurate
Herodotus: a Greek, living in Athens, pioneered accurate reporting Book on Persian War = 1st history book
Thucydides: believed certain events and political situations recur over time = important to write events down
Important Question?????
Do you think that Thucydides was right in his assertion that history sometimes repeats itself??? YES OR NO…..
Athenians and Spartans Go to WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Athens = power, prestige, and power = other city-states hostility SPARTA!!!
Sparta declared war in 431 BC
Peloponnesian War Athens = Navy Sparta = Army Pericles’ Strategy: avoid land battles and wait for a sea
opportunity Sparta marched into Athens territory Pericles had no other choice but to bring people into city walls City safe from hunger as long as ships could come into ports 2nd year of war PLAGUE outbreak in Athens, killing 1/3rd of
population and PERICLES!!! Athens still continued to fight for several years 421 BC signed a truce (worn out by war)
Important Question?????
Why might the plague that struck Athens in the second year of the war have been so devastating???
Sparta Gains VICTORY!
Peace did not last, 415 BC Athens sent fleet to Syracuse (Sicily) to destroy them, one of the greatest allies of Sparta Ended in crushing defeat in 413 BC
Athens, weak and few, continued to fight for nine more years
404 BC Athenians surrendered Lost empire, power, and wealth
Philosophers Search for TRUTH!
After war = time of doubt and uncertainty = rise of great thinkers Determined to seek truth
Philosophers = “lovers of wisdom” Based philosophy on 2 assumptions:
(1) The universe is put together in an orderly way, subject to absolute and unchanging laws
(2) Understand laws through logic and wisdom
Important Question?????
Why would philosophers start question traditional beliefs at this particular time in Athenian history????
Socrates
Absolute standards did exist for truth and justice Question yourself and moral character
“The unexamined life is not worth living”
399 BC, age 60, trial for “corrupting youth of Athens” and “neglecting the city’s Gods”
His defense: teachings good for Athens, because forced people to think about their actions and values
Condemned to death, drinking hemlock
Plato
Student of Socrates 370 BC wrote The Republic, set forth vision
of a perfectly governed society Not democracy All citizens fall naturally into 3 groups
(1) farmers and artisans (2) warriors (3) ruling class
Person with greatest insight and intellect from ruling class would e chosen as philosopher-king
IMPORTANT QUESTION???
Why wasn’t Plato put to death if he was doing the same thing as Socrates was?!?!?
Aristotle
Student of Plato Questioned nature of world and of human
belief, thought, and knowledge Invented method of arguing according to
rules of logic Invented basis of scientific method used
today Famous pupil Alexander the Great (more
information to follow….)
TERMS, defined…… Direct Democracy: form of government in which citizens rule
directly and not through representation Classical Art: ancient Greece, in which harmony, order, and
proportion were emphasized Tragedy: serious drama about love, hate, war, and/or betrayal Comedy: Scenes with slapstick comedy and crude humor Peloponnesian War: Sparta v. Athens Socrates: philosopher, “the unexamined life is not worth living”,
developed Socratic method of teaching, sentenced to death by drinking hemlock
Plato: philosopher, student of Socrates, The Republic was his vision of perfect government
Aristotle: philosopher, student of Plato, invented basis of scientific method and classifying plants and animals, most famous student was Alexander the Great