The Golden Age of Athens
Aka: The Age of Pericles
• The Persian Wars (499-480 BC) were
decisive in the history of the West. Had
the Greeks been defeated, the cultural and
political vitality we associate and inherit
from the Greeks would never have
evolved.
• The confidence and pride from these
victories propelled Greece and Athens,
in particular, to its “Golden Age.”
Pericles, 499-429 BC
• Pericles was the
central figure in
Athens during its
golden age
Architecture:
• The many public buildings and temples
were constructed with marble and featured
slender, well-proportioned columns.
• Many modern public buildings imitate the
three great styles of Greek columns:
Doric Column
Ionic Style Column
Corinthian Column
In Sculpture:
• Artists reflected the
ideals of the city-state,
emphasizing
simplicity, dignity and
restraint.
• Subjects were gods,
goddesses and
athletes
• They realistically
depicted the human
body utilizing various
materials such as
marble, bronze, ivory
and gold.
Phidias, 500-432 BC
• Designed and created
the statue of Athena
and the marble frieze
that extends around
the Parthenon
Myron, c. 450 BC
• The discabolus
portrays strength,
motion and ideal
serenity, while
honoring Olympic
athletes.
East Pediment of Temple of Aphaia in Aegina: A Dying Warrior
Hermes by Praxiteles
The Praxitelean curve ”- and
contraposto
Ambition was to produce
the illusion of life - he
sculpted smooth curves,
emphasizing light and
shadow and polished the
marble to reflect light, giving
his statues a life-like
“ essence.
Aphrodite -
(first nude
female statue in western art)
Praxiteles
Artemis –
Praxiteles
Dionysus –
Praxiteles
Philosophy
• “the search for truth”- the first thinkers to
suggest that the forces of nature were not
controlled by supernatural forces,
personified by gods and goddesses, but
could be understood through the use of
observation and reason.
• This new, natural outlook suggests the
emergence of scientific thought.
Socrates, 469-399 BC
• Advocated the maxim:
“Know Thyself” and “Do
what you know is right”
• He sought truth by persistent
questioning.
(The Socratic Method)
• Left no written work, his
philosophy is contained in
the writings of his students,
especially Plato.
The Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David, 1790
Plato, 427-347 BC
• His philosophy is
reflected in a series of
Dialogues with
Socrates and a
student as the
speakers.
• These discussions
cover ethics, religion,
beauty, logic and
government, among
others.
• Most famous student
was Aristotle
Aristotle, 384-322 BC
• Wrote on philosophy,
science, government,
ethics and literature….
• His extensive works
influenced European
thinking for 2,000
years…
• >“nothing in excess”
>“moderation in all things”
>“what is reasonable?”
Aristotle tutoring Alexander
J. L. Ferris, 1895
Theatre of Dionysus, Acropolis
Aeschylus,
525- 456 BC
The Father of Tragedy
>Employed a dialog
between two actors and
the chorus
>Introduced the Trilogy
>Wrote 90? Plays, 7 survive
Won 13 first prizes
Sophocles,
495-406 BC
• Dramatic plays added
a 3rd actor, dealt with
the conflict between a
person’s will and his
fate;
• 120 plays, 7 survive
with 18 first prizes:
Electra, Oedipus Rex
and Antigone
Euripides,
480-406 BC
• Examined political and
social ideas and vigorously
criticized war, prejudice,
hypocrisy and greed
• “Aeschylus and Sophocles
showed how men ought to
be, Euripides showed men
as they are.”
• Ahead of his time, felt
unappreciated-left Athens
for Macedonia.
Aristophanes,
446-385 BC
• Satirized the
political and
cultural leadership
of Athens in his
plays Lysistrata,
The Clouds and
The Frogs
Herodotus, 484 – 424 BC
• The “Father of History”
• Described the Persian
invasions of Greece…
• He embellished facts with
fable, superstition and
hearsay but was the first
to try and “recount the
past so that future
generations can benefit.”
Thucydides,
471-400 BC
• The “first scientific
historian” – he wrote
an accurate and
impartial account of
the Peloponnesian
Wars (431-404 BC)
Pythagoras,
582-507 BC
• Philosopher and
mathematician
discovered important
mathematical
principles:
Pythagorean
Theorem
Hippocrates,
460-377 BC
• “Father of
Medicine”attributed disease
to natural, not
supernatural
causes.
• The “Hippocratic
Oath” to uphold
medical standards
is still taken by
medical students
upon graduation.
Democritus
(460-370 BC)
• Philosopher and
scientist,
advanced the
theory that all
matter is
composed of
small, invisible
atoms
Pericles, 499-429 BC
• Pericles was the
central figure in
Athens during its
Golden Age
• Any Questions?