The Periclean Times Political Leaders Cleisthenes Cleisthenes was a statesmen who is regarded as the as the founder of Athenian Democracy, the first known democracy of the world. Cleisthenes was successful in creating allies between himself and the popular assembly against the nobles and imposed democratic reform. His most important innovation within these reforms was the basing of individual political responsibility on citizenship of a place rather than on membership within a clan. After the fall of the tyranny Cleisthenes could see both positive and negative outcomes of it. Although economic conditions had been improved most old families were still looking at the past instead of looking to the future. An earlier leader called Solon had made reforms that could not be realised until the principle of heredity privilege had been sorted. Cleisthenes therefore persuaded the people to change governance from families and clans to locality; meaning that citizens would no longer by known only by their fathers name but also or alone by the name of there deme. (Deme means country district or village). Cleisthenes then created 10 new local tribes to coincide with these new ways of governing. The creations of these tribes lead to particular families no longer dominating. Cleisthenes worked with this new form of democracy to increase participation of all classes within this new form of democracy. Cleisthenes reforms and creation of the worlds first known democracy influenced post- revolutionary France and the United
Transcript
The Periclean Times
Political Leaders
Cleisthenes
Cleisthenes was a statesmen who is regarded as the as the founder of Athenian Democracy, the first known democracy of the world. Cleisthenes was successful in creating allies between himself and the popular assembly against the nobles and imposed democratic reform. His most important innovation within these reforms was the basing of individual political responsibility on citizenship of a place rather than on membership within a clan.
After the fall of the tyranny Cleisthenes could see both positive and negative outcomes of it. Although economic conditions had been improved most old families were still looking at the past instead of looking to the future. An earlier leader called Solon had made reforms that could not be realised until the principle of heredity privilege had been sorted. Cleisthenes therefore persuaded the people to change governance from families and clans to locality; meaning that citizens would no longer by known only by their fathers name but also or alone by the name of there deme. (Deme means country district or village).
Cleisthenes then created 10 new local tribes to coincide with these new ways of governing. The creations of these tribes lead to particular families no longer dominating. Cleisthenes worked with this new form of democracy to increase participation of all classes within this new form of democracy.
Cleisthenes reforms and creation of the worlds first known democracy influenced post-revolutionary France and the United States when governments were being established. Many claimed to descent from Classical Greek demikratia.
Cleisthenes’ reforms show that Athenian society was starting to think in a different way than prior societies. He showed that Athenian society was starting to think as a whole not just one leader through a tyranny.
Pericles
Pericles was born in the year 495BCE and till his demise; in 429BCE, he did everything in his power to help Athens citizens.
He was an influential statesman and in 461BCE he became the leading statesman. Chapter 27 in the Athenian constitution, written by Aristotle, states that “Pericles first made service in jury court a paid office”. This is just one thing he did to help the citizens of Athens. He also took the money from his allies, intended for the Peloponnesian war, and used it to rebuild Athens, which lead to the refurbishment of the Acropolis and the Parthenon in 448 BCE.
Pericles Funeral Oration, written by Thydides the author of The history of the Peloponnesian war, is still known to this day. Pericles impacted on the classical society by creating these laws that made life easier for men and woman in that time. Also by supervising building being erected that made the city even more beautiful, that still stand today. Thanks to Pericles jury duty is now paid for. Without the restoration of the Acropolis and the Parthenon it may not have been in the condition it is in now for us to see. Pericles was so influential that the era was named after him, the age of Periclean.
Athens produced some amazing men and women, Pericles being one. Pericles was a brilliant man who restored a lot of Athens and contributed to its glory. He showed that the people of Athens were no longer going to follow the rule of one individual due to the rights they were born into by their fathers name rather that the people wanted to be able to contribute to the way they were being ruled.
Solon
Solon was a poet and statesman who created constitution reforms that laid the basis for a future Athenian democracy that was pioneered by Cleisthenes 100 years later. He was known as one of the 7 wise men of Greece. In order to gain power Cleisthenes had to respect the laws laid down by Solon in order to create Athenian Democracy.
Philosophy is the study of the nature of reality, and the Greeks are the ones who started off the tradition of western Philosophy. Anaxagoras, one of the so called Pre-Socratic Philosophers, was credited as the one who first brought Philosophy to Athens, around 464BC. Other Pre-Socratic philosophers include Thales, who believed that all things were made of water, and Pythagoras. Socrates, a major person in western Philosophy, caused a revolution in the Philosophical world, changing the way people thought, hence the name “Pre-Socratic” for people who came before him. The Socratic Method involved breaking down a problem into small questions, until gradually the answer is found. Socrates used this to force people into contradictions, so that he would be able to force them to question his beliefs. One example of this is in Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro. In this dialogue, Socratics meets with a friend, Euthyphro, and they discuss Piety and Holiness. Socrates askes Euthyphro “What is Piety?” Euthyphro first answers with prosecuting his father, for he has killed a slave unlawfully. However Socrates rebukes him, as this is not a definition, only an example. He then says that it is doing what pleases the gods, however again Socrates rebukes him, as he say that sometimes the gods argue among themselves about what is pleasing, and therefore it can’t be this. Eventually Euthyphro cannot prove to Socrates what Piety is, and leaves to deal with other engagements.
