Classical Civilizations

Ancient Greek and Roman Literature

Poets Sappho:

Female poet Wrote nearly 500 poems Object of many rumors (prostitute, ugly,

committed suicide) that were later discredited Constantine ordered all of her work burned and

forbidden

Poets Continued…. Pindar

Commissioned by an aristocratic family to write an ode in honor of their son

Began career with this first ode

Lyric Poetry Expresses the observations and feelings of

a single speaker Originally sung to the accompaniment of

music – often the lyre Emphasizes a single thought Ode – form of lyric poetry honoring a

person/place

You Know the Place: Then Invocation to Aphrodite (goddess of love) Heavily relies on sensory images: incense,

murmuring, rose thicket, quivering leaves Mood: peaceful, sensuous, lush

He Is More Than a Hero The speaker feels very powerful emotions

for her love. The speaker uses death as a metaphor for

what happens to her when the object of her love is close: inability to move, speak, think, etc.

Olympia 11 Ode to a victorious young boxer named

Agesidamos. Appropriately gives gods the credit:

For his ability to write For the athlete’s ability to perform

Thucydides Greatest historian of antiquity Failed as a military commander during the

Peloponnesian War and was exiled for 20 years

Wrote The History of the Peloponnesian War while in exile – including many speeches, historical documents, etc.

Speech Oral presentation on an important issue Purpose: goal of content Occasion: event for presentation Audience: to whom the content is

presented Rhetorical Techniques

Restatement: repeating idea in different words Parallelism: repeating grammatical structures

Oration Formal address (speech) designed to inspire

listeners and incite action Components:

Opening – capture audience’s attention Narration – recital of facts Exposition – definition of issue being addressed Proposition – clarify issues and state speaker’s purpose Confirmation – address arguments for/against proposition Confutation – disprove opposing arguments Conclusion - summarize arguments and incite action

Pericles’ Funeral Oration The main lesson of Pericles' oration concerns the

honor of dying in battle. Pericles disputes the notion that his oration is “a

mark of honor to our soldiers who have fallen in war” to excuse his shortcomings as an orator.

Pericles' primary reason for discussing the virtues of Athens in his funeral oration is to justify the deaths of the Athenian soldiers.

Pericles Continued… Pericles makes the assumption in his oration that

Athens is worthy of the many advantages it enjoys.

Pericles uses the example of Sparta to refute the ideas that the best soldiers are those who have had extensive training.

According to Pericles, the citizens of Athens must possess courage in order to sustain their democracy and freedom.

Pericles Concluded Cultural attitudes of ancient Athenians include

pride in imperial conquests, reverence for war dead, and esteem for democratic decision making.

Pericles argues for the superiority of the Athenian way of life on all of the following grounds including democracy, openness, and a sense of beauty.

The language and style of Pericles' speech are best described as bitter and ironic.

Plato Considered most influential thinker in

history of Western culture Born into aristocracy and groomed to be a

political leader, but decided against it because the corruption in politics sickened him

Fell in love with philosophy after meeting Socrates

Socrates Philosopher who wandered the streets

questioning people about their ideas and values

Believed the unexamined life is not living Questioned virtues Questioned value of knowledge Questioned importance of truth

Sophists From “sophia” meaning “wisdom” Self-proclaimed thinkers Taught art of rhetoric – ability to use

language effectively and persuasively Followed Socrates and recorded his

teachings and musings

Literary Terms Monologue: long, revealing speech by one

character Explains and defends his philosophy and life’s

mission (pursuit of knowledge)

Analogy: extended comparison of relationships

The Apology Socrates delivered this speech in court in

399 B.C. Socrates served as his own counsel in

defense of his life Accused of Atheism

Calls on “God” in monologue…pay close attention to that!

The Apology continued… The Apology an example of the calling that

Socrates urges upon his audience because it is a self-examination.

As elements of a monologue, the questions Socrates asks himself serve the primary function of revealing his thought processes.

Socrates' reputation as the wisest man in Athens arose chiefly from the pronouncement of the god of Delphi.

The Apology still…. According to Socrates, Athenian society is most in

need of a “gadfly” because their complacency. In the context of this work, the word apology in

the title is best defined as a justification or defense, not an explanation.

Socrates' monologue reveals all of the following details of his personal life: his financial circumstances, his wartime service, and the number of children he has.

More of The Apology In the Apology, Socrates promotes all of the

following ideas: the duty to obey one's conscience when it conflicts with unjust laws, the superiority of inner virtue to external wealth and the need to examine traditional ideas critically.

The end of The Apology Socrates' manner of speaking to the

listeners he describes as his “friends” is bitter and ironic.