2008 Fulbright–Hays Seminars Abroad

Program

Greece/Bulgaria

May 28, 2008 – July 8, 2008

Ancient Greece and It’s Influence on

the Modern Day World

Amelia Poppell
Unit Topic: _Overview-History of Greece Grade level: World History

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Established Goals:

Students will learn about key elements of ancient Greek

civilization including government, mythology, sport, and
architecture.

Understanding (s) Essential Question(s):

Students will understand:

1. about the location, climate Who were the ancient Greeks?

and terrain of Greece Where and when was ancient
2. to place the ancient Greek Greece?
civilization in time
3. that the ancient Greek
civilization occurred 'Before
Christ'
4. that ancient Greece
consisted of city states

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will know:

• About the location, climate and terrain of Greece.

• To place the ancient Greek civilisation in time.
• That the ancient Greek civilization occurred ‘Before Christ’.
• That ancient Greece consisted of city states.

Students will be able to:

• Locate Greece on a map and ancient Greece on a time line.

• Discuss the climate and physical features of the Greek mainland
and islands.
• Recognize that ancient Greece is located BC and that more
recent periods in history are AD.
 Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s): Other Evidence:

Students will make tourist Posters Feedback from the display will be
for display in the Media Center. used to evaluate how effective the
information was presented.
Students will complete a timeline
and pictures will be displayed
indicating that period of history.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

Give students postcards, maps, and holiday brochures of modern

Greece and ask them what the pictures tell us about the climate of
Greece, the landscape and terrain, the buildings, etc. Record their
responses on the board or flip chart.

Discuss with the students what ancient means and place the period of
the ancient Greek Empire on the class time line. Discuss or recap on
BC and AD and relate these two periods the students have already
covered.

Locate mainland Greece and its islands on a map. Discuss the physical
features and highlight the difficulty of travel, e.g. Would it be easiest to
travel by sea or land? Relate this to the idea of city states, which were
isolated from each other by the difficulties of communication.

Working in pairs, students can choose one of the five aspects of Greek
life to research. For example, they may focus on the role of women in
ancient Greek society, literature and drama, education, warfare,
philosophers, the Parthenon, and so on. (Students in pairs should
choose separate topics.) Have pairs create a list of little-known facts
about their topics to share with the class. Individually, students can
use their research to write essays on how ancient Greek life compares
with, or has influenced, modern society.
Background Notes for the Teacher:

Time Line
Date Event
B.C.
Circa 300 Bronze Age begins
Circa 2200 Minoan Culture on Crete begins to
flourish
Circa 1600-1450 Eruption of Thera volcano and
takeover of Minoan places by
Mycenaean’s from the Greek
mainland
Circa 1200-800 Greek Dar Ages. First Greek
settlement on the coast of Asia
Minor
Circa 850 Archaic period
776 First Olympic Games
750-700 Development of Greek alphabet.
730 Rise of Corinth as leading city
621 The statesman Draco makes the
first written laws in Athens
594 Salon becomes leader of Athens
546 Persian king Cyrus the Great
conquers Greek cities on Ionia
508 Cleisthenes establishes Athenian
democracy
500-300 Classical period
490 Athenians defeat Persians in battle
of Marathon
480 Greeks defeat Persians at Plataea
and Mycale, forever ending the
Persian threat to Europe
461 Pericles leads Athens, until 429,
Athens at war with Sparta until
451
451 Athens passes a law defining who
is a citizen
447 Work begins on the Parthenon
Circa 430 Hippocrates and Socrates active.
Pheidias sculpt statue of Zeus
425-405 Playwrights Euripides,
Aristophanes, and Sophocles
popular
404 Sparta wins Peloponnesian War
and dissolves Athenian democracy
404-360 Plato active
358 Work starts on the theater at
Epidauros
338 Philip II of Macedon conquers
Athens
336 Philip II dies. His son Alexander
“the Great”, becomes king and
conquers Asia minor, Egypt,
Mesopotamia, and parts of India
334 Alexander invades Persia
323 Death of Alexander and break-up
of his empire (311) although
Greek kings still rule Egypt and
Syria
300-148 Hellenistic period
A.D.
30 Rome makes Egypt a province and
dismantles the Ptolemaic
kingdom, last of the independent
Greek states
64 Seleucid kingdom ends

Overview of the History of Greece:

In 3000 B.C., the first people inhabited Greece. They built settlements along
the shores of Greece so they could trade with other civilizations. The Greeks
relied upon the Aegean Sea for trading their supplies. Traveling by sea
exposed the Greeks to many different cultures. They were also exposed to
the various western benefits, such as agriculture and metalwork.

