Download Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

6th Grade UBD - Unit 5 - Greek Cultural Achievements
 How has
classical Greek
culture affected
our modern
lives?

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle- Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle each
developed distinctive philosophies. They were similar to and
different from other philosophies.

Achievements of the Ancient Greeks- The ancient Greeks were
responsible for many cultural achievements. These influenced
societies around them as well as future civilizations.

Alexander the Great- Alexander the Great conquered the Persian
Empire. He spread Greek ideas and culture.

The philosophies of Socrates, Plato, and
Aristotle greatly influenced political and
cultural life in ancient Greece. These
philosophies were passed on through the
ages. They influenced leaders throughout
Western history.

Philosophy, literature,
architecture, and
sculpture flourished.

As a result, this period
came to be known as
the Golden Age of
Greece.

Philosophy, the search for
wisdom, became an
important part of life in
Athens.

Greeks built palaces and
temples that still stand. The
influence of their architecture
and sculpture can be seen in
many modern buildings and
works of art.

Socrates, the famous Greek
philosopher and teacher,
developed a method of
teaching that involved
asking questions and
engaging people in debate.

This approach came to be
called the Socratic method.
Key Term
Socratic MethodA method of
teaching by
question and
answer; used by
Socrates.

Over the years, Socrates
attracted many followers.

His teachings often
opposed commonly held
beliefs of Greek society
and offended powerful
Athenians.

Eventually, Socrates was tried
in court, convicted of treason,
and executed.

Socrates did not write down his
own ideas, but many of his
followers wrote about him and
his teachings.

His teachings influenced many
thinkers throughout the ages.

Plato was Socrates’
most important student.

He established a school
called the Academy that
provided instruction in
mathematics, science,
and philosophy.

He also wrote a series of
dialogues, which often
depicted Socrates debating
moral and ethical issues.

These works criticized
popular views on concepts
like justice, courage, and
moderation.

One of Plato’s most
famous dialogues is
a work called
the Republic, which
describes an ideal
state.

Plato also had a famous
student, Aristotle, who
analyzed the process of
logical thinking and
wrote books on many
topics, including forms
of government.

Aristotle thought that monarchies, aristocracies,
and democracies all had serious flaws.

Because of this, he reasoned that a constitutional
monarchy would work best.

With this type of government, a constitution limits
the power of the monarch.

The ancient Greeks developed the first version of
democracy.

The ancient Greeks developed a complex mythology. It
shaped Roman mythology.

The Olympic Games began in ancient Greece.

The Greek language forms the basis of many English
words.

Homer wrote the epic poems the Iliad and Odyssey.

Greek drama included comedy and tragedy.

Ancient Greek thinkers were not just philosophers.

Greeks had traded with many civilizations. They traded with
Egyptians, Mesopotamians.

The Greeks adopted an alphabet. They made coins. They learned
innovations.

Pythagoras, a
mathematician and
philosopher.

Developed the
Pythagorean Theorem, an
important and well-known
mathematical equation.

This famous equation, a2 + b2 =
c2, shows the relationship
between the sides of a right
triangle.

It is still used in geometry today.

People use it to calculate
everything from the heights of
tall buildings to the diagonal on
a TV screen.

Hippocrates was a doctor
who lived during the
Classical period.

He studied the causes of
diseases and their possible
cures.

He also wrote about the
roles and responsibilities of
doctors to their patients.

In one work,
Hippocrates wrote an
oath. Those who took
the oath swore to
protect patients from
harm. They swore to
live an ethical life.

Today, doctors still make
a similar pledge. It is
called the Hippocratic
Oath.

They make this pledge
before they are licensed
to practice medicine.

One of the best examples of
Greek architecture is the
Parthenon, a temple
dedicated to the goddess
Athena.

Ancient Greek architecture
has had a significant impact
on Western architecture.

During the classical
period, the ancient
Greeks also
developed
sculptures that were
natural and lifelike.

The ancient Greeks
practiced polytheism, or
the belief in many gods.

They believed in 12
major gods and
goddesses, known as
the Olympians.

The Greeks also
believed that their
gods and goddesses
could speak through
certain human priests
and priestesses known
as oracles.

The Greeks consulted
these oracles for advice in
making decisions.

The Greeks thought that
their gods and goddesses
were involved in their
daily lives and sometimes
controlled events.

Ancient Greek religious
beliefs also informed
their myths, or stories
about heroes and gods
that explained the
world around them
and human behavior.

The mythology of
ancient Greece
impacted other
societies in its own
time, and still
influences world
literature today.

The ancient Greeks created the Olympics, an
athletic competition that was part of a religious
festival honoring the god Zeus.

At first, the games only involved running a
race. Later, other events were added, including
longer races, javelin throwing, and jumping.

After Rome conquered Greece, the
Romans banned the games in 393
CE.

However, they were revived in
1896 with the first modern
Olympic games in Athens.

Since then, the Games have
become one of the most
important international athletic
events in the world.

Literature was an
important element of
Greek culture.

The ancient Greeks
wrote many types of
literature but were most
well known for their
poetry and drama.

The poet Homer is
believed to have written
the Iliad and
the Odyssey, two epic
poems. The ancient
Greeks also wrote plays,
including tragedies and
comedies.

The Greek language
has had a significant
impact on English.

Many English words
are derived from
Greek words.

English also uses Greek
word parts to create
words that did not exist in
ancient Greek, such
as telephone and telescope
(using the Greek
prefix tele-, which means
farseeing).

In 336 BCE, Alexander
the Great became
king of Macedonia, a
northern Greek state.
Alexander had been a
student of Aristotle.

From his base in Greece, he
conquered many lands and
defeated the Persian
Empire, creating a great
empire.

By 331 BCE, Alexander had
conquered present-day
Turkey, the east coast of the
Mediterranean, and Egypt.

Alexander went on to
conquer Babylon, Susa, and
Persepolis.

During the fighting, Darius III
of Persia was killed and
Alexander became the
undisputed king of Asia.

However, Alexander failed to
set up a stable government.

After his sudden death in 323 BCE, at age 32, his empire
broke apart into several states. But Alexander’s
conquests had a lasting effect on the world, as Greek
ideas, architecture, and culture spread throughout the
Asian lands he conquered.

In return, Asian ideas and culture influenced Greece.
This intermingling of Greek and Asian cultures produced
a unique civilization called the Hellenistic Civilization.