Warm-Up:
Think about culture today…
What are some aspects of it that
can be traced back to the culture
of Ancient Greece?
The Golden Age of Pericles
• 460-429 B.C. (Between the Persian and Peloponnesian
Wars)
• After the Persian Wars, Athens experienced a time of
prosperity and power
• This period of time saw the flourish of Greek culture,
including many contributions that are still prevalent to
this day in the Western World
• Expansion of Democracy
• Most adult males could vote
• Threat of banishment for not participating
• Athens and the Parthenon rebuilt after being
destroyed during the Persian Wars
Pericles
The Golden Age was led by
a man named, Pericles, a
wise and able statesman
who led Athens through
this time
•He was honest and fair
•Skillful politician and
inspiring speaker
•Had popular support for 32
years
•
Three Goals for Greece During the
Golden Age
1.) Strengthen
Democracy
2.) Strengthen the
Empire
3.) Glorify
Athens
1.) Strengthen Democracy
• Introduction of
Direct Democracy –
a form of government where the
citizens rule directly and not
through representatives
• Pericles extended Democracy so
that most adult males had an equal
voice in the government
2.) Strengthen the Empire
•Strengthened the Athenian navy –
became the most powerful in the
Mediterranean
•Athens’ strong navy ensured the safety
of its empire
3.) Glorify Athens
• Pericles rebuilt Athens after the
destruction of the Persian Wars
• Built the Parthenon using marble,
gold and ivory
Greek Achievements – History
• Herodotus – Greek historian who is known as the “father of
history”
• He wrote histories which were about the conflict between Persia
and Greece
• Thucydides – Greek historian who wrote “The History of the
Peloponnesian War,” the conflict between Athens and Sparta for
control of Greece
Greek Achievements – Literature
•Homer – famous,
blind story teller of
Greece
• His works were
composed into two
major epics known
as the “Iliad” and the
“Odyssey”
Achievements - Drama
•Greeks invented drama and built
the first theaters in the west
•Greeks wrote two kinds of plays:
• Tragedy – a serious drama about
themes like love, hate, war or
betrayal, written mainly by
Aeschylus and Sophocles
•Comedy – dramas filled with
humor and poked fun at customs
or respected people, written
mainly by Aristophanes
Achievements - Art
• Sculptors tried to create
graceful, strong and perfectly
formed art
• Tried to capture movement
and sculpted bodies in what
they thought was perfect
physical form
• Phidias – known as the
greatest Greek sculptor
• He designed the Parthenon
(the temple of the Goddess
Athena)
• Sculpted the huge Statue of
Zeus at Olympus
Achievements – Architecture
• Greek architecture is known for the different types of
columns
• Doric – very plain and simple; has no base
• Ionic – capitol (or top) has scrolls; base is decorative
• Corinthian – most decorative capitol; base is decorative
Achievements – Mathematics and
Science
– famous ancient Greek mathematician who
discovered the principles of density and buoyancy
• Euclid – famous ancient Greek mathematician, who is known
as the father of Geometry
• Pythagoras – famous ancient Greek mathematician, who is
known as the father of numbers, as well as the development
of the Pythagorean Theory
• Archimedes
– physician known as the father of medicine and
one of the greatest physicians of his time; oath doctors must
take is named after him
• Hippocrates
Achievements – Philosophy
• Greek
Philosophers are known for their development and
contributions to the proverb “know thyself”
every aspect about yourself – your strengths, your
weaknesses, your potential, your shortcomings, etc.
• Know
• The
following philosophers are known as the founders of Western
Philosophy:
• Socrates
• Credited with the creation of the Socratic Method – a form of
questioning and discussion between individuals, based on
asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking
• Plato
• A student of Socrates who recorded Socrates’ words, as well as
wrote The Republic, the first book on Political Science
• Aristotle
• A student of Plato who wrote, Poetics, Rhetoric, and Politics
• Teacher of Alexander the Great
Exit Ticket:
Think about culture today…
From what you have learned
today in class, what are some
aspects of our culture that can be
traced back to the culture of
Ancient Greece?