Greek Culture

1. WORLD HISTORY READERS Level 6-⑥ Greek Culture

2. The Greek Army Did the Greeks have a strong army? Yes, they built the best army in the world. The Greeks thought that all men should be able to fight. They fought with spears, swords, and shields. They wore armor and helmets. They even developed some military tactics. An image of the Greek phalanx Soldiers fighting Greek armor What was one of their best military tactics? It was called the phalanx. In the phalanx, the soldiers lined up together. They held long spears, with the front lines all pointing their spears to the front. Their enemies could not come close without being hurt. The phalanx made the Greek army the most powerful in the world.

3. Slavery and Democracy What did the Greeks do to their enemies? The Greeks made some of them into slaves. They had to do whatever the Greeks told them to do. Slaves grew plants, cooked meals, and cleaned houses for the Greeks. A Greek woman and her slave Did the Greeks have a monarchy? The hill in Athens where the Greeks voted A re-enactment of a slave market, where slaves were bought and sold No, they organized a new type of government called a democracy which means “people power.” Voting by a show of hands

4. Ancient Greece Where does a lot of Western culture come from? The ancient Greeks Greek columns When did the ancient Greeks live? From 800-500 BC (about 2,500 years ago) What was Greece like back then? It wasn’t a country. It was a group of city-states, and each city-state had its own government and army. The ancient Greeks were interested in everything, and the city-states were centers of science, art, and culture. What was life in the city-states like?

5. Philosophers and Scientists Who were some famous Greek philosophers? Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates Did the Greeks have good scientists? What did philosophers do? A statue of the philosopher Socrates • Yes, many of their philosophers were also scientists. They: • developed a lot of math • invented the alarm clock, the odometer, and the science of map making • discovered many things • They ask deep questions such as: • Why are we here? • How do we live a happy life? • How do we know if we are good people?

6. Socrates Who was Socrates and what was he accused of? He was one of the most intelligent philosophers. He was accused of not worshipping the city’s gods and of being a bad influence on young Greeks. Socrates drinks poison after his trial. What happened at his trial? He refused to give up philosophy. The jury sentenced him to death, and he was forced to drink poison. Socrates thinks about life.

7. Greek Gods and Plays What are some famous Greek plays that are still performed today? • Medea • Oedipus Rex • Lysistrata Modern actors in a Greek tragedy A Greek amphitheater in Delphi Did the Greeks have one god? No, they believed in many gods. They had a god of love, a god of hunting and war, a god of fire, and a god of the sea, just to name a few. And these gods were always meddling in the lives of the Greeks and causing trouble! A mosaic of two Greek gods

8. Greek Monsters They also had many heroes and monsters. What else did the Greeks believe in? A statue of Hercules fighting the Hydra A statue of the Minotaur What were some of the monsters? The Cyclops, a one-eyed giant Perseus with the head of Medusa Theseus fighting the Minotaur • Cyclops: a giant with only one eye • Hydra: a nine-headed water snake • Minotaur: a creature who was half-man and half-bull • Medusa: one of three sisters who had snakes instead of hair Medusa

9. Greek Art and Architecture What kind of art did the ancient Greeks make? They made paintings, sculptures, and pottery. Many of their buildings were also very beautiful. Greek pottery Statues which are also pillars What is the most famous Greek building? The remains of the Parthenon It is called the Parthenon. The remains of the Parthenon still stand on a hill in the center of the Greek city of Athens. Some people say that it was once the most magnificent building in the world. The New York Public Library, built with Greek columns

10. A Part of Our Heritage Does Greek culture still influence us today? An ancient Greek statue A modern theater with a Greek influence • Yes, ancient Greece is part of our heritage. • Greek art has influenced many artists throughout history. • Greek stories and plays are still read and performed today. • Important buildings around the world often copy the Greek style. • We still study the science and philosophy that they left behind. • We still copy their sculptures. • Most of us live in democratic countries today.

11. Vocabulary • amphitheater n. a large area with seats rising in curved rows around an open space • maze n. a complex system of passages

12. Vocabulary • odometer n. an instrument in a vehicle that measures the number of miles it has traveled • pottery n. objects that are made out of clay and then baked at high temperatures

13. Vocabulary • reign v. to rule a country, like a king or emperor • terrifying adj. very scary; causing great fear

14. Vocabulary • tragedy n. a play about death or suffering with a sad ending • worship v. to have or show respect for a god or gods