Transcript First Stop: Ancient Greece

First Stop:
Ancient Greece
Athens – in 2010!
Athens – in 2010!
Athens - Acropolis
The Geography of Greece
• Mountains
– Hindered communication and
unification
– Caused growth of independent
city-states
• Seas and seaports
– Peninsula with irregular coastline
– Seaports encouraged development
of trade
• Poor farmland
– Few crops could be grown
– Forced to trade
– Became leading traders of Aegean
and eastern Mediterranean
Greece and the Greek Colonies
Greek City-states…
the POLIS
• All political, social and religious
activities took place in the polis
(or city-state)
• Polis: town, city, village &
surrounding countryside.
• Three groups: citizens with
political rights (adult males),
citizens without political rights
(women & children), and
noncitizens (slaves and resident
aliens).
• Isolated, independent citystates, differing values
• Aristocracy to Oligarchy
• Increase in rich-poor gap –
Tyranny (Tyrants)
• Athenians push for Democracy –
rule of the people
• But…not women!
A comparison between two Greek city-states
ATHENS
• Democracy…all citizens
(free males) participated in
government activities
• All citizens were equal
before the law
• Women and slaves were
denied citizenship
• Young Athenians
developed their artistic,
and intellectual sides.
• Philosophy, mathematics,
science, and drama
flourished.
• Pursued individual wealth
• Individuality very important
• Individual quest for
happiness important
SPARTA
• Totalitarianism: form of government that
uses force & power to rule its own people.
• Spartan society was divided into 3 groups;
• 1. slaves…provided food and labor
• 2. women…taught to be fit, brave, patriotic,
and make babies for Sparta
• 3. Men…all became warriors
– Newborn babies judged to be weak were
killed
– Boys at the age of 7 were taken from
home to live in army barracks and
received military training
– They were barefoot and wore minimal
clothing to toughen them up
• Gave up wealth as unpatriotic
• All men glorify war!
• State before the individual is most
important; no room for individuality
Athenian Values
• Oath of native born, male, Athenian citizens at 18
years, received a shield and a spear
• “Never to disgrace his holy arms, never to forsake
his comrade in ranks, but to fight for the holy
temples and the common welfare, alone or with
others; to leave his country not in a worse, but in
a better state than he found it, to obey the
magistrates and the laws, and defend them
against attacks; finally to hold in honor the
religion of his country.”
• What does this oath reveal about Athenian
values?
Tour of the
Acropolis
The Acropolis is the term used to refer to the hill in the
center of Athens. The ancient Athenians placed their most
Important buildings upon this hill to keep them safe from
attack. While the First buildings on the Acropolis were
constructed in the 6th Century B.C., the current existing
structures were built during the era of Pericles
in the 5th century B.C.
We will start our tour at the Propylaia, then we will
look at the Parthenon, Erechtheion, and the Theater
of Dionysus, and end at the Areopagus.
Continue to
Theater and
Areopagus
START
Model of what Acropolis would have looked like by
the 4th Century B.C. Our travel route is in red.
Current
Remains of
the Acropolis.
Parthenon
Erechtheion
Propylaia
ACROPOLIS
Many believe that the Acropolis is the most important ancient monument in the
Western world. It is a remnant of Pericles’ “city.” Pericles rebuilt the Acropolis after
the Persians burned it down in480 B.C. as part of the Persian Wars. On the left you
can see the Propylaia, the towering entrance to the Acropolis. After making your
way up the ramp, you enter the Panathenaic Way, which is the road that goes
through the Acropolis.
PARTHENON
The word Parthenon means “virgin’s apartment.” It is the largest doric temple ever
built in Greece. It was constructed completely of marble. The purpose of the
building was to house the great statue of the goddess Athena and as the treasury
for tribute money. Building began in 447 B.C. and was completed in 438 B.C. It
consists of eight columns on either end and seventeen columns on each side.
ERECHTHEION
The Erechtheion is the most sacred part of the Acropolis. According to Ancient
Greek legend, it was on this spot that Poseidon struck the ground with his tridents
and where Athena produced the first olive tree. Building began in 421 B.C. and was
completed in 406 B.C. This building served as a religious shrine to the god Athena
and Poseidon.
THEATRE of DIONYSUS
The Theatre of
Dionysus was a major
open air theatre in
ancient Greece, built
at the foot of the
Athenian Acropolis.
Dedicated to
Dionysus, the god of
plays and wine
(among other things),
the theatre could seat
as many as 17,000
people. It became the
prototype for all
Theatres of ancient
Greece.
It was the first stone theatre ever built — cut into the southern cliff face of the Acropolis
— and the birthplace of Greek tragedy. The remains of a restored and redesigned Roman
version can still be seen at the site today
AREOPAGUS
Located near the Acropolis, the Areopagus is where the first Athenian council met
and where democracy began. Later it became the location of homicide trials. In 51
AD, Saint Paul preached Christianity on the famous rock and and gained his first
Greek convert. Below the Areopagus lies the Agora.
AGORA
The term agora means market, and this area was Athen’s public meeting place in
ancient times. It was the focal point of administrative, commercial, political, and
social life.