Western Civilization Blog Post #22 - Greece

March 3, 2020

Greece

Book Notes

Art and Architecture 
  • the Parthenon is a masterpiece of architectural design and craftsmanship
  • the building was made in a traditional style, inspired by Greek temples
  • the Parthenon was built to honor Athena, the goddess of wisdom and the protector of Athens
  • most of the work on the Parthenon was entrusted to Phidias, a sculptor 
  • Phidias made a statue of Athena that was thirty feet tall and made of precious materials, such as gold and ivory
  • during the golden age, sculptors wanted to portray ideal beauty and not realism
  • sculptors gave their sculptures neutral faces and tried to capture the body in motion
Drama and History
  • the Greeks first built theaters in the West to portray a new art form called drama
  • the theatrical productions in Athens were expressive of civic pride and a tribute to their gods
  • wealthy citizens bore the cost of producing plays as a part of their civic duty
  • actors would wear colorful costumes, masks, and sets were used in these productions
  • often plays included a chorus that would dance, sing, and recite poetry
  • the Greeks wrote two types of dramas: comedy and tragedy
  • the tragedy productions featured a main character or a tragic hero
  • the hero usually was usually an important person that was usually gifted with unnatural abilities
  • a tragic fall usually caused the hero's downfall, often the downfall was excessive pride 

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