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GreecesGoldenAge

GreecesGoldenAge

• Duringthe400sBCGreekciviliza:onreacheditsculturalheight,especially

inAthens.Thisperiodhasbeen

calledGreecesGoldenAge.

• Agoldenageisaperiodofgreatachievementsintheartsand

sciences.

Greek Philosophers

Philosophers – lovers of wisdom 

Sophists – workers of wisdom 

 – Teachers

phileo = love

sophia = wisdom

If sophia = wisdom and moron = fool, then a sophomore is a

wise fool. 

Sophists

•  TheSophiststheproblemofman

•  Sophists—(Wisest)–

•  TravelledaroundgeJngpaidtobescholarly–

“experts”inRhetoricandPhilosophy–

•  Sophistwerepowerhungry‐‐‐saysPlato–•  FocuschangedfromNATURALtoManand

Society

The Three Most Famous Philosophers

Socrates Plato Aristotle

Socrates

469 - 399 B.C.

The unexamined

life is not worth

living. 

Socrates

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Socrates

469 - 399 B.C.

Socratic Method:

I.  Admit ignorance.

II.  Never rely on tradition.

III.  Continuously question.

IV.  Formulate your own

opinions.

V.  Test your opinions with

others.

Plato

427 - 347 B.C.

•  Preserved and perpetuatedthe work of Socrates

•  Most important source of info on Socrates

•  Founded the Academy

•  Wrote dialogues

 – Universal Forms wasa recurring theme

 – The Republic – most important dialogue

   Those things which are

beautiful are also difficult.    

Aristotle

384 - 322 B.C.

•  Most famous student of Plato

•  Most famous teacher of Alexander the Great 

•  Developed Logic as a field of study

•  Devised a complexsystem of classification

 –  Used in biology

•  Views on Government 

Aristotle

384 - 322 B.C.

•  Views on Government •  3 Good Governments:

 –  Monarchy

 –  Aristocracy

 –  Democracy

•  3 Bad Governments:

 –  Tyranny

 –  Oligarchy

 –  Mob Rule

Aristotle

384 - 322 B.C.

•  All things in

moderation 

•  Man is by nature apolitical animal. 

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Architecture

• Thestyledevelopedduringthisperiodiscalledclassical,whichis

verysimpleandelegant.(Thestyle

wascopiedbytheRomansandiss:ll

usedtoday.)

• TheParthenonisthebestexampleof

Greekarchitecture.Itwasbuilt

undertheruleofPericles.

• TheGreeksworshippedeitherattheirhomesoratoutdooraltars,so

theybuilttemples.

• TotheGreekstheParthenonexemplifiedtheiridealofnothingto

excess.

• BecauseoftheGreeksgreatunderstandingofperspec3vethey

madethetemplescolumnsthicker

inthemiddleandthinneratthetop

sothatthecolumnsappeared

straightwhenviewedfroma

distance.(Thestepsarelowerinthe

centeralsotoappearstraightfroma

distance.)

Sculpture&Pain:ng

• Vasesprovideourmainexampleof

Greekpain:ng.Po[erydesignstold

anobjectsfunc:on.They

illustratedscenesofeverydaylifeandmythology.

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• PhidiaswasinchargeoftheParthenonssculptures.

• Praxiteles,reflec:ngthechangesinGreeklife(a^erthePeloponnesian

War),favoredlifesizestatues,

emphasizinggraceratherthan

power.

Drama&Theater

• TheearliestGreekplaysweretragedies.Comediesaroselater.

Theaterwasdevelopedtohonorthe

Greekgod,Dionysus.Theywere

preformedinlargeoutdoortheaters,

withli[lescenery.Menwerethe

onlyactors,theyworemasksplaying

allroles.

• Aeschyluswasthefirstofthegreattragicplaywrightsinthe400sBC.

(Althoughhewrote90plays,only7

survived)Oresteiaisatrilogy

showinghowtheconsequencesof

onesdeedsarecarrieddownfrom

onegenera:ontoanother.

• Sophocles,authorofOedipusRex ,

saidhuman

sufferingwasunavoidable,yet

hestressedhuman

courageand

compassion.

• Aristophanesisthemostfamous

writerofcomedies.Hewrote

Lysistratawhichshowsthewomen

ofAthensworkingtogethertoforcetheirhusbandstostopfigh:ngwith

Sparta.

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ImportantPeople

• Herodotus–fatherofhistory,firsttoseparatefactfromfic:on,wrote

HistoryofthePersianWars

• Euclid–mathema:cs,planeand

solidgeometrywroteElementsof

Geometry 

Euclidc.300 B.C.

•  One of the most prominent mathematicians

•  Wrote The Elements •  Widely used till about 1903.•  2 nd only to the Bible in numbers

of translations, publications,and study

•  Greek – Arabic – Latin •  Said to Ptolemy: There is

No Royal Road to geometry!

• Pythagoras–Pythagoreantheorem

a2+b2=c2

• Aristarchus–Earthrotatedonitsaxisandheliocentric(sunisthe

centeroftheuniverse)

Pythagoras582-500 B.C.

•  The universe could only beunderstood thru numbers.

•  Sun, moon, and earthrevolved around a central fire.

•  Each planet produces a tone!•  Famous for the Pythagorean

Theorem: a2 + b2  = c2 

Pythagoras582-500 B.C.

•  Pythagorean Theorem: a2 + b2 = c2 

a2

c2

b2

• Archimedes–measured

volume,invented

cylinderscrew,lever,

compoundpulley

• Eratosthenes–Earthisroundandaccuratelycalculatedits

circumference

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 Archimedean Screw

Modern application of the Archimedean Screw

• Hippocrates–fatherofmedicine,said

thatdoctorsshould

takeanethicaloath

• Hismedicaladvice

goodhygiene,good

dietandgetplenty

ofrest

•  Addi:onalSlidesonGreekPhilosophersfrom

intranet.wcastl.org/sites/tjohnston/upload/ 

47c2df9a6088e.ppt