VIDEO SUMMARY

THE CITIES OF ANCIENT GREECE


Greece is a rocky and arid land, dry in the summer and windy in winter. It forms a land bridge between Europe and Asia. Subjected to continual invasions from Asia starting from 2000 B.C.(beginning of the Bronze Age). Fought for best land, established city-states and local deities.

ATHENS

  1. Acropolis (Parthenon) was an early encampment, very easy to defend. Wall was built around 1500 - 1200 B.C. for protection
  2. The mountains and the Aegean Sea formed a natural defense
  3. Athena was the patron goddess
  4. In 480 B.C. the Persians (Xerxes) invaded and burned Athens
  5. Pericles and Athenians rebuilt in 450 B.C., with the Acropolis (the highest part of city, serving as refuge and defense against attack) as the sacred center
  6. Maximum expansion was under the Romans in second century B.C.
  7. Propelaea (gate surrounding Acropolis) designed and built by Mnisecles
  8. Statues (inside and out) by Phideas (including the Athena of gold)
  9. Parthenon is a Doric temple noted for perfect proportions (95 x 300 ft.) (8 x 17 columns)
  10. Pentatelic marble: color changes with light
  11. Metopes and friezes
  12. Phideas was exiled for profiteering. The city paid him!
  13. In 1456, under Turkish rule, Parthenon was converted to a mosque
  14. In 1687, the Venetians fired on the Parthenon in which the Turks were storing ammunition. It was severely damaged.
  15. Erecthion - Cecrops (half man, half snake) and Erectheus. Most sacred temple because it has the most sacred relics and articles.
  16. Porch of the Caryatides, Theater of Dionysis (god of wine and worldly pleasure), Odion (painted like women): best part of Erecthion (priestesses are columns painted like women and holding up the roof)
  17. Playwrights: Aesceles, Sophocles and Euripedes
  18. Poor given free admission, hours and hours of plays
  19. Thespi introduced actor, chorus and masks
  20. Eschelo introduced second actor: always male
  21. Gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Aphrodite and Apollo (protector of the arts)
  22. Home Life
    1. Patriarchal, bride's father makes a contract with groom
    2. If a divorce is desired, then dowry must be returned
    3. Slave trade (slaves took care of children in the home)
    4. Conscious of bodies and cleanliness
    5. Wore jewelry, make up and perfume
    6. Ate bread dipped in wine for breakfast
  23. Agora (central square):
    1. Women drew water
    2. Shops - Food goods, pottery, wine, books, medicine
    3. Currency - silver dracma, forges (iron, bronze)
    4. Brothels encouraged to protect family life (from laws of Solon)
  24. Foods: Fruit, olives, cheese onions, fish, beans, vegetables and garlic
  25. Stoa of Attulus II
  26. Tholos - Round senate meeting room
SOUNION
  1. Temple to Poseidon
  2. Shipbuilding and repair in the port (Piraeus, part of Athens)
  3. Lookout
  4. Death at sea gave no chance for an afterlife
  5. Triremes - Ships with three rows of oars. War machine used against the Persians (Navy: incoming goods and ship repairs)
CORINTH
  1. One of the wealthiest and most powerful of the city states (shipping city on an isthmus)
  2. Worshiped Aphrodite, the goddess of love
  3. The Temple of Apollo survives, 6th cent. BC (pagans traditionally honor the procreation aspect of sex, but this celebrates its physical pleasure)
  4. The priestesses of Aphrodite practiced sacramental prostitution
  5. Lyda asked 10,000 dracmae from Demosthnese for her favors
  6. The Ethereals were very influential
  7. Slave trade and shipping were very lucrative; prostitutes came as slaves
  8. "Licentious behavior" condemned by St. Paul in letter to Corinthians (which is in the Bible)
OLYMPIA
  1. Dedicated to Zeus: woodland greenery
  2. First Olympic Games 776 B.C. to 393 A.D
    1. Banned as pagan by Theodeseous, but revived in 1896 in Athens; celebrated artwork and ritual of Olympic flame
    2. Stadium held 40,000 people. 7 races for adults, 3 races for adolescents
    3. Pentathlon- Running, jumping, wrestling, discus and javelin
    4. Pancratium - Boxing and wrestling.
    5. Winner received crown of olive leaves
  3. Temple to Hera - 7th Century B.C. (gallery for paintings and statues in a Doric temple)
  4. Temple to Zeus - One of the seven wonders of the Ancient World, containing a huge (40 ft.) ivory and gold statue by Phidias
  5. Heracles (Stories of Olympia) strangled 2 huge snakes, performed 12 labors and became a god
MYCENAE
  1. King Agamemnon (killed by wife who was killed by son who was tortured by Arens/Furies [monster with female body]) of Trojan War fame (Homer) surrounded by walls of boulders and wells with water
  2. Lion Gate (symbolized strength)
  3. Treasury of Atrium: jewels, vases, weapons, masks
  4. Door beam weighed 120 tons, 40 ft. to apex of dome, 50 ft. in diameter
  5. Second only to the Pantheon (Rome) in the ancient world. Tomb of treasurer Atrium
  6. Grain towers and palace on rocky hill: Megaron palace-banquets and trials

SANTORINI

  1. Key to mystery of Atlantis (under Aegean Sea) after natural disaster
  2. 3500 years ago: steep mountain: volcano 1500 ft above sea level
    1. Erupted and made tidal wave
    2. Ports on mainland hit
    3. In the dark ages, wiped out reading and writing
  3. Maranotis searched lava and found two times more than old Pompeii
  4. Akrotiri: remains of civilization
    1. Irrigation system: big houses (jars with cereal, vegetables, flour, wine)
    2. Beautiful frescos
    3. Store rooms for guests, receptions, balcony, terrace

DELPHI

  1. Mt. Parnases: Pythia in cave
  2. Apollo priests interpreted Pythia's secrets
  3. Sanctuary to Apollo: statues, art glarrery, built with money of Sicily
  4. Aphrodite statue: Phrini posed