Greek Culture
Drama and Philosophy
Historiae
 Herodotus of
Halicanarssus:
 “the purpose is to
prevent the traces of
human events from
being erased by time
and to preserve the
fame of the important
and remarkable events”
 Thucydides: History of
the Peloponnesian War.
Explored long term
cause and effect.
Drama
 Greeks loved tragedies
 Aeschylus: 27 time dramatist of the year!
 Simple plots based on a tragic flaw.
 Wrote in “Trilogies” such as the Oretesia.
 Euripedes: a skeptic who wrote about the
excess of worshiping Dionysus in the
Bacchae
 Social commentary: critical of Peloponnesian
War-Lysistrata
Oedipus: Sophocles
Philosophy
 Greek word meaning “love of wisdom”
 Concerned with nature of universe and the
place of divine forces within it.
 Sophists: traveling philosophical teachers
who rejected speculation as foolish,
understanding the universe was out of our
reach…sole goal personal improvement.
 There is no absolute right or wrong, for this
they were considered dangerous.
Socrates:
 Left no writings
 An “ugly stonemason”
 Preferred to teach for free as
his sole purpose was
understanding human nature
and improving the individual.
 Socratic method: question
and answer technique to
lead the student to the
answer.
 “Unexamined life is not worth
living”
Sacrificed
Plato:
 Greatest philosopher of
Western Civilization?
 Wrote a great deal on reality.
How do we know what is
real? Allegory of the Cave
 Major work is The Republic
 “Forms theory”. There are
ideal forms, our job is to try
and perceive them as best
as we can through an
astutely trained mind.
Allegory of the Cave
Republic
 Plato distrusted the
democracy of Athens
 Population divided into three
basic groups: a ruling elite
(Philosopher Kings). 2.
Those who showed courage
(warriros to protect). 3. The
masses, those driven by
desire.
 Equality of the genders.
 “there will no rest from
troubles” unless
Philosophers become kings.
The Academy
 Founded in the 4th century BCE ran until it
was closed in the 6th century CE by the
Byzantine emperor Justinian.
Aristotle
 Studied at Plato’s Academy
 Tutored Alexander the Great
 Dismissed Plato’s forms.
 Intense study could lead to
the understanding of objects
and their true form.
 Emphasized classification
and research
Politics
 Aristotle examined 158 state
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constitutions.
Examined three “good
governments” that can
become bad
1. Monarchy (can become
tyranny)
2. Aristocracy (can become
oligarchy)
3. Constitutional
Government (that can
become “mob rule” or
anarchy.)