Ancient Greece and the Formation of the Western Mind (220 BC–80 AD)

Ancient Greece is the civilization belonging to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek
Dark Ages 1100 BC to 146 BC. It is generally considered to be the prime culture which provided
the foundation of Western civilization. The civilization of the ancient Greeks has been
immensely influential on language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, science, and the
arts, inspiring the Western European Renaissance.

Ancient Greek society placed considerable emphasis upon literature. Many authors consider the
western literary tradition to have begun with the epic poems of Homer, The Iliad and The
Odyssey.

A playwright named Aeschylus changed Western literature forever when he introduced the
ideas of dialogue and interacting characters to playwriting.

Sophocles is credited with skillfully developing irony as a literary technique, most famously in his
play Oedipus the King.

Notable among later Greek poets was Sappho, who defined, in many ways, lyric poetry as a
genre.

Philosophy entered literature in the dialogues of Plato.

Aristotle, Plato's student, wrote his greatest contribution to literature, the Poetics, which lays out
his understanding of drama, and thereby establishes the first criteria for literary criticism.

Ancient Greece contributed many important developments to the field of mathematics, including
the basic rules of geometry, the idea of formal mathematical proof, and discoveries in number
theory. The discoveries of several Greek mathematicians, including Pythagoras, Euclid, and
Archimedes, are still used in mathematical teaching today.

Greek Art

The art of ancient Greece has exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many
countries from ancient times until the present, particularly in the areas of sculpture and
architecture. The greatest period of classical art began in Greece about the middle of the 5th
century BC, often referred to as the "Golden Age.”

The Greeks covered their pottery with detailed illustrations.

PARTHENON. The Parthenon is the most important and characteristic monument of the ancient
Greek civilization and still remains its international symbol. It was dedicated to Athena
Parthenos, the patron goddess of Athens. It was built between 447 and 438 B.C. and its
sculptural decoration was completed in 432 B.C. PHIDIAS (490-430 BC) was the Athenian
sculptor who created important religious images and designed the overall sculptural decoration
of the Parthenon.
Religion & Mythology

Greek mythology consists of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and
heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their religious practices. Myth
is one of the subjects of Greek art. Greek artists achieved a level of sophistication that is
arguably unmatched by any other contemporary civilization in the West. One of the most
consistently intriguing aspects of the myth of Aphrodite was indeed her birth from the water.

Ancient Olympic Events

Records indicate that the Olympic Games began in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. They were
celebrated until 393 AD. when an earthquake destroyed Olympia. The Games were usually held
every four years, or olympiad, as the unit of time came to be known. The prizes for the victors
were laurel wreaths, palm or olive branches, and sometimes even food for life.
The Greek tradition of athletic nudity was introduced in 720 BC. The athletes usually competed
naked, as the festival was meant to celebrate, in part, the achievements of the human body.
Olive oil was occasionally used by the competitors, not only to keep skin smooth, but also to
provide an appealing look for the participants.

WORLD CONTRIBUTION

Ancient Greece is considered by most historians to be the foundational culture of Western

Civilization.

READINGS:

The Iliad

The Odyssey

Oedipus the King