Chapter 2 Humanities Sayre

polis (plural "poleis")

Alternate title: poleis Read More: sociologydemestatemayor and council systemcabildotimarhansignoria Polis, plural Poleis, ancient Greek city-state. The small state in Greece originated probably from the natural divisions of the country by mountains and the sea and from the original local tribal (ethnic) and cult divisions. There were several hundred poleis, the history and constitutions of most of which are known only sketchily if at all. Thus, most ancient Greek history is recounted in terms of the histories of Athens, Sparta, and a few others. The polis centred on one town, usually walled, but included the surrounding countryside.

Minotaur

He struggled with his brothers for the right to rule. He held the throne of Crete. He prayed to Poseidon to send his a white bull as a sign of approval. He was given the white bull, but did not honor sacrifying and chose a bull out of his stock to replace.

Who discovered Mycenae, and he also discovered Troy?

Heinrich Schliemann

Homer

May or may have not been a real person. he represents the culture's authority in writing down the stories that had been told for hundreds of years about its gods, heroes, and famous battles. These had meaning to to the people and to the tales.

The Cyclades

The Greeks thought of the Cycladic people as their ancestors, but we have no records of these people - only artifacts. The most intriguing are stone figures in a surprisingly modernistic style.

Origin Myth

The Greeks told a legend about the labyrinth. It is the "origin myth" of the Greek people - in other words, what sets them apart from other cultures (unlike the "emergence myth" that tells the origins of people in general).

The Odyssey famous story

The Odyssey tells of the monster cyclops (a race of giants) named Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. god of the sea. The tale how Odysseus is cursed by Poseidon to travel for years and years before finally arriving at his home. He tricked the cylops and gave him wine, when he fell asleep they burned his eyes so he was blind. They had to still get by the God at then entrance and so they hid among the sheep.

The Odyssey

The Odyssey tells the story of a Greek hero, Odysseus, as he makes hiPolyphemoss way home from the Trojan War. The trip takes him ten years because he has angered the gods. Odysseus is notably strong, clever, and proud. These traits are admirable and serve our hero well. However, his arrogance also gets him into trouble

Greek Sculpture, Pottery, and Poetry

The Olympic athletes were nude, and perhaps this led to the valorization of the nude male body. Around 600 B.C.E., the first Greek stone sculptures resembled Egyptian statues. The statue of a nude male was called a kouros,

Kouros

The kouros was a standing male figure. He was always nude, for the male body was considered to be beautiful, while the nude female body was not. The male figure stepped forward with confidence. The kouros figure embodied the Greek value of independence. He would have been carved in the image of a current citizen, perhaps a political leader or a member of a prominent family. He might be placed on the grave of one of these men. He would represent the men in the prime of their lives -- healthy, vigorous, young, and independent. He is always portrayed with one foot stepping out: a man in action, taking charge.

acropolis

The town contained a citadel on raised ground

the golden age of Athens

This was a period of Athenian political hegemony, economic growth and cultural flourishing formerly known as the Golden Age of Athens

Mycenae

Were war like people

Minoans in Crete

When you think of the Minoans, think of bulls. The Minoans regularly sacrificed bulls and centered much of their art on it. The artworks suggest that bulls were used in significant ritualistic activities. More than likely, they were associated with "male virility and strength" (Sayre 42).

Both Odysseus and Achilles fill well the large sandals of the epic hero --

a character that we still enjoy today in his various guises in books, stories, films, and plays. A hero is a character who is human and yet somehow larger than life. He is smarter, braver, stronger than all the rest and someone the gods pick out of the crowd - either to help or to afflict.

Greek value of areté or "virtue":

being the best you can be" or "reaching your highest human potential" (Sayre 47). The lesson of the Iliad is that when Achilles sulks in his tent, he is behaving badly, not practicing areté, not being the best he can be. But there is another great example of areté in the tale when the King of Troy, Priam, goes to Achilles to beg for his son's body so that he can give him a proper burial. Priam, too, represents the value of areté.

labyrinth

comes from the Greek word for "double ax."The Palace at Minos was so easy to get lost in that our concept of "labyrinth," which means "maze," derives from it.

How does Priam represent the value of "areté" in a way different from the warriors'?

he puts his pride aside so he can beg for his son's body. The other warriors were trying to be the best that they could be, meaning be the best warrior, where Priam puts his pride aside to get his son's body.

Where were the first Olympic Games were held?

in a temple to Zeus and Hera and were dedicated to the gods.

agora

marketplace

The Greek Gods

they exhibit the worst of human traits: favoritism, anger, jealousy, capriciousness. They do not always guide the paths of humans in a benevolent way; instead, they may trick the humans into making decisions that wreck their lives. This is in marked contrast to the God of the Hebrews, who is perfect, all-knowing, and all-good