1. Greek Culture Drama and Philosophy

2. Historiae Herodotus of Halicanarssus: “the purpose is to prevent the traces of human events from being erased by time and to preserve the fame of the important and remarkable events” Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian War. Explored long term cause and effect.

3. Drama Greeks loved tragedies Aeschylus: 27 time dramatist of the year! Simple plots based on a tragic flaw. Wrote in “Trilogies” such as the Oretesia. Euripedes: a skeptic who wrote about the excess of worshiping Dionysus in the Bacchae Social commentary: critical of Peloponnesian War-Lysistrata

5. Oedipus: Sophocles

7. Philosophy Greek word meaning “love of wisdom” Concerned with nature of universe and the place of divine forces within it. Sophists: traveling philosophical teachers who rejected speculation as foolish, understanding the universe was out of our reach…sole goal personal improvement. There is no absolute right or wrong, for this they were considered dangerous.

8. Socrates: Left no writings An “ugly stonemason” Preferred to teach for free as his sole purpose was understanding human nature and improving the individual. Socratic method: question and answer technique to lead the student to the answer. “Unexamined life is not worth living”

9. Sacrificed

10. Plato: Greatest philosopher of Western Civilization? Wrote a great deal on reality. How do we know what is real? Allegory of the Cave Major work is The Republic “Forms theory”. There are ideal forms, our job is to try and perceive them as best as we can through an astutely trained mind.

11. Allegory of the Cave

12. Republic Plato distrusted the democracy of Athens Population divided into three basic groups: a ruling elite (Philosopher Kings). 2. Those who showed courage (warriros to protect). 3. The masses, those driven by desire. Equality of the genders. “there will no rest from troubles” unless Philosophers become kings.

13. The Academy Founded in the 4 th century BCE ran until it was closed in the 6 th century CE by the Byzantine emperor Justinian.

14. Aristotle Studied at Plato’s Academy Tutored Alexander the Great Dismissed Plato’s forms. Intense study could lead to the understanding of objects and their true form. Emphasized classification and research

15. Politics Aristotle examined 158 state constitutions. Examined three “good governments” that can become bad 1. Monarchy (can become tyranny) 2. Aristocracy (can become oligarchy) 3. Constitutional Government (that can become “mob rule” or anarchy.)