Socrates was executed by the state of Athens, for unclear reasons. In another of Plato’s dialogues, Apology, he describes the events leading to Socrates execution. He says Chaerephon, a friend of his, visited the Oracle of Delphi, and asked if there was anybody wiser the Socrates, to which the Oracle said no. When Socrates hears this, he cannot believe it, as he believes that he knows nothing, and is not wise at all. He then decides to take it upon himself to find someone he believes is wiser than him. He visits different people of different professions, asking those questions, trying to figure out whether or not they are wiser than him, however he is able to find none. All the men he meets believe themselves to be wise, however Socrates believes that because of this, they are not really wise at all. True what they perceive as ridicule, they now enemies of Socrates manage to put him on trial, and they charge of trying to corrupt the youth and disrespecting the gods, whereas Socrates merely doubted their ability. He manages to find Meletus, his chief accuser, in a contradiction, as he is being both charged as being an Atheist, and for believing in false gods. He also argues that no one would willingly corrupt someone, as they stand to be in harm’s way in a later date. Despite these arguments, Socrates is found guilty, and later put to death by hemlock.
His greatest pupil, Plato, would follow on in his footsteps as a philosopher, and as none of any work Socrates had ever done survives, we have many dialogues from Plato, many of which have Socrates as a central character. This dialogues discuss a variety of subjects, such as Justice, in the dialogue Crito. Crito was a friend of Socrates, who came to visit him before his death. He told Socrates that he would be able to help him escape his death, however Socrates eventually dissuaded him. Socrates says that it is never good to do an injustice, and this is true even when in response to another injustice. He also says that he choose to be a citizen of Athens, and that entails following the laws of the city, which a Just man would follow. Plato would go on to achieve much fame in his own right, and would have famous students of his own, the most famous would be Aristotle. Aristotle’s works are mainly written lectures, and include many topics, such as Metaphysics and Ethics. Aristotle spent most of his life outside of Athens, leaving after Plato died, and went to Macedonia, where he taught Alexander the Great, Ptolemy, Hesphaistion and others.
War and Weaponry
Athens suffered defeat at the hands of Lysander and the Spartan forces we are here to retell the tale of how the Athens, while being able to save herself and resist its enemies, lost its empire. We can trace the conflict of Sparta and Athens backs to
the Second Persian invasion of Greece in 480BC. As Herodotus tells us, at the time of the invasion, the Persian Empire stretched into mainland Greece, ending in the Chalkidike, with the state of Macedon a vassal. According to Herodotus, Athens had supported a revolt in the Persian controlled Ionian region, which was unsuccessful, and Darius, King of Kings, vowed revenge on those who took part. After the revolt, Darius sent Mardonius on an expedition (a nobleman who had helped Darius seize the throne), and this is where Darius annexed Thrace and vassalized Macedon. Histories V 44. After this expedition, Darius sent diplomats to all Greek states, asking for “Earth and Water”, most of them obliged, however Athens had them diplomats tried and killed, and Spartan ignored the trial all together and threw them down a well. Persian Fire 178-179. Darius sent an expedition under Datis and Artaphernes to try and attack Athens, however they were decisively defeated at the Battle of Marathon, which forced the Persians out of Greece Proper Histories VI 112-114. Darius raised a large army in an attempt to subdue the rest of Greece, however a revolt occurred in Egypt, and he had to deal with that first. On his way to deal with it, he died, and his son Xerxes crushed the Egyptian revolt, and prepared to carry on where is father left off Persian Fire 203-211.
Xerxes began preparations for the invasion of Greece, however another revolt in Egypt, and a new revolt in Babylonia delayed the invasion yet again Histories VII 7. In 481BC, Xerxes was about ready to start the invasion. He had moved his armies into the Asian Minor, wintering in Sardis. In spring, Xerxes crossed into Europe through the Hellespont, via pontoon bridges Histories VII 26-80. The Size of the army has been continually debated, with Herodotus listing up to 2.5 Million soldiers (doubling to account for support personal) Histories VII 186, Simonidies, a contemporary poet lists up to 4 Million , and Ctesias puts the number at 800,000 Persica. The Fleet size given by Herodotus is 1207 Triremes, and 3000 transport and supply ships. Aeschylus, in his The Persians Work, also backs up the numbers, saying there were 1207 ships at the Battle of Salamis, where he personally fought.
Before the invasion got underway, Xerxes sent around diplomats, just as his father had, to the Greek states, asking for Earth and Water once more, however this time none were sent to Athens or Sparta Histories VII 32. The Greek states who planned to try and resist the Persian invasion held a conference, although most Greek states stayed neutral in the matter Histories VII 145. The Allied Greeks met in 480BC, and decided to send troops to the Vale of Tempe in Thessaly, to try and block the Persian advance, however the 10,000 allied forces under Euenetus and Themistocles retreated, after being told by Alexander I of Macedon that the vale could be bypassed. This caused all of Thessaly to submit to Persian rule Histories VII 173-174.
After this a second strategy was devised, in which an allied army would block the very narrow strait of Thermopylae (“The Hot Gates”) while an allied Navy would defend Artmisium. Through Treachery, the Persians found another way around the
Hot Gates, and defeated the Spartan led force. The Athenians at Artmisium initially found success, however on the third day they suffered the loss of half their fleet, and when news reached them that Thermopylae was no longer being defended, they decided to fall back Histories VIII 14-21. After this, Boeotia fell to Xerxes, and the rest of the Athenians retreated to the Peloponnese Histories VII 41. The Athenian navy stayed outside of Salamis, hoping to draw the Persians into battle, which they eventually did. Because of the narrowness of the strait, the large numbers of the Persians was a hindrance, and the suffered a large defeat, removing their naval superiority Histories VIII 89. Because Xerxes was worried about being stuck in Europe, he decided to take the bulk of his army back to Asia, as Mardonius had volunteered to stay in Greece with a select few amount of troops Histories VII 98-100.
