This document summarizes the history and periods of Greek literature from 800 BC to the Byzantine period. It discusses the four main periods: preclassical, classical, Hellenistic, and Byzantine. The preclassical period included epic poems by authors like Homer and Hesiod. The classical period saw the rise of tragedy, comedy, and philosophy written by playwrights like Aristophanes and philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. During the Hellenistic period, Greek culture spread throughout the Mediterranean and the Library of Alexandria became an important center of learning. The Byzantine period combined Greek, Christian, and Roman influences in its literature.
This document summarizes the history and periods of Greek literature from 800 BC to the Byzantine period. It discusses the four main periods: preclassical, classical, Hellenistic, and Byzantine. The preclassical period included epic poems by authors like Homer and Hesiod. The classical period saw the rise of tragedy, comedy, and philosophy written by playwrights like Aristophanes and philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. During the Hellenistic period, Greek culture spread throughout the Mediterranean and the Library of Alexandria became an important center of learning. The Byzantine period combined Greek, Christian, and Roman influences in its literature.
This document summarizes the history and periods of Greek literature from 800 BC to the Byzantine period. It discusses the four main periods: preclassical, classical, Hellenistic, and Byzantine. The preclassical period included epic poems by authors like Homer and Hesiod. The classical period saw the rise of tragedy, comedy, and philosophy written by playwrights like Aristophanes and philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. During the Hellenistic period, Greek culture spread throughout the Mediterranean and the Library of Alexandria became an important center of learning. The Byzantine period combined Greek, Christian, and Roman influences in its literature.
Language: Greek There are 4 main periods of Greek literature : 1 preclassical 2 classical 3 Hellenistic 4 byzantine PRECLASSICAL (800BC -500BC) Greeks created poetry before writing existed. Poems were meant to be recited or sung. Most of the themes were myths or legends. EPIC POEMS Long narrative poems that talk about heroes. IMPORTANT WORKS & AUTHORS -Homer the iliad =tragedy -The odyssey =tragedy comedy -Hesiad works and days = poor country life
THEAGONY = the creation of goods
LYRIC POETRY The name comes from the fact that was originally sung with an instrument called the lyre. ARCHILOCHUS OF PAROS = first lyric poet, SAPPHO=woman writer admired for the beauty of her poems, they were personal and talked about friendship and dislike of women. PIHDAR=consideres the best Greek lyricist, his poems celebrated athletics victories. CLASSICAL (500BC-32BC ) TRAGEDY The greeks invaded drama and made masterpieces Performances were played in the theater of Dionysus in Athens COMEDY Arose from a ritual in honor of Dionysus but the plays were full of insults Aristophanes= made fun of everyone and every institution PHILOSOPHY The greatest prose of the 4th century Socrates wrote nothing, but his thought was written by Plato. Plato= his style is matchless beauty. The best-known of his Dialogues Aristotle= has no rivals. Called the father of those who knows. He was a platos student HELLENISTIC(323BC-31BC) Hellenism= spread the Greek language, literature, and culture throughout the Mediterranean world. Athens lost the leadership and got replaced by Alexandria Educated Romans learned to speak & write in Greek Roman writers produced very few works that were not based on Greek works LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA Alexandria was the main important center of Greeks literature It attracted a large Jewish population Later become a focal point for the development of the Christian thought The museum or shrine to the muses. Bizantine Literature combined Greek and Christian civilizations , the roman political system composed by 4 primarly Greek Christian Roman Oriental Aside from peronal correspondence literature was primarly written in Greek style some were also written in Latin some word of the Latin empire were written in French ,the encyclopedia also flourishd in this period Constatine the great moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium in 330adand renamed the city Constantinople. The eastern of Byzantine was destroyed by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 the civilization was Greek in language and hentage but it was Christian in religion . In religion the crowding literary achivements were considerd to be new testaments of the Christian Bible. The literary creations of the period have ,therebefore ,bequeathed few memorable works on the present Much of the writing was necessarily religious: sermons ,hymns ,theological works ,and descriptions of the lives of the martyrs and saints In philosophy only Proclus he was the last major Greek philosopher the only literature that showed originality was the written in the vernacular ,the language of the common people .This literature including poems ,romances and epic poems were only written in the 12thcentury onward After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks Greek national life and culture ended for centuries as the literary production in was only rivaved when Greece became independent in 1829