Download Time period: Greek/Roman/Middle Ages

Gabe Prizer, Jenni Feighner, Mary Zielinski, Courtney Case, Pat McAuliffe
EA Summary
Greek/Roman/Middle Ages
Part 1: Significant Leisure Beliefs, Values and Attitudes
Significant leisure beliefs in the Greek/Roman/Middle ages often involved
swimming, board games and theatrical performances. The Romans referred to leisure
as Otium. Ancient Roman culture made theatrical performances a very big deal during
this time.
Ancient Greek culture, also revolved around theater. Comedies and tragedies
were among the plays. Topics were often political and always performed by m
en. Women were not allowed to participate or watch these performances.
The Middle Ages relied heavily on music during their times of leisure. String and
wind instruments such as violins, harps, flutes and horns were most commonly
used.During this time the Church prohibited most kinds of leisure, but social drinking
and gambling were popular with the public(Torkildsen). Tournaments were popular
gatherings for aristocracy during the early middle age. They originated as a way to
practice warfare, and eventually became a source of entertainment with music and
dancing.
Part 2: Significant People of Art, Music, Literature and Dance
Middle Ages
● Hilegard von Bingen: German Composer. One example of her famous works was
Ordo Virtutum.
● Moniot d’Arras: French composer and poet. Notable works: Ce fut en mai.
● Adam de la Halle: French poet and a musician. Notable works: Jeu de Robin et
Marion, the earliest French secular musical play.
● Guillaume de Machaut: He was the last Medieval French poet who was also a
composer. Notable works include: Le remede de fortune and Dit du Lyon
● Leonardo da Vinci: Painter and Inventor. Notable works include: Mona Lisa and
The Last Supper
● Charlemagne: He led art, education, and religion movements. He was a medieval
emperor.
Greek
● Limenius: Musician and composer. Notable works include: Second Delphic hymn
● Aristotle: Poetry, theatre, music, rhetoric. Notable Works: Founding the school
Lyceum, the books: Categories, On Interpretation, Prior Analytics and Posterior
Analytics.
● Plato: Philosopher, mathematician, one of the founders of western religion.
Notable Works: The Republic
● Socrates: Forerunner in classical Greek philosophy, credited as one of the most
influential founders of western philosophy. Notable Works: The Clouds, Socratic
method, and Socratic irony.
● Folk Songs (Dimotiko Tragoudi)
○ There was two musical movements (Akritic and Klephtic). Akritic began in
the 9th century and it was to express the struggles and the life of the
guards of the Byzantine Empire. Whereas, the klephtic style started
between the Byzantine period and the Greek Revolution. The Kleftes
developed this style to represent the heroes who lived in the mountains
and the revolutionary action against the Ottoman tyranny, which the Greek
gain independence in 1821. The klephtic style songs also reflects on love,
exile, freedom, death and sorrows.
● more greek music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSaGjZKmEag
Roman
● Marcus Cicero: Writer and Orator. Notable Works: On the Republic, On the
Laws, On Duty, and On the Nature of the Gods
● Gaius Fabius Pictor: Started the tradition of painting in Rome, one of the earliest
painters.
● Spartacus: Gladiator, sold into slavery then escaped. Began the slave uprising in
Rome.
● Roman Music
This website is great to listen to most of the significant composers in general.
https://www.audiosparx.com/sa/links/composers-hall-of-fame.cfm
Part 3: Contribution/Significance/Impact of Their Work
Middle Ages
● Hildegard von Bingen: Much of her influence comes from the authority she had
and many of her writing on medicine involved topics that male writers would not
write about. This includes a text on what we know as gynecology.
● Moniot d’Arras: Served as a monk on the abbey of St. Vaast. Wrote influential
music about religion and non-religion.
● Adam de la Halle: Considered to be a founder of secular theater.
● Guillaume de Machaut: He is believed to be the founder of Ars Nova or new art
style of music, which focused on multi-part music. His poems also influenced
authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer.
● Leonardo da Vinci: His paintings influenced younger artists. These artists include
Raphael and Michelangelo.
● Charlemagne: Was King of the Franks who united most of Western Europe
during the early Middle Ages and laid the foundations for modern France and
Germany.