Artabazus, after escorting Xerxes back to the Hellespont, then was to return to Mardonius with men, however on the way he tried to siege and capture Potidaea, this ended up going badly, and he dropped the siege after taking heavy casualties Histories VII 126-129. Tensions began to rise between Athens and Sparta, and if Sparta refused to assist Athens as they had promised, they would accept a peace offer by the Persians. Eventually the Greeks resumed their alliance, and they marched against Mardonius at the Battle of Plataea, scoring a decisive victory and killing him Histories IX 59-66. At Mycale, the allied navy, whose morale had been boosted after hearing about Plataea, launched an attack on the Persians, destroying the remnants of their navy. After these twin battles, the war had come to an end, and the Spartans, believing the goal of the war had been reached, tried to get out of it, however Athens wanted to further punish the Persians, and so they created the Delian league, whose goal was "avenge the wrongs they suffered by ravaging the territory of the king." Thucydides 1, 96. As Thuycdides describes here, Athens also began to exert their power over the states of the Delian league
“Of all the causes of defection that connected with arrears of tribute and vessels, and with failure of service, was the chief; for the Athenians were very severe and exacting, and made themselves offensive by applying the screw of necessity to men who were not used to and in fact not disposed for any continuous labour. In some other respects the Athenians were not the old popular rulers they had been at first; and if they had more than their fair share of service, it was correspondingly easy for them to reduce any that tried to leave the confederacy. The Athenians also arranged for the other members of the league to pay its share of the expense in money instead of in ships and men, and for this the subject city-states had themselves to blame, their wish to get out of giving service making most leave their homes. Thus while Athens was increasing her navy with the funds they contributed, a revolt always found itself without enough resources or experienced leaders for war”
The Athenians would soon find themselves coming into contact with the allies of Sparta. Potidaea, which while being a tributary of Athens, was a colony of Corinth,
was demanded by Athens to tear down its walls, send hostages to Athens, dismiss Corinthian Magistrates, and refuse future Magistrates. Thucydides 1.56. At the request of the Corinthians, the Spartans summoned members of the Peloponnesian league to discuss what was to be done about Athens (an Athenian, not invited, also showed up, and asked to speak.) Tensions rose, and in the end, Sparta decided to declare war on Athens Thucydides 1.67-1.75.
Sparta and its allies were mostly land based, with the Agoge practice allowing Sparta to create armies disproportionally large for its total population. Athens, with its large funds from the Delian league, was a marine based power. The “Archidamian War”, named after the Sparta king, was an attempt by Sparta to invade the lands surrounding Athens.
The Spartans could not hold these lands for long, as the men had to go back and check on the helots, their slaves, as well as harvest. The strategy of the Athenians was dictated by the statesmen Pericles. He advised to avoid open battle with the numerous Spartans, and instead rely on their superior fleet, and in 429BC they won a battle at Naupactus. However in 430BC a plague had hit Athens, and it had killed. Pericles and around half of the population of Athens. However on the upside, the Spartan warriors were afraid of this plague, and refused to invade anymore.
After the death of Pericles, a new Politian, a less conservative one, came to power, Cleon. Allied with Demosthenes, they led attacks against the Spartans. They created a post near the Helots of the Peloponnese, which frightened the Spartans, as they required the Helots to work the fields while they were away. This caused the Spartans to battle, however they were defeated by Demosthenes at the Battle of Pylos, Cleon, though inexperienced, later won a battle at Sphacteria. The Spartans, raised a new army, and marched to Amphipolis, which controlled many silver mines. Thucydides was dispatched with a force to protect it, but arrived too late, and so was banished. Cleon, the warhawk of Athens, and Brasidas, the warhawk of Sparta, had both been killed, and therefore the Peace of Nicias was achieved. Thucydides V 13-24.
Despite the fact that there was a truce, there was still skirmishing occurring between the two states. During this time, Argos, another powerful state of the Peloponnese wanted to revolt against Spartan homogony. Argos was able to achieve support within the Peloponnese, and also from Athens. Alcibiades was sent with a small Athenian force to aid Argos, and the Battle of Mantinea commenced. This was the largest battle of the Peloponnesian war fought, and while the Athenians found success in the beginning, in the end it was a victory for Sparta, who re-established control of the Peloponnese. Thucydides 5.66-74.
After the Battle of Mantinea, the Athens attempted to expand their influence over Sicily. Sicily was populated at this time with Greeks, and the most prestigious city,
Syracuse, was not much smaller than Athens. The expedition started when Athens received word that one of their allies in Sicily was under attack from Syracuse. Syracuse was ethnically the same as Sparta, which meant they felt a certain allegiance to them, whereas the ally of Athens were Ionian. Alcibiades was sent with a force to Syracuse to try and capture it, however before the expedition was sent, there was a religious disturbance before the expedition, and Alcibiades was suspected of perpetrating it. Alcibiades wanted to stand trial before, however his enemies forced him to go on the expedition first, so they could put more charges on him while he couldn’t defend himself.
