Athens Golden Age

Greece wins! Now what?

• Working together in the Persian Wars reminded the Greek city-states how much they have in common!

• They started to refer to themselves more collectively as “Greeks” , than they had done in the past.

• New found confidence led to the development of stunning cultural achievements. None more so than in Athens.

• The Athenians were determined to rebuild their city and make it the most spectacular in the ancient world!

• the achievements of the Athenians - in theater, philosophy, sculpture, architecture, and government - were so numerous that many have referred to the period as the "Golden Age" of Athens!

Layout of Athens

Overview of Athens! Overview of Athens!

• Settled 2000BCE• Named after Athena, goddess of

wisdom• Became democratic c. 510 BCE• Became the center of Greek culture

and economy

AthensAthens’’ Golden Age Golden Age

460 BCE-429 BCEAKA: Age of Pericles

AcropolisAcropolis

• High hill above city • Provided protection• Built religious temples to Athena• Rebuilt after the Persian Wars

Parthenon Parthenon

• White marble temple built in honor of Athena

• Finest of the Greek architecture• famous statue of Athena inside

• Columns: 3 types (“orders”)– Doric, Ionian, Corinthian

Greek ColumnsGreek Columnsmake a sketch each type of column in your make a sketch each type of column in your

notesnotes

Doric Ionic Corinthian

AgoraAgora

• Marketplace• Built around the acropolis • Rebuilt after Persian War• Center of Athenian social life• Temples, government buildings,

marketplace, recreation, and socialization

Pericles

• Military and political leader• Rebuilds Athens after the Persian Wars• Made Athens more democratic:– Paid for being on the Council of 500– Allowed poor people to participate in government

• Sometime the “Golden Age” of Athens is known as the “Age of Pericles”

Historians Historians

• Herodotus– 1st Historian of the Western world – Traveled- wrote about people and their

countries–Wrote about the Persian Wars – Identified if he heard about it OR if he saw it

first hand– “Father of History”

• Thucydides –Wrote “History of the Peloponnesian War”–Worked to make history accurate and fair

ArtArt

• Glorified human beings • Pride in city-state• Combines beauty and usefulness• Show mythological and everyday

events • Paintings–Most are lost or damaged – Best on pottery (Red and Black figure

painting)

Sculptures Sculptures

• Myron – Created the Discus Thrower

• Phidias – Statue of Athena – Zeus at the temple of Olympia – Acropolis and the Parthenon

Theater Theater

• Drama= plays containing actions or dialogue, involving conflict or emotion

• Tragedies= main character struggles against fate or events, main character suffers

• Comedies= makes fun of ideas and people

• Men played all parts and wore masks

Theater- famous Theater- famous playwrights playwrights

Sophocles ◦Defended traditional Greek values◦Perfect examples of tragedy◦Oedipus Rex- kills dad, marries mom, stabs own

eyes ownEuripides

◦Realist, questions old beliefs and ideas◦Medea- tragedy of revenge, Medea seeks revenge

on cheating husband

Theater- famous Theater- famous playwrights playwrights

• Aeschylus –Writes over 80 plays! – “Father of Greek Tragedy”– Plays have a strong moral and religious

emphasis

• Aristophanes – Finest writer of the Greek Comedy –Makes fun of ideas and people• Clouds: makes fun of Socrates

Philosophers Philosophers

• Philosophy- study of basic human questions and existence

• Socrates – Education was the key to personal growth – Question everything! Trained students to think

for themselves (Socratic method)– Accused of “corrupting young minds” and is

sentenced to death”– Drinks Hemlock to die – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EwaFkPMdl

Y

Philosophy Philosophy

• Plato (Student of Socrates)–Wealthy aristocrat – “The Republic” which descrives his idea

of the perfect society and government- people should be ruled by a small group of intelligent people

Philosophy Philosophy

• Aristotle – Student of Plato, teacher to Alexander the

Great– Studied a variety of subjects

• Collected facts, organized and categorized plants and animals

– Believed every type of government could be good • Value of the leader

Other Greek Superstars • Pythagoras: – Philosopher – Explained everything with Math! – Pythagorean Theorem

• Euclid:– “Father of Geometry”–Write Elements: basis for many of today’s

geometry textbooks

• Hippocrates– “Father of Medical Science”– Observation, experiment, experience – Hippocratic Oath: code of ethic for

doctors

• Archimedes: – Calculates Pi– Used math a physics for practical uses