How can ancient greece be best defined?
David Haig, Matt Shorten, Lucas Sundwall, Brittany Clyne, Max Bonfiglio
Ancient Greece can best be defined as a place where inequality, regionalism, and nuances in the fields of arts, government, and architecture could be found. Inequality was common in city-states, women not being considered citizens and the people from conquered areas being slaves, or helots. The people in Sparta had very different responsibilities compared to the trade-infused city-state of Athens because of the geography of the city-state and the Spartans' unwillingness to trade. The Parthenon is a prime example of how the ancient Greeks incorporated all of the known architectural knowledge to create one of the most famous buildings in history. Also, the Greek alphabet has many letters similar to the ones used today. The Greeks provided insight into many debatable topics that are important to everyday life, and their methods and knowledge have been used to the advantage of the public.
Although Greece was an advanced civilization, inequality was prevalent throughout the city-states. Helots, the common name for slaves, were made to work in the field. Since there were many more helots than citizens, they were held under very strict rules to prevent uprisings or rebellions. Boys from Sparta were treated violently in their barracks. The future soldiers were given little food, and if the boys were caught stealing, a heavy beating was in order. In Athens, wives were considered as the second in command. As Aristotle said, “A good wife should be the mistress of her home, having under her care all that is within it, according to the rules we have laid down. She should allow none to enter without her husband's knowledge, dreading above all things the gossip of gadding women, which tends to poison the soul. She alone should have knowledge of what happens within. She must exercise control of the money spent on such festivities as her husband has approved---keeping, moreover, within the limit set by law upon expenditure, dress, and ornament---and remembering that beauty depends not on costliness or raiment. Nor does abundance of gold so conduce to the praise of a woman as self-control in all that she does. This, then, is the province over which a woman should be minded to bear an orderly rule; for it seems not fitting that a man should know all that passes within the house. But in all other matters, let it be her aim to obey her husband; giving no heed to public affairs, nor having any part in arranging the marriages of her children." Wives were only allowed to be the “mistress” of their homes. In Sparta, “Approximately 8,000 Spartiates (adult male citizens) ruled over a population of 100,000 enslaved and semi-enslaved people.” The Spartans conquered different villages and groups of people because the thought was that Spartans were better than any other population. This ratio has an astronomically high number of enslaved or semi-enslaved people. The fact that Spartiates were outnumbered by slaves by more than twelve times shows that inequality was a moral that life was based on in Sparta.
In addition, regionalism was specific to each city-state because of the geography, government, and economy. Sparta and Athens had very different beliefs because of these issues. Sparta, obsessively focused on military, had no aesthetically pleasing features in the city-state. They were forced to have less privileges and goods because of their adverse attitude toward trade. Athens,being a civilization that values art, created many statues, sculptures, and buildings that enhanced the appearance of the city-state. As Thucydides said, “If the Spartans’ city were to become deserted, and only the temples and foundations of buildings were left, I think that the people of that time far in the future would find it difficult to believe that the Spartans’ power had been as great as their fame implied and yet they inhabit two-fifths of the Peloponnese, and are in command of all of it as well as of many allies outside it; nevertheless, it has not been synoecized (united) into a city, nor does it possess costly temples and buildings, but consists of a number of villages in the early Greek manner, and would seem an inferior place, whereas if the same thing were to happen to Athens, from its visible remains one would assume that the city had been twice as powerful as it actually is.” Sparta was so consumed with the extreme efforts of the masses regarding warfare that the government did not bother to construct any modern buildings. However, Athens was more interested in creating a city-state that had current structural designs used in the typical architectural patterns. This shows that because of the lack of emphasis on architecture in Sparta, Athens would appear to be the more powerful city-state. Generally, the place with more control and the larger empire is more luxurious, but in this case, it was just the opposite.
There is no doubt that the advancements that the ancient Greek civilization made, mostly in arts, government structure, and architecture, are a crucial part of the world’s history that is still put to use today. As it was stated in the introduction, the Parthenon is one of the greatest achievements of the Greeks. It is a structurally sound building that integrates the elements of balance, proportion, and geometric design into its configuration. Another well-known Greek creation is the democracy. However, the Athenian democracy did not start out as a democracy. Originally, it was a monarchy, and then it became an aristocracy. It was only when the lower class citizens complained that the people with wealth and power were too heavily involved with political elections and decisions that the democracy was formed. The benefits of having a democratic form of government were further explained in the Funeral Oration of Pericles. “Our constitution is called a democracy because the power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in position of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty. And, just as our political life is free and open so is our day-to-day life in our relations with each other. We do not get into a state with our next door neighbor if he enjoys himself in his own way, nor do we give him the kind of blank looks which though do no real harm, still do hurt people’s feelings. We are free and tolerant in our private lives; but in public affairs we keep to the law. This is because it commands our deep respect.” Athenian citizens were able to contribute in political affairs much more than the equivalent social classes would in any other form of government. This is one of the main principles that recent countries, including the United States, have based the governments of the present time period on. In order to have such an allowing society regarding participation in politics, laws have to always be followed so that anarchy does not become the overriding issue.
In the ancient Greek civilization, there were many aspects of life that are still discussed and debated now. Inequality was very common in ancient Greece, and some city-states contained more slaves or treated the helots worse than others. Spartan slaves were probably the most unfortunate. These servants always had to follow strict rules, and if one of them got out of line, they would be taught why it is a good idea to obey the orders that were received the first time. Regionalism was another topic that was specific to each city-state. Athens and Sparta differed greatly on many issues, including forms of government and public construction. New ideas and inventions that were thought of by the ancient Greeks have remained important to society throughout the centuries that have passed. Without a democracy, the United States would not be able to stand on the same three rights that are granted to all people: life, liberty, and the pursuit of hapiness. If the ancient Greek civilization had not existed, the world today would not be the same.