The ParthenonThe Parathenon was used for a multiple of things The temple’s main function was to shelter the monumental statue of Athena that was made by Pheidias out of gold and ivory. The temple and the statue was completed in 438 BC , although work on the sculptures continued until completion in 432 BCE. Construction was stared in 447 BC and was completed in 432 BC. The acropolis itself measures some 300 by 150 metres and is 70 metres high at its maximum. The temple, which sits on the highest part of the acropolis, was designed by the architects Iktinos and Kallikratis, and the project was overseen by the sculptor Pheidias. The Parthenon is a peripteral octastyle Doric temple with Ionic architectural features. The Parthenon is a temple of the Doric order with eight columns at the façade, and seventeen columns at the flanks, conforming to the established ratio of 9:4. This ratio governed the vertical and horizontal proportions of the temple as well as many other relationships of the building like the spacing between the columns and their height.
At the approximate position where the Parthenon was built later, the Athenians began the construction of a building that was burned by the Persians while it was still under construction in 480 BCE.. Not much is known about this temple, and whether or not it was still under construction when it was destroyed has been argued. Its massive foundations were made of limestone, and the columns were made of Pentelic marble, a material that was utilized for the first time. The classical Parthenon was constructed between 447-432 BCE to be the focus of the Acropolis building complex.
Topic - War and WeaponryCriteria
Primary Source images (Yes - Trireme)
Ancient writers and quote (Sort of-Herodotus)
Examples ( Yes- Second persian war)
What impact on society classic/modern( Yes Battle of salamis/Persian War)
conclusion drawn.(Yes)
Athenian War - Battle of Salamis (Primary Source Herodotus) part of the second greco-persian wars.
War - An important battle for athens was The Battle of Salamis. A decisive naval battle in the second war between greece and persia in september of 480 BC.The Generals for this battle were Themistocles and Eurybiades on the greek side and King xerxes on the persian side. This naval battle came after the battle of Thermopylae where the Spartan forces tried to stop the advance of the persian forces on the greek mainland. The Spartans at Thermopylae were ultimately defeated. (“They had seen the Spartan dead at Thermopylae” - Herodotus) After this the persians took athens. The Greek naval commanders at salamis were panicked and were determined to abandon their post. However the Athenian Politician and general Themistocles convinced them to hold their position. The greeks gathered as many ships as possible to salamis. The greeks lured the persian ships to the island of salamis and the mainland and ultimately defeated the persians creating a turning point for the second persian war.
Warfare Athenian Weaponry - Trireme (Ancient greek ship or galley)
(Image:Greek Rowers in a Trireme one of the main types of ships used in the naval battle of salamis. The other Alternative was a pentekonters)
Impact of the second persian war.
The Victory at Salamis was the turning point in the second persian war and perhaps greek history. 5th century BC was the athenian golden age. It was the birth of democracy which is a form of government that is widely practiced amongst Western nations today. Of all the battles in the world Salamis might just seem like another battle. But one ccould argue that if the greeks didn’t fight at salamis or lost the battle that democracy would be effected in today's society.Greece would be a part of the Persian empire which was a monarchy ruled by King Xerxes and that would make the greek history and practices today a very different story.
Conclusions: In 5th century athens/greece war happened all the time. The first and second persian invasions as well as the Peloponnesian war fought between the athenian empire and the spartans. War is one of the things that kept athens alive and kept it growing and as a result kept ideologies such as democracy alive for the modern era.War technology such as the trireme allowed greeks to participate in significant naval battles such as salamis to defend their nation. Without this technology and participation in War athens would not have been able to thrive as it did it would have fallen to the persians or perhaps sparta or another more powerful greek city state.
Sources
My Battle of Salamis notes/ Assessment from 12 Classics
Herodotus
Image of greek trireme artifact.
Tales From Herodotus XVI (Translated by metaphrastes.wordpress.com)
Wikipedia
Temples and architecture
Historians consider the Athenian 5th and 6th centuries BCE as the Golden Age of sculpture and architecture. In this period the ornamental elements and the technique employed did not vary from the previous period. What characterizes this period is the quantity of works and the refinement and perfection of the works. Most were religious in nature, mainly sanctuaries and temples. An example from this period is: Source: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth century_Athens#Sculptors )
● The reconstruction of the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, which was destroyed by an earthquake. Source: (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/The_Temple_of_Apollo_at_Delphi.jpg)
“The ruins of the Temple of Delphi visible today date from the 4th century BC, and are of a peripteral Doricbuilding. It was erected on the remains of an earlier temple, dated to the 6th century BC which itself was erected on the site of a 7thcentury BC construction attributed to the architects Trophonios and Agamedes . The 6thcentury BC temple was named the "Temple of Alcmonidae" in tribute to the Athenian family who funded its reconstruction following a fire, which had destroyed the original structure. The new building was a Doric hexastyle temple of 6 by 15 columns. This temple was destroyed in 375 BC by an earthquake. The pediment sculptures are a tribute to Praxias and Androsthenes of Athens” Source: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi#Temple_of_Apollo)
The design structured on the Temple of Apollo in Delphi was the Doricdesign which is alot more simple then the Iconic or Corinthian design in the architecture of the temple. This particular style was most common/popular in the Archaic Period (750480 BC) in mainland Greece. In their original Greek version, Doric columns stood directly on the flat pavement of a temple without a base. The strict rules for positioning of elements in the entablature led to a design problem when the Greek's material changed from wood to stone blocks. In wooden temples, the triglyphs were literally the ends of wooden beams and they were spaced evenly and centered when they were directly above a column. When construction materials for temples changed from wood to stone block, the stone architrave needed full support all the way to the ends. A controversy arose regarding the proper placement of the triglyph and the formation of the corner. The design issues and ensuing debate became known as the Doric Conflict. In some cases, the triglyph was placed at the corner. This changed the proportions of the metopes closest to the corner and they were no longer square. In addition, the triglyph was not perfectly centered over the column. In other cases, builders used a broader triglyph that extended to the corner, but this also disturbed the harmony of the entablature. The Roman's solution to the Doric Conflict was to leave a blank space between the final triglyph and the corner, as shown in the example to the right.
