Classical Greek Culture

Define "history"

a systematic analysis of past events

Describe Greek religion

Greek religion had 12 chief gods and goddesses who were thought to live on Olympus. Temples to these gods and goddesses were the major buildings in Greek cities and religious holidays were major cultural celebrations

Name a famous Greek sculptor

Polyclitus

What was the primary subject matter of Classical Greek art?

The human being which was presented as an object of great beauty.

Name the 12 major gods and goddesses in Greek religion and what they stood for

1. Zeus - father of the gods 2. Hera - wife of Zeus 3. Athena - godess of wisdom and crafts - patron goddess of Athens 4. Apollo - god of the son and poetry 5. Artemis - sister of Apollo and goddess of the moon and the hunt 6. Ares - god of war 7. Aphrodite - goddess of love 8. Poseidon - god of the sea 9. Hades - god of the underworld 10. Dionysis - good of wine 11. Demeter - goddess of the harvest

Describe the Greek tragedy

A form of drama that portrays a conflict between a tragic hero and a superior force - Tragedies examined the nature of human beings and good and evil.

What is an Oracle?

A sacred shrine where a god or goddess was said to reveal the future through a priest or priestess

Name 3 Athenian playwrights

Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides

How did Socrates die and why?

An Athenian jury sentenced him to death by drinking hemlock. He was convicted for corrupting Athenian youth by teaching them to question and think for themselves.

Name a famous Comedic playwright

Aristhophanes

Describe a Greek temple

At the center were walled rooms that housed the statues of the god and treasures which were gifts to the gods. These rooms were surrounded by a screen of marble columns. The temples were open structures rather than closed ones

Describe Greek comedy

Developed later than tragedy. Comedies were used to criticize politicians and intellectuals and were meant to entertain and provoke a reaction.

What was the theory of the Greek sculptor Polyclitus?

He believed that the use of ideal proportions based on mathematical ratios would produce an ideal form

Name 2 famous Greek historians and what they wrote

Herodotus - History of the Persian Wars Thucydides - History of the Peloponnesian War

What is the highest mountain in Greece

Mount Olympus

What were the ideals/main ideas of classical Greek arts & literature?

Reason, moderation, balance and harmony in all things. The idea of civilizing the emotions - having control of your emotions.

Define ethics

moral principles - generally recognized rules of conduct

Who was Aristotle?

most famous student of Plato

Who was Plato?

Student of Socrates - considered the greatest philosopher of Western civilization. He believed in a higher world of ideal forms that made up reality. He wrote The Republic which an ideal state where society was divdided into three groups 1) philosopher kings 2) warriors 3) all the rest. Believed men and women should both have same education.

Name the most famous Greek temple and where it is located

The Parthenon located on the Acropolis in Athens. It is dedicated to Athena

What did the Romans do with the Greek religion and its gods/goddesses?

The Romans adopted the Greek gods

What was the favorite subject of Greek sculpture

The male nude

Who were the Sophists?

Traveling teachers in ancient Greece who rejected speculation - or the forming of conclusions without evidence. They stressed the importance of rhetoric - the art of persuasive speaking to convince an audience.

Define philosophy

an organized system of thought - from the Greek roots love of wisdom

What was the most important form of Greek architecture?

the temple dedicated to a god or goddess

Describe classical Greek sculpture

Classic Greek sculpture did not seek to achieve realism but rather a standard of ideal beauty

what is the Socratic method

Teaching method used by the Greek philosopher Socrates that uses a question and answer format to lead students to see things for themselves using their own reason.

How did classical Greek culture affect western culture?

The art and standards set by Greeks of the classical Greek period had an enormous influence on Western culture