Classical Period

Question 1

Classical Period Timespan

Answer 1

800BCE - 500AD

Question 2

Classical Period Influence on Hummanities

Answer 2

Nearly everything within contemporary Humanities has some kind of root in the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations—from drama and the arts to philosophy and religion to even mathematics and the natural sciences.

Question 3

‘Classicism’

Answer 3

Particularly focused on achieving harmony, balance, and symmetry.

Question 4

Pursuit of “Truth” in Classicism

Answer 4

An overarching theme of classicism is truth.
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle explored the meaning of truth through reason*, using logic to analyze natural and psychological phenomena.

Question 5

Foundation of Democracy & Republic

Answer 5

During the “Archaic Age”, began with classicism’s emphasis on reason, problem solving, and pursuit of truth.

Question 6

Polytheistic Religions

Answer 6

Most ancient Greeks and Romans were deeply loyal to the gods they worshiped and to the concept of predetermined fate, and many artists and thinkers found inspiration in the worship of their gods and Muses*.

Question 7

Humanism

Answer 7

Some artists/philosophers questioned the morality of the gods, and instead were fascinated with the human form and strove to represent it as accurately and marvelously as they viewed humans rather than gods.

Question 8

Plato (Philospher)

Answer 8

Believed the ideals of virtue and justice could be discovered through reason and were dependent on balance and harmony.

Question 9

Aristotle and “Golden Mean”

Answer 9

Plato’s student, an individual can create a virtuous character by achieving balance between too much of a trait and too little of a trait. He called this balance the Golden Mean.

Question 10

Balance in Art/Architecture

Answer 10

Modeled after the symmetry of Egyptian sculptures, the Greek Temple is the foundation for many present day structures such as the Lincoln Memorial.

Question 11

Kouros

Answer 11

Type of statue of a life sized nude male, in which the left foot is placed in front of the right.

Question 12

The Wedding Banquet of Eros and Psyche

Answer 12

Raphael Santi’s painting of a bunch of naked God’s on a cloud with a few cherubs to the left.

Question 13

Roman Polytheism

Answer 13

Worshipped their emperor as a god, and often depicted him as a priest to emphasize his religious authority.

Question 14

Greek Polytheism

Answer 14

Based on the belief that gods were humanoid which was a unique belief at that time.

Question 15

Prometheus

Answer 15

According to the Greeks, this titan created human beings, not gods.

Question 16

Classical Philosophy

Answer 16

Made inquiries into the physical nature of the world, without relying on cultural mythologies to explain it.

Question 17

Socrates and the Socratic Method

Answer 17

“I will never fear/avoid a possible good rather than a certain evil”

Pose a question, answer it, then ask follow up questions, and keep going around until the truth is revealed.

Question 18

Plato and his methods (Socrates Student)

Answer 18

“The good is the beautiful…”
Theory of Knowledge - Facts are truthful and unchanging
Theory of Morality - Goodness is also truthful and unchanging
Theory of Politics - Rulers need to be philosophers, and philosophers need to be the rulers

Question 19

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

Answer 19

Plato’s considers that most people do not see the world the way it actually is (this is most likely due to perception).

Question 20

Aristotle (Plato’s Student)

Answer 20

“To enjoy the things we ought and to hate the things we ought has the greatest bearing on excellence of character.”
Believed that goodness was a daily effort, and through finding balance in oneself, you could be happy.
“Golden Mean” - balance good/bad traits

Question 21

Plato’s The Republic (A Book)

Answer 21

Describes the ideal person as one who thinks analytically and acts according to what is right. Laid out a plan for an “Ideal State” where a philosopher would be a ruler making decisions based on reason and justice.

Question 22

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave cont.

Answer 22

A comparison of people’s perspectives from birth being in a cave of sorts, where they can see shadows of what they assume to be the outside world, but only through difficult and sometimes painful reason and reflection can they see the truths of the world.

Question 23

Classical Poetry

Answer 23

Addressed themes of heroism, reason, love, and fate as a way of telling grand tales that both celebrate their cultural accomplishments and pass down cultural values through the generations.

Question 24

Classical Poetry cont.

Answer 24

Classical poets celebrate notable humans that best represent reason, democracy, balance, and the republic.
Focused much of their work on the grand journey of the hero, whose relationship with gods and goddesses was often complicated and they have to use reason to navigate difficult terrain.

Question 25

Homer’s “The Odyssey”

Answer 25

‘Epic poem’ that Chronicles a hero and his difficult ten year journey to retrieve his love off an island. Shows themes of reason, family, love, and god’s interferences w/ man.

Question 26

Sapho’s “A Lament for Adonis”

Answer 26

A ‘lyrical poem’ chronicling where Sappho calls on Aphrodite to save Adonis (God of Beauty/Desire) who has left and is fading, as a metaphor for Sappho’s own love, beauty, and desire fading in real life. Has themes of love, heroism, polytheism.

Question 27

Classical Theater

Answer 27

Theater performances originally began in approximately 1200 BCE as religious rites honoring Dionysius*, the god of wine and fertility.

Question 28

Aristotle’s Six Elements of Drama

Answer 28

Plot
Character
Diction (Language)
Thought (Theme)
Spectacle (Visual Element)
Music (Aural Element)

Question 29

Classical Theatre

Answer 29

Were often stories of tragedy conveyed through the theme of humanism, where the character rejects their own hubris, and after dramatic tension, finds truth and balance within themselves.

Question 30

Classical Comedies

Answer 30

Because the classical period gave rise to the formation of democracy and republic, comedies began as the satirical voice of the people.

Question 31

Classical Theatre Themes

Answer 31

Foreshadowing
Double Entendre (double/hidden meaning)
Reversal of Fortune
Discovery (epiphany)
Chorus (10-12 men singing as a message)

Question 32

Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex

Answer 32

Crazy story about an adopted man who unknowingly leaves homes, crosses paths w/ his birth parents, kills his dad and marries his mother, then after knowing the truth blinds himself and his mother/wife commits suicide. “Oedipus Complex”

Question 33

Aristophanes’ Lysistrata

Answer 33

A comedy about a woman, Lysistrata that convinces the woman in her village to withhold sex until they end the war, a commentary on the role of women during wartime.

Question 34

Classical Greek Art/Architecture

Answer 34

Elevated forms of humanism, that served to promote religion, present beauty, and glorify the society.
Thought that through beauty, was how one reached the realm of the gods.

Question 35

Classical Roman Art/Architecture

Answer 35

focuses on imperial themes of power, military victory, and heroism and was used to decorate public spaces. Architects produced buildings of grandiose scale, such as the Colosseum