GÖNEN Kemal Gönen Kimble Humiston, Ph.D. ELT 524 17 December 2011 Cultural Achievements of Greek Golden Age This paper tells you about the Golden Age of Greece, which is from 500 to 350 BC. It tells about what Greeks did, and their cultural achievements. The Classical Period or Golden age of Greece, from around 500 to 300 BC, has given us the great monuments, art, philosophy, architecture and literature which are the building blocks of our own civilization. There are many Greek influences that still affect us today. This paper also tries to uncover those items. Music in Ancient Greece Music was essential to the pattern and texture of Greek life, as it was an important feature of religious festivals, marriage and funeral rites, and banquet gatherings. Our knowledge of ancient Greek music comes from actual fragments 1
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Transcript
GÖNEN
Kemal Gönen
Kimble Humiston, Ph.D.
ELT 524
17 December 2011
Cultural Achievements of Greek Golden Age
This paper tells you about the Golden Age of Greece, which is from 500 to 350 BC. It
tells about what Greeks did, and their cultural achievements. The Classical Period or
Golden age of Greece, from around 500 to 300 BC, has given us the great monuments,
art, philosophy, architecture and literature which are the building blocks of our own
civilization. There are many Greek influences that still affect us today. This paper also
tries to uncover those items.
Music in Ancient Greece
Music was essential to the pattern and texture of Greek life, as it was an important feature
of religious festivals, marriage and funeral rites, and banquet gatherings. Our knowledge
of ancient Greek music comes from actual fragments of musical scores, literary
references, and the remains of musical instruments. Although extant musical scores are
rare, incomplete, and of relatively late date, abundant literary references shed light on the
practice of music, its social functions, and its perceived aesthetic qualities. Likewise,
inscriptions provide information about the economics and institutional organization of
professional musicians, recording such things as prizes awarded and fees paid for
services. The archaeological record attests to monuments erected in honor of
accomplished musicians and to splendid roofed concert halls. In Athens during the
second half of the fifth century B.C., the Odeion (roofed concert hall) of Perikles was
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erected on the south slope of the Athenian akropolis—physical testimony to the
importance of music in Athenian culture.
In addition to the physical remains of musical instruments in a number of
archaeological contexts, depictions of musicians and musical events in vase painting and
sculpture provide valuable information about the kinds of instruments that were preferred
and how they were actually played. Although the ancient Greeks were familiar with many
kinds of instruments, three in particular were favored for composition and performance:
the kithara, a plucked string instrument; the lyre, also a string instrument; and the aulos, a
double-reed instrument. Most Greek men trained to play an instrument competently, and
to sing and perform choral dances. Instrumental music or the singing of a hymn regularly
accompanied everyday activities and formal acts of worship. Shepherds piped to their
flocks, oarsmen and infantry kept time to music, and women made music at home. The
art of singing to one's own stringed accompaniment was highly developed. Greek
philosophers saw a relationship between music and mathematics, envisioning music as a
paradigm of harmonious order reflecting the cosmos and the human soul.
Theater in Ancient Greece
Our interest in the theater connects us intimately with the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Nearly every Greek and Roman city of note had an open-air theater, the seats arranged in
tiers with a lovely view of the surrounding landscape. Here the Greeks sat and watched
the plays first of Aeschylus, Sophokles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, and of Menander
and the later playwrights.
The Greek theater consisted essentially of the orchestra, the flat dancing floor of
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the chorus, and the theatron, the actual structure of the theater building. Since theaters in
antiquity were frequently modified and rebuilt, the surviving remains offer little clear
evidence of the nature of the theatrical space available to the Classical dramatists in the
sixth and fifth centuries B.C. There is no physical evidence for a circular orchestra earlier
than that of the great theater at Epidauros dated to around 330 B.C. Most likely, the
audience in fifth-century B.C. Athens was seated close to the stage in a rectilinear
arrangement, such as appears at the well-preserved theater at Thorikos in Attica. During
this early period in Greek drama, the stage and most probably the skene (stage building)
were made of wood. Vase paintings depicting Greek comedy from the late fifth and early
fourth centuries B.C. suggest that the stage stood about a meter high with a flight of steps
in the center. The actors entered from either side and from a central door in the skene,
which also housed the ekkyklema, a wheeled platform with sets of scenes. A mechane, or
crane, located at the right end of the stage, was used to hoist gods and heroes through the
air onto the stage. Greek dramatists surely made the most of the extreme contrasts
between the gods up high and the actors on stage, and between the dark interior of the
stage building and the bright daylight.
