Democracy and Greece’s Golden Age

Chapter 5Section 3

Key Terms

Direct democracyClassical artTragedyComedyPeloponnesian WarsPhilosopherSocratesAristotlePlato

Pericles Plan for Athens

Wise and able statesman

Ruled for 32 yearsCalled the Golden

AgeDrama, sculpture,

poetry, philosophy, architecture, science all reached new heights

Pericles’ Plan for Athens

3 goals◦To strengthen

Athenian democracy◦To hold and

strengthen the empire

◦To glorify Athens

Stronger Democracy

Increased public officials who were paid

Most positions had been unpaid◦ Only wealthy served

Had more citizens involved in self government

One of the most democratic governments in history

Stronger Democracy

Direct democracy-citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Male citizens on the assembly established all important government policies

Athenian Empire

Delian League formed after Persia’s defeat

Athens took over the league and dominated other city-states

Athenian navy the strongest

Treated other members as past of an empire

Some groups opposed this and formed the Peloponnesian League

Glorifying Athens

Used Delian League money to beautify Athens

Voted to buy huge sums of gold, ivory and marble

More money went to architecture, artists, workers and materials

Architecture and Sculpture

Partheon-23,000 square foot building

Built to honor Athena

Created a 30 foot statue of Athena with gold and ivory

Create graceful, strong , perfectly formed sculptures

Architecture and Sculpture

Sculptors aimed to create figures who were◦ Graceful◦ Strong◦ Perfectly formed◦ Faced showed joy not

angerClassical Art-capture

grace and body in motion, ideal beauty, harmony, balance, proportion

Drama and History

Greeks invented dramasTheatrical productions

were expressions of civic pride and tribute to the gods

Wealthy citizens bore the cost

Actors used costumes and masks

Plays included choruses, song and poetry

Tragedy and Comedy

Tragedy-serious drama about love, hate, betrayal◦Main character a

tragic hero◦Gifted with

extraordinary abilities◦Tragic flaw would

cause heroes downfall

◦Hubris-excessive pride usual flaw

Tragedy and Comedy

Greeks had three notable dramatists◦Aeschylus- wrote 80

plays◦Trilogy Oresteia◦Family of

Agamemnon the Mycenaean king commanded troops at Troy

◦Examines ideas of justice

Tragedy and Comedy

Sophocles◦Wrote 100 plays◦Oedipus the King of

AntigoneEuripides

◦Medea◦Often featured strong

women in his works

Comedy

Scenes filled with slapstick situations and crude humor

Made fun of politicians and respected people

Aristophanes wrote the first great comedies◦ The Birds of Lysistrata◦ Women forcing men to

end Peloponnesian War◦ Showed openness of

public discussion

History

No written records from the Dorian Period

Herodotus- pioneered accurate recordings of what took place

Book on Persian Wars first work of history

Thucydides-certain types of situations recur over time◦ Studying these event

could aid in understanding the present

Athenians and Spartans go to War

Peloponnesian War-war between the two leagues◦ Athens stronger navy◦ Sparta stronger army

Sparta marched into Athenian territory and burnt food supply

Pericles brought everyone inside the city walls

Athenians and Spartans go to War

City was safeShips brought in

foodSecond year of war

plague strikesOne-third of

population diesPericles dies421 BC sign a

peace treaty

Sparta Gains Victory

415 BC Athenians sent their fleet to Sicily

Wanted to destroy Syracuse a wealthy Spartan ally

413 BC Athenians crushed

404 BC Athens and allies surrender

Philosophers Search for Truth

Athenians lost confidence in their government and questioned their values

Philosophers-lovers of wisdom

Two assumptions◦ The universe is put

together in an orderly way and subject to absolute and unchanging laws

◦ People can understand these laws through logic and reason

Philosophers Search for Truth

Sophists- questioned people unexamined beliefs and ideas on justice and values

Protagoras-questioned the existence of gods◦No universal standard

of truth◦“Man is the measure of

all things”

Socrates

Critic of SophistsBelieved absolute

standards did existEncourage Greeks

to go further and question themselves and their character

“The unexamined life is worth living.”

Socrates

399 BC brought to trial for◦ “corrupting youth of

Athens”◦ “neglecting the city’s gods”

Socrates said his teaching were good for Athens

Forced people to think about their values and actions

Died from drinking hemlock

Plato

Student of Socrates370 Plato wrote The

Republic ◦ Set forth a vision of a

perfect society◦ Not a democracy◦ All citizens fall into

three groups◦ Farmers and artisans,

warriors, ruling class◦ Person with greatest

insight would be the philosopher king

Aristotle

Questioned the nature of the world and human belief and knowledge

Invented method of arguing rules of logic

Applied his methods to psychology, physics, and biology

Basis of scientific method

Most famous pupil Alexander the Great