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