-
435 B.C.Herodotuswrites historyof Persian Wars
399 B.C.Socratessentenced to death
500 B.C. 400 B.C. 300 B.C.500 B.C. 400 B.C. 300 B.C.335
B.C.Aristotle opensthe Lyceum in Athens
Greek Philosophy and History
HistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH6.4 Studentsanalyze the
geographic,political, economic,religious, and socialstructures of
the earlycivilizations of AncientGreece.
Looking Back, Looking AheadSection 1 discussed early Greek
artists and writers. Many of themmade the years between 500
and350 B.C. the Golden Age for Greece.Greek thinkers and
historiansproduced works that shape peoplesviews of the world
today.
Focusing on the Greek philosophers developed ideas
that are still used today. (page 393)
Greeks wrote the first real historiesin Western civilization.
(page 397)
Meeting PeoplePythagoras (puhTHAguhruhs)Socrates
(SAHkruhTEEZ)Plato (PLAYTOH)Aristotle (ARuhSTAHtuhl)Herodotus
(hihRAHduhtuhs)Thucydides (thooSIHduhDEEZ)
Content Vocabularyphilosophy (fuhLAHsuh fee)philosopher
(fuhLAHsuh fuhr)Sophist (SAH fihst)Socratic method (suhKRAtihk)
Academic Vocabularyreject (ree JEHKT)accurate (Akyuhruht)
Reading StrategyCategorizing Information Usediagrams like the
one below to showthe basic philosophies of Socrates,Plato, and
Aristotle.
Socrates
392 CHAPTER 8 Greek Civilization
-
WH6.4.8 Describe the enduring contributions of important Greek
figures in the arts and sciences (e.g., Hypatia, Socrates,
Plato,Aristotle, Euclid, Thucydides).
Greek PhilosophersGreek philosophers developed ideas
that are still used today.Reading Connection What is right? What
is wrong?What makes a government good? Read to learn how theancient
Greeks tried to answer similar big questions.
The word philosophy (fuhLAHsuhfee)comes from the Greek word for
love of wis-dom. Greek philosophy led to the study ofhistory,
political science, science, and mathe-matics. Greek thinkers who
believed thehuman mind could understand everythingwere called
philosophers (fuhLAHsuhfuhrs).
Many philosophers were teachers. OneGreek philosopher,
Pythagoras (puh THA guh ruhs), taught his pupils that the uni-verse
followed the same laws that governedmusic and numbers. He believed
that allrelationships in the world could beexpressed in numbers. As
a result, he devel-oped many new ideas about mathematics.Most
people know his name because of thePythagorean theorem that is
still used ingeometry. It is a way to determine thelength of the
sides of a triangle.
Who Were the Sophists? The Sophists(SAH fihsts) were
professional teachers inancient Greece. They traveled from city
to
CHAPTER 8 Greek Civilization 393
This artwork shows Greek philosophers involved in adiscussion.
Where does the word philosophy come from?
Scala/Art Resource, NY
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394 CHAPTER 8 Greek Civilization
Greek PhilosophersGreek Philosophers
Main Idea
Thinker or Group
ImportantContribution
Influence on Today
Sophists like Libanius(above) thought that people should use
knowledge to improvethemselves. They believed that there is no
absolute right or wrong.
He rejected the ideaof democracy as a form of government.Plato
believed that philosopher-kings should rule society.
Aristotle taught the idea of the golden mean. He believed
observation and comparison werenecessary to gainknowledge.
The importance of public speaking can be seen in political
debates between candidates.
His methods influenced the way teachers interact with their
students.
He introduced the idea that govern-ment should be fair and
just.
His political ideas still shape political ideas today.
They developed the art of public speak-ing and debate.
He created the Socratic method of teaching.
He described his vision of the ideal government in his work the
Republic.
He wrote over 200 books on philoso-phy and science. He divided
all govern-ments into threebasic types.
He was a critic of the Sophists. Socrates believed that there
was an absolute right and wrong.
Sophists Socrates Plato Aristotle
city and made a living by teaching others.They believed students
should use theirtime to improve themselves. Many taughttheir
students how to win an argument andmake good political
speeches.
Sophists did not believe that gods andgoddesses influenced
people. They alsorejected the concept of absolute right orwrong.
They believed that what was rightfor one person might be wrong for
another.
