Chapter 8 Hellenic Culture

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Chapter 8Hellenic Culture
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Philosophy the Love of Wisdom

• Pre-Socratic Philosophy
• Interested in origin, nature of physical world
• Thales of Miletus was first philosopher
• Some of their general concepts have been proven
  correct
• Greatest contribution was concept of law in the
  universe
• What happened in cosmos was result of laws, thus
  understandable and predictable
• Did not look to gods for explanations of
  phenomena
• Natural law set of phenomena in nature which
  explain why certain things happen
• Anaximander theory of natural evolution of
  species
• Hippocrates
• Founded of scientific medicine
• First great empiricist in natural sciences

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Classical AgeSocrates, Plato, Aristotle

• Socrates
• Focused on questions of ethics and truth
• Systematic questioning is essence of Socratic
  method
• He challenged students to examine, justify
  everything before accepting it
• Was accused of poisoning their minds, found
  guilty, committed suicide
• Plato (Socrates pupil)
• Tried to solve problem of how to recognize truth
  and reality
• Concluded it cannot be done beyond certain point
• Analysis of how politics were, and should be

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Classical Age

• Aristotle (Platos pupil)
• Interested in every form of science, formal
  analysis of thought, action
• Best-known works are Politics, Physics,
  Metaphysics
• Also mathematician, astronomer, botanist, student
  of medicine
• Philosophy marked by strong sense of
  self-confidence
• Humans were capable of understanding everything
• Not overawed by gods

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Greek Religion

• Polytheistic
• Gods included Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena,
  Apollo, Demeter
• Religion was different
• Gods were less threatening, omnipotent
• No priestly class
• Gods not taken too seriously
• Comparison with modern religion
• Not revealed by supernatural authority
• No holy book, system of moral conduct
• No centralized ecclesiastical authority
• Largely series of rituals, participation was act
  of patriotism

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Greek Religion

• No speculation or fear about afterlife
• Philosophy took place of religion
• Each polis had its own local deities
• Golden Mean middle ground between extremes
• Greeks distrusted radical measures
• Believed person who claimed to have perfect
  solution was guilty of over-confidence (hubris)

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Arts and Literature

• Three major art forms
• Drama
• Lyric poetry
• Classical architecture
• Pictorial, architectural art
• Harmony, symmetry
• Ideal beauty of human body
• Grace, strength
• Most art was anonymous
• Artist simply did what he did best
• Parthenon was ordered build by Pericles

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Literature

• Literature took several forms
• Poetry highly developed
• Drama one of most popular arts citizens
  expected to take part
• Dance, music intensely cultivated
• Many references to them
• Reed, string instruments
• Greeks prized craftsmanship
• Ceramics in great demand
• Clay jugs used in export trade

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Society and Economy

• Country of small farmers
• Polis was usually small, homogenous
• Education level was high, primarily urban
• Work
• Manual labor considered undignified
• But not all people could afford slaves
• Machinery was unknown
• Most workers were free men and women

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Slavery

• Slaves were numerous
• Not normally abused, many were highly prized,
  skilled
• Many employed directly by the state
• Most others were domestic servants
• Usually only 1-2 per household
• No civil rights, could not serve in military

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Gender Relations

• Women generally excluded from politics, economy
• Greeks distrusted, disliked women
• Women worked through father, husbands, sons
• Some variations Spartan women were free, equal
• Athenian women limited to the home
• Rarely seen in public
• Their job was household, children, servants
• Segregated within the house

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Women in Athens

• Poor and rural women somewhat more free
• Legally inferior to men, had only limited
  citizenship
• Prostitution was common hetaerae were
  well-paid, well-educated performers
• Homosexuality relatively common

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Sports

• Greeks admired healthy body
• Had first organized athletic events open to all
  men Olympic Games
• Began as more religious observance, added sports
• Competitions for honor of home towns
• Sort of patriotic reunion
• Declined after Macedonian conquest

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Greek Legacy

• Romans adopted much of Greek heritage
• Style, content of arts, philosophy, science,
  government spread over Europe
• Peculiar form of civilization composed of mix of
  Greek and non-Greek developed