In 5th century BCE Athens was at it s golden age. Drama, sculpting, poetry, philosophy, architecture, and science all reached new and exciting peaks. From 480 to 430 BC Athens was continually productive and successful. All these advances took place with the help of Pericles, an Athenian statesman with a collection of perceptions.
Pericles lead to the addition of the acropolis. Acropolis was a term originally applied to any fortified natural stronghold or citadel in ancient Greece. The typical acropolis was constructed on a hill or eminence rising precipitously from the surrounding region. Because of the protection thus afforded, the area adjacent to the base of the hill frequently became the site of a city. Meetings concerning public issues were discussed there. The acropolis was primarily a place of refuge.
Pericles brought about a new age of architecture during Athen s golden age. The Parthenon was on the Acropolis in Athens. It was a Doric temple of Athena. Built in the 5th century BC, it is the masterpiece of Greek architecture.
Athena was a very important aspect of Athens. Daughter of Zeus, she was the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and peace. She also was the protector of Athens. A 39 ft. statue was built in her honor. Athens strove for arete. They believed that Athena could help them achieve the level of excellence they strove for.
The Essay on The Acropolis
Elmer Boyce Architecture 110 Professor Boestler 02 November 2000 The Athenian Acropolis The Acropolis of Athens has stood as a monument of triumph to the people of Athens for centuries past. The temples within its walls were used to worship Greek gods like Athena and Poseidon. Rising over three hundred feet above the city of Athens, it can clearly be seen why it is called the Acropolis, which ...
In Athenian politics, early developments of democracy surfaced.
Pericles sought to enable all citizens to take an active part in the government. Payment of citizens for their services to the state was introduced, and members of the council were chosen by lot from the entire body of Athenians. It was the first version of democracy that where males could vote and where tyranny and monarchy succeeded.
Architecture was an important region of growth in Athens. Phidias was an Athenian sculptor of the classical period. He designed with outstanding qualities are perfection of form and expression of a profound and noble character. Much of Athens, which took 50 years to build, was built mostly by Phidias.
Under Pericles’ leadership Athens became a great center of literature and art. Drama, a Greek invention, was a major aspect of Athenian life. Tragedies were plays in which the main character s strength lead to an inevitable downfall. In a tragic drama the gods always punished the hero for sinning. Public drama was not only entertainment, it was a form of education. With drama people could learn about political issues and well as questions of morality, peace, war, justice, betrayal, and vengeance. These plays took place in open theaters called amphitheatres.
Philosophy changed dramatically in Athen s golden age. Some of the greatest minds such as, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, came from Athens. Ways of thinking and perspectives of the earth evolved. A way of teaching by asking questions is called the Socratic method; it was developed by Socrates. Plato was Socrates most brilliant student. He created a school called the Academy which lasted for 900 years. Plato was also writer; his most famous work was The Republic. Aristotle was one of Plato s brightest students. He was well-rounded on subjects like biology, morality, music, botany, mathematics, biology, geology, medicine, politics, art, drama, language, geography, education, and law. He developed a set of logical statements known as syllogisms. They were the beginning of scientific thought. Here is an example:
1. All people are mortal.
2. Socrates is a person.
3. Therefore, Socrates was mortal.
Sophocles and Aeschylus were outstanding theater composers. Pythagoras a mathematician, Pindar a poet, Herodotus a historian, and Hippocrates a medicine expert, were also achieved characters.
The Essay on Century Bce Athenian Athenians Athens
The 5 th century BCE was a period of great development in Ancient Greece, and specifically in Athens. The development of so many cultural achievements within Athens and the Athenian Empire has led scholars to deem this period a 'Golden Age.' It is true that his period had many achievements, but in the light of the Athenians treatment of women, metics (non-Athenians living in Athens), and slaves it ...
The gods were also important aspects of Athenian life. Zeus was king of all gods and ruler of the sky. Other gods included Poseidon, god of the ocean, Hades, god of the underworld, Apollo, the god of light, music, healing, and medicine, Delphi, the god of purification, and Hermes, the messenger god. The gods were created in the image of humans; therefore they had human like qualities such as jealous and greed; they were also involved regularly with human interaction.
Athletics were an extremely prominent activity in Athens. A powerful mind equaled a beautiful body to Athenian people. The Olympics were serious competitions in which a male athlete represented his city while competing against others. The competitions were performed in the nude in a stadium that contained about 20,000 people. Some of the feats included sprints, jumps, and tests of strength. The only prize awarded was the laurel, an ancient Greek crown made of evergreen trees. The grandest and most famous Olympic games was the Pan-Hellenic competition. It first took place in 776 BC and continued to meet every four years after that.
All in all, Athenian culture has had lasting effect on cultures today. The biggest contribution of the Greeks to today s world is democracy. Adopted by America, democracy has held our country together for centuries. As it was back in ancient Greece, the Olympics are a extravagantly huge feat for a human to participate in today. Their philosophy counts for many of today’s advances in thinking. Basic subject such as science and math are as important today as they were in ancient Athens. The intellectual level of humans has not changed a great deal compared to the many years that have passed between cultures and societies. Athens s classical period was truly a moment of excellence.
