Greek Culture

1. Greek Culture Western Civilization October 23, 2012

2. Agenda • Learning Target: Students will know critical aspects of Greek culture and be able to explain their importance to Western Civilization Joke of the Day

3. Philosophers • “lovers of wisdom” • Based on two assumptions: • The universe is put together in an orderly way and is subject to unchanging laws • People can understand these laws through logic and reason • Developed around questions of what is right, true, good, and just

4. The Sophists • A philosophy of civilization • What were different civilizations doing? • Were their actions in accordance with Nature? • Accumulated knowledge on variety of topics, then speculate on origins and development • Used research and speculations to teach Athenians to live more effectively • Young men could no longer be content with family traditions, gymnastics and counting for their education. They had to learn to: • think, • speak, • control themselves, • dominate others and convince an audience, not only by their words but also impress and even dazzle them by their elegant style

5. Socrates (469-399) • Philosophy improves lives • Desired exact definitions of “justice,” “good,” and “truth” • Virtue was the fruit of knowledge • Held negative opinion about the ethics of Greek gods and goddesses • He challenged Greek tradition, and urged the youth to do so as well • Was condemned to death because he did “not believe in the gods in whom the city believes but introduces other and new deities; also, that he corrupts the young.”

6. Plato (427-360s) • Student of Socrates • Established the Academy • A place of study, reflection, and discussion • "Philosophy is not a thing that can be put into words, like other lessons for learning. But from a long communing over the thing itself and from living to­gether, suddenly as though from a flame leaping a gap, a light kindles in the soul; and after that, it finds its own nourishment.“ • Emphasized “Dualism” • the changing, material world is an impermanent reflection of the eternal, invisible, immaterial 'real' world • The Republic, explained his idea of a perfect, hierarchical society: farmers/artisans  warrior class  ruling class

7. Aristotle (384-322) • Student of Plato & teacher of Alexander the Great • Founded the Lyceum • Interested in the encyclopedic knowledge of things  science • Unlike Plato, preferred to classify visible realities • Questioned the nature of the world and human belief, thought, and knowledge • Emphasized biology, physics, mathematics, astronomy, and psychology

8. Drama • Used as a way to investigate the world in which the Greeks lived and what it meant to be human • Three types of drama: • Comedy – mocked men in power • Satyr – mocked plight of characters in the tragedies • Tragedy – love, loss, pride, abuse of power, and contentious relationships with the gods

9. Origins of Theater • Originally, performed by one actor with a chorus to help tell the story • Aeschylus added a second actor; Sophocles added a third • Euripides added a prologue to introduce the story, and the Deus ex Machina, a divine figure to wrap up loose ends at the end • Sponsored by wealthy Athenians with hopes of political power

10. Sophocles (497-406) • Considered the greatest Greek Playwright • Wrote over 100 tragedies • Only 7 remain complete • Emphasized the plight, decisions, and fate of individuals • Praised for depicting the complexities of human existence

11. Oedipus Rex (430-425) • Oedipus, King of Thebes • Desires to free Thebans from deadly plague • Prophecy • Plague will end when Laius’ murderer is punished • Blind seer points to Oedipus as the killer • Old Prophecy • Jocasta’s (Oedipus’ wife) son would kill his father and have kids with his mother • Oedipus is Jocasta and Laius’ son, who had been left in the mountains to die • Jocasta hangs herself and Oedipus stabs out his eyes and exiles himself from Thebes

12. Antigone(~441) • Brothers of Antigone – Eteocles and Polynices – have been killed • Ignoring King Creon’s commands, Antigone buries Polynices • Antigone is imprisoned and starved to death for her disobeyance • As a result of Creon’s harshness, his son and wife kill themselves

13. Importance of Greek Theater • The development of Drama, particularly tragedy, have greatly influenced western theater to the present. • Sophocles, and Antigone especially, have had the greatest impact. • "The Antigone," says Bernhardy, "must be received as the canon of ancient tragedy; no tragedy of antiquity that we possess approaches it in pure idealism, or in harmony of artistic development. It is the first poem produced by the union of the whole strength of the resources of which tragedy was capable; of all the extant works of Sophocles it is the most perfect; no other exhibits such a striking combination of subject, language and technique. Its greatness lies in its perfect regularity of action, its richness of ideas, its true and living characters--qualities brought to perfection by the splendor of its dialogue and odes."

14. Greek Culture Western Civilization, October 24, 2012 • Finish Greek Culture, investigate Alexander the Great

15. Greek Science & Math • Began with a focus on understanding and documenting the stars (Astronomy) • Expanded to investigating the laws affecting Nature (biology, physics, geometry) • Although Greek scientists, mathematicians, and philosophers developed an incredible amount of key theories, their greatest contribution was the process of investigating the world using logic and reason

16. Archimedes (287-212?) • Developed approach to study of physics still used today • Law of Archimedes (buoyancy) • Discovered Pi () • Great inventor • Hydraulic organ • Compound pulley • Mechanical lever

17. Pythagoras (569-475?) • Numbers are the underlying and unchangeable truth of the universe • Known for the Pythagorean Theorum • All triangles = 180 degrees • Also developed musical scale • His ideas led to understanding that the earth rotated on its own axis as well as in an orbit around “the great fire of the universe”