西方文化导论ancient Greece 教案

I. A general introduction of Ancient Greece

Today we are going to visit the world of Ancient Greece. Ancient Greece was really the start , or origin of European civilization. It was the foundation of western politics, law, art and culture. Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome together are sometimes called the \"classical world\" or \"classical civilization.\" The study of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome is called \"classics\". The civilization of Ancient Greece was at its height about 400-500 years BC. At that time, it was one of the most advanced places on Earth, in terms of economics and culture.

However, it is not really correct to say that Ancient Greece was one country , as we think of a country today. Ancient Greece was actually a large number of small independent cities. This was thanks to the geography of Greece : the large number of mountains, hills and valleys divided the country up into small areas. Each of these areas had their own government, and they have been called city states. the most famous of these is of course Athens. The name Athens comes from the Greek goddess Athena, who was the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. However, in spite of this, the people of ancient Greece still saw themselves as Greek. They had the same language, the same culture, and the same religion. In many respects, society in ancient Greece was very different to society today. In one example, men and women were not equal and were treated differently. Men could go to the theatre and talk about politics and things like that, but women had to stay at home. women were not allowed to take part in politics and public life. They just had to stay at home and do the domestic work. Most families also had slaves. These slaves were not given the same rights as a Greek citizen. They couldn't own their own houses or land--they just had to be servants in somebody else's house. Slavery was very common, and even a poor Greek family might have a few slaves. It was not just the Greeks that did this. However--slavery was normal in ancient world--- it happened in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome. In spite of this, there are also many positive things about Ancient Greece ---things which have an enormous impact on history. One thing Ancient Greece is famous for was its intellectual life. Ancient Greece philosophers ,like Aristotle, Plato and Socrates used reason an d logic to try and understand the world. The Greeks are also famous for their science ---particularly in mathematics and astronomy. Their understanding in these areas was very advanced and sophiscated for their time. Their discoveries had a large impact on modern philosophy and modern science. Ancient Greek culture was also very famous. Perhaps the most important literature that came out of ancient Greece are the works of Homer. He wrote two epics, known as Iliad and Odyssey. They are generally seen as the first great works in the history of western literature. The Ancient Greeks also invented the theatre and drama as we know it today. Religion was another important part of life here. The Greeks were polytheists, that is , they believed in many different gods. A lot of the stories and mythology of Ancient Greece are to do with these different gods. Greek architecture is also famous because Greek religion was very important, the largest and most beautiful buildings are religious buildings, such as temples to different gods. The Greek style or classical style became the standard for great buildings

in Europe and it still is today. Many famous buildings in Europe and America are built in this style---including the White House. Another legacy from Ancient Greece was the sport. The Greeks invented the sports competitions to honor their gods. The most famous of these was held every four years in a place called Olympia. It is from this we get the Olympics. From politics to culture, from architecture to sport, Ancient Greece's influence on later European civilization has been extremely important. Outline:

Ancient Greece was really the start or origin of western civilization. Geography: mountainous Politics: city-states/ poleis

slave-based democracy politics

Philosophy: philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Science: mathematics, astronomy

A polis or city state is state made up of a city and its surrounding countryside and towns Literature: epics ( Iliad and Odyssey), poetry, and drama Religion: polytheists, mythology Architecture: standard style Sport: Olympics

II. Learning objectives

 To get a brief view of the history and development of Greek Civilization

 To be familiar with Greek culture in mythology, religion, philosophy, history, literature and arts  To know some representative philosophers and their contributions

III. Word study

Neolithic ['niə'lɪθɪk] adj. [古] 新石器时代的；早先的 Cretan [‘kritən] n. 克里特岛人adj. 克利特岛的 Mycenean civilisation 迈锡尼文明 Thessaly[‘θesəli] n. 塞萨利（希腊地名)

Trojan [‘trodʒən] adj. 特洛伊的；特洛伊人的

Iliad英 [‘iliəd] n. 伊里亚特（相传为荷马所做的古希腊史诗） Odyssey英 美 ['ɑdəsi] n. 奥德赛（古希腊史诗） Ajax ['eidʒæks ]n.【希腊神话】（亦作 Ajax Telamon] ／'teləmən／， Great Ajax(大)埃阿斯(特洛伊围攻战中的希腊英雄，骁勇和膂力仅次于阿喀琉斯。在夺回阿喀琉斯尸体之战中立了功，但当阿喀琉斯的盔甲给予奥德修斯时，怒而自刺身亡)

Achilles [ə'kili:z] n.【希腊神话】阿喀琉斯(或译阿基里斯；出生后被其母握脚踵倒提着在冥河水中浸过，因此除未浸到水的脚踵外，浑身刀枪不入；希腊勇士，曾参加围攻特洛伊城)

IV. Interpretation of Cultural Terms

The Neolithic 新石器时代: It is a period in the development of human technology, beginning in about A. the Heroic Age B. the Golden Age

C. the Cretan Civilization 9500 BC in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age. The Neolithic is a measured progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and

changes, including the use of wild and domestic crops and the use of domesticated animals.