Around 2500 BC, different communities began to develop in Greece. Some of

the most prominent ones were the Aegean’s, Achaeans, and the Pelasgians.
Crete soon became the center of the Aegean civilization, also called the
Minoans. The Achaeans built the capital at Mycenae. A powerful volcanic
eruption in 1400 BC caused the destruction of the Minoan Thera, an island
east of Crete. The destruction crushed the Minoans and the Mycenaean
Greeks absorbed their culture. The Greek settlements soon transformed
themselves into city-states, small states which were founded around the
territory controlled by a single city. City-states are also called poleis. A king
and the king’s council always ruled city-states. The city-states had political
structures that were usually unstable because the kings acted like tyrants to
the citizens. It is ironic that the Greeks are credited for most of the ideas of
democracy. Democracy would rarely exist in ancient Greece, only for short
periods of time in-between unstable governments.

City -states were soon growing larger in population. The city-states were
beginning to transform into empires. Empires are big nations that control
many different city-states and they have one ruler. The many different
empires soon had rivalries going on between them. The first war took place
around 1200 BC. This was a ten-year battle that mostly took place at the
city of Troy. There is a myth that says armed Greek invaders hid in a giant
wooden horse. When the horse was taken into Troy the invaders stormed the
city and left it in ruins. Homer, a very famous poet, wrote an epic about the
hero Odysseus who was a major part of the destruction of Troy.

The Persian wars began in 490 BC. Darius the Great of Thrace led an
invasion into Greece. The Greek defensive army crushed the invaders at
Marathon, under a commander named Miltiades. Later in the year 480 BC,
the Persians launched another attack led by Xerxes. Unfortunately for Greece
this attack left the city of Athens in ruins.

The Peloponnesian wars took place in 461 BC. The first of these wars were
between Athens and Sparta. Athens won this war and they decided to make
a truce with Sparta. Athens lost the second Peloponnesian war to Sparta.
The thirty tyrants, a group of aristocratic Spartans, took control of Athens.

There were many famous people in the history of Greece. Socrates was one
of them. Socrates was a famous philosopher in 399 BC. He objected to some
tyrants because he thought they were unfair citizens. He was tried and
executed for these reasons. In 386 BC Plato, a famous pupil of Socrates
founded his philosophical academy. In 359 BC Philip II, became the king of
Macedon. Thebes, Athens, and Sparta were three major competing powers
in Greece at this time. Philip 2 took control of the entire Greek peninsula,
and in 336 BC he was assassinated. His son Alexander the Great took control
of the kingdom. Alexander took Egypt and conquered the entire Persian
Empire. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC. His empire was divided into
three regions: Ptolemaic Egypt, Antigonid Macedonia, and Seluced Syria.
After Alexander the Great1s death, the three kingdoms constantly feuded
with each other. This time period was known as the Hellenistic Age. Finally in
197 BC a vicious battle took place at Kynoskephalai. King Philip V lost to
Roman forces. The mighty Roman Empire destroyed the Greek warriors.
After Rome overtook the Greeks, they tried to incorporate the Greek culture
into their own culture.
Unit Topic: _Ancient Olympic Games Grade level: World History

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Established Goals:
Students will have:

1. Knowledge and understanding of the legacy of ancient Greece.

2. Knowledge and understanding of selected myths, gods, and
goddesses, and their impact on literature.
3. Knowledge of measurement and distance in the Olympic Games,
and the style of architecture for columns.
4. Knowledge and understanding of the importance of scientific
knowledge in the modern world,

Understanding (s) Essential Question(s):

Students will understand:

1. Where did the Olympic Games What influence did the Ancient
come from? Olympic games have on the
2. Why were they held at modern day Olympics?
Olympia?
3. Were there other contests like How did the Ancient Olympic
the Olympics? games contribute to modern
4. Who could compete in the day Olympics?
Olympics?
5. Were women allowed at the
Olympics?
6. How were the athletes
trained?
7. What prizes did Olympic
victors get?
8. Who were the Olympic judges?
9. What was the penalty for
cheating?

10.Where did the marathon come

from

11.When did the ancient games

begin and when did they end?
Student objectives (outcomes):
Students will know:

When the first Olympic games began.

Where in Greece the Olympic games were held.
Why did they have Olympic Games?
Identify appropriate sources for finding out about the ancient Greeks.
Make inferences about the Olympic games from a variety of sources.
Select sources to show why the Olympic games were important to the
ancient Greeks.

Students will be able to:

Describe the differences in the modern Olympics and the Ancient

Greek Olympics.
Locate Ancient Olympia in Greece.
Describe the activities that took place in the Ancient Greek Olympics.
Identify appropriate sources for finding out about the ancient Greeks.
Make inferences about the Olympic games from a variety of sources.
Select sources to show why the Olympic games were important to the
ancient Greeks.

