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The Legacy of Classical Greece

In this lesson, students will be able to identify accomplishments of classical Greek civilization.

Students will be able to identify and/or define the following terms:

Democracy

Parthenon

Socrates

Pythagoras

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A classical civilization is a civilization thathas given the world important ideas and

inventions that people still use today.

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Ancient Greek civilization is considered a classical civilization.

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Athenian Democracy• The ancient Greek city-state of Athens

developed the first democratic government.

• A democracy is a system of government where citizens participate in government.

• Only free men born in Athens could be citizens. Women, slaves, and foreigners could not vote.

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The ancient Athenians were the firstpeople to use voting as a form of

participation in government.

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Architecture

• The Greeks built temples with beautiful columns.

• Greek architecture still influences people today.

• Many government buildings in the United States are modeled after Greek temples.

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The Parthenon was a Greek temple to thegoddess, Athena. Notice the use of

columns.

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The U.S. Supreme Court buildingis clearly influenced by the Parthenon.

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Classical Greek Philosophy• The ancient Greeks were the first students

of philosophy. They wanted to know the meaning of life and how people should live.

• Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle still influence people today.

• Socrates encouraged people to think for themselves and to ask questions.

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Socrates was a great Greek philosopher.He was tried and found guilty of corrupting

the youth of Athens. For encouragingpeople to ask questions, he was forced

to commit suicide.

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The Greek Mathematicians

• The ancient Greeks also made advances in mathematics.

• Pythagoras, Euclid, and Archimedes were important Greek mathematicians.

• The Pythagorean theorem examines the relationship between the three sides of a right triangle.

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The ancient Greeks gave us manyimportant mathematical theorems.

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The Legacy of Classical Greece• A legacy is defined as something handed

down from the past.

• The ancient Greeks have passed down many important ideas and inventions to our modern world.

• Democracy, the use of columns, mathematical ideas, and philosophies are just a few of the ideas passed down to modern people from the ancient Greeks..

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The ancient Greeks were the first people to perform plays

and write comedies and dramas.

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Questions for Reflection:

• Define legacy.• List two important contributions of the

ancient Greeks to the modern world.• How do Greek ideas concerning

government still influence us today?• How do Greek ideas concerning

architecture still influence us today?• Why is ancient Greece considered a

classical civilization?