March 31, 2015: class

Today in Western Civilization Veronica, Adam, and I worked on our Greece paper. We are almost done we have just about 300 words left to until we reach 1,000. It was hard to write a paper on our topic because it was vague. We wrote about the history of it and how Gods and Goddesses were used in Religion and we talked about the twelve Olympians which were the main Gods and their parents and little history and background about how they overthrew their parents and ruled.

March 27, 2015: Class

Today in class Mr. Delpuppo (I don't think i spelled that right) was our substitute and for the first twenty minutes or so i worked on the Greece (the role of mythology: Greek Gods and Goddesses) paper that's due on Wednesday. After those twenty minutes, i watched the video: "Greeks: the Crucible of Civilization for the rest of the class period.

March 26, 2015: Class

Today in class Mr. Schick wasn't here so we either worked on our papers, Studied for the test on Ancient Greece next Wednesday, or watched a video about Ancient Greece. Veronica, Adam, and I all worked on our 1000 word paper that's due next Wednesday. Our paper is on The role of Greek Mythology: Greek Gods and Goddesses.

March 24, 2015: Presentations

Today in class four groups presented their projects on Greece.

The first presentation was Pericles and the Golden Age by Ellee, Rory, and Kendall.
- Performed tragedies and comedies in plays written around 430 B.C.E
- Plato was the inventor of logic, "father of European thought"
- Socrates created the creator of the question and answer method
What ended the Golden Age?
- Athens wanted to become stronger while Sparta wanted them to become weaker
- This conflict created a war the broke out

The next presentation was the Hoplites & Triremes: Warfare by Karson, Jayla, and Zaire
- Hoplite: most common type of heavily armed foot-soldier in Greece
- 1/3 to 1/2 of men are estimated to have to fight and needed to buy materials for war
- Hoplon: A round shield used for protection for themselves and their neighbor, while also being used as a weapon to bash the enemies
- Triremes: Ancient boats used in the Mediterranean sea, Dominant ships
- Although large in size, they were light enough for the crew to carry back to shore
- Most used in the Persian war: Between Persia & the Greek city-states

After that Chesca, Jessica, and Alyssa presented Philosophers
- Socratic method influenced the scientific method
- Aristotle focused on the systematic concept of logic
- Plato was so upset from the Execution of Socrates that he left Athens
- Republic: Most influential work of Plato
- Socrates defended democracy but the philosophers didn't like the idea of stupid people having a vote
- Philosophers thought that there should be philosopher kings because they were more educated

The final presentation before the class ended was Art and Architecture by Alex and Arthur
- Three main orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian order
- Doric: simplest order, no base
- Ionic: more slender, more decorative, shaft taller than Doric
- Corinthian: most decorative, If it was a nice building, this order was used
Greeks used sculpture to depict battle, mythology, and ruler of the land
Mostly made of marble and bronze
The classical period was when sculpture was dramatically increased
The hellenistic period was the peak of Greek sculpture

March 19, 2015: Notes

Today in class we took notes and started watching a movie about Greek history.

Next in line...
- With Hippias gone, Isagoras and Cleisthenes (both were aristocrats) engaged in a power struggle
- Isagoras had support from some fellow aristocrats, plus from Sparta
- Cleisthenes had support from the majority of Athenians

Isagoras wins (but not for too long)
- Isagoras becomes archon eponymous (tyrant)
- He ostracizes Cleisthenes
- Cleithenes' supporters - and the ordinary Athenian citizens - revolt against Isagoras tyranny
- They trap Isagoras on the acropolis for two days - on the third day he fled and was banished
- 508 B.C.E.

Cleisthenes and Democracy
- Cleisthenes: Definitely a member of the elite
- very rich
- insulted from the "ho polloi"
- a crafty politician

March 18, 2015: Notes

Transformation of government
- During the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E, aristocrats ran the show in most of Greece
- Rich people held more influence in society, and held much more governmental power, than the middle class and the poor

Aristocracy
- Aristocracy is rule by aristocrats
- They attend symposiums, where the elite men would enjoy wine and poetry, performances by dancers and acrobats, and the company of hetaeres (courtesans) while discussing politics

An Exclusive Club
- No women (except the "entertainment")
- No middle class
- Certainly, no slaves
- Sometimes, even certain aristocrats (who didn't have the right connections or who fell out of favor) were excluded/ ostracized
- What to do if you're "on the outside"?

Tyrants Seize Control
- Sometimes aristocrats would form alliances with hoplites (well-armed soldiers), and set up an alternative form of government called a tyranny
- Tyrant: someone who rules outside the framework of the polis
- Modern meaning of a tyrant: an abusive or oppressive ruler
- The Greek meaning of Tyrant: someone who simply seized power (usually with hoplite help)

Clash of the tyrants
- Hippias was a tyrant who ruled from 527 to 510 BCE
- His brother was murdered, and his rule became harsh
- Eventually he was expelled from Athens (being ostracized)
- In revenge, he began working with the Persian King Darius I, helping them invade marathon

March 17, 2015: Class

Today in Western civilization we worked on our projects and tried to finish them up to present in class on Friday. Veronica, Adam, and I finished our project for the most part today. Our project is on the Greek Gods & Goddesses and the role of mythology. We used the twelve Olympians and described each God/Goddess.

