Classical Greek Society And Culture: Introduction
In 480 CE, the era of Classical Greece began with the group of Athens by the Persians. The invasion of Greece by Persians was first led by Darius I followed by his son Xerxes, who united Greece against a common rival.
With the end of the Persian threat, Athens became the most powerful polis until the start of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BCE. However, these wars persisted on and off until 400 BCE. While impaired by war, the Classical period observed the height of Greek culture and the creation of some of Greece’s most popular art and architecture.
However, peace and stability in Greece were not accomplished until it was conquered and united by Macedonia under the leadership of Philip II (King of Spain) and Alexander the Great in the mid-13th century BCE.
Overall, the span of ancient Greek culture covers over a thousand years, from the earliest civilizations to the cultures that turned to the Ancient Greeks.
Now, we will learn the factors that led to the golden age and about the golden age of Athens, Pericles, and Greek culture. Also, we will go through the interesting facts on The golden age of Athens achievements.
All About the Ancient Greek Culture
Below are the key takeaways on Classic Greek Society And Culture:
Greek culture is based on a chain of shared values that related independent city-states in the course of the region and elevated as far north as Mount Olympus. Greek society was insular, and loyalties were centered around one’s polis (city-state). Greeks regarded themselves as civilised and outsiders to be barbaric.
While Greek daily life and loyalty were focused on one’s polis, the Greeks did create leagues, which vied for control of the peninsula, and were capable of uniting against a common threat (such as the Persians).
Greek culture is centered on their government, art, architecture, philosophy, and sport. Athens was intensely proud of its advent of democracy, and citizens from all poleis (city-states) took part in civic duties. Cities commissioned artists and architects to honour their gods and decorate their cities.
Greek philosophers, mathematicians, and thinkers are nevertheless honoured in society today. As a religious people, the Greeks worshipped some of the gods via sacrifices, rituals, and festivals.
What is the Golden Age?
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, especially the Works and Days of Hesiod, and is part of the description of the temporal decline of the nation of peoples through the 5 Ages, Gold being the primary and the only during which the Golden Race of humanity (Greek: χρύσεον γένος chrýseon génos) lived. After the end of the first age was the Silver, then the Bronze, after this the Heroic age, with the 5th and modern age being Iron.
By extension, the "Golden Age" denotes a period of primordial peace, harmony, stability, and prosperity. During this age, peace and concord prevailed in that people must not work to feed themselves for the earth provided food in abundance. They lived to a very old age with a youthful appearance, in the end, dying peacefully, with spirits living on as "guardians". Plato in Cratylus (397 e) recounts the golden race of people who got here first. He clarifies that Hesiod did not mean actually made of gold, however good and noble.
In classical Greek mythology, the Golden Age was presided over through the leading Titan Cronus. In a few versions of the parable, Astraea additionally ruled. She lived with men till the end of the Silver Age. But in the Bronze Age, whilst men became violent and greedy, she fled to the stars, where she appears as the constellation Virgo, preserving the scales of Justice, or Libra.
European pastoral literary culture often depicted nymphs and shepherds as dwelling in a life of rustic innocence and peace, set in Arcadia, a vicinity of Greece that was the abode and center of worship of their tutelary deity, goat-footed Pan, who dwelt among them.
The Golden Age of Athens, Pericles and Greek Culture
The Golden Age of Athens was at some stage in the rule of Pericles over Athens from 457 B.C. to 430 B.C. During this time the Parthenon was built, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, and Sophocles had been producing plays in the theatre besides the Acropolis, and democracy flourished. Pericles dominated over what has been described as the world's first democracy and mathematics, the arts, history, astronomy, and philosophy flourished below Socrates, the Sophists, Herodotus, and Thucydides.
During the Golden Age of Greece Athens was home to approximately 75,000 people and between 200,000 and 250,000 lived in the surrounding countryside called "Attica." The town had a place of approximately 0.7 square miles.
Under Athens and the Delian League, the Greeks dominated a good deal of the Mediterranean and trade flourished. Using an iron to make tools, advanced ships, weapons, and machines Athens grew rich by exporting silver and olives. The money earned from this exchange was used to assemble other excellent buildings and support the arts and sciences.
But matters were not always as rosy as they regarded at the surface. A lot of the cash used to construct the Parthenon turned into looted from the Delian League treasury, much less than 1/4th of the populace had political rights, slaves were often used in place of machines due to the fact they were cheaper, and war with Sparta turned into imminent. The higher classes dominated the government and some of the democratic reforms, along with charges for jury duty, were attempts to placate the decreased instructions with welfare bills and maintain them in place. In the plains of Attica there best approximately 250,000 human beings. The populace of the town-nation of Athens had might later be decreased via way of means of the Peloponnesian wars and the plague from around 80,000 to as a low as 21,000."
The Golden Age of Athens Achievements
The well-known golden age of Athenian culture flourished beneath the leadership of Pericles (495-429 B.C.), an incredible general, orator, patron of the arts, and politician—” the primary citizen” of democratic Athens, according to the historian Thucydides.
Furthermore, Pericles (Greek statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens) converted his city’s alliances into an empire and graced its Acropolis with the renowned Parthenon. His policies and strategies additionally set the degree for the devastating Peloponnesian War, which could embroil all of Greece in the decades following his death.
Factors that Led to the Golden Age
Good governance
The results of a civilization's growth relied much more on government policies. The impact of good policies leads to political, economic, and social stability, which were the ideal conditions for achieving the golden age.
Economic Success
Golden age accomplished as economic prosperity widespread because of the following reasons:
Taxes were evenly distributed.
Eventually, farmers were allowed to own land. Political stability welcomed the entry of traders.
Economic mobility was initiated due to the meritocratic system.
Hence, the economy flourished due to incoming visitors and traders to learn and trade with the Tang that got possible all because of new ideas, new products, exchange ideas attract more visitors.
Conclusion
So, from our topic, classical greek society and culture, we understand that a golden age brought a boom in society, it settled civilisation and brought about peace.
People got freedom from external threats or by the constant demands of a government trying to feed an army and to find other supplies for war. Hence, the civilisation got a strong army and even a navy able to keep longer peacetime.
FAQs on Classic Greek Culture
1. What is Greek culture famous for?
Ancient Greek culture is renowned for its government, art, architecture, philosophy, and sports, all of which became foundations for cutting-edge western society. It was well-known and adopted by others, including Alexander the Great and the Romans, who helped unfold Greek culture across the world.
Before Greek culture took root in Greece, early civilizations thrived on the Greek mainland and the Aegean Islands. The descent of these cultures and the aftermath, called the Dark Age, is presumed to be the time when the Homeric epics were first sung.
2. What time period is the Golden age?
In Latin literature, the Golden age is the period that started from 70 BC to 18 AD, during which the Latin language was perfected as a literary medium and various Latin classical masterpieces were composed. The Golden Age of Greece was said to have lasted more than a century which also paved the way for the beginning of the Western civilization. This is also known as the "Period of Pericles".
3. What is the significance of the Athens Golden Age?
Some of the points are mentioned below which throws light on the significance of the Athens Golden Age:
Drama was considered as one of the significant inventions of the Golden Age.
Various authors like Aeschylus, Sophocles as well as Euripides write distinct Greek tragedies focusing on the historical events as well as mythological stories.
Herodotus wrote various books on the Persian Wars. He was regarded as the "Father of History".
The man of integrity and an example of a true citizen, Socrates was from this Golden Age who is also considered as the "Father of Philosophy".
