To wrap-up our discussion of Ancient Greece, I’d like for you to select one of the Greek articles–they are listed under “Greek Articles” on the AP World History sidebar. Read the article and then post the following: title/author of article, 3 important things the author claims, and how this article helped further your understanding of ancient Greece. This is due Monday, September 28.
Central Academy: Social Sciences: Mrs. Snyder
Today in History- Peter the Great: the Russian czar levied a tax on beards (1698)
- Continental Congress: delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies (Georgia did not attend) convened in Philadelphia to seek repeal of the British Intolerable Acts (1774)
- Sam Houston: was elected the first president of the Republic of Texas (1836)
Title: The Historian as Philosopher – Herodotus and the Strength of Freedom
Author: Irene Coltman Brown
1. Written history is made inherently fallible by the bias of the historian.
2. The Ionian Enlightenment is responsible for the understanding of events (in Greece) on a cause/effect analytical basis, rather than in a passive sense of overarching divinity.
3. Herodotus’ “History of the Persian Wars” is more an allegorical argument for democracy than a historical record.
Brown’s critique of Herodotus’ record of the Persian Wars reinforced my perception of Ancient Greece as a human institution with relatable shortcomings and fallibility, despite its traditionally romanticized visage as the most noble and respectable of all ancient civilizations. The notion that the some of the greatest minds of the era were not as politically or personally-motivated as we perceive others to be is crucial to dispel to understand topics (such as Ancient Greece) for which there is little objective primary documentation.
Mother and Child in the Greek World
1. Women who had not had sex were considered unhealthy and not mentally capable because Greeks believed sex opened the women up to have her menstrual flow and release her “burden.”
2. Though abortion was usually illegal, and socially unacceptable, infanticide was common, which seems bizarre, since childbirth endangered the woman giving birth as well as the baby.
3. Once a child made it past its first couple years, the most dangerous time where it was most likely to die, then the family became very close. The loss of a child by the age of three or four was very tragic, as seen by the grave stones of some children from the Hellenistic period.
This article on Women and children in ancient Greece was very interesting and helpful in understanding what life was really like in such a vibrant society. History has only preserved certain things so it is hard to get a grasp on the culture of ancient Greece, besides how its portrayed in myths and legends. The article helps me see Greeks as real people, women who feared their husbands and childbirth, families who sacrificed their children in order to have a better life, and children drinking wine celebrating that they made it to the age of four.
Title: Spartan Code of Honor
Author: Paul Cartledge
1. The defense and continuation of western civilization hinged on the Spartans success at Thermopylae and Plataea.
2. The Spartans influence on western civilization takes the form of: “devotion to competition in all its forms almost for its own sake; a devotion to a concept and ideal of freedom; and a capacity for almost limitless self-criticism.”
3. Spartan women had more power over the home than Spartan men did.
Cartledge’s article on the lasting effect of Spartan culture mostly reinforced previously known facts. One previously unknown aspect of Spartan life that this reading went into detail about was the role of women in Spartan life. When writing about Sparta, historians typically focus on the male Spartans, and the rigors of their lives. It came as a surprise that the females actually had equal, if not greater, control over day to day life than the men.
Title- Rerunning The Marathon
Author- Barry Baldwin
1. The Athenians’ unprecedented victory on land at Marathon resulted in a sizable morale boost for the Athenian people.
2. Had the Greeks lost at Marathon, the gifts of Greek art, literature, and philosophy would not be available to us.
3. Herodotus often embellished his accounts of Greek history. Or it seems as though that is the case due to his retelling of Marathon. He recounts that the Greeks charged from over a mile at the Persian force; however, this has been proven to be impossible due to cardiovascular strain and energy requirement.
Baldwin’s utilization of Herodotus’ texts on the battle of Marathon shows that very little information that is proven to be accurate exists. We have to take Herodotus’ and many other ancient Greek writers’ words as fact to build any kind of view of events of this time. That is how this article has helped improve my comprehension of ancient Greece, and for that matter, any ancient civilization.
Title: Re-running Marathon
Author: Barry Baldwin
1) It was Darius I’s drive and ambition which caused the conflicts that led up to the Battle of Marathon.
2) The legend of the Battle of Marathon grew larger and more important the more time passed.
3) Whether Greece won or last was not that important – Marathon simply continued the pre-existing conflict, it was not going to end it one or another. However, the Greek victory was very important morally and psychologically.
This article introduced a new perspective to me about the importance of Marathon militarily. While it said the same things historically about Marathon that I already knew, it introduced the idea that who won or lost was not important; the battle was a turning point morally and psychologically for the Greeks, but was of little or no military significance.
Title: Spartan Code of Honor
Author: Paul Cartledge
1) The Spartans played a key role in defending Greek culture, and implemented central ideals into the idea of Western civilization. Several qualities valued by the Spartans made their way into valued aspects of modern Greek culture, such as competition, freedom, and self-criticism.
2) Spartans have not always been perceived as violent and solely war-like, intellectual thinkers, especially were able to discern distinct contributions from Spartan society.
3) Sparta is as central to our modern world as any other society, and its social construct and efficiency prove it to be a society worthy of study.
The books and readings so far have not gone into very great detail of Sparta. Although this article is far from a total history of Spartan society, it delved into several specific details on what Sparta was that enlightened my image of Sparta. Cartledge makes the definite argument that Sparta was a culturally driving force, and this was an idea that hadn’t occurred to me from other sources. The endeavors of Lycurgus were interesting, and connected the Spartan people to specific events, ideas, and actions in my mind. Being able to associate with a specific individual made Sparta more personable, if that makes any sense.
Article: Spartan Code of Honor
Author: Paul Cartledge
1.) Nearly everything was a competition in Spartan society.
2.) There was a vast difference in the life of free Spartans and those who were slaves, even though the Spartan people emphisized freedom.
3.) Spartans resorted to killing the Helots when they began to out number the Spartans.
This article helped me understand that Sparta was not a the city of tough guys who always fought for freedom as portrayed in the movie 300. They were some Athenian like intellectuals in Sparta and the city was not as “free” as it is made to seem.
Article: Spartan Code of Honor
Author Paul Cartledge
1) That Ancient Spartans played a key role in defending Greece and trying to keep the culture and civilization that is now the roots for Western Civilization.
2) If it had not been for the organization of the Spartans in society and diplomacy, Greece could not have fought off or resisted the other side.
3) The three cultural qualities of Spartans: “a devotion to competition in all its forms almost for its own sake; a devotion to a concept and ideal of freedom; and a capacity for almost limitless self-criticism”.
This article showed me a different side of the war-like Spartans and their effect on Greece. They were not only influential in war, but also in culture and intelligence. They were people that had a strong belief system and idea of culture.
Title: Reading History: The Birth of Greek Civilization
Author: Paul Cartledge
1. A man named Snodgrass argues that there is no clear division b/t Archaic and Classical Greece, and the Archaic period (before the Persian Wars) is the most important.
2. The Mediterranean was surrounded by poleis, run by aristocrats and driven by peasants.
3. Democracy had a dictator-ish connotation in Ancient Greece.
This article was a survey, so it mostly summarized things we already have learned, but I liked how it gave countering opinions on Greek history and emphasized how many ways it can be interpreted. Shows how little we actually know.