Western Civilization Blog Post #21 - Greece

February 28th, 2020

Greece

Terms

Direct Democracy - a form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives
Classical Art - the art of ancient Greece, in which harmony, order, and proportion were emphasized 
Tragedy - a serious drama about common themes, such as love, hate, war, or betrayal
Comedy - contained scenes filled with slapstick situations and crude humor
Peloponnesian War - a war lasting from 431 to 404 B.C., in which Athens and its allies were defeated by Sparta and its allies
Philosophers - great thinkers who were determined to seek the truth, no matter where the search led them; "lovers of wisdom"
Socrates - a philosopher who believed that absolute standards did exist for truth and justice, and encouraged Greeks to go farther and question themselves and their moral character
Plato - a student of Socrates that write down the conversations of Socrates
Aristotle - a philosopher who questioned the nature of the world and of human belief, thought, and knowledge 

 Book Notes

Pericles
  • was a wise and able statesman
  • led Athens during much of its golden age
  • help on to popular support for 32 years
  • a skillful politician, inspiring speaker, and a respectful general
  • Age of Pericles - 461-429 B.C.
  • 3 Goals:
    1. to strengthen Athenian democracy
    2. to hold and strengthen the empire 
    3. to glorify Athens
  • to strengthen democracy, he increased the number of public officials who were paid salaries 
  • after the defeat of the Persians, Athens organized the Delian League 
  • Athens took over the leadership of the league and dominated all city-states within it
  • the money from the league's treasury was used to make the Athenian navy the strongest in the Mediterranean
  • a strong navy was important to strengthen the safety of the Athenian empire 
  • Prosperity depended on gaining access to the surrounding waterways 
  • Athens needed overseas trade to obtain supplies of grain and other raw materials 
  • Pericles also used money from the Delian League to beautify Athens
  • he bought gold, ivory, and marble to revamp the city

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