Greek Society
The Greek Society
The Greek ways of life, including its cities and religion, introduced some of the cultural models that we still follow today. Greece’s art, science, and military structure personified and made the success of the empire possible. This advanced society flourished in its golden age shortly after defeating Persia in many wars. These Greco-Persian wars included the first clash of civilizations, and the struggle between the man-centered universe and the God-centered universe. The Greek Hoplite army, led by Themistocles and Pericles, was the main disparity between these two ambitious cultures. The Hoplites dominated the opposition by using the advantage of a mixed army, with the light infantry being used along with the hoplites and cavalry. After the first Persian expedition failed in 492 BC with the attempted conquest of Thrace and Macedonia, the Persian leader Darius tried another invasion, but once again the Persians failed at the battle of Marathon. He was pushed all the way back into Persia, with the destruction of his fleet at the battle of Salamis. These encounters, along with the battle of Thermopylae, ended Xerxes’ attempt at conquering Athens. Although Persia held Athens for fourteen years, these three invasions proved to be the downfall of the Persian Empire.
The Greek empire also thrived during its golden age because of its talented artists who introduced perspective and a whole new look to Athens. With the help of Phidias and Praxiteles, Athens became a marvel of the Classical Age. Buildings such as the Parthenon and the Statue of Zeus, created by Phidias, attracted many people to Athens with the intent of contributing to the already astounding culture. A view of the Acropolis; “Dominating the entire summit of the Acropolis, of course, was the breathtaking sight of the Parthenon. Designed by the architect Ictinus and master sculptor Phidias, it was 237 feet long, 110 feet wide, some 65 feet high, and incorporated over 22,000 tons of
The Greek ways of life, including its cities and religion, introduced some of the cultural models that we still follow today. Greece’s art, science, and military structure personified and made the success of the empire possible. This advanced society flourished in its golden age shortly after defeating Persia in many wars. These Greco-Persian wars included the first clash of civilizations, and the struggle between the man-centered universe and the God-centered universe. The Greek Hoplite army, led by Themistocles and Pericles, was the main disparity between these two ambitious cultures. The Hoplites dominated the opposition by using the advantage of a mixed army, with the light infantry being used along with the hoplites and cavalry. After the first Persian expedition failed in 492 BC with the attempted conquest of Thrace and Macedonia, the Persian leader Darius tried another invasion, but once again the Persians failed at the battle of Marathon. He was pushed all the way back into Persia, with the destruction of his fleet at the battle of Salamis. These encounters, along with the battle of Thermopylae, ended Xerxes’ attempt at conquering Athens. Although Persia held Athens for fourteen years, these three invasions proved to be the downfall of the Persian Empire.
The Greek empire also thrived during its golden age because of its talented artists who introduced perspective and a whole new look to Athens. With the help of Phidias and Praxiteles, Athens became a marvel of the Classical Age. Buildings such as the Parthenon and the Statue of Zeus, created by Phidias, attracted many people to Athens with the intent of contributing to the already astounding culture. A view of the Acropolis; “Dominating the entire summit of the Acropolis, of course, was the breathtaking sight of the Parthenon. Designed by the architect Ictinus and master sculptor Phidias, it was 237 feet long, 110 feet wide, some 65 feet high, and incorporated over 22,000 tons of
Cited: Bradford, Ernle. Thermopylae: the battle for the West. New York: Da Capo Press, 1980 Nardo, Don. Leaders of Ancient Greece. San Diego: Lucent Books Inc., 1999. Background history of Greece and it’s leaders, including Themistocles and his fight with the Persians. Nardo, Don. The Ancient Greeks. San Diego: Lucent Books Inc., 2001. Thinkquest.org: http://library.thinkquest.org/17709/wars/peloponn.htm. Think Quest Internet Challenge, 1998 Thomas Brickhouse and Nicholas D. Smith: http://www.iep.utm.edu/p/plato.htm. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2006 Nardo, Don. Classical Greece and Rome. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc., 2002 Cultural Achievements of Greece