Slaves
In the 5th century having a slave or two was the societal norm. It was deemed necessary at the time and philosophers of that time justify it. Aristotle expressed “For that some should rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary but expedient. From the hour of their birth some are marked out for subjection others for rule.”
There were different kinds of slaves. The most common amongst them were chattels. A chattel slave is an individual deprived off liberty and forced to submit to the owner and is at their discretion to either be sold or leased.
The main use of slaves was for rural areas for labor on farms as agriculture was the foundation of the Greek economy. The work load however depending upon the reason they are a slave. Slaves are made up of prisoners and people born into slavery, abandoned children and families who needed money. The families would most likely send their daughters to become maids.
Athens had the largest population of slaves of up to 80,000 (an estimated third of Athens population) but it is hard to determine because of lack of records. Slaves had no political rights therefore no say in politics, yet they made up a significant amount of the population of ancient Athens.
Some slaves in ancient Athens were police officers or tutors, this was one of the highest statuses they could possess. https://sites.google.com/site/slavesinancientathens/slaves-in-ancient-athens
In a certain circumstance, to which a slave or slaves had to provide evidence in a case the evidence had to be extracted via torture otherwise it was invalid in the court.
"The word Hetaera is usually translated as courtesan, but its literal meaning is actually “female companion,” and depending on circumstances she could function in roles we might call mistress, hostess, or call girl." http://www.womenintheancientworld.com/prostitutesandhetaeraeinancientathens.htm
They were very influential. They were young slave girls sold into slavery by forceful parents. The slave girls chosen to be Hetaera were very beautiful and talented girls. They were taught how to play instrument, how to dance and how to publicly speak so they came across appealing. They were also taught about philosophy and politics, which means that they were able to converse with almost any man. Often they were too expensive for one man to afford so they would have more than one man paying for them. http://www.rwaag.org/hetaera
Demosthenes wrote "we keep hetaera for the sake of pleasure, female slaves for our daily care, and wives to give us legitimate children and to be guardians of our households"
Aristotle said "that man is by nature superior to the female, and so the man should rule, and the women should be ruled"
Hipponax, who's writing is rather cruel, said "there is two days on which a women is most pleasing, when someone marries her, and when he carries out her dead body"
Hyperdes said "A women's reputations is highest when men say little about her whether it be good or evil"
"I am only a women, a thing which the world hates" (Euroipides has a women character, this is something she said)
The Role of Athenian Women
Athenian women in ancient Athens lived their lives controlled by men, whether it was their fathers or husbands. As young girls Athenians were taught to read either in school or taught at home. They were also taught important household skills like cooking and sewing ect.
Women were often married out as teenagers to men of about 30years, their fathers would often pick out the girls husband.
This has obviously majorly changed over the centuries to where we are now, I can barely imagine what it would be like to like with such little freedom.
Children in Ancient Athens
Athenian children had a very structured and direct childhood that paved the way for their lives as adults, this seemed to be partly put in place to keep the economy and lifestyle running in the smoothest possible way, and for the assurance that they children of ancient Athens would continue to keep the society and economy running in the exact same way when they had come to age. Brothers and sisters
were taken down very different paths at the age of seven years old, where the boys of the family would attend school, and the girls would stay home to help their mothers and learn the many tasks that they would be expected to do in their role as the mother of their own household. Girls were often married off very young, around the ages of 13-16, while men would marry at the ages of 25-30. When girls hit puberty they were seen as women and expected to marry, bare a child to and live with their eventual husband.
During childhood, ancient Athenian children would play with toys and play games that didn't differ all that much from the ones that children of today would play with. Archeologists have dug up old dolls and chariots, yo-yo's and rattles. "There is also evidence on pottery, in paintings and from archeological digs that babies used high chairs and had baby bottles in the shape of animals" - (Quote from http://www.ancientathens.org/culture/children-ancient-athens )
Children lived in the women wing of the household and it was the mother (with the help of the nurse maids) to take care of the children in the household. There were also many religious rituals throughout their childhood to show them coming of age. At the age of three years old, boys would taste wine for the first time at the festival of Dionysus and when girls hit puberty, (around the age of twelve to thirteen) they gathered together and placed all of their toys on the alter at the temple Artemis; as at this age, they were seen as women, and were to be married off and have children of their own. Boys were also to change schools at the age of fourteen, to attend another one as teenagers until the age of eighteen where they would be instructed to attend military school.
