SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY The peasant majority of such a society was always tended to regard city dwellers as aliens and oppressors often with good reason. In Greece, on the contrary, the farmers who produced the wine and oil essential to urban commerce regarded themselves and were regarded by others as the ideal type of citizen.…
It is often the case that, in literature, the characters that may seem the most insignificant deliver some of the most important messages in that work. Such is the case in Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey. Several lower-class characters play small roles, but teach listeners of the poem the role of the poor in Ancient…
Hunting: was enjoyed by the aristocratic populace (slave bears, horses, dogs. Lion hunting; was the preview of royalty, a sport of nobility. Fishing: was seen as more of a job; Ancient sources mention one fishmonger winning the Olympia. Aquatic sports: such as swimming, were only used as a way of training for other sports (recreational,…
Ancient Greek Women place was at home, they had no place at the games Two classes of women in ancient Greek culture: Wife & a Hetaira (companion) Hetairai: more sophisticated, cultured (however not fit for the home) Nude women are found, but not in athletic contexts (often in beauty shop [Kale: beautiful] or at most…
Epic poems reflect a culture’s values. The female characters in Homer’s poem, The Odyssey, reflect the ancient Greek values of helpfulness, loyalty, and cleverness. Athena is a character who represents helpfulness. At the beginning of the story, she offers advice to help Telemachus persuade the suitors to leave Odysseus’s palace. Athena advises, “At daybreak call…
Greek architecture has been noted as some of the world’s finest buildings known to mankind. Such as the Parthenon, and the temples they built to their Gods, have been studied over for many years. The way these structures were built is fascinating. The Three Greek Orders of Architecture Greek architecture is broken down into three…
The Theater of Dionysus was Europe’s first theater, and stood immediately below the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It was originally built in the late 5th century B.C. The theater was an outdoor auditorium in the shape of a great semicircle on the slope of the Acropolis, with rows of seats on which about eighteen thousand…
The Trojan War took place in approximately the 13th century. The ancient Greeks defeated the City of Troy. The Trojan War started after an incident at the wedding feast of Peleus, the king of Thessaly, and Thetis, a sea goddess. All the gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus had been invited except Eris, the goddess…
Aeschylus is primarily concerned with the nature of justice. In the trilogy The Oresteia, the Akhaians evolve from an older, more primitive autocratic form of justice to a new concept of civil justice devised by Athena. He confronts the contrast between the old and new orders, the lives of the members of the House of…
Dionysus was the most widely worshipped and popular god in ancient Greece. It’s not difficult to see why; he was their god of wine, merriment, ritual dance, warm moisture, and later, civilization. He was often depicted as a handsome young man, dressed in fawnskin, and carrying a goblet and an ivy-covered staff. Some myths hold…
One of the greatest city states of all time was the city state of Athens from which we take many of our modern ways. Their government was a full democracy in which they had an assembly was all male citizens over 25 years old, they had a council of five hundred which was chosen by…
In Greek mythology, Theseus can truly be thought of as the greatest Athenian hero. He was the son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and Aethra, princess of Troezen, and daughter of Pittheus, king of Troezen. Before Theseus was born his father Aegeus left Aethra in Troezen of Argolis and returned to Athens before he was…
Theater and drama in Ancient Greece took form in about 5th century BCE, with Sophocles, the great writer of tragedy. In his plays and those of the same genre, heroes and the ideals of life were depicted and glorified. It was believed that man should live for honor and fame, his action was courageous and…
Since 1896, the year the Olympics were resurrected from ancient history, the Olympics have been a symbol of the camaraderie and harmony possible on a global scale. The gathering of athletic representatives, the pride of the pack, from participating governments, even throughout the recent Cold War period, is proof that world unity is possible; just…
1. Protected and spread the knowledge of Ancient Greece, and made it accessible to Renaissance scholars and scientists. 2. Made new contributions in math, and the sciences and wrote influential works later discovered and used by Renaissance mathematicians and scientists. 3. Influenced the architecture of parts of Europe (Spain and parts of Italy) 4. Made…