...comprised of different influential leaders that enforced and created new policies, or developed them further, causing a major upheaval in ancient Athens. Major leaders from many diverse backgrounds grew in prominent power to forever change the influence of their people. Democracy in Athens’s didn’t consist of just an evolutionary or revolutionary transformation alone, but a combination of both. Significant leaders consisted of Solon the law giver, tyrant Peisistratus, democrat Cleisthenes, Athenian statesmen Pericles and Cimon. Prior to the build-up of democracy, Athenian government was ruled by an aristocratic council called the Areopagus. Soon to follow a man named Solon erected a new upheaval in political government to forever...
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...History Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 3,000 years, becoming the leading city of ancient Greece in the first millennium BCE; its cultural achievements during the 5th century BCE laid the foundations of western civilization. During the Middle Ages, the city experienced decline and then recovery under the Byzantine Empire, and was relatively prosperous during the Crusades, as they benefitted from Italian trade. After a long period of decline under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Athens reemerged in the 19th century as the capital of the independent Greek state. Tradition relates that Sparta was founded by its first king, Lacedaemon, son of Zeus and Taygete, who named the city after his wife, the daughter of Eurotas, around 1000 BCE. Some eighty years after the Trojan War, according to the traditional chronology, Dorian migration from the north took place and eventually led to the rise of classical Sparta — famous as a martial power, foe of the Persian Empire, and eventual conqueror of Athens. After conquering many kingdoms and warring with many communities, Sparta spread to a major empire around 400 BCE. This was also the time of Athens' fall, which proclaimed Sparta superior in the constant war of the two empires. In medieval times, the city of Sparta was destroyed by many invasions. Modern day Sparta, which is known as Sparti in Greece, was rebuilt around 1834. History Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 3,000 years, becoming the leading city...
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...city-states in Greek society, Athens and Sparta, offer a glimpse into two ancient cultures in which the role of women was vastly different. Athens and Sparta were two city-states in Ancient Greece. A city-state...
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...THESIS STATEMENT Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and sentenced to die for his beliefs. He accepted this punishment because he truly thought what he believed was right. PURPOSE STATEMENT By conducting research and examining various sources, The trail of Socrates proved to be an important part in history, impacting the development of Western Philosophy and allowing the beliefs of Socrates to live on to this day. INTRODUCTION “The death of Socrates has had a huge and almost continuous impact on western culture” (Wilson 1). Socrates life, trial, and death are all important parts of history. Socrates was a philosopher in Athens who believed in using reason to explain different aspects of life. During his lifetime, he not only tried to help develop his own mind and understanding of life, but also those around him. He often tried to teach the adolescence and get them to use their minds. Socrates enjoyed teaching children because their minds were still open and they were willing to learn. However, his views varied from most of other people around him. He was put on trial because others did not care for his methods. He was eventually executed. Socrates had the courage to be different and marked the beginning of Western Philosophy. His trial was one of the first of its kind and it is the first recorded trial in which someone was sentenced to death as a result of their beliefs. “Plato tells us that Socrates compared himself to a gadfly, whose stings...
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...While the idea of democracy in the Age of Pericles was designed to strengthen Athens, its weaknesses ultimately led to its inevitable termination. This thesis will be defended by showing that democracy denied morals and ethics, examining the weakness in the system of democracy, and demonstrating a flawed system. Democracy has not worked in the past because although it holds up its idea of justice, it denies the basic morals and ethics of human rights. “Think not of life and children first, and justice afterward, but of justice first” (Document 2), is the message that was set out by the laws of democracy. These same laws are what failed Socrates in the end. He was a “victim, not of the laws, but of men” (Document 2). In the end, it was the laws set up by humans themselves that truly brought out the worst qualities in human nature. While philosophy focused on the rights of man, democracy focused on the rights to govern man. In order to create a form of government that benefited the people as well as morals and ethics, “a love of truth and hatred for falsehood that will not tolerate untruth in any form” (Document 3) was needed. According to Socrates, “there is nothing more closely akin to wisdom than truth. So the same nature cannot love wisdom and falsehood” (Document 3). The problem with democracy is that it denies truth in order to justify its means. Referring back to the example of Socrates, who was failed under the system of democracy, it is seen that although democracy...
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...knowledge taught to them by another individual. The “Gadfly of Athens Socrates is conceivably one of the most famous and popular philosophers throughout history and was the teacher of Greek philosopher Plato who later taught Aristotle. Socrates was born between the years of 470/469 BCE in Athens, Greece. Socrates was extremely aficionado of “the examined life” which is a person such as Socrates who continually attempts to achieve virtue or righteousness through reflective contemplation by questioning habits and devotion to truth. Socrates spent most of his life questioning and criticizing Athenian politics turning truth...
