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G-9
Greek Contributions to World Civilization Part I
Theater: Greeks built many theaters throughout the med.
• Invented & developed Drama, Comedy, Tragedy; Aeschylus, Euripides
Sophocles: Most famous playwright: Greek drama was used at first in religious
practices, later as entertainment.
Aristophanes: invented stadium seating with stage & audience in semi circle
Government: Greeks developed the concept of:
• Democracy: The rule by citizens in free & fair elections
Time line of Greek Government in Athens:
Kings > Assembly (500) > 9 Archons = Judges > Limited Democracy for 50 years
Rule: All male citizens born in Athens over age 20 could vote
Fact: Democracy in Greece lasted only 50 years 400BC-Democracy came back in
1789-USA
Historical: First full time historians started in Greece
Herodotus: 484-424 BC is “Father of History”
• wrote about the pyramids, Egypt, Babylon, Greece
Thucydides: 471-400 BC wrote about Peloponnesian War (Sparta v. Athens)
Architecture: Greeks built many temples & public buildings throughout the
Ancient World especially in Med. Area.
 Most Govt. buildings in Americas & Europe based on Greek styles & designs
Doric, Ionic, Corinthian: Greek Orders
Most famous Greek Temple still Standing: The Parthenon; Athens, Greece
Poetry: Greek Poetry was at first an oral tradition, then they began to record their
legends, myths, and stories in verse, and prose
Homer: Blind Poet who told the legends of the Trojan wars.
•
Later written down as 15,000 lines of verse: The Iliad and The Odyssey
Philosophy: Way of thinking and living. Zeno-Stoic-Don’t complain
Socrates: 469-399BC: Great Teacher who sought truth by asking many questions
that forced his students to really think deeply
Plato: 427-399 BC: Wrote The Republic about the ideal government he said that
“IDEAS ARE THE ONLY REAL AND PERMANENT REALITY OF ANYTHING”