Athenian society and views on children has changed drastically in the modern era, as both male and female children are expected to attend school from the age of five or six, and women are not expected to marry at all. Modern society isn't required to be as strict or formal in terms of childhood when compared to Athenian society, as there is no seemingly 'perfect world' to keep perfect. There is a lot more free will in the lives of the children of modern times, girls are not instructed to be housewife's from a young age, and men are not forced into joining and fighting for the military. The lacking of formalities has positive and negative effects on society as there is no assurance that it will go a certain way, where as in ancient Athens, adults knew that their children would grow up and keep things going the exact same way they way had, however in modern society it is not considered morally correct to dictate everything about your child's life and what their future would be like. It isn't required to happen in modern society, as the way that our lives are lived do not require the world that we live in to be as sterile as ancient Athens was.
Athenian children had a very structured and dictated childhood that was planned out to preserve the what was thought to be master society that they lived in at the time. Right from the ages of seven, they were required to learn and understand the duties that they would have to carry out as adults to preserve this world and keep
things running the way that it always had been. They still did find time to spend with each other, and play and have fun, but worked very hard as well, meaning that their idea of having fun and having a 'whole and happy childhood' could be considered much different that that of children today. Isaac Ligtenberg
Ancient Greek Science
Aratus
Aratus was a Greek poet, born c. 315 BCE - c. 245 BCE, in Macedonia. He is best remembered for his poem on astronomy, Phaenomena.
Very little information about Aratus survives today. We do know that he lived in the late fourth and early third centuries BC and that he studied Stoic philosophy in Athens at the school founded by Zeno. Aratus evidently spent much time in the circle of writers and artists who enjoyed the patronage of the Macedonian king Antigonus Gonatas. Aratus' literary output included poems on pharmacology and astronomy. The only work which survives in its entirety is the poem Phaenomena .
He states the purpose of the poem is to praise Zeus for his kindness in giving to mankind natural signs by which to conduct his business, Aratus dedicates one section (19-757) to a poetic discussion of the constellations, and a second (758-1154) to the use of weather patterns. The poem is a guide for learning the significance of changing seasons and weather systems. It also appears that one of Aratus' aims in writing this poem was to demonstrate his skill in providing detailed scientific information by poem.
Like other Hellenistic poets, Aratus wanted to infuse new life into ancient genres. Aratus' contemporaries would have been struck by this change, To ancient Greeks Zeus was the sky-god whose control over the sun and clouds directly concerned human beings; mention of him at the outset of a work on constellations and weather is therefore appropriate. But for Hellenistic Stoics, Zeus was another name for that force which controlled the universe and resided in man and beast. It is a kind of pantheism which Aratus advances in the opening lines 'the divine Reason permeates every facet of human endeavour.'
"Everywhere everyone is indebted to Zeus. For we are indeed his offspring..." - Aratus, Phaenomena
Hippocrates
There is little known about the origin story of Hippocrates, other than that his birth was around 460BC and took place on the Greek island of Kos. Although little is known about the humble beginnings of Hippocrates, what he did through his years as an adult are still known and relevant in todays society. Hippocrates is known as
the 'father of modern medicine'. He was a doctor who revolutionized the way physicians thought and dealt with illness. He challenged the methods that were in use at the time by separating physical and emotional health, the belief that he held was radical, and had a huge part in the scientific leaps that medicine had. By recording and collecting data about illnesses he was able to begin to understand the causes of the problems in ways that allowed him to help the patients with practical methods. He held a strong belief that there were four humors which controlled the health of a person. ""The body of man has in itself blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile; these make up the nature of the body, and through these he feels pain or enjoys health. Now, he enjoys the most perfect health when these elements are duly proportioned to one another in respect to compounding, power and bulk, and when they are perfectly mingled.". Hippocrates lived a life that was honourable, and his ethical oath continues to be used in modern society today.
Conclusion:
In Ancient Greece, the lines between spiritual beliefs and physical well being were believed to be one and the same. They believed the spirit of each person was connected to their physically well being, and Hippocrates was a big influential figure in the changing of these view points. Which set up the thinking which created the modern scientific medicine treatments we have in todays society.
Aratus believed that the environments, such as stars and mountains, were closely linked to the spiritual world of the Gods that he believed in.
Love, Marriage, and Divorce
Journal of Hellenic studies http://www.jstor.org/stable/631640?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Husbands could easily terminate a marriage. Divorce was very common, even casual, as it was so easy, all the husband hand to do was send his wife away to the paternal family.
The ancient Greek marriage celebration consisted of a three part ceremony which lasted three days: the proaulia, which was the pre-wedding ceremony, the gamos, which was the actual wedding, and the epaulia, which was the post-wedding ceremony. Marriage was usually arranged between the parents of the bride and the groom himself. A man would choose his wife based on three things, the families riches, her fertility, and her skills, such as weaving. There were usually no established legal age limits for marriage but people tended to wait till girls were old enough to reproduce. Many women were married by the age of 14 or 16, while men commonly married around the age of 30. Rich men could have multiple wives. women had different rights concerning the process of engagement and marriage, A daughter was not allowed to marry unless a kyrios, which was a daughter’s father, blood brother, a grandfather, or legal guardian, allowed it. There were usually certain dates preferable for getting married. According to some, ancient Greeks married in the winter. There are also many superstitions that say they married during full moons. A common month in which they married, though, was “Gamelion” or January, which was sacred to the goddess Hera.