Little is known about the origins of Greek tragedy before Aeschylus (?525/24–
456/55 B.C.), the most innovative of the Greek dramatists. His earliest surviving work is
Persians, which was produced in 472 B.C. The roots of Greek tragedy, however, most
likely are embedded in the Athenian spring festival of Dionysos Eleuthereios, which
included processions, sacrifices in the theater, parades, and competitions between
tragedians. Of the few surviving Greek tragedies, all but Aeschylus' Persians draw from
heroic myths. The protagonist and the chorus portrayed the heroes who were the object of
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cult in Attica in the fifth century B.C. Often, the dialogue between the actor and chorus
served a didactic function, linking it as a form of public discourse with debates in the
assembly. To this day, drama in all its forms still functions as a powerful medium of
communication of ideas.
Unlike the Greek tragedy, the comic performances produced in Athens during the
fifth century B.C., the so-called Old Comedy, ridiculed mythology and prominent
members of Athenian society. There seems to have been no limit to speech or action in
the comic exploitation of sex and other bodily functions. Terracotta figurines and vase
paintings dated around and after the time of Aristophanes (?460/50–ca. 387 B.C.) show
comic actors wearing grotesque masks and tights with padding on the rump and belly, as
well as a leather phallus.
In the second half of the fourth century B.C., the so-called New Comedy of
Menander (?344/43–292/91 B.C.) and his contemporaries gave fresh interpretations to
familiar material. In many ways comedy became simpler and tamer, with very little
obscenity. The grotesque padding and phallus of Old Comedy were abandoned in favor
of more naturalistic costumes that reflected the playwrights' new style. Subtle
differentiation of masks worn by the actors paralleled the finer delineation of character in
the texts of New Comedy, which dealt with private and family life, social tensions, and
the triumph of love in a variety of contexts.
Athenian Vase Painting: Black- and Red-Figure Techniques
The ancient statues and pottery of the Golden Stone Age of Greece were much advanced
in spectacular ways. The true facts of Zeus's main reason for his statue. The great styles
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of the Kouros and the Kore. The story of The Blinding of Polphemus, along with the
story of Cyclops. The Dori and Ionic column stone temples that were built in Greece that
had an distinctive look. The true colors of the vase, Aryballos. The vase that carried
liquids from one place to another.
Between the beginning of the sixth and the end of the fourth centuries B.C.,
black- and red-figure techniques were used in Athens to decorate fine pottery while
simpler, undecorated wares fulfilled everyday household purposes. With both techniques,
the potter first shaped the vessel on a wheel. Most sizeable pots were made in sections;
sometimes the neck and body were thrown separately, and the foot was often attached
later. Once these sections had dried to a leather hardness, the potter assembled them and
luted the joints with a slip (clay in a more liquid form). Lastly, he added the handles. In
black-figure vase painting, figural and ornamental motifs were applied with a slip that
turned black during firing, while the background was left the color of the clay. Vase
painters articulated individual forms by incising the slip or by adding white and purple
enhancements (mixtures of pigment and clay). In contrast, the decorative motifs on red-
figure vases remained the color of the clay; the background, filled in with a slip, turned
black. Figures could be articulated with glaze lines or dilute washes of glaze applied with
a brush. The red- figure technique was invented around 530 B.C., quite possibly by the
potter Andokides and his workshop. It gradually replaced the black-figure technique as
innovators recognized the possibilities that came with drawing forms, rather than
laboriously delineating them with incisions. The use of a brush in red-figure technique
was better suited to the naturalistic representation of anatomy, garments, and emotions.
The firing process of both red- and black-figure vessels consisted of three stages.
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During the first, oxidizing stage, air was allowed into the kiln, turning the whole vase the
color of the clay. In the subsequent stage, green wood was introduced into the chamber
and the oxygen supply was reduced, causing the object to turn black in the smoky
environment. In the third stage, air was reintroduced into the kiln; the reserved portions
turned back to orange while the glossed areas remained black.