The Ideas of Socrates One critic of theSophists was Socrates
(SAH kruh TEEZ).Socrates was an Athenian sculptor whosetrue love
was philosophy. Socrates left nowritings behind. What we know
abouthim we have learned from the writings ofhis students.
Socrates believed that an absolute truthexisted and that all
real knowledge waswithin each person. He invented the Socratic
method (suh KRA tihk) of teachingstill used today. He asked pointed
questionsto force his pupils to use their reason and tosee things
for themselves.
Some Athenian leaders considered theSocratic method a threat to
their power. At one time, Athens had a tradition of ques-tioning
leaders and speaking freely.However, their defeat in the
PeloponnesianWar changed the Athenians. They no longertrusted open
debate. In 399 B.C. the leadersaccused Socrates of teaching
youngAthenians to rebel against the state. A juryfound Socrates
guilty and sentenced him todeath. Socrates could have fled the
city, but
(l)Mary Evans Picture Library, (cl)Scala/Art Resource, NY,
(cr)Museo Capitolino, Rome/E.T. Archives, London/SuperStock,
(r)Reunion des Musees Nationaux/Art Resource, NY
-
he chose to remain. He argued that he hadlived under the citys
laws, so he had toobey them. He then drank poison to carryout the
jurys sentence.
The Ideas of Plato One of Socrates stu-dents was Plato (PLAY
TOH). Unlike Socrates,we are able to learn a lot about Plato
fromhis writings. One work Plato wrote is calledthe Republic. It
explains his vision of gov-ernment. Based on life in Athens,
Platodecided that democracy was not a goodsystem of government. He
did not thinkthat rule by the people produced fair or sen-sible
policies. To him, people could not livegood lives unless they had a
just and rea-sonable government.
In the Republic, Plato described his idealgovernment. He divided
people into threebasic groups. At the top were philosopher-kings,
who ruled using logic and wisdom.Warriors made up the second group.
Theydefended the state from attack.
The third group included the rest of thepeople. They were driven
by desire, not bywisdom like the first group or courage likethe
second. These people produced thestates food, clothing, and
shelter. Plato alsobelieved that men and women should havethe same
education and an equal chance tohave the same jobs.
Who Was Aristotle? Plato established aschool in Athens known as
the Academy. Hisbest student was Aristotle (AR uh STAH
tuhl).Aristotle wrote more than 200 books ontopics ranging from
government to theplanets and stars.
In 335 B.C. Aristotle opened his ownschool called the Lyceum. At
the Lyceum,Aristotle taught his pupils the goldenmean. This idea
holds that a person shoulddo nothing in excess. For example, a
person
should not eat too little or too much but justenough to stay
well.
Aristotle also helped to advance science.He urged people to use
their senses to makeobservations, just as scientists today
makeobservations. Aristotle was the first personto group
observations according to their sim-ilarities and differences. Then
he made gen-eralizations based on the groups of facts.
Like Plato, Aristotle wrote about gov-ernment. He studied and
compared thegovernments of 158 different places to findthe best
form of government. In his bookPolitics, Aristotle divided the
governmentsinto three types:
Government by one person, such as amonarch (king or queen) or a
tyrant
Government by a few people, whichmight be an aristocracy or an
oligarchy
Government by many people, as in ademocracy
Aristotle noticed that governments runby a few people were
usually run by therich. He noticed that most democracieswere run by
the poor. He thought the bestgovernment was a mixture of the
two.
Aristotles ideas shaped the wayEuropeans and Americans thought
aboutgovernment. The founders of the UnitedStates Constitution
tried to create a mixedgovernment that balanced the differenttypes
Aristotle had identified.
Contrast How didAristotles idea of government differ from
Platos?
Web Activity Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com andclick on Chapter
8Student Web Activity tolearn more about ancient Greece.
CHAPTER 8 Greek Civilization 395
http://ca.hss.glencoe.com
-
6.4.6. Compare and contrast life in Athensand Sparta, with
emphasis on their rules inthe Persian and Peloponnesian Wars.
PLATO AND ARISTOTLEPlato c. 428347 B.C.Aristotle 384322
B.C.Plato was from a noble Greek family and had planned a
career
in politics. However, he was so horrified by the death of his
teacher,Socrates, that he left politics and spent many years
traveling andwriting. When Plato returned to Athens in 387 B.C., he
founded anacademy, where he taught using Socrates method of
questioning.His academy drew bright young students from Athens and
otherGreek city-states. Plato looked for truth beyond the
appearances ofeveryday objects and reflected this philosophy in his
writing andteaching. He believed the human soul was the connection
betweenthe appearance of things and ideas.
