Classic Greek and Roman Flashcards
What does the term “classical literature” refer to?
Works written in ancient Greek and Latin during the Greek and Roman Empires
What is ‘antiquity’
The time of the Greek and Roman empires
When were the earliest surviving works of Greek literature composed
Around 8 BCE
When was the Roman conquest of Greece?
146 BCE
When was most classic Roman literature written?
Between the 1st century BCE and 2nd century CE
What is epic poetry
One of the earliest forms of literature in the world - long form narrative in poetic verse
Which epic poems from 800 BCE are some of the earliest works of Western Literature?
Homer’s The Illiad and The Odyssey
What is the oldest recognised Epic?
The Epic of Gilgamesh
When and where was the Epic of Gilgamesh recorded?
Ancient Sumer circa 2500-1300 BCE
What is the most common form of epic poem?
The hero epic
Where and when in Greece were plays performed in religious festivals?
Athens around 700 BCE
What three features were common of Greek drama?
Entirely written in verse, actors always wore extreme masks, and very small casts with a chorus
When was the rise of Ancient Greek philosophy
6th Century BCE
Who were some of the most notable Greek philosophers
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
What style of learning did Socrates introduce?
The Socratic method - question and answer style
What allowed for the rise of Greek philosophy?
Writing becoming more standardised and widely used, meaning scholars could write down their ideas instead of relying on oral tradition
When is Homer likely to have lived
Late 8th century BCE
Who was Virgil
Ancient Roman poet
When did Virgil live
70 BCE to 19 BCE
During which emperor’s reign did Virgil live?
Caesar Augustus
Name some of the famous poems written by Virgil
Eclogues, the Georgics and the Aeneid
What story does the Aeneid follow?
Anaes, after the fall of Troy, struggling to reach Italy to become ancestor of the Romans
Who was Sophocles
One of the greatest Greek tragedians
Which three Greek tragedians still have complete surviving works?
Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides
When did Sophocles live?
497 BCE to 406 BCE
What name is given to Sophocles’ most famous plays
The Theban plays
Name the Theban plays
Oeedipus Rec, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone
When did Sappho live
630 BCE to 570 BCE
What is Sappho known for
Being one of the earliest writers to record homoerotic feelings
What is the name of Sappho’s only surviving poem?
Ode to Aphrodite
