The Golden Age of Athens

NOTES: THE GOLDEN AGE OF ATHENS

The Golden Age of Athens

·  479 B.C. – 431 B.C. (48 years)

·  Wealth came through slaves and silver mines.

·  Leader: Pericles

o  Aristocrat

o  Supported democracy

o  Persuasive and strong speaker

o  Responsible for Parthenon

Ancient Religious Beliefs

Gods and Goddesses

·  Greeks worshipped 12 immortal gods and goddesses

·  Greeks honored gods by holding festivals, games and offerings.

·  Greeks tried not to upset the gods: affected social behavior

·  Explained natural events

·  Each city-state worshiped one of the gods more than others

·  Immortal means “lives forever”

Oracles (place, priest or priestess, or message)

·  Advice was often in the form of a dream or a riddle

·  Greeks asked oracles for advice

·  Oracles were believed to speak for the gods and tell the future

·  Most important oracle was at Delphi

The Search for Knowledge

Scientists and Philosophers

·  Philosophers believed the powers of the mind and reason could explain natural events

·  Thales was one of the first philosophers (everything is made of water)

·  Scientist Democritus believed all matter was made up of atoms

·  Disagreed with the idea that the gods created natural events

·  Did not do experiments

Socrates

·  “know thyself” was important lesson

·  First philosopher

·  Brought to trial, and sentenced to drink hemlock poison

·  “What is truth? What is beauty? What is the right thing to do?

·  He asked Athenians to think…

Plato

·  Student of Socrates

·  Plato wrote about Socrates death and teaching

·  Founded the first school of philosophy called “The Academy”

·  Wrote “The Republic”, the first book on politics

Aristotle

·  Student of Plato

·  Believed in reason and logic to guide pursuit of knowledge

·  Great inventor

·  Tutored Alexander the Great

·  Invented The Scientific Method – step by step process

o  Form a hypothesis

o  Observe

o  Test hypothesis

Visual and Dramatic Arts

Theater: introduced during the golden age (approx. 400 B.C.)

-poor people could attend theater for free

Dramas

·  Athenians were first known to write dramas

·  Most popular plays were tragedies, praised gods

·  Main character was faced with a hard decision

·  Chorus chanted between scenes

·  Actors were men who played many roles

Comedies

·  Made fun of well-known citizens and politicians

·  Made jokes about customs

·  Athenians accepted humor and jokes because of the freedom in Athens

·  Written by Athenian poets

Parthenon

·  Built by Pericles

·  A temple to the goddess Athena

o  Marble; had a 40 foot statue of Athena

·  Sculptures reflected Greek art, which were lifelike, full of action

·  Columns made of marble

·  Located on the acropolis, fortified hill with many government buildings

·  Temple still exists