Transcript Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art

Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art
I. Golden Age
 479BC-431BC
 Rich from silver mining and trade
 Tributes paid to Athens by other city-states for
protection
 Made contributions in art, philosophy,
government, and literature
 Pericles, an Athenian leader, strengthened
democracy by paying officials
 Built the Parthenon
Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art
II. Religion
 Polytheistic- worshipped many gods
 Gods were immortal but had human form and
characteristics
 Twelve major Gods and many minor ones
 Also worshipped heroes like Achilles, Hercules,
and Perseus
 Each city-state honored one of the 12 Gods
 Mt. Olympus was the Gods’ home
 Believed in Oracles, places/people where Gods
spoke to people and told them what to do
 The Oracle at Delphi was the most famous
Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art
III. Search for Knowledge
 Philosophers- Believed the mind and
reason could be used to understand
natural events
 Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are the most
famous
 More to come tomorrow
Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art
IV. Arts
 Architecture- Famous for columns and for
structures like the Parthenon
 Goal of Greek Art: Present images of perfection
in a balanced and orderly way
 Plays- First Tragedies (serious stories that end in
disaster for the main character) and then
Comedies (stories that made fun of famous
people or politicians): they were about Greek
history, achievements, politics and customs
 Plays first occurred at festivals to honor the
gods
Greek Religion, Philosophy, and Art
V. Many City-States
 All city-states shared same language and
many customs
 Had different governments and goals
 Competed against each other in trade and
in war
 Olympic Games- Started 776 BCE and
continued for 1000 years. Started at a
festival to honor Zeus