Minos 米诺斯: In Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan Civilization of pre-Hellene Crete has been named after him by the archaeologist Arthur Evans.

V. Comprehension Exercises ：multiple choice.

(1) ____ is the major foundation in the Western culture and makes a powerful impact on the development of human civilization. A. Ancient European culture B. Ancient Greek culture C. Ancient Chinese culture D. Ancient Egyptian culture

(2) Greek culture can date back to____. A. the Neolithic Age B. the Bronze Age C. the Stone and Bronze Age D. the Old Stone Age

(3) Mycenaean culture was influenced the most by Cretan culture on ____. A. farming

B. handicraft and trade C. religion D. philosophy

(4) The Trojan War broke out at the end of ____. D. the Mycenaean Civilization

(5) The first Olympiad began in the ____ period of the Golden Age. A. archaic B. central C. dependent D. dark

VI. Think and Discuss

Give a brief introduction to the Trojan War and check references to know more about the war.

The Trojan War broke out at the end of the Mycenaean Civilization. All the city-states in Mycenae sent troops to help form a coalition army for the battles. Not long after the war, the Dorians from the northwest of Greece invaded and destroyed Mycenae in about the12th–11th centuries BC. Think and Discuss

(1) Greek Mythology and Religion

Greek mythology is based on a religion which took shape during the Homeric Age and was developed from animism and fetishism into polytheism. The religious tales became fully developed myths in the Homeric epic and thus contributed greatly to the later development of all Greek arts.

In Greek myth, all the gods live on Mount Olympus. There’s a list of a group of 12

gods (The Olympians) who ruled after the overthrow of the Titans. Main Ideas Main Ideas

VI. Text Study Main Ideas

God & Goddess Character Zeus Poseidon Hades Hestia Hera Ares Athena Apollo the heavenly king of the gods and ruler of mankind the moody god of the seas the gloomy god of the underworld the calm goddess of the hearth the mature goddess of the family the fierce god of the war the sophisticated goddess of wisdom and arts the youthful god of the sun and the music Aphrodite Hermes Artemis Hephaestus

the sensual goddess of love and beauty the cunning god of the trade the wild goddess of the hunt the ill-favored god of metallurgy (2) Greek Philosophy

Greek philosophy emerged from the bondage of religion and went through a

process of fruitful theoretical research combined with practical experience before it achieved its high point in the history of human intellectual development. It has influenced much of Western thought with a wide variety of subjects, including political philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, ontology, logic, biology, rhetoric and aesthetics. Main Ideas Text Study Main Ideas

Early Greek Philosophers and Their Noble Ideas School Name Main Idea Thales The world originated in water and predicted a total eclipse of the sun. The origin of everything in the world is unlimited and all things split into two opposites. Fire is the fundamental substance in the universe, and the universe is in a state of ongoing change, struggle or flux. Materialism Anaximander Heraclitus Materialism Democritus Material world is composed of tiny, inseparable particles called atoms. Pythagoras Idealism Protagoras Everything is numbers. And it is possible to acquire mystical knowledge. Man is the measure of all things.

The Most Influential Philosophers in Greece Name Life & Notable Main Interests Achievements Ideas Works Socrates a classical Greek epistemology, (470 BC Athenian ethics – 399 BC) philosopher, one of the founders of Western philosophy Socratic method, Socratic irony Socratic dialogues written by his students Plato and Xenophon Plato a classical Greek rhetoric, art, Platonic (427 BC – philosopher, literature, realism 347 BC) mathematician, epistemology, student of justice, virtue, Socrates, founder politics, of the Academy in education, Athens, and one of family, the founders of militarism Western philosophy and science writer of philosophi-cal dialogues, Apology, Protagoras, Gorgias, Phaedo, Symposium, Padres, The Republic, The Law Aristotle a Greek physics, golden (384 BC – philosopher, a metaphysics, mean, 322 BC) student of poetry, theatre, reason, Plato, one of music, logic, the most rhetoric, syllogism, important politics, passion founding government, figures in ethics, Western biology, philosophy zoology The Categories, The Peri Hermeneias, The Prior Analytics, The Posterior Analytics, Topics and the Sophistical Refutations, Physics, The Politics, On the Parts of Animals, Zoology and History of Animals Text Study _III_1.3.1 Main Ideas Text Study

