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Assiment on herodotus
Ancient greek contributions dbq essay
History
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The world we live in has come a long way. Rome wasn’t built in a day and modern society didn’t come about overnight. It has taken many great men and women to pave the world into what it is today. The contributions of ancient Greece came upon us during the period of 1900-300BC. Greek ideology spread like wild flowers from civilization to civilization enriching each new generation of people. The Greeks dazzled us with new literature, theatre, philosophy, sculptures and architecture. Not only were these ideas new but also essential for the growth of today’s society. Today’s Warhol’s, Wright’s, and Elliot’s all took an influence of Greek History to become masters of there own trait. The growth doesn’t stop at today but will continue to grow on into the future allowing western civilization to adapt even further. Herodotus gave us what we call history today. He is the prime example of a sophia giving us The Histories. Herodotus had a skill like no other Greek to write a book that gave us a perfect glimpse of classic Greek. Not the first study of history but an establishment to the field. The Histories takes a close look at generations of human events, human experience’s, great events, and triumph of people. Looking closely at Herodotus’s work he states: “Of all men’s miseries the bitterest is this: to know so much and to have control over nothing.” This is prime literary greatness at its finest and not only is historically accurate but can be said of today’s society that has little grasp over any aspect of control. It is also a very practical merit that needs to be preached and practiced in today’s society. Greek theatre was a major tradition for the people and none other than the “father of comedy” brought it to fruition. Aristop... ... middle of paper ... ... makes a very fortunate modern society, without history we have no future. Blessings abound from what we learned of the Greeks. We live in a great world that provides plenty of diversity. My hope is to one-day time travel back in time to meet these great men of Greece. The creations and masters of today will end up in tomorrow’s history books. Works Cited McGoodwin, Michael. "Book 1 Lydia, Medes, Persia, Cyrus." Herodotus The History Summary. N.p., 1996. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. Herodotus, Michael Attyah. Flower, and John Marincola. "16." Histories Book 9.Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2002. N. pag. Print. Hatalla, Meghan. "Plato: In & Out of the Cave" Sophia. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. Lysistrata in 'Aristophanis Comoediae' Tomus II, F.Hall and W.Geldart (eds), Oxford University Press 1907 edition, lines 10–11 "The Parthenon." Parthenon. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Roisman, Hanna M. “The Veiled Hippolytus and Phaedra.” Hermes (4th Qtr., 1999): 397-409. JSTOR. Web. 11 Mar. 2014
The analysis of past events began in Greece. Herodotus the author of Herodotus: Xerxes Invades Greece, from the Histories, was a historian who traveled for information. However, even though he maintained a serious attitude toward the content of his work, this oral relay of information often contained over imaginative details. Herodotus is significant because his work is the source for information on the Persian Wars. Herodotus’s work was primarily based on the conflicts between the Persians and Greeks. The primary source is on Xerxes the Persian king, who invaded Greece. The Persians began their invasion in 480 B.C.E, crossing the Hellespont, and maneuvering through Macedonia on their way to Greece. The primary source describes Xerxes as a leader, gives us insight into Spartan culture, the Greek values Herodotus seemed to promote and the significance of the Persian
The point of Herodotus’ Histories was to tell the story of the Persian Wars with background from both sides so to find a cause for it. He says in his opening paragraph:
Livy assumed that by making history enjoyable to read, he would be able to provide the correct type of “medicine” to a sick community (30). Writing the history of Rome, from beginning to his present time, Livy presented an evolution of Rome and her values. Livy’s presentation of history gave readers the opportunity to find the error in their ways, and revert to the old approach to tradition. Because “human nature remains the same” throughout the evolution of civilization, “it is reasonable to expect that history” repeats itself (Ogilvie 9). With the study of history, the reader is able to understand what has happened and what its effects are. Understanding the past allows oneself to better prepare for the
Aristophanes’ Lysistrata is an excellent example of satirical drama in a relatively fantastical comedy. He proceeds to show the absurdity of the Peloponnesian War by staging a battle of the sexes in front of the Acropolis, worshipping place of Athena. Tied into all of this is the role of sex and reason and is evident in the development of some characters and the lack of development in others. Although the play is centered on Lysistrata, the story is truly propelled by the ideas of sex and reason.