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s): Other Evidence:

Identify appropriate sources for Were the ancient games better

finding out about the ancient
Greeks.
Make inferences about the
Olympic games from a variety of
sources.
than they are today? Are the
modern games more sexist? More
political? Have we strayed from
the ancient Olympic ideal?

Select sources to show why the

Olympic games were important to
the ancient Greeks.
 Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:

List the activities that took place during the Ancient Olympic games.
Compare those activities with the modern Olympic games.

Describe the modern marathon and how it developed from the Ancient
Olympic games.

Describe how the Modern Olympics games and the city in which they
were held.

When was the Olympic torch introduced and why?

Background information:

Today, the Olympic Games are the world’s largest pageant of athletic skill
and competitive spirit. They are also displays of nationalism, commerce and
politics. These two opposing elements of the Olympics are not a modern
invention. The conflict between the Olympic movement’s high ideals and the
commercialism or political acts which accompany the Games has been noted
since ancient time.

The ancient Olympics were rather different from the modern Games. There
were fewer events, and only free men who spoke Greek could compete,
instead of athletes from any country. Also, the games were always held at
Olympia instead of moving around to different sites every time.

Concerned about the civil strife that was threatening his people, King Iphitos
consulted Pythia, the Oracle at Delphi, for help. She advised him to hold the
games in honor of the gods and to gather the leaders in the region and
invite them to sign a peace declaration. They couldn’t compete in the games
if they were at war.

The ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of the religious festival in
honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses. For more than a
thousand years, this festival we held beginning in 776 BC. During the
festival, the different peoples of Greek race forgot their quarrels. The first
day was for the sacrifices and lebations to Zeus and Hestia at the tomb of
Pelops.

The second day took place the chariot races and the pentathlon, a
competition of five events, wrestling, long jump, running, discus and javelin.

The third day was given up to a procession and the official sacrifices on the
altar of Zeus. In the stadium took place foot-races and armed-races.

The fourth day was for boxing and wrestling.

The fifth day the festival ended with a procession of the victors who were
given a crown made of a branch of the olive-tree. Their statues were erected
in the Altis. Altis was a scared grove and part of the Hieron (Sanctuary) in
Ancient Olympia.

The Greeks that came to the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia shared the same
religious beliefs and spoke the same language. The athletes were all male
citizens of the city-states from every corner of the Greek world, coming from
as far away as Iberia (Spain) in the west and the Black Sea (Turkey) in the
east.

The sanctuary was named in antiquity after Mt. Olympus, the highest
mountain in the mainland Greece. In Greek mythology, Mr. Olympus was the
home of the greatest of the Greek gods and goddesses.

In ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook
from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot race 600 feet long.
According to some literary traditions, this was the only athletic event of the
games for the first 13 Olympic festivals or until 724 BC. From 776 BC, the
Games were held in Olympia every four years for almost 12 centuries.

Although the ancient Games were staged in Olympia, Greece, from 776 BC
through 393 AD, it took 1503 years for the Olympics to return. The first
modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. The man responsible
for its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who
presented the idea in 1894. His original thought was to unveil the modern
Games in 1900 in his native Paris, but delegates from 34 countries were so
enthralled with the concept that they convinced him to move the Games up
to 1896 and have Athens serve as the first host.

The marathon was not an event of the ancient Olympic Games. The
marathon is a modern event that was first introduced in the Modern Olympic
Games in 1896, in Athens, a race from Marathon northeast of Athens to the
Olympic Stadium, a distance of 40 kilometers.

The race commemorates the run of Pheidippides, an ancient “day-runner”

who carried the news o the Persian landing at Marathon in 490 BC to Sparta,
a distance of 149 miles, in order to enlist help for the battle. According to
the fifth century BC ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides
delivered the news to the Spartans the next day.

The distance of the modern marathon was standardized as 26 miles 385

yards or 42.195 km in 1908 when the Olympic Games were held in London.
The distance was exact measurement between Windsor Castle, the start of
the race, and the finish line inside White City Stadium.

The idea of the Olympic torch or Olympic Flame was first inaugurated in the
1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. There was no torch relay in the ancient
Olympic Games. There were known, however, torch relays in other ancient
Greek athletic festivals including those held at Athens. The modern Olympic
torch relay was first instituted at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
Unit Topic: ___Greek gods__ Grade level: _World History___

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Established Goals:
Students will deduce information about Greek beliefs and religious
practices.
Students will compare the beliefs of the ancient Greeks with those of
other cultures.