Main Ideas (3) Literature

Greek literature is considered to consist of epic, lyrical poetry and drama. Category Type Writer’s Name Homer Character Works Epic Poetry Lyric narrative poems Iliad, about the period of Odysseus Trojan War Hymns Callimachus elegiac poems hymns Theocritus epigrams The Syracusan & Woman, The Graces, The Sorceresses Phenomena Aratus poetry Lyric Nicander Sappho Pindar hexameters scientific poems Theriaca love poems odes the 14 Olympian Odes Drama Prometheus Bound, The 70–90 Persians, Agamemnon, The tragedies, Phrygians, The Seven Tragedy Aeschylus only 7 against Thebes, The survived Suppliant Maidens and The Oresteia Sophocles Oedipus the King, Electra and Antigone Euripides about women Andromache, Medea and Trojan Women Drama

Comedy Aristophanes sense of Knights comic (4) History and Dissident Ideas

Greek history has contributed considerably to the constitution of Greek and Western civilization with its abundant documents of a variety of historical events and figures scattered in social, political, military and cultural fields. The most famous historians are Herodotus(485 BC–425 BC) and Thucydides(about 460 BC–404 BC).

Herodotus is generally acknowledged as the first reputed historian of Greece. His writing Histories objectively describes the war between Persians and Greece.

Thucydides is generally acknowledged as one of the greatest of ancient Greece for his truthfulness, conciseness and imagination. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the struggle between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC, as the first recorded political and moral analysis of a nation’s war policies.

Besides, Polybius produced Histories about Alexandria with 40 volumes in all, coving the growth of Rome in 120 years from the beginning of the First Punic War till the surrender of Greece. But unfortunately it hasn’t survived intact and only some fragments were preserved.

As well, there were some dissident scholars in ancient Greece, whose viewpoints were quite abnormal or even different from the mainstream opinions of the day. Their chief representatives were Isocrates and Xenophon. Isocrates was a rhetorician, regarded as one of the ten Attic orators. In his time, he was probably the most influential rhetorician in Greece and made many contributions to rhetoric and education through his teaching and written works. His works are Panegyricus, Areopagiticus, On the Peace, etc. Xenophon was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, and a contemporary admirer of Socrates. He is known for his writings on the history of his own times, the 4th century BC,

preserving the sayings of Socrates, and descriptions of life in ancient Greece and the Persian Empire. His works are Hellenica, Memorabilia, Apology, etc. Main Ideas Text Study

(5) Art and Science Art

Aspect Architecture Representatives Phidias Character the grandest building in Athens－Parthenon famous for its noble simplicity and calm grandeur Stage 1: typical in mythological scenes Sculpture Myron, Polyclitus Painting vase decoration Stage 2: portrayal of elements of beauty in objects with mythological subjects Painting vase decoration Stage 3: various forms of technical skills developed in a number of schools in Athens, and other city-states Science Scientist Fields Achievements Pytheas explored the northern parts of Europe, measured shadows with the aid of a sort of geography sundial called a gnomon, and calculated the circumference of the earth Hipparchus astronomy perfected measuring instruments and calculated the movements of stars Text Study _III_1.5.4 Main Ideas Text Study Main Ideas Euclid mathematics established the science of plane geometry Archimedes discovered the ratio of radius of a circle in mathematics mathematics, found out the relationship & physics between the volume and surface of a sphere

VII. .Interpretation of Cultural Terms

Mount Olympus 奥林匹斯山: The highest mountain in Greece, well-known as the “home of the gods” in Greek mythology. The deities who dwelled on this mountain were ruled by Zeus, included his wife, his brothers, his sisters and his children.

Thespis 泰斯庇斯: He was thought as a singer of dithyrambs by Aristotle. He won a great reputation for important innovations and reformation in Greek play. Today it is a general term for an actor. In some literature, he was depicted as the first well-known actor in written plays on stage，and he introduced the first principal actor in addition to chorus. His great contribution to drama is his original Greek tragedy as we know today.