“While this was one of the few public events women were permitted to attend, men and women sat at different tables. Delicacies, such as sesame seeds mixed with honey, would be available. owards the end of the feast in the evening came the most important part of the ceremony, the anakalupteria, the unveiling of the bride. This act is significant because the bride is handed over to the groom, and at this point she has completely given up her status as parthenos.”
It was the father’s obligation to arrange an appropriate marriage for each daughter.
In conclusion it was a little sexist J And now we may still have marriage but we are not sexist poos so it’s better now.
(Men at a party, discussing philosophy.)
Philosophy
Definition: The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.
Preserved by Arabic mathematicians and canonized by Christian scholars, Aristotle's works have shaped Western thought, science, and religion for nearly two thousand years.
The Sophists; Famous Ancient Greek philosophers http://www.iep.utm.edu/sophists/
Born in 470 BC, Socrates helped influence the younger generation into thinking differently to the social norm. Socrates was condemned in 399 BC and he was given the option of death or exile for attempting to influence the younger generation with his outward ideas and concepts of the gods, their nature and existence. He chose death by hemlock (a viscous poison). But the real question is, did he deserve it?
Plato, A student of Socrates opened an academic academy for influential insight of theory and ideas. He also thought that “Our world is an imperfect parody of the Platonic flawless and superior world of Ideas.”
Aristotle was a student of Plato for 20 years. He later tutored Alexander the Great and was the first philosopher to create the study of logic.
Pre Socrates: http://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Philosophy/
Greek Philosophy as we know it originally started in 600 BCE in the cities of Ionia in Greece and continues even now.
Pythagoras was a great philosopher who combined religion and science, and with a touch of mysticism created mathematics and the Pythagoras theory which states that the square of the longest side of a triangle equals the total sum of the square of the other sides.
The impact of philosophers in ancient Athens was primarily set on people that could pay to be taught by the most knowledgeable academics in Greece.
Philosophers sought to spread knowledge to the larger society in an effort to educate the masses through the leadership of those whom they taught.
In conclusion, due to the wit and knowledge of these great philosophers we can find that the Athenian society was very well educated and supported forward thinking. (to a point)
Democracy and Ostracism
From the 4th to 5th century BCE Athens used a system of government called a democracy, which was a system that allowed men that were considered citizens of Athens to have a say in who was ruling them and what that person was doing. The Oxford dictionary defines democracy "a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives". At the time, democracy held three separate groups within it, named the ejjkesia, the boule, and the dikasteria. This system, despite only lasting for two centuries in that exact structure, would be a one of the most substantial concepts to reach the modern world we live in today.
Oligarchy and the start of Democracy
Athens being such a large place was split up a lot like our country has regions today these 'areas' are referred to as city states.The city-states were small, independent communities which were male-dominated and run by race. This is what would be referred to as an oligarchy. This means membership in the polis was hereditary and could not be passed on to someone outside the citizen family.
In 508 B.C. Cleisthenes had full power over Athens. Cleisthenes began a new political organization where the citizens would take a more direct role in running the city-state. He called this new political organization demokratia, or democracy meaning rule by the entire body of citizens. He began a council of 500 men. All male citizens over the age of thirty could serve for a term of one year on the Council and no one could serve more than two terms in a lifetime. This was the birth of democracy. http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture6b.html http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-greece-democracy
One of the major flaws in the Democracy of Athens was that while it was ‘for the people’, the government had its own rules and regulations as to who was actually considered a person, or rather, a citizen. Only adult men who were neither slave nor foreigner were classed as citizens, which meant only around 20% of people in Athens were citizens.
The End of Democracy
In 460 BC a General called Pericles brought about the change of Democracy, converting it into something that falls under the category of what we knows as an Aristocracy, and what can be described as "the one man, the best.", by Herodotus. http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-greece-democracy
The effect on modern society
Governments today have evolved from democracy in Ancient Greece, but there are several key differences that make today's systems what it is. The Greeks version of Democracy was flawed to large extent, and although ours may not be perfect, it's still far better than what it started out as. http://classroom.synonym.com/ancient-greeces-democracy-important-5216.html
Democracy: rule by the people
* Most government officials chosen by lottery, did job for 1 year.
* From 390 BC, citizens paid for attending assembly.
* Most important political posts were the 10 generals: elected by the assembly each year.
* Voting was by a show of hands.
* Ostracism (banishment from Athens) involved writing a person's name on an ostraca; person with most votes over 6000 had to leave Athens for 10 years, which destroyed their career. http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/staff/resources/background/bg10/home.html
Athens VS Sparta
Athens and Sparta were rival city-states in Greece. Sparta having a vastly trained military, whereas Athens having a glorious navy. In 431 BC a war broke out between Athens and its allies known as the Delian league, and the Spartans in the Peloponnesian league. This Peloponnesian war lasted 28 years and consisted of on
and off civil war. It then ended in 404 BC after both sides facing major victories and crushing defeats, with interruptions of peace in between, ending in the defeat of Athens and its democracy. "Freedom is the sure possession of those who have the courage to defend it" ~Pericles
This war between Athens and Sparta started the fall of the Greek empire, as it caused an internal collapse in the Greek state and threw the empire into disarray. The war was a crucial part of Athenian society as it lead to both the rise of the Golden age and ultimately the fall of the empire.
Metics
Picture: Bust of Lysias. Roman copy of 4th century B.C. original. The writer Lysias, born at Athens of a metic father, and his whole life long a metic paying taxes on a par with Athenian citizens.