Greek
● Limenius: Earliest known composer in documented history. His hymn Atheneaus,
was popular for many years
● Aristotle: His works influenced the views on philosophy.
● Plato: Often cited as one of the founders of western religion and spirituality,
particularly Christianity. His view of the world was used until the scientific
revolution.
● Socrates: Influenced Plato,Aristotle, also was cited one of the founders of
western religion.
Roman
● Marcus Cicero: From his work he influenced natural law, to include ideas used by
Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence.
● Gaius Fabius Pictor: His creations started an era of new art form in Rome. He
was one of the earliest painters during this time. His paintings were not popular
when they were originally created, but became famous later in time.
● Spartacus: He was known as a hero throughout the world with many
revolutionaries. His slave uprising was the biggest and most successful in
ancient history.
Part 4: Workshop Outline
Intro (2 minutes) -Pat
-Time period: Greek/Roman/Middle Ages
-Information about each station
Mask making
Sculpture building
Maypole Dancing
Station 1: Mask making (9 minutes)
Students will be given materials to construct masks based on the Roman period
stock characters (bucco, a boisterous character, Pappas, the foolish old man, and
Dossenus, the drunk hunchback)
Greek- Dionysus. Drunk men dressed in goat skins sing and play in choruses to
welcome Dionysus. 4 festivals-each of the seasons. One person plays-3 person plays.
Chorus given half of the lines with music overlay. Greek Tragedies based on mythology
and searching for meaning of life and gods.
Roman- Less philosophical than greek. Gladiators, jugglers, acrobatics, chariot
racing, animal fights. More grandiose than greek theatre. Actors called histriones.
Influences: greek drama, circus-like performance, Atellan Farces. Stock characters.
Middle Ages- Mystery, miracle, and morality plays. Initially, priests acted out
stories of Christ, but these plays expanded. Eventually turned into teaching a moral
lesson through plays that told stories from the creation of man through the end of time.
To break from the boredom of the long-winded tales, slapstick comedy interludes were
added (focusing on sex or digestion) known for their vulgarity. Feast of Fools in which
lower clergy mocked higher clergy.Interest in religious plays was replaced by renewed
interest in greek and roman theatre.
Courtney will be at this station giving more information on theatre and literature
through the time periods and explaining how stock characters’ masks were used in
theatre.
Station 2: Sculpture building (9 Minutes)
Students will be provided with modeling clay to build sculptures from ancient
Greece.
Jenni will be responsible for showing imagery to group and helping group build
sculptures and architectural structures
Greek artists worked to capture the realness of the human body
Proportion and perfection of the human body were greatly considered when
creating figures
Figures were commonly made of bronze, clay and ivory.
Marble sculptures did not appear until the early 6th century. These sculptures
were used as memorials and grave markers.
Station 3: Maypole Dancing (9 Minutes)
Gabe will be responsible for orchestrating the May Pole dancing routine.
The May Pole dance takes place on May 1st, (May Day) and is associated
with fertility.
-The May Pole was typical created using a tree, decorated with ribbons.
During this time, trees were a symbol of fertility and vitality
-The beginning of May was often dedicated to feasting by the Romans for
religious reasons.
Conclusion: (2 minutes) Mary
Do a quick review of the main points of the Greek/Roman/Middle Ages. Make sure the
students will remember some of the main contributors of the eras along with what they
have accomplished.
Part 5: Citations and Sources
http://www.ancienthistorylists.com/greek-history/top-10-important-people-ancientgreece/
http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Life/
http://www.ancient.eu/article/98/
http://www.dartfordarchive.org.uk/medieval/leisure.shtml
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-10-most-important-people-of-the-middle-ages
http://www.ancienthistorylists.com/rome-history/top-10-famous-people-ancient-rome/
http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-life/may-pole-dancing.htm
http://stevecapener.yolasite.com/stage-and-stock-characters.php
http://www.greeka.com/greece-culture/music/
http://www.ancienthistorylists.com/rome-history/7-ancient-romanpainters/#ixzz3pDtfMovv
http://www.themiddleages.net/life/composers.html
http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-music/musicians.htm
Torkildsen, George. Leisure and Recreation Management. London: Routledge, 2012.
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