Plato and Aristotletwo of the greatest ancient
Greekphilosophersmet as teacher and student at Platos Academy in
Athens. Aristotle left his home in Stagira and arrived on the
Academys doorstep when he was eighteen years old. He remained at
Platos Academy for 20 years, until the death of his teacher. Unlike
Plato, Aristotle did not come from a noble family. His father was
the court physician to the king of Macedonia. At an earlyage,
Aristotles father introduced him to the topics of medicine and
biology, and thesebecame his main interests of study. Aristotle
sought truth through a systematic, scientificapproach. He liked to
jot down notes and details about different topicsfrom weather
tohuman behaviorand arrange them in categories. He did not trust
the senses ability tounderstand the universe.
After Platos death, Aristotle traveled for about 12 years.He
also tutored the future Alexander the Great. Later in hislife, he
returned to Athens and opened his own school, theLyceum. He made
his school the center for research in everyarea of knowledge known
to the Greeks.
396
Aristotle spent 20 years at Platos Academy.What present-day
careers or subjects of studyrequire lifelong learning?
WH6.4.8 Describe the enduringcontributions of important Greek
figures inthe arts and sciences (e.g., Hypatia, Socrates,Plato,
Aristotle, Euclid, Thucydides).
Aristotle
Plato
(t)SEF/Art Resource, NY, (b) Scala/Art Resource, NY
-
WH6.4.8 Describe the enduring contributions of important Greek
figures in the arts and sciences (e.g., Hypatia, Socrates,
Plato,Aristotle, Euclid, Thucydides).
Reading SummaryReview the The ideas of Greek philosophers,
including Socrates, Plato, andAristotle, still affect
modernthinking about education, gov-ernment, and science.
Herodotus and Thucydides areconsidered western
civilizationsfirst historians. They believedthat people could
understand thepresent by studying the past.
1. Who were the Sophists andwhat were their beliefs?
2. Before Herodotus, how didGreeks explain the past?
Critical Thinking3. Organizing Information
Draw a diagram like the onebelow. Use the diagram toorganize
Platos ideas about anideal government.
4. Science Connection Howare Aristotles teachings relatedto the
scientific method usedby scientists today?
5. Contrast What is differentabout the works of Herodotusand
Thucydides?
6. How did the ideasof Greek philosophers affectGreek
society?
7. Persuasive Writing Do youagree with Platos vision of theideal
state in the Republic?Write an editorial expressingyour viewpoint.
CA 6WA2.5
CA HI2.
CA 6RC2.2
CA 6RC2.3
CA 6RC2.4
What Did You Learn?
CHAPTER 8 Greek Civilization 397
Greek HistoriansGreeks wrote the first real histories in
Western civilization.Reading Connection How would the United
States bedifferent if we did not know our history? Read to learn
howthe Greeks began to write history.
In most places in the ancient world, peo-ple used legends and
myths to explain theirpast. No one tried to explain the past
bystudying events. Then, in 435 B.C., a Greeknamed Herodotus (hih
RAH duh tuhs)wrote the history of the Persian Wars.
In his book, Herodotus tried to separatefact from legend. He
asked questions,recorded answers, and checked the truthful-ness of
his sources. Although his historyincludes some errors and uses gods
and goddesses to explain some events, manyEuropean and American
historians considerhim the father of history.
Many historians consider Thucydides(thoo SIH duh DEEZ) the
greatest historian ofthe ancient world. Thucydides fought in
thePeloponnesian War. Afterward, he wrotehis History of the
Peloponnesian War.
Unlike Herodotus, Thucydides saw warand politics as the
activities of humanbeings, not gods. He also stressed theimportance
of having accurate facts:
Either I was present myself at theevents which I have described
orelse I heard of them from eye-witnesses whose reports I
havechecked with as muchthoroughness as possible.
Thucydides, History of thePeloponnesian War
Identify How didThucydides view war and politics?
