Week 12 (Aristophanes' Clouds & Ancient Greek Athletics) Flashcards
Aristophanes’ Clouds was originally presented in the Great Dionysia theater in 423 BC, but the current version we read is the ________ version from c. 419-416 BC. The play is a ______ of contemporary philosophy (specifically the ________ and Socrates) from an intellectual POV.
revised
satire
sophists
Themes & Literary Devices
1) satire
2) Breaking the fourth wall (conveyed through the ______)
3) Pride
4) Personification (Better Argument vs. Worse Argument, the clouds)
5) Religion vs. Science (how important is education?)
6) slapstick
2) Chorus
Strepsiades, the main character, is in debt due to his son’s (Pheidippides) _____ hobby. Strepsiades views himself as ____ __ _____, and he complains of his “luxurious” wife. Strepsiades plans to enroll his son in the Thinkery, so that he can ______ his creditors. Pheidippides refuses, so Strepsiades goes himself.
horse
down to earth
outwit
Strepsiades is meeted by a pupil his first time at the Thinkery. The pupil is characterized as impatient, arrogant, snobby, and exhibiting ____-like behavior. The pupils conduct ridiculous experiments (does a gnat produce its buzzing sound through its rear, how far does a flea jump?). Despite how outlandish the experiments are presented, Aristophanes still notes the in-depth ___________ conducted, an underlying seriousness in his overall parody of new learning.
cult-like
observation
The pupils are described as POW with their pale skin. They’re not allowed to go _______, and they study geology and astronomy as the same time (with their rear pointed towards the sky). Socrates is characterized as arrogant (descending from a ______), but he still uses rational thought (ex. monist importance of water). He advocates for new gods, called the ______.
outside
basket
Clouds
Socrates _______ the traditional gods as fantasies (ex. Zeus). This seriousness is undercut with a joke that the rain is Zeus’ piss. Aristophanes critiques people like Socrates for preying on the impressionability and “soft headedness” of people like Strepsiades.
rejects
Aristophanes ______ the audience for not liking his play initially. He expresses his counter-cultural views, such as disliking _____ and Athenian ___________.
scolds
Cleon and Athenian imperialism
Strepsiades comes up with schemes after listening to Socrates
1) hire a _____ to hide the moon so the day he pays his creditors never comes
2) use a __________ glass to burn his debts
3) ___ himself
The Clouds convince Strepsiades to enroll Pheidippides into the Thinkery, with the Better and Worse arguments appealing to him.
1) witch
2) magnifying
3) kill
The Better argument is more ___________, with emphasis on modesty, toughness (ex. soldiers at marathon). The worse argument represents new-thinking: how to win the losing argument, how the better argument leads to a deprived life. The worse argument ultimately wins, and teaches Pheidippides.
traditional
Strepsiades attempts to argue his way out with the creditors, but does not work. He beats them up, and they sue. Pheidippides becomes a _____ man, beating up his father, convincing him he deserves his beating, and that his mother deserves it as well. The play ends with Strepsiades burning down the ________, and the Clouds turn out to be the traditional gods.
worse
Thinkery
Ancient Greek Athletics
Stephanitic (Panhellenic) games
1) ______
2) ______
3) Nemea
4) Isthmia
1) Olympia
2) Delphi
Athlon: prize or reward for achieve arete (___________), athletes expect renown and tangible rewards.
Agon: competition, conflict, struggle
Competition divided between men and boys (ageneioi, or youths without a _____ were an intermediate category). Athletic events were held at ancient Greek _________ festivals across the Mediterranean, proliferation of athletic games during Hellenistic period (323-31 BC).
excellence
beard
religious
Nudity was expected from ancient Greek athletes (gymnos = nude), the gymnasium as the place for training. Athletes would rub down their body with _____ ___ (stored in aryballos or alabastron). The strigil was used to ____ off oil, dirt, and sweat, followed by a sponge bath (ex. Apoxyomenos “the _________” of Lysippos, c. 340-330 BC)
olive oil
wipe
“the scrapper”
Equestrian (_____ riding) events were common, musicial events were unique to the Pythian games at Delphi. The Olympic games were established c. ___ BC, Delphi, Nemean, and Isthmian games emerge in the _th cent. BC coinciding with the emergence of the _____.
horse
776 BC, 6th
polis
Footraces
stadion: ___m sprint, was the only event at the Olympics from 776-724 BC. The winner gave his name to each Olympiad (dating of history between each Olympics every 4 years). This was the only footrace ____ were allowed to participate.
200m
boys