Understanding (s) Essential Question(s):

Students will:
What meanings did myths about
gods, goddesses, and heroes have
a. Develop skills needed to for the ancient Greeks?
respond to inferential and
critical questions regarding What meaning do the Greek
reading materials. myths have for us today?
b. Develop an understanding of
and appreciation for Greek
mythology through reading
and discussion of Greek
myths.
c. Create original illustrations
of the gods, goddesses, and
creatures of Greek
mythology.
d. Use research techniques to
advance their knowledge of
specified gods and
goddesses.
e. Respond to evaluative test
questions pertaining to the
Greek Mythology unit with
85% accuracy.
Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will know:

• how to deduce information about Greek beliefs and religious

practices from pictures of buildings
• about the beliefs of the ancient Greeks
• how to compare the beliefs of the ancient Greeks with those of
other cultures

Students will be able to:

• make observations and inferences from pictures and plans of

buildings
• answer questions showing understanding of myths and legends
• show that they can connect one or more Greek gods with their
symbols and areas of responsibility by completing the grid
• show that they know the main points in the story of one Greek
god
• Answer questions and show that they understand that Greek
gods had some human characteristics and that they helped the
Greeks to explain the world around them.

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):

Students will select a topic and be able to discuss:

information about Greek beliefs and religious practices from pictures

of buildings

the beliefs of the ancient Greeks

the beliefs of the ancient Greeks with those of other cultures

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

Ask students to locate Mount Olympus on a map. Introduce it as the

home of the gods and recap or introduce myths and legends. Ask each
student to read a story about a different Greek god and complete a
three-column grid with the column headings: 'Name of the god',
'Symbol of the god', and 'The aspect of the world the god is
responsible for'. Ask each student to feed back the main points of their
story to the rest of the class who listen and complete their grid for
each of the gods.

Through reading, class discussion, and note-taking, the student will

record the Family Tree of the gods and goddesses and the realms over
which they rule.

Background Information for the teacher:

In their effort to understand their environment and the forces of nature, the
Ancient Greeks invented stories to account for the things that went on in
their lives. These tales, known as myths, were spread around by travelers.
They were about gods who controlled the elements of nature. The myths told
tales about powerful Olympian gods, sea gods, woodland gods, sky gods,
underwater gods, half-gods, human heroes, courageous or romantic
adventures, betrayals, battles, wanderings, and so on.

Greek Gods:

1. Zeus was the most powerful of the gods. Should he have to bring order, he
would hurl a thunderbolt. Zeus shared his powers and ruled with other great
gods.
2. Hera was the wife of Zeus, and thus, the Queen. Hera was the goddess of
marriage, children, and the home
3. Poseidon, the lord of the sea, was the brother of Zeus
4. Hades, another brother of Zeus, was lord of the dead.
5. Ares, Zeus' son, was the god of war. He tall and handsome but cruel and
vain. Ares could not bear to suffer pain.
6. Hephaestus, god of fire, often made metal tools and weapons to aid the gods
and some fortunate mortals.
 7. Hermes was Zeus' son and the messenger of the gods. Hermes was noted
for his pranks as well as for his speed.
8. Apollo was Zeus' son and god of the sun, light and music.
9. Artemis was goddess of the hunt
10. Dionysus was the god of wine.
11. Athena, for whom Athens was named, was the goddess of wisdom.
12. Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty
13. Eros was the god of love. He had a bow and arrow to shoot people and make
them fall in love.
14. Dionysus was the god of life, hospitality, and wild things
15. Pan was half man, half goat, and the god of all nature. He was also the
protector of shepherds and their flocks
16. Hercules was another of Zeus' sons. He was half man, half god, and very
strong.
17. Centaur was half man, half horse, and tried to steal Hercules' wife.
18. Pegasus was a winged horse
19. Cerberus was the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to the
underworld.
20. The Muses were daughters of Zeus. They made such beautiful music with
their singing that it brought joy to everyone who heard them.