Ptolemy 托勒密: An Egyptian dynasty ruled by Macedonian kings from 323 BC to 30 BC. The Ptolemies lasted the long period from Ptolemy I (367?–283?), who was ever a general in Alexander the Great’s army and then became the king of Egypt as Alexander’s successor (323–285), to Ptolemy XV (47–30), and who shared the throne (44–30) with his mother, Cleopatra.

The Battle of Cnidus 奈达斯战役 (394 BC): The naval battle which happened in 394 BC between the joint Athenian-Persian fleet and the Spartan fleet. Finally the Spartan fleet was defeated owing to lack of the experience, thus breaking Sparta’s dream of naval supremacy. After this battle the anti-Spartan union was strengthened and attacked the Spartan hegemony during the Corinthian War.

Myron 米隆 (c.480 BC–440 BC): A Greek sculptor, born in Eleutherae and lived in Athens. He was considered the first to achieve lifelike representation in Art. He is well-known for his bronze sculpture of athletes in action. However, nowadays only two of his works are left, including the group of Athena and Marsyas, and the “Discobolos” (Discus Thrower).

Polyclitus 波利克里托斯: A noted Greek bronze sculptor in the 5th and the early 4th centuries BC. He belonged to the school of Argos. His works included the colossal gold and ivory statue of Hera，a famous bronze male nude known as the “Doryphoros” (“Spear-carrier”) and other statues “Discobolus” (“Discus-bearer”), “Diadumenos” (“Diadem-wearer”). Under the influence of Polyclitus and Phidias, the Classical Greek style was created and shaped, modelled on Polykleitos’ school which lasted for about three generations as the earliest one in Greek sculpture history.

VIII.Comprehension Exercises

True or false question.

(1) The play Oedipus at Colonus was written by Aristophanes. (2) Greek philosophy started with Aristotle.

(3) The famous bronze sculpture of athletes, Discus Thrower, was created by Myron.

(4) Euclid discovered the ratio of radius of a circle and the relationship between the volume and surface of a sphere.

(5) The chief Greek philosophers are Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

1) Give a brief account of the major achievements of Greek culture, such as those in religion, philosophy, literature and science.

Greek religion really took shape during the Homeric Age and featured polytheism with gods taking human form and feeling. Greek religion made a great contribution to Greek literature, philosophy and art. It is an important origin of Greek mythology which was fully developed by the religious tales of the Homeric epic and thus affected the later development of all kinds of Greek culture.

Greek philosophy started with Thales (640 BC–547 BC) who believed that the material world originated in water. His philosophy was materialism. He was followed by Pythagoras who assumed that the key to the understanding of the world is numbers, on the opposition of the spokesman for idealism.

The core Greek philosophers are Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Socrates had scant regard for material wealth, but was keen on probing into the definition of some ethical and behavioral issues, such as “friendship” and “courage”.

Plato established the Academy － the first Greek institution of higher learning. His contributions included his theory of ideas and his arguments on “republic” which was supposed to embrace his ideals about a future state where humans could enjoy a happy life. Aristotle is also a learned man and his work covers wide-ranging areas. His reputation as a philosopher largely depends on his argument on metaphysics which he tried to achieve a compromise between matter and divinity.

Literary representation centred round the two epic poems of the Iliad and the Odyssey, lyrical poetry by Sappho and Pindar and drama by Aeschylus, Euripides and Aristophanes.

Their works combined Greek myths and social life and won much appreciation and enthusiasm from the public.

In science the mathematician Euclid established plane geometry and Archimedes discovered the ratio of radius of a circle and the relationship between the volume and surface of a sphere.

(2) What do you think of the influence Greek culture has exerted on Western civilization as a whole? Give examples

Greek culture is often termed the cradle of the Western civilization and has had an enormous impact on Western culture. The specific contributions are found in the areas of philosophy, politics, literature, art, science and architecture.

Greek politics was one of the greatest influences on the Western civilization. The Greeks were the first to successfully create a government based on the consensus of the people and thus provided a foundation for Western democracy.

The Socratic idea about ethics and knowledge helped the Westerners care more for the effect of knowledge and value of morality, both of which give sound guidance to people in the later years to improve and change the world outside themselves, i.e., human society and the natural world.

Later generations of Westerners have benefited a lot from Greek culture, such as those in painting, sculpture, architecture, drama, poetry and historical works. Classicism had Greek culture as one of the crucial sources, and this has helped Westerners so much that they ascribed the origin of the Renaissance to it. This changed the intellectual conditions of the later medieval period and opened the way to modern era in the West.