Download Chapter 8 SS Notes - Rebecca Harris (Becky Harris)

Chapter 8.1 Notes: Greek Civilization 700 BC- 212 BC
-Alexander king of Macedonia when 20 years old
-Death at age 32- before that he built the largest empire the world had known
-Strong will and personality, enabled him to lead armies to victory
-Considered one of the greatest generals who ever lived
-Tutored by Greek Philosopher Aristotle- encouraged interest in philosophy,
medicine, and science.
-Spread Greek art, ideas, language, and architecture into all the lands he
conquered.
Greek Beliefs
-Greek myths expressed religious beliefs of the ancient Greeks
-Greek Gods
-great powers, but not considered all-powerful beings, they looked and
acted like human beings. Each city-state chose one god or goddess as its
protector.
-12 most important gods and goddesses lived on Mount Olympus,
Greece’s highest mountain.
-Zeus king of the Olympian gods(chief god), while Athena was the
goddess of wisdom and crafts.
-Apollo worshipped as the god of the sun and poetry.
-Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
-2 fierce gods were Ares, god of war, and Poseidon, the god of the seas
and earthquakes.
-each person has a fate or destiny, prophecy, or belief in prediction
about the future, in order to change the future by actions.
-oracle- sacred shrine where a priest or priestess spoke for a god.
(Why did the ancient Greeks seek advice from oracles? -214)
-Olympic Games held for “the greater glory of Zeus,” first taking place in
776BC lasting for more than 1,000 years
EPICS and FABLES
-Greek poems and stories are some of the oldest literature in Western
Civilization- models for writing
-first Greek stories were called epics- Iliad and the Odyssey, by Homer in 700’s
BC- based on stories about war between Greece and the city of Troy
-The Trojan Horse(Iliad)- Greeks cannot break thick walls to rescue Helen,
wife of the Greek King who was kidnapped, so constructed a hollow wooden
horse to trick Troy. Greek soldiers hid inside of the horse, all others boarded
ships and sailed away. Trojans think they have won and it is a gift from the
Greeks so they roll the horse into the city. The same night, Greeks creep out,
open gates, let armies in, capture the city and rescue Helen.
-The Odyssey- Odysseus, a Greek hero of the Trojan War. Describes long trip
home after the fall of Troy. Faces storms, monsters, and witches, finally
returning. 10 years to accomplish his arrival in Greece, his name is used to
describe a long, exciting Journey
-Greeks looked at these two stories as pieces of history
Aesop’s Fables- man named Aesop (550 BC)- Ex: Boy Who Cried Wolf, The
Hare and the Tortoise- historians don’t believe he ever existed, but the stories
still do.
-humorous stories that show human weaknesses and strengths
Golden Age of Greece- period of art, philosophy, architecture, and literature
flourished.
Greek Drama
-Only men could be actors, even female roles
-showed loyalty to their city-state, not just entertainment
(How do you think Greek Drama influenced how people are entertained
today?)
Art and Architecture:
-creations expressed the ideals of reason, balance, and harmony (modern day
classical).
-Every Greek city-state had a temple dedicated to a god or goddess (example:
Parthenon- central room, housed statues of gods)
-Columns supported many Greek building (column EX: pg 219)