Religion, Philosophy, and the Arts in Ancient Greece

Religion, Philosophy, and the Arts

in Ancient Greece

The Search for Knowledge 

Most Greeks believed that their gods were responsible for all natural events. But a few thinkers disagreed. About 150 years before the Golden Age of Athens, some people thought about new ways to understand the world. 

Greek Philosophy 

Some of history's greatest philosophers were Ancient Greeks including Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. Today, philosophy students still study the writings and teachings of Greek philosophers. Much of western philosophy is based on the ideas of the Ancient Greeks.

Socrates

He wanted people to consider the true meanings of qualities such as justice and courage. He asked people questions that made them think about their beliefs. Sometimes he exposed people who did not know as much as they thought, and many got angry at him.

Multiple Choice

Why were people angry at Socrates?

• Because he was a bad teacher.

• Because he was a good teacher.

• Because sometimes he made people realize they did not know as much as they thought.

Plato

He was Socrates' student and wrote many of his teachings down. he founded a school in Athens called the Academy, where he taught another renowned philosopher called Aristotle.

Aristotle

He believed that reason should guide the pursuit of knowledge. He later founded his own school called the Lyceum.

Open Ended

Who were 3 improtant Greek philosophers?

Greek Science

The Greeks made many advancements in the areas of science and technology. They excelled in the field of mathematics and we still use many of their theories and ideas today. You've probably used the Pythagorean theorem (discovered by the Greek mathematician Pythagoras) to find the sides of a right triangle in geometry. Other areas of Greek technology included medicine (the Hippocratic Oath), astronomy, urban planning, and plumbing.

Philosophers in ancient Greece had different ideas about the universe. They didn't do experiments, but were careful observers and good thinkers. Democritus, who lived in the 400s BC, thought that everything was made of tiny particles he called atoms. More than 2,000 years later, modern science showed he was correct. 

Theater

The Greeks invented the western drama where written work is performed by actors. Greek theater introduced the ideas of the comedy and the tragedy. Greek theater influenced art throughout Europe including plays such as those written by William Shakespeare. Today, we imitate the Greeks with Broadway plays, Television shows, and movies.

Architecture

Greek architecture has been imitated throughout history. The Romans copied many of the Greek ideas into their buildings. Later, Renaissance architects tried to imitate the Greek style of architecture. Today, many government buildings are built in the Greek classical style including the U.S. Capitol Building and the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.

Multiple Choice

How did Greek style of architecture survive?

• Romans and people during the Renaissance stiil imitated it.

• Nobody tried to make buildings like the Greeks again.

• All the buildings were destroyed.

The Parthenon

The temple to goddess Athena is made of marble and had a 12-meter statue of her. The statue is no longer there, but the building is still used as inspiration for modern buildings.

Art

Greek art heavily influenced western art throughout history. The Greeks are most known for their realistic sculpture which tried to capture the beauty and perfection in the subject. Roman art copied the Greeks, and the Romans often had Greeks create sculpture for them. The Greek style can still be seen in artwork today.

Multiple Select

What were 3 important characteristics of Greek art?

• beauty

• realism

• perfection

• imperfection

• ugliness