Writer
Works
Tragedy/ Characteristics Comedy
Noted for
Aeschylus
Prometheus Bound,
(525-456 B.C.) Persians,
Agamemnon
Sophocles
Oedipus the King,
(496-406 B.C.) Electra, Antigone
4th century B.C. All Greece ruled by Alexander, King of Macedon
146 B.C.
Romans conquered Greece
Greek Culture
Social and Political Structure
Athens was a “democracy”. The economy rested on an immense
Pindar Biblioteka 518-438 B.C.) Best known for odes celebrating the victories at the athletic games. (the 14 Olympian odes)
Greek Culture
Drama
- Developed in the 5th century B.C. - Performed in open-air theatres, actors wore masks
The Iliad Trojan War Greek: Agamemnon, Achilles, Odysseus Trojan: Hector
The Odyssey Return of Odysseus after the Trojan War to his home island of Ithaca.
amount of slave labour. The Greeks loved sports.
Olympic Games The world’s foremost amateur sports
competition (1896)
Greek Culture
Homer
700B.C. Author of ancient Greeks’ epics (1200-1100 B.C.)
Tragedy Tragedy
Euripides
Andromache, Medea, Tragedy
(484-406 B.C.) Trojan Women
Only two actors and a chorus; Written in verse
Vivid character portrayal and majestic poetry
Greco-Roman element Judeo-Christian element
Division 1
Greek Culture &
Roman Culture
Greek Culture
The Historical Context
1200 B.C.
War between Greece and Troy
Term Schedule
No. of Classes/Week
2
No. of Weeks
18
Total No. of Classes
36
Assessment
Final Score
Coursework 20% Final Test 80%
Introduction
Uses of the Subject
5th century B.C. Greek culture reached a high point ---Failure of Persian invasion ---Establishment of democracy and flourishing of S.P.L.A.& HW Civil war between Athens and Sparta
Add a third actor and decrease the size of the chorus.
Mainly about women; more of a realist; characters less heroic, more like ordinary people.
Strong impact on European literature. Some plots adopted by later writers. “the Oedipus complex”
Language cannot be learned without the knowledge of the culture behind it.
Necessary to the citizens of the world.
Two Major Elements in European Culture
European Culture: An Introduction
Textbook
《European Culture: An Introduction》 欧洲文化入门
主编：王佐良 祝珏 李品伟 高厚堃 外语教学与研究出版社
chronological
Contents
1. Greek Culture and Roman Culture 2. The Bible and Christianity 3. The Middle Ages 4. Renaissance and Reformation 5. The Seventeenth Century 6. The Age of Enlightenment 7. Romanticism 8. Marxism and Darwinism 9. Realism 10. Modernism and Other Trends 11. Review for Final Test
Greek Culture
Greek Culture
Lyric Poetry
Sappho (612-580 B.C.) woman poet - The most important lyric poet of ancient Greece - Noted for love poems of passionate intensity