1. Chapter 5.3 Notes
Greek Achievements

2. 5.3- Greek Philosophy Greek Achievements
The ancient Greeks made great achievements in philosophy, literature, art, and architecture that influenced the development of later cultures and ideas

3. 5.3- Greek Philosophy Greek Philosophy Socrates
Search for knowledge and wisdom
Golden age of Greek philosophy BCE
3 greatest philosophers of ancient Greece
Socrates
credited as the first great Greek philosopher
What we know about him comes from his student Platos writings
Studied broad concepts of truth, justice, and virtue
Believed people could learn best by asking questions
Developed the Socratic method

4. 5.3- Greek Philosophy Plato
student of Socrates, founded the Academy- most important school for philosophers to do their work
Best known work on government and his most famous writing the “Republic”
Believed every material object that exists was only a reflection of an ideal that did not exist
Believed philosophers were best suited to govern because they make “good” decisions- did not agree with Athenian democracy

5. 5.3- Greek Philosophy Aristotle Student of Plato at the academy
Most concerned with nature and the world around him
Used reason (clear/ordered thinking) and logic (process of making inferences) to understand the natural world
People can do the most good by practicing rational thought and logic
People could use what they already know to infer new facts
Contributed greatly to the development of science
Example
Birds have feathers and lay eggs
Owls have feathers and lay eggs
Therefore an owl must be a type of bird

6. 5.3- Greek Literature Greek Literature Homer’s Epics
Greeks excelled at poetry, history, and drama
Several types of poetry: epic, descriptive, lyric
Homer’s Epics
Best known for his epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” which describe the Trojan War, gods/goddesses, and heroes
Works not written down originally, but influence many cultures over space and time
Basis for Greek education, students had to memorize long passages.

7. 5.3- Greek Literature Other Forms of Poetry
Hesiod – wrote descriptive poetry, which described the works of gods and the lives of peasants
Greek created lyric poetry- music played to poetry
Sappho- first women poet to gain fame
Poems were accompanied by music from the lyre instrument
Poems dealt with emotions of daily life, marriage, love, relationships
Pindar – lyric poet
Wrote poems to commemorate public events – Olympic Games

8. 5.3- Greek Literature History
Herodotus – first major writer of history
Detailed major events of the Persian Wars
Best known work “Histories”
Did not always use reliable sources – led to erroneous historical information (like the slaves built the pyramids)
Thucydides
Detailed major events in the Peloponnesian War
Used primary sources to construct his history of events
More critical of his sources, ignored unreliable ones
Xenophon – historian/soldier/philosopher
Used personal experiences to describe events in history
Helped us learn a great deal about Greek life

9. 5.3- Greek Literature Drama Two types: tragedy and comedy
Tragedy focuses on hardships faced by the hero
Aeschylus (es-kuh-luhs) – wrote tragedies
Plays were about myths and history
Best known play is “Oresteia” about the Trojan War
Sophocles (sahph-uh-kleez) – wrote tragedies
Plays concentrated on the suffering people brought upon themselves due to their own flaws
Best known play is a trilogy based on King Oedipus
Euripides (yoo-rip-uh-deez) – wrote tragedies
Plays were about people’s suffering due to chance or irrational behavior
Best known plays are “Bacchae” and “Medea”
Comedies focus on satire and exposing social flaws
Aristophanes (ar-uh-stahf-uh-neez) – wrote comedies
Plays satirized parts of Athenian society – government, religion, social policies
Best known plays are the “Clouds” and the “Birds

10. 5.3-Greek Art and Architecture
Athenians enjoyed beauty, both written and visual – love of visual beauty expressed in art and architecture
Athenians wanted their city to be the most beautiful – constructed public buildings, temples, theatres
Parthenon was the grandest of all buildings (page 146.)
Set atop the acropolis
Impressive size and proportions – power and glory of Athens
Housed a giant gold and ivory statue of Athena

11. 5.3-Greek Art and Architecture
Sculpture
The Athenians used statues and art to decorate their city
Greek Architecture would not have been so impressive without the sculptures
Greeks were skilled at sculpting the human form
Greeks wanted their statues to look life-like, but not necessarily realistic
Some statues look as if they are in motion – contrapposto (Discobolus Statue)
Portrayed the subject as physically perfect – all statues depict beauty and grace
Painting
Most Greek paintings that have survived to the modern era are seen on pottery
Used two colors – red and black – red was the color of the clay and black was the color of the glaze
Paintings depicted movement, depth, and beauty

12. Assignment
WORK ON PROJECT
VOCAB CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 5 QUESTIONS