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... Socrates began as a stonemason, but quickly made the change to a life pursuing the answers to all moral problems with emphasis on the right conduct by which one should live their life. His teachings attracted groups of young men who adopted his methodologies and became fascinated with the ideas he presented, which although popular with some, were often in conflict with the politicians in Athens at the time. Socrates lived through one of Athens’ most advanced eras and he saw firsthand the rise of the Athenian Empire. He often passed judgment and was highly opinionated on many issues which were putting Athens on the map, including democracy. He also promoted honesty and virtue as key contributors to a happy life. Socrates was one of only a few philosophers to be recognised for his work in his lifetime and this indicates that he must have been significant in some capacity. However, Athens was an ever-expanding empire, which meant that their culture was heavily impacted on by not just Greek people on the inside but also by the countries that they conquered and the foreigners who came to Athens as slaves or traders. These outside influences must be balanced against the interior influences of men such as Socrates to explore to what extent philosophy and the teachings of Socrates had on the advancement of Ancient Greek civilisation. Socrates’ was a revered member of society at the height of his philosophical career. He spoke often on his views on moral conduct and behaviour...
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...Greek had no significant evidence of growth during this time. This transition between Mycenean and unborn Hellenic civilization was a time of warfare, migration, and poverty. One group of Invaders, called the Dorians penetrated the Peloponnesian peninsula in the south and founded Sparta. Another group of invaders called the Ionians settled in Attica (where Athens is located). Both of the Invaders settled in Greece. After the Dark Age ended, crafts, myths, art, and religion were adopted to the Greek culture. Expansions in trade and increase in population eventually led to the Greeks settling on the coast of Asia minor, the islands of Aegean Sea, the Black Sea, southern Italy, and to the west of Sicily. Settlements functioned as their own city states and also kept ties to homeland...
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...culture 3. Classical Greece * Duration of the Classical period * Characteristics of the Classical period * Impact of the Classical period on Greece’s culture 4. Hellenistic Greece * Duration of the Hellenistic period * Characteristics of the Hellenistic period * Impact of the Hellenistic period on Greece’s culture 5. Roman Greece * Transition to Roman Greece * Characteristics of the period under Roman rule * Impact of the Greek culture on Rome 6. Political structure of Ancient Greece 7. Social structure of Ancient Greece 8. War in Ancient Greece 9. Religion in Ancient Greece 10. Impact of Ancient Greece on today Introduction to Ancient Greece I chose to write about Ancient Greece because my heritage is from that area of the world and that makes it very interesting to me. The period of time that ancient Greece covers spans for about one thousand years and includes several stages of cultural, economic, and political development. This period was also very important because many consider it the time when western culture was born and developed. However, before ancient Greece developed to the point at which it impacted other regions, it went thru several stages of its own development and maturing. Archaic period in Ancient Greece Archaic period in Greece is the time that followed the Greek dark ages. It lasted for about 320 years and is extremely important to ancient Greece because it set the foundation for...
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...made up of seven strong states that all thrived for hundreds of years. Two of these states, Athens and Sparta, though were known for more than just being apart of the Greek empire, but for how they ran there states and what they contributed to history. The people of Athens were more for the peace and wisdom side of living. Being interested in mainly arts, music, and the education life brought them. While Sparta was more for the military, and a man of Sparta would die for his state then lay down his arms. Though these two states that were thriving to be the more dominate state they both were able to compile different ways to become two powers in ancient Greece. This essay will compare and contrast Athens and Sparta in their everyday life and social classes, their government, and their different cultures. Also it will go over how these two states failed in the end....
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...Athens and Sparta Essay Athens and Sparta are among the most spoken about city-states (city-state is an entity whose territory consists of a city. This is not administered as a part of another local government that is independent in Ancient Greece). These two city-states were related in many ways but also have many differences. Athens was a very pleasant city-state. Unlike many city-states, it had a democratic government. A democratic government is a government that lets the people rule or (self-rule), (self- governing). Democracy kept the Athens citizens pleased and allowed them the freedom to make their city-state improve their lifestyle. Athens was also famed for its high arts and sciences. This made them capable of knowledge beyond the city-states brim. Athens traded its goods in Agoras (Agoras was a central spot in ancient Greece. The literal meaning of the word is "Gathering Place" or "Assembly”.) Eventually, trading and Persia’s defeat in a long battle (500 B.C-449 B.C.) contributed to a Golden Age for Athens. Men devoted their time as part of the assembly which helped discuss the government and politics. Women in Ancient Greece were not as free as the men; they couldn’t vote or have an occupation. In Athens women stayed home to cook, make clothing and keep their daughters home. But life was much different in Sparta. Life in Sparta was very harsh and cruel, it was a fighting nation. Men in Sparta trained for war the greatest part of their time. Military...