Painted vases were often made in specific shapes for specific daily uses—storing
and transporting wine and foodstuffs (amphora), drawing water (hydria), drinking wine
or water (kantharos or kylix), and so on—and for special, often ritual occasions, such as
pouring libations (lekythos) or carrying water for the bridal bath (loutrophoros). Their
pictorial decorations provide insights into many aspects of Athenian life, and complement
the literary texts and inscriptions from the Archaic and, especially, Classical periods.
Geometric Art in Ancient Greece
The roots of Classical Greece lie in the Geometric period of about ca. 900 to 700 B.C., a
time of dramatic transformation that led to the establishment of primary Greek
institutions. The Greek city-state (polis) was formed, the Greek alphabet was developed,
and new opportunities for trade and colonization were realized in cities founded along the
coast of Asia Minor, in southern Italy, and in Sicily. With the development of the Greek
city-states came the construction of large temples and sanctuaries dedicated to patron
deities, which signaled the rise of state religion. Each polis identified with its own
legendary hero. By the end of the eighth century B.C., the Greeks had founded a number
of major Panhellenic sanctuaries dedicated to the Olympian gods.
Geometric Greece experienced a cultural revival of its historical past through epic
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poetry and the visual arts. The eighth century B.C. was the time of Homer, whose epic
poems describe the Greek campaign against Troy (the Iliad) and the subsequent
adventures of Odysseus on his return to Ithaca (the Odyssey). A newly emerging
aristocracy distinguished itself with material wealth and through references to the
Homeric past. Their graves were furnished with metal objects, innately precious by the
scarcity of copper, tin, and gold deposits in Greece.
Evidence for the Geometric culture has come down to us in the form of epic
poetry, artistic representation, and the archaeological record. From Hesiod (Erga, 639–
640), we assume that most eighth century B.C. Greeks lived off the land. The epic poet
describes the difficult life of the Geometric farmer. There are, however, few
archaeological remains that describe everyday life during this period. Monumental
kraters, originally used as grave markers, depict funerary rituals and heroic warriors. The
presence of fine metalwork attests to prosperity and trade. In the earlier Geometric
period, these objects, weapons, fibulae, and jewelry are found in graves—most likely
relating to the status of the deceased. By the late eighth century B.C., however, the
majority of metal objects are small bronze figurines— votive offerings associated with
sanctuaries.
Votive offerings of bronze and terracotta, and painted scenes on monumental
vessels attest to a renewed interest in figural imagery that focuses on funerary rituals and
the heroic world of aristocratic warriors and their equipment. The armed warrior, the
chariot, and the horse are the most familiar symbols of the Geometric period.
Iconographically, Geometric images are difficult to interpret due to the lack of
inscriptions and the scarcity of identifying attributes. There can be little doubt, however,
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that many of the principal characters and stories of Greek mythology already existed, and
that they simply had not yet received explicit visual form.
Surviving material shows a mastery of the major media—turning, decorating, and
firing terracotta vases; casting and cold-working bronze; engraving gems; and working
gold. The only significant medium that had not yet evolved was that of monumental stone
sculpture—large-scale cult images most likely were constructed of a perishable material
such as wood. Instead, powerful bronze figurines and monumental clay vases manifest
the clarity and order that are, perhaps, the most salient characteristics of Greek art.
Democracy
The Greeks created the world’s first democracy. Athens started out as a monarchy and
then advanced to and oligarchy until it finally reached a democracy. The government
consisted of over 6,000 assembly members all of whom were adult male citizens. The
assembly voted on issues throughout Athens, and passed laws. The required number of
votes to pass a law was simply the majority but in order to banish or exile someone 6,000
votes were needed. Today we still use a democracy but now instead of using a direct
democracy we use a representative democracy where the citizens democratically vote on
who should make the decisions in the country, while in Greece a direct democracy was
used and the citizens actually voted on the decision rather than choosing which people to
make the decision.
The Alphabet
The Greeks were the first civilization to use an alphabet. The Alphabet was developed
after the Dark Age when the Greeks stopped using their previous written language. The
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Greek alphabet had 24 letters and believe it or not the word "alphabet" originates from
the first 2 letters of the Greek alphabet; alpha, and beta. Today many letters of our
modern alphabet originate from the Greek alphabet such as the letters A, B, E, and O.