Bold Greek Name = Main God or Goddess

Roman
Greek Name Role in Mythology
Name

Aphrodite Venus Goddess of beauty and sexual desire (Roman

 mythology: Goddess of gardens and fields)
God of prophecy, medicine, and archery (late
Apollo Apollo
Greek/Roman mythology: God of sun)
Ares Mars God of war
Goddess of hunt ( late Greek/Roman mythology:
Artemis Diana
Goddess of moon)
Asclepius Aesculapius God of medicine
Goddess of arts and crafts, and war; Helper of
Athena Minerva heroes (late Greek/Roman mythology: Goddess of
wisdom)
God of the sky; Ruler of the Titans (Roman
Cronus Saturn
mythology: God of agriculture)
Demeter Ceres Goddess of grain
Dionysus Bacchus God of wine and vegetation
Eros Cupid God of love
Gaea Terra Mother Earth
Hephaestus Vulcan God of fire; Blacksmith of the gods
Goddess of marriage and childbirth; Protector of
Hera Juno
married women; Queen of the gods
Messenger of the gods; Protector of travelers,
Hermes Mercury
thieves, and merchants
Hestia Vesta Guardian of the home
Hypnos Somnus God of sleep
Hades Pluto God of the underworld; Lord of the dead
Poseidon Neptune God of the sea and earthquakes
Rhea Ops Wife of Cronus/Saturn; Mother Goddess
Uranus Uranus God of the sky; Father of the Titans
Zeus Jupiter Ruler of the Gods

The gods and goddesses with bold Greek names were the most important
gods. They were known as the 'Twelve Olympians'.

The Ancient Greeks believed in many gods and goddesses who watched over
them and controlled the world. The gods had many human characteristics-
they were sometimes angry, or sad, or happy. But they were also immortal
and all powerful and had to be honored and respected. The most important
gods were the 12 Olympians.

The Greeks built beautiful, elaborate temples for the gods, where sacrifices
and offerings were made. Wealthy people took animals to the temple to be
sacrificed to the gods. Poor people couldn't afford to take live animals so
they took pastry ones instead.

The Greeks also had altars in their homes. Sometimes, worshipers poured a
whole jar of wine over the altar. More often, they drank most of the wine
themselves and left only a tiny drop for the gods.

The 12 Olympians were believed to live in great luxury on Mount Olympus.

At 8,750 feet high, it is the highest Mountain in Greece. It is visible from far
down in the south, and from the sea.

The origin of the Olympic games is based on a myth of Pelops. Pelops was a
son of Tantalus who had been favored by the gods. Tantalus invited all the
gods to dine with him. His son Pelops was his greatest treasure, so he
sacrificed him to the gods. The Olympian gods hated this act and threw
Tantalus into the underworld. The gods brought Pelops back alive, and
Poseidon gave him a team of magical horses.

Oenomaus was a king of a town near Olympia. He had a beautiful daughter

named Hippodameia. Whoever could beat Oenomaus in a chariot race would
have her hand, but whoever lost would lose his head. Hippodameia fell in
love with Pelops, so she told the stable boy to fix her father's chariot. The
stable boy put wax pins in the wheels in place of the wooden ones. During
the race the two were neck to neck, but the wax pins gave way, and
Oenomaus died. Pelops and Hippodameia got married and threw the stable
boy out to sea. Pelops held a huge funeral feast for Oenomaus and held
athletic contests in his honor. The games have been repeated every four
years since.

In the year of the games, Spondorophoroi, or messengers were sent to

invite city-states throughout Greece to the games. The games were usually
held in June or July, and lasted five days. Only honorable men of Greek
language and descent were allowed to enter the games. But Greek colonists
in Caul, Sicily, Italy, Spain, Africa, Asia Minor and the Black Sea Coasts were
all able to participate. Women were forbidden to watch, perhaps because the
athletes competed completely naked. Some people think it is because the
garments they would have worn would not have allowed them to move
freely. One story describes how a mother disguised herself as a man to
watch her son compete in his event. When her son won, she jumped up in
happiness, and the others saw through her disguise.

The Games tested manly skills and strength and many were of military
origin. The first day of the Olympics was reserved for sacrifices to the gods.
On the second day, foot-races were held. The most respected event was the
foot-race of about 220 yards. On other days, wrestling, boxing and the
pancratium, a combination of the two, were staged. Horse racing was
restricted to the wealthy because horses were expensive to purchase. The
pentathlon tested all-around strength. The pentathlon included five events: a
200-yard (180 meters) sprint, the long jump, wrestling, javelin and discus.
The Olympics closed with a running race with contestants dressed in armor.
The games also featured music, oratory and theatrical performances.

The Olympic Games were very important to the Greeks for their goal in life
was to be the best. Competition was tough, and although many people
assume it is because the Greeks enjoyed the sport, Greek motives were not
always pure. Winners of the Olympic Games were only given an olive
wreath, but they became very popular in their own city-state. Winners were
looked upon as stars; they were invited to luxurious parties; they
could marry the girl of their dreams; and they were sometimes freed from
taxation. The winners were not only viewed as stars, but so were their cities.
If a city-state's athletes won many victories, it showed that its men were
strong in battle. Training and special diets a competitor needed took money,
and wealth was necessary in war.