Roy, J. "Polis and Oikos in Classical Athens." Greece and Rome 46.01 (1999): 1-18. Print.
Aristophanes, although he wrote in 420 BC, parallels much of Greek society with that of today's. He disrupts the audiences' comfort thro...
Morris, T. F. "Plato's Cave." South African Journal Of Philosophy 28.4 (2009): 415-432. Religion and Philosophy Collection. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
If they had not created these theories, our modern knowledge of science and math would be more limited than it is now. Greek art has had a profound effect on artists over the ages. The style of Greek paintings and sculptures has been imitated over the ages by some of the most famous artists, such as Michelangelo. All modern day art can trace its origins back to ancient Greek art. Western art and sculpture is derived from the Romans, who had a deep respect for Greek art and often copied their styles.
Our claim of an affinity to Greek literature can be found almost anywhere in modern society; the intelligentsia sprinkle allusions to all things Greek in books and films; the reference to Homer is considered the calling card of academic legitimacy. We are the consumers of a dominant culture that is rife with references to Greek literature. Consumerism does not lead to understanding, however. Anyone could justifiably make the argument that people experience the same struggles and emotions no matter what years bookend their lives and regardless of what gadgets or people fill up the space between them. However, to say that an emotion finds expression equally well on a Greek face or an American face leads to a false sense of our affinity to the Greeks. The point is not whether we share the same range of human experience, but whether we are capable of understanding the same means of expression. Just as much as we accept that Greek is a language foreign to us, we must accept that cultural differences exist that make most of those familiar names and quotes merely accessible parts of a culture that is largely inaccessible to the masses today.
There is a plethora of anecdotes conveying the ideals of Athenian society, from celebrated heroes to moral tales of wisdom and adherence to ethical codes. An example of the latter is the tale of Gyges and Candaules, to tell the tale of succession. “Candaules conceived a passion for his own wife,” and wanted others to observe her beauty. Candaules, king of Sardis, demanded that his bodyguard, Gyges, see her naked, a major taboo. Gyges is in no position to disobey his king, so he does as directed. The queen realizes, and since only her husband can see her naked, tells Gyges: “Kill Candaules and seize the throne, with me as your wife; or die yourself on the spot [...] One of you must die; either my husband, the author of this wicked plot; or you, who have outraged propriety.” He chose the first option, and becomes the head of a new dynasty (Herod 1.8-12). In this case, the breach of morality ends up with one king dead and another rising into a colorful new dynasty, something that never would have happened if the original king had simply kept to propriety: this is Herodotus’ purpose in including anecdotes such as this; a bridge between etiology and a lesson in
Plato, Phaedrus, trans. R. Hackforth, in Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns, eds. The Collected Dialogues of Plato (New York: Pantheon, 1966).
Everyone today is evolved in today’s history, and will pass down the many stories that shape the world for incoming generations. Moreover, everyone has a different perspective on events that happen in the past and present, which creates differing stories and overlapping similarities. Our history is gathered from historians who provide facts and stories of relevant or important characters, issues, or events through details that differ from groups and cultures portrayed during that time. This can be seen in Herodotus’s The Histories (Book Seven). Although Herodotus is the first historian, his takes relevant and important information in an overly-detailed and story-like style of telling history.
In Herodotus’ The Histories, he tours the ancient middle-east and Mediterranean areas and documents descriptions of battles, accounts of anecdotes, and expositions of culture. Herodotus is often noted as the ‘Father of History’ because his work is often referred to as the first written record of events. He is often cited for imploring cultural relativity, a way of thinking often implored by modern historians. The traditional definition holds that ethical and moral standards are relative to what a particular society or culture believes to be good or bad, right or wrong. Herodotus practices tolerance, in his writing, more than cultural relativism because, while attempting to write as objectively as possible, as a modern historian would, he does not agree with each facet of a culture as if he were part of that society. He views each culture in its own light first. Herodotus looks, not to agree with a culture, but to understand it. He will, however comment on a particular custom if he is acquainted enough with the culture that he feels he may reliably reflect rather than objectively report on it. A native of
Greek and Elizabethan theatre, while similar in some respects, had a few large differences. The Greeks believed in a certain unity of theme, which was prevalent throughout the production. Greek plays were often drawn from myth or of historical significance, so it seems that only ki...