Greek Culture

Click to edit Master subtitle style World Lit Kavita Krishnan Period 4

Greek God: Apollo

Writers often contrast the cerebral, beardless young Apollo with his half-brother, the hedonistic Dionysus, god of wine.

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/p/Apollo.htm

Greek people created gods that encompassed all characteristics of people.

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/p/Apollo.htm

In Homer, he is god of prophecy and plagues.

The Greeks considered prophecy as powerful as illness.

Apollo and his worship, his festivals and oracles, had more influence upon the Greeks than any other god.

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Apollon.html

Apollo represents the brighter part of Greek culture, as he represents the arts.

The columns were placed to support a building, but also adjusted in size and angle and in footage from each other, so that from a distance, the columns looked perfectly symmetrical.

Architecture
http://greece.mrdonn.org/arts.html

Greek culture placed high importance on geometric beauty and symmetry.

Phidias widely used the golden ratio in his works of sculpture.

http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~demo5337/s97b/art.htm

The Greeks managed to find the most visually pleasing, because they are that smart.
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/greek.htm

The orders are also known for their columns style.

The orders of Greek architecture are three different styles of representing the golden rectangle to reach visual perfection.

Sculpture
One of the immediate results of the new international

Hellenistic milieu was the widened range of subject matter that had little precedent in earlier Greek art.

Source:Artof the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition | Thematic Essay |HeilbrunnTimeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum ofArt

This shows that the Hellenistic period gave rise to a more diverse populace.

Hellenistic art is richly diverse in subject matter and in

stylistic development. It was created during an age characterized by a strong sense of history.

Source:Artof the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition | Thematic Essay |HeilbrunnTimeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum ofArt

This allowed for older versions of deities and figures to be shown in modern ways, influencing images associated with Greek culture.

Hellenistic kings became prominent patrons of the arts,

commissioning public works of architecture and sculpture, as well as private luxury items that demonstrated their wealth and taste.

Source:Artof theHellenisticAge and the Hellenistic Tradition | Thematic Essay |HeilbrunnTimeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum ofArt

This caused patrons of the arts to develop a common language.

Politics

The Greeks had a lot of different kinds of governments, because there were many differentcity - statesin ancient Greece, and they each had their own government.

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/government/

Politics in ancient times differed greatly because each independent city state dealt with its own politics without interference from a leader of the entire Greek populace.

In 510 BC, the city-state ofAthenscreated the firstdemocraticgovernment, and soon other Greek citystates imitated them.

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/government/

Greek people were the first to give power to the people.

Most of the people in Athens couldn't vote - no women, noslaves, no foreigners (even Greeks fromother city-states), no children.

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/government/

As shown in much mythology, Greeks had as many problems with inequality as any other society.

Drama
Athens was the main center for these

theatrical traditions. Athenians spread these festivals to its numerous allies in order to promote a common identity.

http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Theatre/

Plays were a means for uniting the people.

Ancient Greek actors had to gesture

grandly so that the entire audience could see and hear the story. However most Greek theatres were cleverly constructed to transmit even the smallest sound to any seat.

http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Theatre/

Greeks brought miracles of architecture even to the theatres.

The actors were so far away from the

audience that without the aid of exaggerated costumes and masks. [sic]

http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Theatre/

Greek acting was based on dialogue and body language.