The Greek CulturePresentation by : DEVRAJ R. JAYAPALAN

SHARMILA RADAKRISHNAN

History

y Early Philosophy

y Greece achieved its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829.

y Following the defeat of Communist rebels in 1949, Greece joinedNATO in 1952.

y A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political libertiesand forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years.

y The 1974 democratic elections and a referendum created aparliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy.

y Greece joined the European Community in 1981.

Facts

y Population: A little less than 11 million.

y Religion: Greek Orthodox — 98 percent; Muslim — 1.3 percent; other — 0.7 percent.

y Size: Slightly smaller than Alabama.

y President: Costas Caramanlis

y Greece is known as the cradle of democracy.

The Genesis Story

• Pelasgian: Goddess of all things, called Eurynome, and she had arisen

from solely Chaos. She divided the seas, and danced, and from her

movement creation had initiated. From her delicate fingers she begot a

snake god, Orphion, and her child, seeing this breath-taking goddess

prance about, was filled with desire, and coiled himself around his mother.

She was impregnated with the Universal Egg. From this egg all the

universe sprang: the sun, moon, stars, earth, and all the world's creatures

and critters. Eurynome then created seven planetary powers, and placed

a Titan and Titaness to watch over each. The first man emerged from the

dust of Arcadia; his name was Pelasgus.

• Homeric/Orphic: iNyx [light] and Erebus [darkness] who gave birth

to a silver egg in which Eros hatched and thus set the world in motion.

This Eros was nothing like the mischievous cherub often associated

with the Roman's Cupid, though; this Eros was double-sexed with four

heads and had created the earth, sky, moon, and planets. Nyx was

personified as a triad of Night, Order, and Justice, and was the ruler of

all of this until her power was granted to Uranus.

• Olympian: First there was Chaos, and from Chaos, Gaia, or mother

earth, emerged. She soon had her son Uranus, who instantly showered

her with fertility and impregnated her with the Hecatoncheires [hundred-

handed giants], Cyclops, and Titans. Uranus and Gaia were also the

parents off all the seas, mountains, and natural features of the world.

Mythology continued

y The Greeks used myth to explain natural phenomena, cultural variations, traditional enmities, and friendships. It was a source of pride to be able to trace one's descent from a mythological hero or a god.

There are 4 different types of Gods

• Olympians: The superior Gods

• Aphrodite,(love and beauty)Ares,(war) Apollo(Arts)

• Titans: the beings who ruled before the coming of the Olympians

• Gaia (Earth Goddess), Atlas

• Chthonians: these are the Greek gods and goddesses of Earth and the

Underworld

• Hates, Thanatos (Death)

• Free spirits: do not fit into a specific category

• Asklepios (Healing) Nike (Goddess of victory)

Women’s Early Roles

• Controlled by the men

• Spent most time at home with the other womens doing house work

• Marriage: Girls got married in their teens. Fathers chose the husband.

• Wedding Ceremony: Make an offering to the Gods and then share a cake with her husband.

• Women were not regarded as a part of the family until the first child was born.

• Life expectancy: 35-40 years because of child bearing.

• Respectable women would not be seen in public.

Women’s roles continued

• Three classes of women

• Wives class:• Stay at home and weave. Could not go in public except for religious

ceremonies.

• Concubines: • Poor women, led to prostitution for survival.

• Hetaerae: • Educated women. Companions to men for a price. Meet men at parties.

Intellectual companions as well.

Greek Men

• Leaders of the household

• Hunting, and work

• Social Life

• Not there much for the family

• Elders have a high status and should be treated with respect.

Dress

• Clothing for both women and men consisted of two main garments—a tunic and a cloak.

• Fabric was brightly colored and made by hand by the women.

• Womens’ tunic reached to the floor. Men’s were usually above the knees.

Greek Food

FOOD IN DAILY LIFE• Grain, grapes, and olives are central to the diet,

supplemented with eggs, cheese, yogurt, fish, lamb, goat, chicken, rice, and fruits and vegetables.

• Certain foods are emblematic of the national identity, including moussaka, baklava, thick coffee, and resinated wine ( retsina ).

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions• Guests must always be offered refreshment

• At funerals, mourners are given koliva (boiled wheat, sugar, and cinnamon), a special cake is baked on New Year's Day, and the midnight Easter service is followed by a feast, generally of lamb.