Mythology, Olympics, Culture, and Philosophy

Student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ancient Greece in terms of its impact on Western civilization by: Describing Greek

Mythology and religion Citing contributions in

drama, poetry, history, sculpture, architecture, science and mathematics

Essential Questions: How did mythology help

the early Greek civilization explain the natural world and the human condition?

What impact did Greek mythology have on later civilizations and the contemporary world?

What were some important contributions of Greek culture to Western civilization?

A term that shows emphasis on exciting stories rather than precise moral laws Morals come from

philosophies

Greek Mythology is polytheistic

Zeus: Chief ruler of the gods God of the sky, lightening

and thunder Hera

wife of Zeus and protector of marriage

Athena goddess of wisdom and

crafts Apollo

God of the sun and poetry Aphrodite

Goddess of love Poseidon

God of the Seas

Hades God of the Underworld

Artemis Goddess of the Hunt,

Apollo’s twin sister

Each city-state had a special guardian

Guardian was celebrated with special prayers , gifts, rituals, and festivals.

Helpful to keep Gods in good moods

No moral guidance or hope of happy afterlife

Oracles: Locations where you

could ask the Gods questions

Answers were interpreted by Priests

Greek mythology differed from other religions in that it was more an attempt to understand human qualities than divine ones.

The gods and goddesses represented human strengths and weaknesses

Moral issues were left for the humans to solve themselves.

No single source of written scripture such as the Qur’an or the Bible

Myths gave the Greeks explanations to questions they couldn’t answer

Greek mythology still continues to influence the Western world in literature, art, architecture, and politics

Athletic contests Several games:

Isthmos games held every two years at the Gulf of Corinth

Pythian games held every four years at Delphi

Most Famous: held at Olympia, took place every four years

The Ancient Olympics started roughly around 700 B.C.E to honor Zeus

No women allowed Not even to watch

Only Greek nationals could perform

Performed nude Inside temple at

Olympia was Phidias's statue of Zeus, an Ancient wonder of the World

Originally a one-day festival of athletics and wrestling

By 472 B.C.E it had expanded to five day and many more events

One the “middle day” or third day of the festival 100 oxen were sacrificed to Zeus

Races The Stadion (oldest)▪ A sprint one length of the

stadium (192 m) 2- Stade Race’ Long distance▪ Between 7-24 stades

Race in full armor▪ 2-4 stades

Wrestling Had to throw opponent on

the ground three times No biting or genital holds

Boxing Vicious and brutal Leather and sometimes

metal strapped over hands Continued until one

opponent acknowledged defeat

Horse-racing Confined to wealthy Had to own horse 6 laps of track Also had Chariot races

Pentathlon A series of five events▪ Sprinting▪ Long-jumping▪ Used stone weights to increase

the length of their jump ▪ Javelin▪ Long wooden stick with spear

head▪ Usually height of thrower

▪ Discus▪ Circle-shaped stone, iron,

bronze or lead▪ wrestling

Traditional style Parthenon Used for 200 years Set standards for future

artists

Sculpture Phidias▪ Sculpture of Athena▪ Figures that were graceful,

strong, and perfectly formed▪ Faces only showed serenity

Classical Art▪ Valued order, balance, and

proportion

Balance, Harmony

Parthenon: simple rectangle, tall columns, gently sloping roof

Columns: Doric Ionic Corinthian

By 450 B.C. Greek Sculptors feature natural poses

Carved gods, goddesses, men, women to most perfect and graceful form.

Epic poems The oldest known Greek

literary sources, the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, focus on events surrounding the Trojan War.

Both written by Homer▪ In these stories the Greeks

interacted with the Gods ▪ Humans were differentiated

by their lack of miraculous powers

▪ The stories of the Gods explained the sorrows and surprises of human life as the whims and actions of the Gods

Greeks invented it

Productions in Athens were both an expression of civic pride and tribute to the gods

Actors used colorful costumes, masks, and sets to dramatize stories about leadership, justice, and the duties owed to the gods.

Two kinds of plays: Tragedy Comedy

1st plays out of religious festivals

Performed in large outdoor theaters

Chorus sang or chanted comments on the action

Explored the relationships between people and the gods

Tragedies: told stories of human suffering that usually ended in disaster

Purpose to stir emotions of pity and fear

Serious drama about common themes such as love, hate, war, or betrayal

Featured: Main character, or

tragic hero Often had

extraordinary talents and a tragic flaw

Flaw led to hero’s downfall

Three famous dramatists: Aeschylus▪ The Oresteia▪ Wrote more than 80

plays

Sophocles▪ Oedipus, Antigone▪ Wrote more than 100

plays

Euripides▪ Medea▪ Sympathetic to women

Powerful family torn apart by betrayal, murder, and revenge

Saw how pride could cause horrifying misfortune and how gods could bring down even the greatest heroes

Explored what happens when an individuals’ moral duty conflicts with the laws of the state

Young women whose brother killed in rebellion

King forbids her to bury him, she does anyways

She is sentenced to death

Duty to gods is greater than human law

Contained scenes filled with slap-stick and crude humor

Often satires Works that poked fun

at the subject Customs, politics,

respected people

Aristophanes The Birds Lysistrata

Allowed for free discussion and criticism

Herodotus “father of history” Visited lands,

chronicled information

Thucydides wrote about

Peloponnesian war▪ Lived through the war

Vividly described savagery

Set standards for future historians

Student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ancient Greece in terms of its impact on Western civilization by: Describing Greek

Mythology and religion Citing contributions in

drama, poetry, history, sculpture, architecture, science and mathematics

Essential Questions: How did mythology help

the early Greek civilization explain the natural world and the human condition?

What impact did Greek mythology have on later civilizations and the contemporary world?

What were some important contributions of Greek culture to Western civilization?