The games dated from 776 BC., and reached their height in the 4th and 5th
centuries BC. In AD 393, they were ended by Christian Byzantine emperor
Theodosius I. It was not until 1896 that the modern Olympics were staged
again, and they have been repeated every four years with the exception of
1916 (World War I), 1940 and 1944 (World War II).

In the very first Olympic Games, only the foot-race was held. As time went
on, more events were added to the competition. Historians have speculated
that the games in 776 BC were not the first games held, but the first
organized games which served as a peace agreement between the city-
states of Elis and Pisa.
Unit Topic: _Greek Government Grade level: _World History_

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Established Goals:

Students will learn about key elements of ancient Greek civilization

including government, mythology, sport, and architecture.

Understanding (s) Essential Question(s):

Students will understand:
1. Learn about key elements of How did the ancient Greek
ancient Greek civilization, civilization influence today’s
including government, world?
mythology, philosophy, sports,
art, and architecture; and
2. Understand the influence of
ancient Greece in the world
today.

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will know:

1. the influence of government, mythology and philosophy on

today’s world

2. how sports, art, and architecture contributed to our society

Students will be able to:

Compare aspects of ancient Greek civilization and society today.

Compare different interpretations of events and give reasons for the
differences. Select and combine information to produce extended
description of aspects of life in ancient Greece.

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):

Students will be divided into six groups (government, mythology,

etc.) and will prepare a power point presentation to demonstrate the
influences on today’s world.

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

Explain that a great civilization thrived in Greece between 800 and 323
B.C., during a time in history called the classical Greek period. The
ancient Greeks developed new ideas for government, science,
philosophy, religion, and art. The center of ancient Greek culture was
the city-state of Athens. Although wars between Athens and the city-
state Sparta would eventually weaken Greek civilization, its influence is
visible today.

Divide students into groups. Each group researches a part of Greek

government to present a topic for the class. They may use magazines,
newspapers, or pictures from the Internet to create an overview of
Greek government.

Working in partners, students will write and perform a script in which a

reporter interviews a member of the Council of 500 about ancient
Athenian democracy. To develop their scripts, students will research
political life in ancient Greece, focusing on the role of direct
democracy.

Background notes for the teacher:

Ancient Greece was divided up into many city-states. These city-states were
also referred to as a polis, which makes up the English word, politics. These
city-states made up ancient Greece from 800 BC to 300 BC each city state
was capable of ruling itself, even though some were joined in alliance or
some wishing to take over their neighbors.

The occurrence of the city-states has two main factors: geography and the
refusal of kingship. Geography played a part in the rise of the city-states
because Greece is full of different terrain, such as: mountains, valleys, and
islands. Different people found ways to populate the area that they have
lived in, as well as developed their own cults based on the twelve main
Olympian gods. The second reason, refusal of kingship, contributed to the
rise of the city states because some people who were in the aristocratic clan
relied on their own power, not someone else’s and formed their own cities.
Religious beliefs in the city-states were based around the main twelve
Olympian gods- Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter, Artemis,
Apollo, Hestia, Hermes, Ares and Hephaestus. They also believed natural
causes could be explained with myths about the major and minor gods of
Olympus. Many polis's had roughly the same layout. The city-states
consisted of a central square, called the agora. Inside the agora were shops
and offices and public buildings. This was where some of the city's temples
were located. The gymnasium was a sport center as well as a cultural center.
The cultural center contained running tracks and places to bath. There was
also a stadium for those competitive athletes, particularly foot racers. The
theater was used for entertainment of others. Here in the theater there were
dramatic plays. The rest of the city contained houses and privately owned
stores.

Ancient Greece was divided up into many city-states. These city-states were
also referred to as a polis, which makes up the English word, politics. These
city-states made up ancient Greece from 800 BC to 300 BC. Each city state
was capable of ruling itself, even though some were joined in alliance or
some wishing to take over their neighbors. When you were a member of the
polis you had more than a voice in the government. You would have to carry
out military duties and obey the laws. The government in a polis has three
main features: the Assembly, this consisted all, or almost all of the citizens.
Then there was the Council, which prepared work for the Assembly, and the
chief executive officers.

Before Athens had discovered democracy, there was monarchy. The Greek
word, monarchy, means "ruled by one". Monarchy did not last long before
Athens had discovered democracy, there was monarchy. The Greek word,
monarchy, means and oligarchy took its place. Oligarchy, "ruled by few",
existed in the 600’s and 500’s BC. Soon tyranny began. Tyranny was when
one person took over and led the government in his own ways and only his.
But this did not last long, either. Then came a new way of government that
lasted through the centuries: democracy.