“The population of Athens in the fifth and fourth centuries was divided into three distinct groups: the citizens, the metics, and the slaves. The citizens, who numbered at the most about 160,000, included only those born of citizen parents, except for the few who were occasionally enfranchised by special law. The metics, who probably did not exceed a total of 100,000, were resident aliens, chiefly non-Athenian Greeks, although some were Phoenicians and Jews. Save for the fact that they had no political privileges and generally were not permitted to own land, the metics had equal opportunities with citizens. They could engage in any occupation they desired and participate in any social or intellectual activities.” -http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/classic-period-golden-age.html
Metics were foreigners who lived in Athenian society but did not have any citizenship rights. They often came to the city because they found the speed of the city more appealing than their homelands. Metics could not vote, marry an athenian citizen or own property in athens they did however have to pay taxes and do military service. If the metic failed to pay tax , they risked becoming a slave, this was particularly troubling for metics who had not declared a 'protector' (an athenian citizen who would guarantee that the metic was fit to become a permanent resident) How long a foreigner could remain in Athens without counting as a metic is not known. In some other Greek cities it was a month, and is likely to have been the same at Athens. All metics were required to register in the deme (local community) where they lived. As previously stated they had to nominate a citizen as their sponsor or guardian (prostates, literally "one who stands on behalf of"). The Athenians took this last requirement very seriously. A metic without a sponsor was vulnerable to a special prosecution. If convicted, his property would be
confiscated andhad the possibility of being sold as a slave. Some metics played important roles in the athenian economy, for example entrepreneurs specifically in financial areas such as commerce, industry and banking. But most metics were of low income jobs such as gardeners, cooks, and workmen. Metics were often retail traders, (known as kapeloi) who served aqs middle men between the craftsmen and the consumers but were very mistrusted and seen as unnessesary parasites. In his Politics Aristotle states that the kapeloi served a “kind of exchange which is justly censured; for it is unnatural and a mode by which men unfairly gain from one another” They generally became friends with Athenian citizens, held symposia, they took part in city festivals and traditions and made personal contributions for the building of altars and even for putting up building installations. Appreciation of the metics are often seen from the fourth century B.C., indicating an increase in the number of sponsorships by them and the value of their contribution was then recognized by the city. Picture: Deme decree of Skambonidai deme, in the tribe of Leontis, about the Synoikiai festival, in which metics also took part.
Through research I have learnt that metics are quite like foreigners in our society, in the sense like for example immigrants in New Zealand until they’ve obtained citizenship are not entitled to the same rights, with a working visa they may work in almost any job just like metics were able to, this leads me to believe that our systems were inspired by the Athenian metic systems.
The Daily Life and Clothing of the AtheniansThe Ancient Greeks wore very simple clothing. A lot of the clothing was the same for men and women. Mostly, these clothes consisted of a single piece of material made from fabric spun from home (often into heavy wool) or linen that was imported. Every member of the family wore this simple tunic, except for infants as they often wore nothing. It was a wide rectangular tube of material secured along the shoulders and upper arms by fasteners. They also tended to be long, falling to the feet of the wearer, but were occasionally short to allow functional clothing for physical activities. The clothing was dyed bright colours and had intricate patterns on them, so it wasn’t entirely plain. The garments for men and women were slightly different, mainly so in the name. Greek women wore peplos whilst Greek men wore chitons. Proper Greek women never revealed any skin so they were always floor-length. As the weather got colder, the Greeks wore garments cloaks over their tunics for warmth. This was called a himation. The himation came in handy for Greek soldiers away from home as they could be used as a warm blanket.
On special occasions Greeks would wear leather sandals or boots but other than that they didn’t tend to wear a lot of shoes because they weren’t particularly fond
of them. Apparently it wasn’t uncommon for a Greek to go their whole life barefoot! Greek clothing wasn’t fancy but it was certainly built to last. This is highly important as a lot of Ancient Greeks were poor and couldn’t afford to buy new clothes all the time. In modern society we see a fair bit of clothing influenced from the Greeks. An example of this is the fashionable ‘peplum’ dresses that women wear, which is basically a modernised version of the peplos.
The daily life of those in Ancient Greece revolved around their homes (which were very simple). Men were the only ones considered to be citizens so they were allowed to spend a lot of time in the market place and around the towns, but they also had their own room in a house! No women except for slaves and entertainers were allowed in. Also men were the only ones allowed to be educated and they usually did all the shopping. Women’s lives however were vastly different and a lot busier. They spent all of their time at home cooking, cleaning, weaving, sewing, raising children and even training slaves. They also had their own room in a house which men weren’t allowed to enter. It was considered extremely disrespectful for a guest to enter a woman’s quarters. Since women spent the majority of their lives indoors, they had very pale complexions which were considered a sign of great beauty. Woman wore a lot of makeup, even by today’s standards, to show off their pale complexions. The lives of children were very simple back then. The boys went to school to learn how to read, write and memorise the works of philosophers. Boys also had private tutors (who were often slaves). Girls stayed at home with their mothers and learned everything they needed to learn to prepare for a house of their own. Girls didn’t have a very long childhood as they were often married off at the age of 13 and had to run their husband’s household. Daily life back then was very different than it is for us now. Men and women were treated extremely different, even as children. Athenian society was very strongly male influenced and run therefore women didn’t have much of a say.
