Greece

Humanism and the Speculative Leap

Mediterranean World

Minoans and Mycenaeans (2200(22001000 BC)



Minoans


Lived on Crete


 

Sea people
Technological advances Huge sprawling palaces

Mycenaeans
CityCity-states (were competitive)  Sea trade/piracy  Society very big on war  Polytheistic origins of Greek gods


Minoan Palace

Labyrinth myth?


Myth
  

Constructed by Daedalus for King Minos Hold the Minotaur Eventually slain by the Greek warrior Theseus

 

Possibly represents sprawling palaces Theseus battle b/w Minoans and Mycenaeans?

Greek sports


Sports big part of early culture



Boxing, wrestling, and bullbull-leaping

Link to religious meanings???

 

Initiation Sacred bull Way to win individual honor

First Olympic games



Minoan Bull Jumping

Trojan War


Depicted in Iliad and followed up in Odyssey



Homer describes as battle b/w gods and men

Long believed to be a fictional event Troy part of Hittite Empire



Definitely destroyed no one can be sure why

Birth of Democracy


Athens relied on rowers to maintain their navy Wanted to obtain more rights as Athens fought wars Democracy
 

(give power to the people)

Still only gave it to men that owned land over the age of 18 Excludes women, children, and slaves

ostracism

Triremes

Sophists
 

men of wisdom wisdom Broke with tradition



Emphasis on rhetoric

 

Entrepreneurs Protagoras


No definite right or wrong

Sparked a great deal of criticism

Socrates (469-399 BC) (469   

Eccentric philosopher Refused to be associated with Sophists Challenged traditional views



Dialectical method Forced to commit suicide after Peloponnesian War

Attacked by many


Death of Socrates