History of Athens

not exact, but are meant to symbolize the key thoughts of what was said. Pericles was perhaps one of the most important and powerful Greek statesman, speaker and general during the Peloponnesian war. Pericles' funeral oration comes from Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, published in 431 BC. In the beginning of Pericles’s speech, he starts by praising the custom of the funeral for the dead, by honoring the ancestors and the achievement of the empire.…

Modern scholars have gone as far to say it is “merely an Athenian idealization of the Egyptian castes.” when questioned on it’s influences.(Bernal 106, 153). The egyptian socio-political class structure was common amongst the elite of Athens, and repeated throughout history as later Herodotus mentions the same class constructs. (Diop,…

culture flourished and the city-state of Athens became the world’s first democracy. Nonetheless, similarly to others, the Greek Civilization declined after invaded by outsiders; for the Greek case, it was the Kingdom of Macedonia. II. The Emergence of Greek Golden Age 2.1. Art & Literature Ancient Greeks were shaped by religion, thus building massive and breathtaking temples or sculptures…

The history of the Olympic Games is a good example of showcasing the amateur-professional divide. When the modern games as we know them were revived in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and the International Olympic Committee at the International Athletic Congress. Enforcing amateurism was central to Pierre de Coubertin’s vision for the Olympics. Competitors at the first Olympics in Athens in 1896 were all wealthy, white, aristocratic men. It is important to look at the Olympics when researching the…

A world without a fair government, cures for illnesses, and incorrect views of the world. Without the contributions of the Ancient Greeks, the modern American life would drastically differ. The history books of the world show the great accomplishments of Greece that has ultimately changed the way of living. The current modern life is heavily influenced by the work of the Ancient Greeks like its influence of architecture, advances in science, ingeniously created governments, and the philosophical…

The Acropolis of Athens is probably one of Greece’s most famous attractions. Atop a massive rocky outcrop, you will find a citadel. Within the citadel, there are ancient buildings and architecture of great historic significance. One of the buildings is the world-famous Parthenon. There is also the Propylaia, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheion, A Symbol Of Greek Legacy The Acropolis has such a cultural significance, that students around the developed world are taught about it when…

citizens because they had no land, and therefore could not serve as hoplites, rendering their usefulness to the state near zero. Only men who fought in the phalanx or with the cavalry were of any military worth. This changed with the transformation of Athens into a maritime empire, as thetes were given the responsibility of rowing the triremes. Now that the thetes were of some worth militarily, their political position became much stronger. Strauss states “As rowers in the Athenian fleet,…

god. His devotees, referred to as Dionysians, would celebrate and worship him using cult ceremonies that idolized his interests. At these gatherings, the women would dance themselves silly. Another prominent symbol of Dionysians was the thyrsus (“History of Theatre”). This was a staff with a pine cone on the tip. While carrying this, the devotees would slaughter and ingest raw animal…

The modern revival of the Olympic Games is often credited by many to be due to Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s hard work. However, it is known that there was numerous more players in the execution of bringing the Games back. There is no doubt that all five men deserve credit for helping revive the Games, however the one that deserves the most credit is not de Coubertin, although he is typically credited by a large portion of the population. Similar to the luck-filled, improbable revival of the Games…

(Turkey), is a monumental work of Greek art built by King Eumenes II of the Attalid dynasty, from about 166 to 156 BCE. The altar is adorned with a 370-foot long marble frieze which depicts the Gigantomachy from Greek mythology. Like the Parthenon in Athens - another icon of classical antiquity - the Zeus Altar was constructed on a terrace of the acropolis overlooking the ancient city of Pergamon, situated on the west coast of Anatolia (now Turkey) in Asia Minor. However, unlike the Parthenon,…