March 12, 2015: Class

Today in class we talked about the Greek project we were assigned. Since me, Veronica, and Adam weren't here yesterday we were assigned "Gods and Goddesses: The Role of Mythology." We face timed Mr. Schick's daughter since it was her birthday and we sang happy birthday to her.

March 11, 2015: Sick

Today i was sick.

March 10, 2015: Greek notes

(Ancient) Greece is the Word

Three seas
The Aegean sea, The Adriatic sea, and the Ionian sea

Geography/ its significance
- Greece is a mountainous peninsula
- Mountains cover 3/4 of Greece
- Approximately 1400 islands in the Adriatic, Ionian, and Aegean seas
- This combination shaped Greece's culture
- They had many skilled sailors and shipbuilders
- Also had farmers, metalworkers, weavers, and potters
- They had poor/ limited natural resources, so they needed to trade
- It was difficult to unite the ancient Greeks because of the terrain
- They developed small, independent communities/ city-states

Even more geography...
- Although fertile valleys cover one quarter of the peninsula, only about 20% is arable/ suitable for farming
- Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, olives: Really healthy, Export to other places
- Lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization
- Back then, temperatures usually ranged from mid- 40's in the winter to low 80's in the summer; although it could get hot in the summer, it was pretty nice year-round

Some early peoples - First, Mycenaeans
- Their influence began around 2000 B.C.E.
- Mycenae is located on a rocky ridge and protected by a 20 foot wall
- Mycenaean kings dominated Greece from 1600 - 1200 B.C.E.
- Controlled trade in the region
- 1400 B.C.E: Mycenaeans invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan culture and language

then, "Sea People" & Dorians
- Around 2000 B.C.E. the mysterious "Sea people" (not sure who they were to this day) began to invade Mycenae and burnt palace after palace
- So, the Dorians moved into this war-torn region

• They were far less advanced
• the trade-based economy collapsed
• Writing disappeared for 400 years 
• Talk about a culture in decline... except...

Enter Homer the storyteller

- Greek oral tradition: Stories passed on by the word of mouth

- Homer lived at the end of the "Greek dark ages"

- He composed stories of the Trojan war (took place in Troy) around 750-700 B.C.E. 

- The Iliad: Probably one of the last conquests of the Mycenaeans (The Trojan War)

- The Odyssey: Odysseus attempts to return home, being thwarted by the angry god of the sea, Poseidon

- The Odyssey was 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter

Did Homer actually exist?

- the "Homeric question": Homer may have been a mythical creation himself 

- A blind wandering minstrel; a heroic figure 

- Iliad and Odyssey may be the culmination of many generations of storytelling

- Or... Homer actually existed and was just that awesome

March 5, 2015: Greek Arhcitecture

(got out of bed just to do this)

1. The temple of Athena Nike

- Temple on the Acropolis of Athens

- built in or around 420 B.C.E.

- In Greek, Nike means "Victory" 

- Athena was goddess in victory in war and wisdom 

- 27 feet long, 18 1/2 feet wide, and 23 feet tall

- Nike was originally going to be "winged victory" but since the statue didn't have any wings they later called it the "wingless victory"

 

2. Olympia
- Sanctuary in Greece
- Held the Olympic Games
- Sanctuary was known as Altis
- Random arrangement of different buildings

3. Corinthian Order
- Greek, Renaissance or Roman Corinthian orders
- The oldest Corinthian column was built around 450 - 420 B.C.E.
- Named after the Greek city-state, Corinth
- The height to width ratio is about 10:1
- Many variations

March 4, 2015: Class

In Western civilization today we talked mostly about how we won't have school tomorrow and probably not tomorrow. We will have a cyber assignment tomorrow most likely on Greek architecture. I will have to shovel by myself because my 19 year old brother can't get out of the basement for an hour or so and help me shovel. So I will have to shovel the drive way, the entire extended side walk, and half of the road, since the snow plow put all the snow on our drive way, all by myself. Jayla shared a story about a tribe girl who was found 1,000 years later and was still in good condition.

March 3, 2015: Ancient Greece is the Word

(Ancient) Greece is the Word

An introduction to a great civilization

The world's greatest civilizations were all located on rivers. 

Great civilizations/ Key river

Mesopotamia/ Tigris and Euphrates river

Egypt/ Nile river

India/ Indus river

China/ Huang He river

Greece's Geography

- Note the significance of Greece's location.

- Describe Greece's topography

Greece is a mountainous, peninsula on the Mediterranean sea. 

- Capital of Greece is Athena/ Athens

- Athens/ Athena lived by the idea of the city-state

Mediterranean Sea

Terra - Earth 

Mediterranean means middle of the earth 

A closer look

- What bodies of earth surround Greece?

The Adriatic sea is on the west shore and the Aegean sea is on the east shore. 

- What large island is south/southeast?

Crete is the large island south/southeast of Greece. 

- Describe where Athens and Sparta are located relating to sea, and to each other. 

Sparta is more inland and closer to the Adriatic sea, while Athens is on the coast of the Aegean sea. 

We most likely would be more advanced if there wasn't those 1,000 years of stupidity where the Romans copied everything the Greeks had done. 

Greek Mythology

- Trojan war fought in Troy

- Odyssey and Iliad are poems about the war

- The Iliad was the story of the Trojan war

- The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus trying to get home after the Trojan war

- Both were written in Rhyme and Rhythm 

- They were written by Homer