1. Ancient Greece The Culture of Classical Greece
In this section we will discuss Greek religion, art & architecture, drama, and philosophy.
What were the goals of Greek architects and artist?
What themes did Greek writers and historians explore?

2. Key Terms
ritual; a religious ceremony or rite (page 128)
oracle; a sacred shrine where a god or goddess revealed the future through a priest or priestess (page 128)
tragedy; a serious play or drama (page 129)
Socratic method; a teaching method used by Socrates in which a question and answer format leads pupils to see things for themselves by using their own reason (page 130)
philosophy; (“love of wisdom”) an organized system of thought (page 130)

3. Greek Drama (page 129) Why are Greek tragedies still relevant today?
Greek Religion (page 127) How did the Greeks honor their gods and goddesses?
They performed rituals in which prayers were often combined with gifts, they held festivals at special locations in honor of the gods, and they consulted oracles to help them make important decisions.
Greek Drama (page 129) Why are Greek tragedies still relevant today?
Greek tragedies dealt with universal themes. They were concerned with such problems as the nature of good and evil and the rights of individuals.

4. The Writing of History (page 132) Who were two great historians of ancient Greece? Herodotus and Thucydides
The Classical Ideals of Greek Art (page 132) What did Classical Greek sculptors try to achieve in their sculptures? Classical Greek sculptors did not try to achieve realism, but rather a standard of ideal beauty.
Major Greek Contributions to Western Civilization Create a Bubble-Map with this information. Remember to create Unique Bubbles!
Olympic Games
Development of drama
Philosophy
Writing of history
Classical ideals in art and architecture

5. Philosophers of Ancient Greece
1. Pythagoras—taught that the essence of the universe was in music and numbers. 2. Socrates—believed that the goal of education was to improve the individual. He also believed in the individual’s ability to reason and questioned authority.

6. Plato—the Greatest Philosopher of Western Civilization, he believed that a higher world of eternal Forms has always existed and that the objects that we perceive with our senses are simply reflections or shadows of the ideal Forms. He did not trust the workings of democracy, but he believed that men and women should have the same education and equal access to all positions. 4. Aristotle—did not believe in Plato’s theory of ideal forms. He believed that by examining objects, we could perceive their form. But he did not believe that the forms existed in a separate, higher world of reality. He did try to create an ideal form of government. He tried to find the best form of government by analyzing existing governments.