Jillian Kurzmann's Blog 2/16/18

Jillian Kurzmann
2/16/18
Honors Western Civilization

Today in class, we took a test. We also read some pages in the textbook.

• Pericles led Athens during most of its golden age.
• He held on to popular support for 32 years.
• He dominated Athens from 461-429 B.C.
• This is called the age of Pericles.
• He increased the number of public officials who were paid salaries.
• Most were unpaid.
• Only wealthy Athenian citizens could afford to hold public office.
• He changed it so now even the poorest citizens could serve if elected or chosen.
• Athens had more citizen engaged self-government than any other city-state in Greece.
• Direct Democracy- a form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives.
• This was important to Pericles.
• Some other city-states practiced this.
• Pericles made a speech honoring Athenians who died in war.
• Athens organized the Delian League. 
• Athens took leadership of it. 
• Pericles used the money for the navy.
• A strong navy was important for Athens' safety.
• Some other cities didn't like the Delian League.
• Money was also used to beautify Athens.
• The Parthenon is a masterpiece of architectural design and craftsmanship.
• It was dedicated to Athena and it has a statue of her in it.
• Classical art is values of harmony, order, balance, and proportion.
• They invented theater.
• Tragedy is a serious drama about common themes such as love, hate, war, or betrayal.
• They included tragic heroes such as: Aeschylus, Oresteia, Oedipus, Antigone, and Medea.
• Comedy is a play filled with slapstick situations and crude humor.
• Herodotus reported events during the Dorian Period.
• Thucydides believed certain types of events and political situations recur over time.
• The Peloponnesian War was between Athens and Sparta.
• Sparta had a strong army.
• Pericles wanted it on the sea.
• Sparta marched into Athenian territory.
• Pericles brought people inside of the city walls.
• A plague struck Athens.
• Killing 1/3 of the population.
• They finally signed a truce.
• It didn't last long.
• Athens attacked Syracuse.
• Sparta won and Athens was destroyed.
• Athens lost its empire. 
• Philosophers means lovers of wisdom.
• Two kinds: the universe is put together in an orderly way, and subject to absolute and unchanging laws and; people can understand these through logic and reason.
• Protagoras questioned Greek Gods.
• Socrates encouraged questioning yourself. 
• He was poisoned.
• Plato continued Socrates beliefs.
• He wrote the Republic.
• His writings dominated Europe for 1,500 years.
• Aristotle questioned the nature of the world and human belief, thought, and knowledge.
• He created rules for arguing.
• He created the Scientific Method.
• He taught Alexander the Great.
• Greeks liked sculpture.
• Some examples of artwork are: Nike of Samothrace, Red and Black Pottery, the Parthenon, and Dramatic Masks and Theater.