The Culture of Ancient Greece

1. The Culture of Ancient Greece Chapter 8 Section 1

2. Did You Know • The mountain range of Mount Olympus was declared Greece’s first national park in 1937. The area is home to about 1,700 plant species, dense forests, and various wildlife.

3. Greek Mythology • Myths: traditional stories about gods and heroes. • The Greeks believed in many gods and goddesses. • They thought these deities affected people’s lives and shaped events. • The Greeks believed 12 most important gods lived on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. • The Greeks believed in prophecy, or predictions about the future. • Many Greeks visited an oracle to receive a prophecy. • Oracle: sacred shrine where a priest or priestess spoke for a god or goddess. • The most famous oracle was at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

4. Discussion Question • How did the Greeks believe their gods and goddesses were like humans? • Greek gods and goddesses married, had children, played tricks on each other, quarreled, and fought wars.

5. Greek Poetry and Fables • Greek poems and stories are the oldest in Europe and serve as models for European and American poems and stories. • Epic: a long poem about heroic deeds. • The first great epics were the Iliad and the Odyssey, written by a poet name Homer. • The Iliad: is about a battle for the city of Troy. • The Odyssey: is the story of Odysseus, a Greek hero. • Greeks believed these two epics were real history. • A slave named Aesop wrote many fables: a short tale that teaches a lesson. • Fables were passed from person to person by oral tradition.

6. Discussion Question • Why were the of heroes of Homer’s epics considered role models? • The heroes in Homer’s stories had courage and honor. They worked to be the best they could be, and they fought to protect their honor.

7. Greek Drama • Drama: a story told by actors who pretend to be characters in the story. • The Greeks used drama as part of their religious festivals. • The Greeks developed two types of drama: • Tragedies: is the story of a person who tries to overcome difficulties but fails. • Comedies: is a story with a happy ending. • Aeschylus: was a writer who wrote a group of three plays called Orsteia. • These plays teach that evil acts cause more evil and suffering. • Sophocles: wrote the plays Oedipus and Antigone. • Euripides: wrote plays about real-life people instead of gods. • Aristophanes: wrote comedies that made fun of leading politicians and scholars.

8. Discussion Question • How are plays of today similar to those of ancient Greece? • Actors in plays of today, like those of ancient Greece, wear costumes. • Music and dance also occur in many of today’s plays, as they did in Greek plays.

9. Greek Art and Architecture • Greek artists believed in the ideas of reason, balance, harmony, and moderation and tried to show these ideas in their work. • Although Greek murals have not survived, examples of Greek paintings still exist on decorated pottery. • The most important architecture in Greece was the temple dedicated to a god or goddess. • The most famous temple is the Parthenon. • Greek architecture included columns, which were first made from wood. • Later, the Greeks began using marble. • Many of today’s churches and government buildings have columns. • Greek sculpture expressed Greek ideas.

10. Discussion Question • What elements of Greek architecture are present in your school or in buildings in your community? • Symmetry and proportion between building parts, the use of columns, pediments, pedestals, or materials such as marble or tiles.