Democracy comes from the Greek word, demokratia, which means, "power
by the people". Democracy emerged in Athens during the 500’s and 400’s
BC. The purpose of democracy was to assure the middle class, that they had
a voice in the government. The middle class people were the backbone of
the army and the city of Athens did not want to lose their army in case of
war. Democracy also benefited the poorer of Athens by giving them
representation, because they made up the navy oarsmen, and Athens could
not afford to lose them in case of an attack.
The citizen’s assembly contained 30,000 to 40,000 male citizens (the women
had no rights). They met around forty times a year. In their meetings, they
would debate on important issues and vote. They also changed the law, once
in a while, to fit their needs. The 500 people in the Council prepared the
Assembly's schedule. Democracy is used in many countries and many people
benefit from it as they did in ancient Greece.

Ancient Athens is considered to be the birthplace of democracy. All Athenian

citizens were permitted to vote directly on laws, and 500 citizens were
chosen at random each year to serve on the Council of 500, the city’s
primary legislative body. This system worked well, as it empowered citizens
and encouraged them to take an interest in the political affairs of their
community. However, when democracy was adopted elsewhere, such as in
the Roman Republic, representative democracy replaced the direct model
used in ancient Athens. Representative democracy calls for citizens to vote
for elected officials, who then make laws on their behalf. Although it has
evolved over time, the ancient Greek legacy of democracy lives on today in
the United States and other nations around the globe.
Unit Topic: ____The Parthenon__ Grade level: World History___

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Established Goals:

1. Provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity.

2. Provide for the study of people, places, and environments.
3. Provide for the study of the ideals, principles, and practices of
citizenship in a democratic republic.

Understanding (s) Essential Question(s):

Students will understand:
1. Develop the skills needed to
understand how and why
the Parthenon was built.
2. Why the Parthenon is one of
the best examples of
classical Greek architecture.
Describe the location of the Acropolis and the Parthe
Explain the significance of this location for Athenians
the time of the construction of the temple.
What were the optical refinements used in the
Parthenon? How did each one create an illusion that
enhanced the gracefulness of the structure?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will know:

1. Describe the location, purpose, and significance of the Parthenon and

the Acropolis.

2. Describe the form and function of the Parthenon and its major parts.

Students will be able to:

1. Explain the significance of the Parthenon and Acropolis.

2. Label the major parts of the Parthenon.

3.
 Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s):

Describe the location of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. Explain the
significance of this location for Athenians at the time of the construction of
the temple.

Explain why the Parthenon is on the best examples of classical Greek

architecture.

What were the optical refinements used in the Parthenon? How did each
one create an illusion that enhanced the gracefulness of the structure?

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

Learning Activities:
Group 1: Rooms

• What were the pronaos, naos (or cella), and opisthodomos?

• What was the purpose of each room? (The pronaos was the front
porch, the naos was the main room that held the statue of Athena,
and the opisthodomos was the back room, used to hold offerings
brought to the deity.)
• What was unique about the dimensions and proportions of the naos?
(The proportion between length and width was slightly greater than
two to one.)
• How was its length and height related to its purpose? (It was long
and tall to hold a statue.)
• What was unique about the columns around the pronaos? (They were
Ionic, not Doric.)
• What was the main material used to build the Parthenon? (marble)
• Until the Parthenon was built, what material had most temples been
made of? (wood)

Group 2: Columns and Capital

• How many columns were on each end of the Parthenon? (8 rather

than the usual 6) How many along the sides? (17)
• What was unique about this proportion? (Each side had twice-plus-
one the number of columns at each end.)
• What were some of the optical illusions used to make them appear
more graceful? (Each exterior column has a very slight bulge in the
middle. Also, the upper diameter of each is slightly narrower than its
base diameter. Columns slant inward.)
• What was the peristyle? (the colonnade running around the naos and
supporting its roof)
• What were the capitals, abacus, and echinus? (A capital is the part at
the top of the column, the abacus is the upper portion of the capital,
and the echinus is the lower portion of the capital.)
• What is unique about the Doric capital? (The abacus is square and
the echinus is rounded.)

Group 3: Base and Floor

• What are the crepidoma and the stylobate? (The crepidoma was the
stone base of the temple, with three levels or steps; the stylobate
was the top level that formed the floor of the temple.)
• What were they made of? (stone)
• What optical refinements were used? Why? (The three levels of the
crepidoma are slightly domed in the center because purely horizontal
lines would have appeared to dip in the middle.)
Background notes for the teacher:

Work began on the Parthenon, built on the Acropolis, in 447 BC to replace an

existing temple which was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC and cost 469
silver talents to build. The work began under the orders of Pericles to show
the wealth and exuberance of Athenian power. The name of the building
most likely came from a cult statue of Athena Parthenos housed in the
eastern room of the building. This magnificent structure was built of ivory
and gold and was sculptured by the renowned sculptor Phidias. As with most
buildings on the Acropolis it was dedicated to Athena to thank the Goddess
for their success. The Parthenon was finally finished in 432 BC and was to
show the world the dominance and power of Athens.

