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Ancient Greece
Warriors , Athletes,
& Scholars
Greek City States
Athens:
Center of intellect, democracy,
arts, freedom
Olympia:
Sanctuary to worship the
gods, site of the ancient Olympic games
Sparta:
Center of military strength,
strategy, simplicity
Map of Ancient Greece
Sparta
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Ideology of existence centered on the state:
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Individual lived & died for the state
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“Chosen” soldiers served from ages 7-60
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Soldier’s life focused on: simplicity, discipline,
self denial
Women were given much individual
freedom & were educated in a similar
manner to men.
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Athens
Named for Athena: goddess of
wisdom & knowledge
Reproduction
of Ancient
Athens, about
120 AD
Developed a democratic government
Great appreciation for the arts, architecture,
literature, philosophy, intellect
(Mathematics, biology, physics, astrology)
The Acropolis, dedicated to Athena, was the religious
shrine and high fortress for the Athenian people. Its walls
were built on a layer of limestone rock overlooking the city.
Within these walls, the people of Athens built temples and
buildings, the most famous, of which, being the
Parthenon.
Important Philosophers of Athens
Socrates: Set the standard for all western philosophy
Known for critical reasoning
Open discussions that questioned
every day life & the “big questions.”
Plato: Student of Socrates, Plato passed on
philosophical dialogues & focused
on the natural world and how it
works.
*Allegory of the Cave & Republic
Aristotle: Student at Plato’s institute. More
interested in Science than Plato & Socrates.
Believed in “order out of chaos” – give order to
the natural world. (Classified plants & animals)
Sophocles
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Family
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Boyhood Education
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From distinguished Athenian family
Father = Sophillus – wealth from slave-manufactured weaponry
the usual poetry & gymnastics
Social Prominence
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military general/admiral, saw no battle himself
president of treasury board
member of government advisory board
reputation for sanity and diplomacy
Sophocles Cont’d.
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Success in Tragedy
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468 B.C. (28 yrs. old) won Dionysia Competition
Devoted life to theatre
Popularity
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Theatrical Devices & Contributions
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mechane/deus ex machina “god from machine” [dayus ex makina—phonetically ]
increased # of chorus from 12 to 15
added 3rd separate individual character, more complex plots
Works of Literature:
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Conventional Religion
 Certain order in the universe, enforced by fate & gods
 One must take responsibility for one’s life
Personality
 Loved Athens
 Wit, Charm, Wisdom, stability, common sense
123 plays in 63 years of writing; 7 survive today
Died 1-2 years before his beloved city fell to Spartans (405 or 406 B.C.)
Greek Theater Terms to Know:
 Great Dionysia: City Dionysia: annual spring festival in honor of Dionysus, when
dramatic competitions were held among three poets selected by the city
 Theater of Dionysus: performance site of drama in Athens on the south slope
of the acropolis (see below); part of shrine to this god
 Chorus: group of 12-15 men who sing and dance during the plays. They often
represent the collective community, but not necessarily the poet's thoughts.
 skênê: pronounced "skaynay"; building or tent at back of acting area; often
painted for scenery
 orchestra: the dancing area; chorus occupies this space
 mêchanê: pronounced “makena”- crane used to lift actors above the acting
area; usually actors are playing gods here, hence the phrase deus ex machina
The theater of Dionysus, under the south side of the Acropolis.
It was here that every year Aeschylus, Sophokles, Euripides, Aristophanes,
played their plays during the festival of Dionysus, given by the city.
Oedipus
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Tragedy:
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Contrast between what the character believes to be true in his/her situation –
and- what the audience knows to be true as the story unfolds.
Oracle at Delphi:
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a favorite among ancient Greeks
At the heart of all tragedies existed the main character’s hubris (pride).
Dramatic Irony:
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What you need to know before reading:
Delphi = City in Greece considered by ancient Greeks to be the center of the
world. A shrine/temple for Apollo existed at Delphi…
Oracle = prophesy
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At the temple for Apollo in the city of Delphi, a priestess of Apollo sat on the
shrine and when asked a question, mumbled an answer = her oracle. Her words
were thought to be prophetic (from Apollo) and often were hard to understand
and open to interpretation.
Oracle of Delphi
Dating back to 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all
Greece, and in theory all Greeks respected its independence. Built around a sacred
spring, Delphi was considered to be the omphalos - the center (literal navel) of the
world.
People came from all over Greece and beyond to have their questions about the
future answered by the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo. And her answers, usually
mysterious, could determine the course of everything from when a farmer planted his
seeds to when an empire declared war.
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The two most important concepts that all ancient Greeks subscribed is found inscribed on the
Shrine at Delphi:
“Know Thyself”
“Nothing in Excess”
Oedipus the King
by Sophocles
Two images of Oedipus
solving the riddle of the
sphinx as portrayed on
classic Greek vases.
Statue of a sphinx