Study Central Need help with Greek philosophy and history? Visit
ca.hss.glencoe.comand click on Study Central.
http://ca.hss.glencoe.com
Discovering Our Past: Ancient CivilizationsTable of ContentsA
Guide to California Content StandardsCorrelation to the California
StandardsPreviewing Your TextbookScavenger HuntReading Skills
HandbookNational Geographic Reference AtlasWorld: PoliticalWorld:
PhysicalEurope: PoliticalEurope: PhysicalMiddle East:
Physical/PoliticalAfrica: PoliticalAfrica: PhysicalAsia:
PoliticalAsia: PhysicalNorth America: PoliticalNorth America:
PhysicalMiddle America: Physical/PoliticalSouth America:
PoliticalSouth America: PhysicalPacific Rim:
Physical/PoliticalWorld's PeopleWorld: Land UsePolar Regions
National Geographic Geography HandbookHow Do I Study
Geography?How Do I Use Maps and Globes?Understanding Latitude and
LongitudeFrom Globes to MapsCommon Map ProjectionsParts of
MapsTypes of MapsUsing Graphs, Charts, and DiagramsGeographic
Dictionary
Tools of the HistorianMeasuring TimeOrganizing TimeHistory and
GeographyWhat Is a Historical Atlas?How Does a Historian
Work?Making Sense of the PastLinks Across Time
Unit 1: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and IsraelChapter 1: The First
CivilizationsReading Skill: Previewing Section 1: Early
HumansSection 2: Mesopotamian CivilizationSection 3: New
EmpiresChapter 1 Assessment
Chapter 2: Ancient Egypt and KushReading Skill:
SummarizingSection 1: The Nile ValleySection 2: Egypt's Old
KingdomSection 3: The Egyptian EmpireSection 4: The Civilization of
KushChapter 2 Assessment
Chapter 3: The Ancient IsraelitesReading Skill: Making
ConnectionsSection 1: The First IsraelitesSection 2: The Kingdom of
IsraelSection 3: The Growth of JudaismChapter 3 Assessment
Unit 1 Review
Unit 2: India, China, and the AmericasChapter 4: Early
IndiaReading Skill: QuestioningSection 1: India's First
CivilizationsSection 2: Hinduism and BuddhismSection 3: India's
First EmpiresChapter 4 Assessment
Chapter 5: Early ChinaReading Skill: MonitoringSection 1:
China's First CivilizationsSection 2: Life in Ancient ChinaSection
3: The Qin and Han DynastiesChapter 5 Assessment
Chapter 6: The Ancient AmericasReading Skill: Taking
NotesSection 1: The First AmericansSection 2: The Mayan
PeopleChapter 6 Assessment
Unit 2 Review
Unit 3: The Greeks and RomansChapter 7: The Ancient
GreeksReading Skill: Comparing and ContrastingSection 1: The Early
GreeksSection 2: Sparta and AthensSection 3: Persia Attacks the
GreeksSection 4: The Age of PericlesChapter 7 Assessment
Chapter 8: Greek CivilizationReading Skill: VisualizingSection
1: The Culture of Ancient GreeceSection 2: Greek Philosophy and
HistorySection 3: Alexander the GreatSection 4: The Spread of Greek
CultureChapter 8 Assessment
Chapter 9: The Rise of RomeReading Skill: Making
InferencesSection 1: Rome's BeginningsSection 2: The Roman
RepublicSection 3: The Fall of the RepublicSection 4: The Early
EmpireChapter 9 Assessment
Chapter 10: Roman CivilizationReading Skill: Making
PredictionsSection 1: Life in Ancient RomeSection 2: The Fall of
RomeSection 3: The Byzantine EmpireChapter 10 Assessment
Chapter 11: The Rise of Christianity Reading Skill: Identifying
Cause and EffectSection 1: The First ChristiansSection 2: The
Christian ChurchSection 3: The Spread of Christian IdeasChapter 11
Assessment
Unit 3 Review
AppendixWhat Is an Appendix?SkillBuilder HandbookCalifornia
Standards HandbookGlossarySpanish
GlossaryGazetteerIndexAcknowledgements and Photo Credits
Feature ContentsPrimary SourceAnalyzing Primary SourcesWorld
LiteratureBiographySkillBuilder HandbookNational Geographic:
History MakersLinking Past & PresentNational Geographic: The
Way It WasYou Decide . . .Primary Source QuotesMaps, Charts,
Graphs, and Diagrams
Student WorkbooksActive Reading Note-Taking GuideCalifornia
Standards Practice WorkbookReading Essentials and Study
GuideSpanish Reading Essentials and Study Guide
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