The Rise And Fall Of Ancient Heroes II Greek Literature and Mythology The Pursuit of Knowledge Greek...
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Transcript of The Rise And Fall Of Ancient Heroes II Greek Literature and Mythology The Pursuit of Knowledge Greek...
The Rise And Fall Of Ancient Heroes II
Greek Literature and Mythology
The Pursuit of Knowledge
Greek Society and Culture
The Greeks As Pragmatists
Greek colonies adopted other civilizations ways of life From Babylonians they learned system of measuring and
learned about coining money from Lydians Greeks added to the coining of money by making coins of
silver and stamped with an insignia From the Phoenicians they adopted the Phonetic alphabet Alphabet makes writing easier and leads to the rebirth of
recording history and poems
Homer: The Iliad and The Odyssey
Homer’s Iliad, the tale of Achilles' heroic fall
The Odyssey told of warrior Odysseus’ ten year travels to return home from Troy
Homer’s works romanticized the highest Greek virtue - arête or manliness, courage and excellence
Homer: The Iliad and The Odyssey
Greek’s believed that individual supremacy enhanced one’s family honor and allowed them to live forever in heroic poems
These ideals help the Greeks strive for greatness
But, it also led to the self-centeredness and disdain for other cultures and fellow Greek cultures
Barbarians and enemies
Greek Literature: Aesop’s Fables and Greek Mythology
Aesop was originally a slave and freed because of his wit and intelligence
Fables are more than likely a collection he learned over time and from travels
Given residency in a royal court Hurled off a cliff over a
misunderstanding He may not have every existed
Greek Literature: Aesop’s Fables and Greek Mythology Greek gods and goddesses
had human qualities Zeus and Hera ruled over
an extended family of gods Greek religion was not an
institution but a series of temples for specific gods
Oracle at Delphi explained divine will of gods to seekers
Greek Literature: Aesop’s Fables and Greek Mythology
Dionysus, god of wine and fertility was worshiped by men and women
Women allowed to step out of traditional barriers during worship of him
In some instances women would become so entranced with drink that they would rip animals apart and eat the raw flesh
The Greeks And The Pursuit of Knowledge
Man seen as center of universe
Rejected earlier explanations of the world around them and sought to understand nature around them
This intellectual search for knowledge is called philosophy
The Greeks And The Pursuit of Knowledge
Thales of Miletus (624-548 B.C.) considered the first philosopher
Introduced astronomy and geometry which he learned from the Egyptians
Democritus (460-370 B.C.) believed that the world was comprised of atoms
The Greeks And The Pursuit of Knowledge
Pythagoras (582-507 B.C.) mathematician credited with The Pythagorian Theorem
The Theorem states that for a triangle with one right angle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides
Greek Society and Culture Gender specific society that
dictated roles of men and women
Men involved in politics, war, and head of family
Women had no power outside the home, responsible for child bearing and running homes
Slaves responsible for burden of work at homes and in fields
Greek Society and Culture
Various ways to become slave
Worked in fields, mines, factories, on ships and in homes
Slaves did not have a say in politics nor get an education
Slave labor allowed the Greeks to place freed time into warfare, philosophy and pursuits of individual excellence
Greek Society and Culture
Owned pets such as dogs, birds and goats
Played with toys like yo-yos and clay dolls
Children respected parents and had a desire to learn
Homes centered around the family
Food and housing reflected their enviroment