Libraries
The first library in the world, the library of Alexandria was actually built in Egypt,
however Egypt was pretty much Greeks because after Egypt submitted to Alexander’s
rule the Macedonians started spreading the Greek way of life to all of the lands he
conquered including Egypt. After Alexander’s death and the power struggle of the
Kingdom Egypt came under the rule of Alexander’s Greek Generals, Ptolemy. Ptolemy
ordered the construction of the Library which contained over 700,000 scrolls of work.
Also all ships that went into the Alexandrian harbor had to declare if they had any works
of science or philosophy. If they did the work was copied and placed in the library and
the captain would receive the original copy back. Many great discoveries happened in the
library such as when Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the earth and when
Hero drew up plans for steam power. Today we have many libraries all over the world
with billions of works of literature but the first library in the world was the library of
Alexandria.
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The Parthenon in Ancient Greece
The Olympics
The Olympic Games started in ancient Greece. The participants were the city-states of
Ancient Greece and their colonies. The Olympic Games were held every 4 years in honor
of Zeus, the king god. There were also other games such as the Ptythian games that were
held in honor of Apollo the sun god and the isthmian games, which were held in honor of
Poseidon, the sea god. The prizes for winning the Olympic Games in Greece were fame,
and glory along with having statues of the winners erected and sometimes even having
the winners faces put on coins. Today we still celebrate the Olympic Games, and many
things are similar such as the olive leaf crowns and opening and closing celebrations.
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Mathematics
The ancient Greeks excelled in mathematics, particularly geometry. Some famous Greek
Mathematicians are Pythagoras, Archimedes, Euclid, and Aristotle. An example of a
theory developed by one of hem would be the Pythagorean Theorem which was
developed by Pythagoras. The Pythagorean theorem is a theory that states in a right
triangle the hypotenuse of a triangle squared equals the other 2 sides of the triangle
squared or as it is better known "a^2+b^2=c^2". Other famous math achievements by
Greek Mathematicians would be the accurate calculation of pi by Archimedes and proof
that all right angles were equal by Euclid.
Science
Along with being the birthplace of many great mathematicians Greece was also the
mother country of many famous scientists. Some scientists include Eratosthenes who
calculated the circumference of the earth and was off by less than 1% and Aristarchus
who theorized the earth revolved around the sun instead of the other way around. More
famous Greek scientists include Archimedes who was able to explain levers and pulleys
making his famous quote "give me a lever long enough and I will move the Earth!", and
Hipparchus who created a system to explain how all the planets and stars move.
Architecture
We still use Greek-style architecture today. A type of Greek Architecture that is used
today would be pillars. In Greece a building which pillars were used would be the
Parthenon located in Athens. Today pillars are also used in many public buildings such as
churches and libraries. There are also pillars in many buildings in WashingtonD.C.,
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including the White House!
Mythology
Today many of us still read Greek myths. Some famous include the tales of Peruses,
Theseus and of course, Heracles. The Greeks often used these myths to explain things but
today we mostly read the Greek myths for entertainment. Many Greek myths have been
altered a bit in order to write novels and movies based on them. Some well known
adaptations of Greek Myths are Disney’s: Hercules and the bestselling novel Percy
Jackson and the Olympians.
Lighthouses
Like the first library the first lighthouse in the world was located in the Greek/Egyptian
kingdom of Alexandria. The lighthouse was huge, comparable to the statue of liberty and
was the second tallest structure of its day, as only the great pyramid of Giza was taller
than it. The lighthouse had three layers, the base which was square shaped, the middle
which was octagonal, and the round beacon on top. The lighthouse signaled itself through
smoke and fire burning in the beacon. Sadly the lighthouse was destroyed due to
earthquakes but it set the model for all future lighthouses.
Conclusion
As you have read, and maybe noticed, the Greek civilization was a lot like ours, and
maybe even better. They had the same type of government, the same jobs, homes,
schools, and other things. It was a very important society, especially because they taught
us so much about art, and Space.
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Words Cited
Department of Greek and Roman Art. "Athenian Vase Painting: Black- and Red-Figure
Techniques". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vase/hd_vase.htm
(07 Dec. 2011)
Department of Greek and Roman Art. "Geometric Art in Ancient Greece". In Heilbrunn
Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.