Gods and Goddess
- What is unique about the Greeks' relationship with their gods is their interaction with humans
- Poseidon (god of the sea) interfered with Odysseus trying to return home
- Aphrodite (goddess of love) had lovers of both gods and men
- Dionysus (god of wine) was son of Zeus (a god) and of Semele (a human princess)
Who's who in the Pantheon
- Zeus - ruler of heaven and earth; father of Athena; god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and justice
- Had a temper and was known to hurl lightning bolts
- Athena - goddess of wisdom, skill, warfare (and peace), intelligence, battle strategy, and handicraft
- She was born from Zeus' head fully formed and armored
- A special patron of heroes - such as Odysseus
- She was the patron of Athens (the city was named after her)
- Apollo - god of music, art, knowledge, healing
- Zeus was his father, Artemis was his twin sister
- He's associated with the sun, his sister with the moon
- Poseidon - god of the sea, rivers, floods, earthquakes
- Brothers of Zeus, king of sea and waters
- Aphrodite - goddess of love, beauty, desire, sexuality,
- Her lovers included Ares (god of war), Adonis (Demi-god of desire), and Anchises (a mortal who fathered a baby)
- Demeter - goddess of grain, harvest, agriculture
- Zeus's sister
The Fighting Spartans
- Greeks were certainly a warlike people - especially Spartans
- Spartans were known for their tough, ruthless infantry: soldiers who fought on land
- Spartan boys trained front he time they were seven
A Naval Power
- Athens had a great infantry too, but nothing could compare to their navy
- Their most effective weapon was the trireme
- A technological marvel
- Fastest ship in the world at the time
- Rowed by up to 170 men on three levels
- Could be used as battering ram
- Agile, but also the fastest
The Phalanx
- Close-rank, dense grouping of warriors
- Armed with long spears and interlocking shields
- Soldiers would advance slowly toward the enemy until they broke through their ranks
Socrates
- Looked to science and logic (not the mythological gods) for explanations of how the world worked
- The socratic method fostered critical thinking
- "The unexamined life in not worth living."
- Socrates was charged with serious crimes
- Impiety (disrespecting the gods)
- Corrupting the youth of Athens
- At his trial, he described himself as a stinging gadflies, and Athens as a lazy horse
- Found guilty
- Sentenced to death by drinking poison hemlock
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