• Athenian culture, during the Classical Era, became one of the foundation stones of Western civilization.

• Golden age of Pericles (mostly occurring between the Persian and the Peloponnesian Wars).

• Pericles extended democracy: most adult males had equal voice

• Pericles had Athens rebuilt after the destruction in the Persian Wars, the Parthenon is an example of this reconstruction

Pericles

Contributions

• Drama: Aeschylus, Sophocles• Poetry: Homer (Iliad and Odyssey)• History (Herodotus & Thucydides)• 1. Herodotus: 1st historians, traveled to see

and write about other cultures and events• Sculpture: Phidias• Architecture: Types of columns included

Doric (Parthenon), Ionian and Cortinthian

Contributions

• Science: Archimedes and Hippocrates• Mathematics: Euclid and Pathagareos • Philosophy: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle• Socrates: Education is the key to personal growth• Aristotle: founded his own school in Athens,

science• Plato: Taught philosophy, go beyond the senses

Contributions

• Doric• Ionian• Corinthian

Columns

Literature / Drama / Poetry

• Aeschylus: First great writer of Greek Tragedies.

• Sophocles: Wrote Oedipus Rex

• Homer: Wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey

History

• Herodotus: First Historian to separate myth from fact. “Father of History.” Wrote Historia.

• Thucydides: First scientific historian- tried to be as accurate & impartial as possible. Rejected the notion that the gods played a role in human history.

Herodotus

Thucydides

Sculpture

• Phidias: sculptor who was in charge of the Parthenon’s sculpture. He carved the towering statue of Athena.

Science & Medicine• Archimedes: invented the compound pulley, cylinder,

screw, & lever. Worked with buoyancy.

• Hippocrates: “Father of medicine.” The first to believe that diseases were natural (not related to the gods) and could be caused by:– Poor hygiene– Improper diet– Etc

Math

• Euclid: Wrote the “elements of Geometry”

• Pythagoras: Wrote the Pythagorean Theorem about right triangles. Attempted to explain everything in mathematical terms. Believed the world was round.

Philosophy

• Philosophy: The rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.

• Socrates: Sculptor who spent most of his time teaching. Developed the Socratic Method of teaching by asking questions. Executed for corrupting the youth of Athens.

What is depicted in this picture?

Philosophy

• Plato: Student of Socrates who opened a school called the Academy. Wrote the Republic, in which he criticized Democracy for giving too much control to the individual.

• Aristotle: Studied with Plato for 20 years before opening his own school.– Tutored Alexander the Great.– Influenced science, philosophy, and government.

Architecture

• Types of Greek Columns• Doric (Parthenon): most simple type of column

• Ionian: usually has a scroll at the top, minimal designs

• Corinthian: Most complex with elaborate designs at the top. Commonly used in Rome.

Which is which?

Essential Understandings

• Athenian culture, during the Classic Era, became one of the foundation stones of Western civilization.