The Parthenon had been kept in relatively good condition right up until the
19th century. During this time it had seen a number of changes. For nearly a
thousand years the Parthenon was still used as a temple to Athena until as
late as the 4th Century AD. By this time Athens had been turned into a
province of the Roman Empire and had lost most of its former glory.
Unfortunately sometime in the 5th Century the Parthenon was raided by a
Roman Emperor and the statue of the cult image of Athena was stolen and
taken to Constantinople where it was later destroyed during the crusades
(around 1204 AD). After the looting by the Roman Emperors the building
itself was still intact and was turned into a church in the 5th Century AD by
the Christians. The Byzantine Christians converted the Parthenon in honor of
Parthena Maria (Virgin Mary), or the Church of the Theotokos (Mother of
God), which it remained for around 250 years.

1687 the Venetians, under Francesco Morosini, attacked the Ottomans in

Athens. The Acropolis had been fortified by the Ottomans (as well as the
Athenians over a century before). The building was also used as a
gunpowder store and when the Parthenon took a direct hit from a mortar
fired by the Venetians from the Hill of Philopappus, the gunpowder exploded
and destroyed a large part of the building.

Columns- Ancient Greeks used three different types of columns in their

architecture. The first columns ever made were constructed of carved wood.
They were usually 4 times taller than the width of the column. They also
consisted of a fluted shaft. Scientists believe that the Greeks might have
been influenced by the Egyptian and near eastern tradition.
The Doric column was used in the 7th century BC. It is the oldest column out
of all three types. It has no base and its capital consists mainly of a square
slab resting on a rounded disk or cylinder. The Doric is also the widest
column. In the sixth century the ionic column was introduced to Greece by
the Asians. The ionic has a circular base and a spiral capital. Ionic columns
were more elaborate and elegant than the Doric. The ionic was later
supported by a more elaborate profiled base. In the Roman time of the 4th
century the Corinthian column was used. Corinthian columns are the most
elaborate kind of column. Corinthian columns were made of many layers of
carved acanthus leaves and volutes.
 References

Books:
Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation. Aristotle Onassis Beyond His
Myth. Benaki Museum, 2006.

Bowman, John. Frommer’s Greece, Wiley Publishing Co. 2008.

Clogg, Richard. A Concise History of Greece, Second Edition, Cambridge

University Press, 2007.

Dubin, Marc. Eyewitness Travel Greece-Athens and the Mainland, DK

Eyewitness Travel, 2007. www.dk.gr

Gouvoussis, G. Athens, Acropolis, Athens, Greece, 2007.

Gouvoussis, G. Greece in Colour, Athena, Greece, 2007.

Kokkinou, Sophia. The Most Famous Temples and Sanctuaries of

Ancient Greece, Athens, Greece, 2007.

Ministry of Tourism. Athens, Greece, National Tourism Organization,

November 2007. www.visitgreece.gr

Ministry of Tourism. Greek Gastronomy, Greek National Tourism

Organization.

Ministry of Tourism. Greece Macedonia, National Tourism Organization,

www.visitgreece.gr

Ministry of Tourism, Greek Tourism Posters, A Journey in Time through Art,

Greek National Tourism Organization.

Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Museum of Byzantine Culture, Publie Par, 2006.

Wiggins, Grant, P. and Jay McTighe. Understanding by Design, ASCD, 2005.

Pamphlets:
American Consulate General Office. Welcome to Thessaloniki, February,
2007.
European Commission. National Summary Sheets on Educational Systems in
Europe and Ongoing Reforms, 2006 Edition. www.eurydice.org

Ministry of Culture. Dion, Archaeological Receipts Fund, 2007. www.tap.gr

Ministry of Culture. Pella, Archaeological Receipts Fund, 2007. www.tap.gr

Ministry of Culture. Vergina, Archaeological Receipts Fund, 2007. www.tap.gr

The Museum of Byzantine Culture Friends Association. Museum of Byzantine

Culture, 2007. www.mbp.gr

U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress.

Country Fact Sheet-Greece, May 2008.

Magazines:
Shugart, Diane. Royal Passage, pp 70-72, “The World of Greece Odyssey”
Magazine. May/June 2008. www.odyssey.gr

Internet Resources as of September 2008:

www.archaeolink.com
www.coreknowledge.org
www.library.thinkquest.org
www.school.discoveryeducation.com