Ancient Greek Civilization

Lecturer: Wu Shiyu

Email: shiyuw@sjtu.edu.cn

http://sla.sjtu.edu.cn/bbs

Three Questions

Why are we here?

What is it about?

How are we going to study it?

Why are here?

They are just terribly interesting.

1. 西学之源

The most significant starting point of Western Civilization;

Shapes not only the West but most of the world today.

V.S. Naipaul (Nobel Prize laureate): “The world civilization is chiefly shaped by the West.”

西方的贡献

Created institutions of government and law that provide unprecedented freedom for its people;

Invented a body of natural scientific knowledge and technological achievements (health, prosperity)

Greek creation

Greek city-states (polis) (break): monarchy, republic

A human functioning in his full capacity must live as a free man in an autonomous polis ruled by laws.

Greek creation

A speculative natural philosophy based on observation and reason.

1. Creative

Indelible contributions

The realms of:

myths,epics, philosophy, politics,drama (tragedy),

history,science,and so on.

2. Enthronement of Reason (Rationality)

Apollo’s Temple at Delphi

“Know Thyself”

“Nothing in Excess” (hubris)

Know you own limitations as fallible mortal and then exercise moderation because you are mortal.

“做一个能自制的人，。。。才能成为最高尚、最幸福和最有推理能力的人。”

The tragic vision of the human condition that characterized Greek civilization.

They relied on a good political regime enable human beings to fulfill the capacities that were part of their nature, to train them in virtue, and to restrain them from vice.

“As man is the best of the animals when perfected, so he is the worst when separated from law and justice. For injustice is most dangerous when it is armed and man armed by nature with good sense and virtue may use them for entirely opposite ends. Therefore, when he is without virtue, man is the most unscrupulous and savage of the animals.”

3. Competitive

Olympic Games (in 776 B.C.):

These games drew spectators and contestants form the entire Greek world.

Tragedy competition;

Oratory: individual address the court himself.

Sophist

What are we going to learn?

讲神话，讲哲学，讲战争，讲传奇，讲城邦政治，讲悲剧，讲史诗，讲历史等等

Course syllabus

古希腊世界（神话，雅典，哲学，悲剧）是一个伟大的母题，人类在不断地将其演绎。

Inspirations

美国著名小说家、诗人 Allan Poe 写过一首诗名为“ To Helen”

To Helen

Helen, thy beauty is to meLike those Nicean barks of yore

That gently, o'er a perfumed sea,The weary, way-worn wanderer bo

reTo his own native shore.

On desperate seas long wont to roam,Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face,

Thy Naiad airs have brought me homeTo the glory that was Greece,

And the grandeur that was Rome.

Lo, in yon brilliant window-nicheHow statue-like I see thee stand,The agate lamp within thy hand,

Ah! Psyche, from the regions whichAre Holy Land!

How are we going to study it?

1. 上 课； 2. 阅读，读经典；

3. 讨论。

Some Quotes

I know I know nothing.

Plato is dear to me, still dearer is the truth.

We cannot step into the same river twice.

The road up and the road down are one.

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.

The Geography of Greece

hills, mountains and rivers, with plains and valleys; Land limited;grain, grapes, and olives, bread, wine, and olive oil;The political fragmentation.

古希腊的地形 (topography)

古希腊的地形 (topography)

古希腊的地形 (topography)

古希腊时间表

Minoan civilization(2000-1200BC)

Mycenacan civilization(1500-1200BC)

The Dark Age (1150-700BC)

Greek Archaic Age(700-600BC)(Renaissance )

Greek Golden Age(600-400BC(Golden Age)

Homeric Age

Creation of Myths

Thank You!