Ancient Greece can best be defined as a place where inequality, regionalism, and nuances in the fields of arts, government, and architecture could be found. Inequality was common in city-states, women not being considered citizens and the people from conquered areas being slaves, or helots. The people in Sparta had very different responsibilities compared to the trade-infused city-state of Athens because of the geography of the city-state and the Spartans' unwillingness to trade. The Parthenon is a prime example of how the ancient Greeks incorporated all of the known architectural knowledge to create one of the most famous buildings in history. Also, the Greek alphabet has many letters similar to the ones used today. The Greeks provided insight into many debatable topics that are important to everyday life, and their methods and knowledge have been used to the advantage of the public.
Although Greece was an advanced civilization, inequality was prevalent throughout the city-states. Helots, the common name for slaves, were made to work in the field. Since there were many more helots than citizens, they were held under very strict rules to prevent uprisings or rebellions. Boys from Sparta were treated violently in their barracks. The future soldiers were given little food, and if the boys were caught stealing, a heavy beating was in order. In Athens, wives were considered as the second in command. As Aristotle said, “A good wife should be the mistress of her home, having under her care all that is within it, according to the rules we have laid down. She should allow none to enter without her husband's knowledge, dreading above all things the gossip of gadding women, which tends to poison the soul. She alone should have knowledge of what happens within. She must exercise control of the money spent on such festivities as her husband has approved---keeping, moreover, within the limit set by law upon expenditure, dress, and ornament---and remembering that beauty depends not on costliness or raiment. Nor does abundance of gold so conduce to the praise of a woman as self-control in all that she does. This, then, is the province over which a woman should be minded to bear an orderly rule; for it seems not fitting that a man should know all that passes within the house. But in all other matters, let it be her aim to obey her husband; giving no heed to public affairs, nor having any part in arranging the marriages of her children." Wives were only allowed to be the “mistress” of their homes. In Sparta, “Approximately 8,000 Spartiates (adult male citizens) ruled over a population of 100,000 enslaved and semi-enslaved people.” The Spartans conquered different villages and groups of people because the thought was that Spartans were better than any other population. This ratio has an astronomically high number of enslaved or semi-enslaved people. The fact that Spartiates were outnumbered by slaves by more than twelve times shows that inequality was a moral that life was based on in Sparta.
In addition, regionalism was specific to each city-state because of the geography, government, and economy. Sparta and Athens had very different beliefs because of these issues. Sparta, obsessively focused on military, had no aesthetically pleasing features in the city-state. They were forced to have less privileges and goods because of their adverse attitude toward trade. Athens,being a civilization that values art, created many statues, sculptures, and buildings that enhanced the appearance of the city-state. As Thucydides said, “If the Spartans’ city were to become deserted, and only the temples and foundations of buildings were left, I think that the people of that time far in the future would find it difficult to believe that the Spartans’ power had been as great as their fame implied and yet they inhabit two-fifths of the Peloponnese, and are in command of all of it as well as of many allies outside it; nevertheless, it has not been synoecized (united) into a city, nor does it possess costly temples and buildings, but consists of a number of villages in the early Greek manner, and would seem an inferior place, whereas if the same thing were to happen to Athens, from its visible remains one would assume that the city had been twice as powerful as it actually is.” Sparta was so consumed with the extreme efforts of the masses regarding warfare that the government did not bother to construct any modern buildings. However, Athens was more interested in creating a city-state that had current structural designs used in the typical architectural patterns. This shows that because of the lack of emphasis on architecture in Sparta, Athens would appear to be the more powerful city-state. Generally, the place with more control and the larger empire is more luxurious, but in this case, it was just the opposite.
There is no doubt that the advancements that the ancient Greek civilization made, mostly in arts, government structure, and architecture, are a crucial part of the world’s history that is still put to use today. As it was stated in the introduction, the Parthenon is one of the greatest achievements of the Greeks. It is a structurally sound building that integrates the elements of balance, proportion, and geometric design into its configuration. Another well-known Greek creation is the democracy. However, the Athenian democracy did not start out as a democracy. Originally, it was a monarchy, and then it became an aristocracy. It was only when the lower class citizens complained that the people with wealth and power were too heavily involved with political elections and decisions that the democracy was formed. The benefits of having a democratic form of government were further explained in the Funeral Oration of Pericles. “Our constitution is called a democracy because the power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in position of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty. And, just as our political life is free and open so is our day-to-day life in our relations with each other. We do not get into a state with our next door neighbor if he enjoys himself in his own way, nor do we give him the kind of blank looks which though do no real harm, still do hurt people’s feelings. We are free and tolerant in our private lives; but in public affairs we keep to the law. This is because it commands our deep respect.” Athenian citizens were able to contribute in political affairs much more than the equivalent social classes would in any other form of government. This is one of the main principles that recent countries, including the United States, have based the governments of the present time period on. In order to have such an allowing society regarding participation in politics, laws have to always be followed so that anarchy does not become the overriding issue.
In the ancient Greek civilization, there were many aspects of life that are still discussed and debated now. Inequality was very common in ancient Greece, and some city-states contained more slaves or treated the helots worse than others. Spartan slaves were probably the most unfortunate. These servants always had to follow strict rules, and if one of them got out of line, they would be taught why it is a good idea to obey the orders that were received the first time. Regionalism was another topic that was specific to each city-state. Athens and Sparta differed greatly on many issues, including forms of government and public construction. New ideas and inventions that were thought of by the ancient Greeks have remained important to society throughout the centuries that have passed. Without a democracy, the United States would not be able to stand on the same three rights that are granted to all people: life, liberty, and the pursuit of hapiness. If the ancient Greek civilization had not existed, the world today would not be the same.