Greek and Roman Art
A History of Ancient Greece
The Greek Genius
Author: Robert Guisepi
Date: 1998
The Greeks were the first to formulate many of the Western world's fundamental concepts in politics, philosophy, science, and art. How was it that a relative handful of people could bequeath such a legacy to civilization? The definitive answer may always elude the historian, but a good part of the explanation lies in environmental and social factors.
Unlike the Near Eastern monarchies, the polis was not governed by a
"divine" ruler, nor were the thoughts and activities of its citizens limited by powerful priesthoods. Many Greeks, and most notably the Athenians, were fond of good talk and relished debate and argument. As late as the first century A.D., St. Paul was welcomed by the Athenians because they "liked to spend all their time telling and listening to the latest new thing." (Acts
17:21)
The Greek Character
The Greeks felt a need to discover order and meaning both in nature and in human life. This quest for order produced exceptional results in science, art, and philosophy. Beginning with Hesiod, the Greeks stressed the virtue of sophrosyn (moderation, self-control) as the key to happiness and right living.
Its opposite was hubris, meaning pride, arrogance, and unbridled ambition. The result of human excesses and lying at the root of personal misfortune and social injustice, hubris invariably provoked nemesis, or retribution.
According to the Greeks, an inexorable law would cause the downfall or disgrace of anyone guilty of hubris. The Athenian dramatists often employed this theme in their tragedies, and Herodotus attributed the Persian defeat by the Greeks to Xerxes' overweening pride, for "Zeus tolerates pride in none but himself." ^16
[Footnote 16: Herodotus History of the Persian Wars 7.10.]
The Greeks exhibited human frailties and failings - at times they were irrational, vindictive, and cruel. But at their best they were guided by
The Greek Genius
Author: Robert Guisepi
Date: 1998
The Greeks were the first to formulate many of the Western world's fundamental concepts in politics, philosophy, science, and art. How was it that a relative handful of people could bequeath such a legacy to civilization? The definitive answer may always elude the historian, but a good part of the explanation lies in environmental and social factors.
Unlike the Near Eastern monarchies, the polis was not governed by a
"divine" ruler, nor were the thoughts and activities of its citizens limited by powerful priesthoods. Many Greeks, and most notably the Athenians, were fond of good talk and relished debate and argument. As late as the first century A.D., St. Paul was welcomed by the Athenians because they "liked to spend all their time telling and listening to the latest new thing." (Acts
17:21)
The Greek Character
The Greeks felt a need to discover order and meaning both in nature and in human life. This quest for order produced exceptional results in science, art, and philosophy. Beginning with Hesiod, the Greeks stressed the virtue of sophrosyn (moderation, self-control) as the key to happiness and right living.
Its opposite was hubris, meaning pride, arrogance, and unbridled ambition. The result of human excesses and lying at the root of personal misfortune and social injustice, hubris invariably provoked nemesis, or retribution.
According to the Greeks, an inexorable law would cause the downfall or disgrace of anyone guilty of hubris. The Athenian dramatists often employed this theme in their tragedies, and Herodotus attributed the Persian defeat by the Greeks to Xerxes' overweening pride, for "Zeus tolerates pride in none but himself." ^16
[Footnote 16: Herodotus History of the Persian Wars 7.10.]
The Greeks exhibited human frailties and failings - at times they were irrational, vindictive, and cruel. But at their best they were guided by