1. Ancient Greece (1750 B.C.-133 B.C.)
Lesson 3 Greek Thinkers, Artists, and Writers

2. Ancient Greece (1750 B.C.-133 B.C.)
Lesson 3 Greek Thinkers, Artists, and Writers
Learning Objectives
Analyze the political and ethical ideas developed by ancient Greek philosophers.
Understand how balance and order governed ancient Greek art and architecture.
Identify the themes explored by ancient Greek writers and historians.

3. Ancient Greece (1750 B.C.-133 B.C.)
Lesson 3 Greek Thinkers, Artists, and Writers
Key Terms
philosophers,
logic,
rhetoric,
Socrates,
Plato.
Aristotle,
Parthenon,
tragedies,
comedies,
Herodotus

4. Philosophers and the Pursuit of Wisdom
Even in the midst of wars and political turmoil, Greeks had confidence in the power of the human mind. Driven by curiosity and a belief in reason, Greek thinkers, artists, and writers explored the nature of the universe and the place of people in it. To later admirers, Greek achievements in the arts represented the height of human development in the Western world. They looked back with deep respect on what one poet called “the glory that was Greece.”

5. Philosophers and the Pursuit of Wisdom
Debating Morality and Ethics
Socrates Challenges Tradition
Plato Describes a Perfect Society
Aristotle Seeks the Golden Mean

6. Philosophers and the Pursuit of Wisdom
About 388 B.C. Plato led discussions with students in an olive grove outside Athens, seen in this 1st-century floor mosaic from Pompeii. Plato may be third from the left.

7. Philosophers and the Pursuit of Wisdom
The Socratic method uses questions and answers as steps in a reasoning process that aims to arrive at truths by logically examining the underlying assumptions and implications of statements.

8. Conveying Ideals in Architecture and Art
Plato argued that every object on Earth had an ideal form. The work of ancient Greek artists and architects reflected a similar concern with balance, order, and beauty.

9. Conveying Ideals in Architecture and Art
Monumental Architecture
Crafting Lifelike Human Forms

10. Conveying Ideals in Architecture and Art
The builders of the Parthenon (shown here), seeking to reflect a harmonious universe, used geometric proportions to convey a dignified sense of order that feels balanced.

11. Greek Literature
In literature, as in art, the ancient Greeks developed their own style. To later Europeans, Greek styles were a model of perfection. They admired what they called the “classical style,” referring to the elegant and balanced forms of traditional Greek works of art.

12. Greek Literature
Greek Tragedy
Greek Comedy

13. Greek Literature
A Roman fresco from Pompeii believed to be of the Greek poet Sappho (610 B.C.–570 B.C.). Over the ages, readers have been impressed with her writing style and lively personality.

14. Studying History
The Greeks also applied observation, reason, and logic to the study of history. Herodotus is often called the “Father of History” in the Western world because he went beyond listing names of rulers or the retelling of ancient legends. Before writing The Persian Wars, Herodotus visited many lands, collecting information from people who remembered the actual events he chronicled. In fact, Herodotus used the Greek term historie, which means inquiry, to define his work. Our history comes from this word, but its definition has evolved today to simply mean the recording and study of past events.

15. Studying History
Herodotus (c. 484 B.C.–c. 425 B.C.) was born under Persian rule at Halicarnassus, a Greek city in Asia Minor. His The Persian Wars is famous as the ancient world’s first great narrative history.

16. Quiz: Philosophers and the Pursuit of Wisdom
Why did Plato distrust democracy?
A. Athenian democracy advocated popular success more than moral truth.
B. Citizens of a democracy forced him to go into exile.
C. Sparta proved that a monarchy governed more effectively.
D. Citizens of a democracy condemned Socrates to death.

17. Quiz: Conveying Ideals in Architecture and Art
How did Greek art reflect the idea of an ideal form?
A. through imbalance and complex geometry in architecture
B. through unfinished and dreamlike forms in sculpture
C. through symmetry and graceful geometry in architecture
D. through monumental and distorted forms in sculpture

18. Quiz: Greek Literature
How was comedy used to influence Greek society?
A. Playwrights depicted and criticized contemporary individuals.
B. Philosophers discussed how to create the perfect social structure.
C. Playwrights portrayed legends from the past to criticize society.
D. Philosophers questioned and examined daily life and traditions.

19. Quiz: Studying History
Why is Herodotus considered the “Father of History”?
A. because he collected information from witnesses to relate history accurately
B. because he traveled and related stories of ancient events and unusual customs
C. because he founded a school for people to compile information about the past
D. because he gathered evidence and wrote a famous account of the Persian wars