Duiker 96-104, 107-108; pictures on pp. 109; Brians 59-60, 84-88)
* Map Quiz on map 4.1 in Duiker, p. 92
Questions about Duiker: What were the main characteristics of the Greek polis? Why were the tyrants important in Greek history? *Discuss a couple of interesting facts Duiker tells us about Sparta. What are some of the details which Plutarch tells us about the rearing of Spartan boys? How did the reforms of Cleisthenes create the foundations for Athenian democracy? *What were the main characteristics of Athens’ democratic system in the age of Pericles? What was the main cause of the Peloponnesian War? Where and when was drama first created? What were the names of the three great Greek playwrights? What are the main characteristics of Classical Greek art? What is the Parthenon? *Name three of the chief Greek Gods and specify what they were gods of. What was the function of the oracle of Apollo at Delphi? What percentage of the population of Athens was excluded from citizenship? *How were women treated? What was the Greek attitude toward homosexuality?
Questions about Pericles’ Funeral Oration: What are the main virtues that Pericles praises as characteristic of the Athenians? How does he contrast Athens with Sparta? What does he say is the proper role of women?
Questions about “Xerxes at the Hellespont:” What incidents described in this selection depict Xerxes as superstitious? *As tyrannical?
Lecture Topics:
The Polis
Definition, main characteristics
Athens and Greek Democracy
Nature and limits
Athens’ empire
Sparta
Military organization
role in history
Pottery
Basic styles
Sculpture
Evolution of the classical style
Architecture
The Acropolis and Parthenon
Supplementary materials:
- The Perseus Project Index to Ancient Greek resources
- Perseus Atlas Project
- Overview of Greek History, from Perseus
- Herodotus: The Histories
- Thucydides: History Of The Peloponnesian War
- Aeschylus: The Persians (a Greek tragedy based on the victory over the Persians written by a playwright to fought them)
- Pericles’ Funeral Oration translated by Richard Hooker
- Diotima
- More images of Greek architecture
- Greek art in the Vatican Museum
- The Olympic Games
- The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization (PBS)
- Blacks in the Ancient Greek and Roman World