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...Student’s Name Instructor Course Date Similarities and differences of ideal classical Athens and reality classical Athens Many domains of literature are usually interested in classical Athens. The Athens in reference is usually the Greek city-state of Athens that existed in the period 480 BC to 404 BC. After a collaboration of Greek city-states destroyed the Persian invasion in 478 BC, an alliance of these independent city-states created the Athenian empire. The inception of the Athenian empire introduced the Golden age of Athens which was characterized by economic, cultural, and political flourishing. This period of Greek dominance is often regarded as one of the primary sources of western values and standards. Many aspects of the modern society are modeled in the image of the “Golden Age” of classical Athens; from modern literature to modern architecture for example the US state capitols are modeled to imitate the Greek Parthenon and other Athens buildings. However, there were several similarities and differences on how Athens was realistically and the ideal in which Athenians wanted their city to be depicted. (Merry E. Weisne-Hanks, Andrew Evans, William Bruce Wheeler, Julius Ruff) The ideal classical Athens was a place of liberty and freedom incorporated with pleasure and abundant knowledge. One of the main demonstrators of classical Athens is the speech given by Pericles during the funeral of soldiers who fell victim to the Peloponnesian war. In the speech Pericles...
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...purpose. The essays are centred on Greece. Particular emphasis is placed on the states of Athens and Sparta. The aim of the essays is to show the contributions that Greek states made to the modern world. The world has learnt a lot of aspects from Greece, being they direct or indirect. One of the things that Greece brought to the world is the democratic system of government. Together with lessons from ancient Rome the world has learned much. Essay1: Differences in terrain and climatic conditions between Athens and Sparta Greece has many cities and towns, however probably the main ones in ancient times were Sparta and Athens. These two cities shaped the political life and history of Greece for quite a long time. The influence mainly centred on land and agriculture. For, about 90% of Greece production was agricultural in nature, with grain production as the dominant area. Incidentally, grain was a staple product and food of Greece. As a result the land that was used for grain production was a vital part of wealth and a valuable asset, for which citizens compete for. This essay is going to explore the difference in terrain between Athens and Sparta and how it affected agriculture and political rights, including democracy as well as how agricultural production had an impact on the distribution of political rights and the powers invested in various category of the Greek populace. Athens has many hills and rocky soils. This means that it has many slopes and up land. The land is...
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...Kevin Lee Cueva B M Philosophy 51 17/9/13 Socrates Contributions Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher, who had his views of liberty, inequalities, individualism, and freedom different from the Athenians. His views and ideas reflected through his associates’ works. Socrates did not give lectures or write books. Instead, he wandered around the market place in Athens, starting a discussion with anyone he met. Socrates made vital contributions to Western political thought that also influenced various areas of discourse and thought. Socrates was a man of great integrity: he lived an honest life in search of truth. But by pointing out the faults of some upper-class Athenians, he made enemies. The Greek authorities feared he would undermine their ability to rule. Eventually Socrates was arrested and tried for being a menace to the youth of Athens. When he was on trial for corrupting the mind of Athenians, he clarified that while they are concerned about their careers and families, they would better be concerned about the ‘welfare of the souls’. Socrates believed that one must centralized more on self-development than on other things. He strongly renewed people to expand love and friendships amongst themselves as a whole community. Humans control certain basic philosophical and this virtue is the most valuable of possessions. Socrates’ comprehension of virtue as a form of knowledge...
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...The idea to be able to express your opinion freely is one that dates back to Ancient Greece. The city of Athens had an extraordinary governmental system for its time. In the 4th and 5th century BC Athens was ruled by a democracy. The democratic system allowed all male citizens to engage in the political arena. As male citizens were so directly involved in Athenian politics, the right to freedom of speech was given to all of them. Without this right the participants would not have been able to express their opinion on the political state of affairs in Athens. This would make Athens less of a democracy and more of an autocracy, ruled by either one or several of the same ideologies. (Smith, D., & Torres, L. (2006)) An important figure in the...
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