Democracy and Greece's Golden Age

Reading Guide Part A:

Pericles had three goals for Athens. 

1. How did Pericles strengthen democracy?

Pericles strengthened democracy by paying public officials.

2. What steps did Pericles take to strengthen the empire and glorify Athens? 

Pericles used money from the Delian League treasury to strengthen the Athenian navy. He glorified Athens by buying gold, ivory, and marble. He also built beautiful sculptors surrounding Athens.

The Greeks invented drama. 

3. What themes were common in Greek tragedy? 

Love, hate, war, and betrayal were all common themes in Greek tragedy.

4. What do the themes of Greek comedies suggest about the men and women of Athens? 

It suggested that women had more power over men. 

Greek philosophers search for truth. 

5. What was Plato’s vision of the ideal society? 

Plato's vision was that instead of a democracy, there would be farmers, artisans, warriors, and the ruling class.

6. What is the philosophic legacy of Aristotle? 

The philosophic legacy of Aristotle is that he questioned the nature of the world and human belief.

Terms: 

direct democracy: all decisions are made by the people

classical art: art from the period of time ranging from Neolithic through to the 1st century BC

tragedy comedy: is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragic and comic forms.

Peloponnesian War: was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and Sparta

philosopher: a person engaged or learned in philosophy.

Socrates: a person who studies the meaning of life. 

Plato: was an Athenian philosopher in Ancient Greece.

Aristotle: was an Athenian philosopher in Ancient Greece.

Questions:

2. Which of Pericles’ goals do you think had the greatest impact on the modern world? Explain your choice.

I think democracy was the greatest impact on modern choice because that's how we run our government today. 

3. What steps did Pericles take to strengthen democracy in Athens?

He increased the number of paid officials and he introduced democracy. 

4. What were the battle strategies of Athens and Sparta in the Peloponnesian War?

Athen's strategies were to avoid land battles and wait to strike from the sea. Sparta's strategies were to strike from land and to burn the Athenian food supply.

5. Why do you think some Athenians found the ideas of Socrates so disturbing?

Maybe because they had never been asked to look at their own morals.