The Peloponnesian War ravaged Greece from 431-404 BCE. It was an epic and convoluted struggle that pitted Greek against Greek in a battle to the death over differing ideals about freedom and independence/autonomy. While the Greek city states of Sparta and Athens had demonstrated that they could, in fact, work together to defeat the Persians … Continue reading The Peloponnesian War and its Impact on Greek Society and Culture
Month: August 2016
Alexander the Great
One of the key things I noticed in this module about Alexander was his ability to handle himself as a military and political leader over the people and cultures that ultimately came under his control, which included other Greeks and foreign peoples. When he conquered Thebes, for example, which was another Greek polis, he destroyed … Continue reading Alexander the Great
Ancient Greece – Pericles’ Funeral Oration
The source I chose for this week was Thucydides depiction of Pericles’ funeral oration. I think this particular piece has a lot to say about Athenian life. Even though the Athenians were in the midst of a long and costly war with Sparta that would ultimately mean their defeat, this beautiful oration sent a powerful … Continue reading Ancient Greece – Pericles’ Funeral Oration
The Peloponnesian War – Strengths and Weaknesses
The Peloponnesian war had lasting, traumatic effects for Greek society, breaking any chance of a unified Greek state that could stand together against invaders, which ultimately left the door open for Macedonian control. Although the conflict lasted for 28 years, and caused huge economic, political, and societal problems for both Athens and Sparta as well … Continue reading The Peloponnesian War – Strengths and Weaknesses
Ancient Greece – Values
When reading about ancient Greek society and values, the thing that stood out to me the most was the disparity between the modern version of the family and the idea of the family or household in early Greek society. Households or oikoi were smaller versions of the polis (the city-state) and were run much like … Continue reading Ancient Greece – Values
Socrates and the Crito
While Socrates left behind no work of his own and all that we know of him is via Plato, he is known as one of the most famous early philosophers of all time. Socrates' life, however, came to a tragic end as he was sentenced to death by the Athenian government for both corrupting Athenian … Continue reading Socrates and the Crito
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