Topic 7

GREEK
LITERATURE
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
 GREECE
- Comes from the Latin word,
“Graecia”, which turned into
“Graikoi” meaning the people
living in Dodona.
- Original name is Hellas, the
land of the Helens.
 GREECE
- Influences Europe and
America. Their political
system, justice system, arts,
sculptures, statues, plays, and
mythology have been their
inspiration.
 GREEK
LITERATURE
 ANCIENT GREEK LITERATURE
- Homer, the Iliad and Odyssey
- Hesiod, Works and Days,
Theogony
ANCIENT GREEK
LITERATURE
- 30% of the words in dictionary comes from the
ancient Greek language
- Ancient Greeks were the first to use vowels.
These were made to make language easier to
learn and speak
- Our alphabet came from them.
- “Alphabet” came from “Alpha” and “Beta”
EDUCATION
- Greece came from ATHENS (mind) and
SPARTA (body)
- The way children were educated was different in
each city state.
- In Sparta, reading and writing was unimportant,
boys learned to be good fighters
- In Athens, citizens had to be educated to take
part in voting in the assembly. Athenian boys
also went to wrestling school each day and other
sports.
EDUCATION
- Greek schools are small. One teacher = ten to
twenty boys.
- Only the rich ones can afford to be sent to
schools
- Don’t need much of school equipments, they
learn by heart
- Used the wooden pen “stylus”
SCHOOLS IN ATHENS
- Purpose of education is to produce citizens
- Trained in the arts, prepare citizens for both
peace and war
- Until age of 6, boys were taught by the mother at
home
- Books were very expensive and rare so subjects
were read out loud. They used writing tablets
and rulers
SCHOOLS IN ATHENS
- In primary school, they had to learn words of
Homer and play the lyre
- Teachings include drama, public speaking,
government, art, writing, math, and flute.
- Boys attended schools and by 18, they will enter
the military school for 2 years.
SCHOOLS IN SPARTA
- In Ancient Sparta, their purpose is to produce a
well-drilled, well-disciplined marching army
- Everyone was required to have a perfect body
- When the babies were born, Spartan soliders
would come and check the baby. If the baby is
not healthy and strong, he is going to be taken
away and be left to die on a hillside or be trained
as slave
SCHOOLS IN SPARTA
- Spartan Boys were sent to military school at age
6 or 7.
- They lived and trained in barracks of their
brotherhood.
- They were taught with survival skills and other
skills for war.
SPARTA OR ATHENS?
Boys were sent to military school for 2 years

ATHENS
SPARTA OR ATHENS?
Children were taught with lyre

ATHENS
SPARTA OR ATHENS?
Boys were sent to military school when they turn 6
years old
SPARTA
SPARTA OR ATHENS?
Children were taught with teachings of Homer

ATHENS
SPARTA OR ATHENS?
Everyone needs to have a perfect body

SPARTA
SPARTA OR ATHENS?
Everyone needs to have a perfect body

SPARTA
SPARTA OR ATHENS?
Learners were taught with public speaking, drama
and etc
ATHENS
ARE YOU TEAM SPARTA OR TEAM
ATHENS?
IMPORTANT
AUTHORS
 HOMER
- Writes “Iliad and Odyssey”
 SOPHOCLES
- Greek dramatist
- Wrote 123 plays
 EUCLID
- Writes “THE ELEMENTS”
which was still used as a
textbook in Mathematics
 PLATO
- Writes “REPUBLIC AND
SYMPOSIUM”
 ARISTOPHANES
- Writes “WASPS AND
LYSISTRATA”
INFLUENCES
LIBRARIES
- Alexandria – built in Egypt, but then Egypt
submitted to Alexander’s rule
OLYMPICS
- This was held every 4 years in honor of zeus
ARCHITECTURE
- Pillars
 GREEK
MYTHOLOGY
 GREEK MYTHOLOGY
- Their gods and goddesses
were made out of their own
image very different from the
Egyptians and the others.
- They were believed to be the
controller of the life of human
beings.
 GREEK MYTHOLOGY
- Greek gods were not supreme,
almighty beings. They were looked
upon as idealized human beings.
They were powerful, but looked
human and had the same flaws
human had. They were immortal,
didn’t get old or sick and had eternal
youth, but they did have human
flaws such as desires and needs,
such as hunger and thirst.
GREEK GODS AND
GODDESSES
 ZEUS
- Roman name: Jupiter
- Symbols : oak and thunderbolt
- Most powerful of all
- God of the sky and the king of
Olympus
- His temper affects the weather,
throws thunderbolts when he was
unhappy.
- Married to Hera
 HERA
- Roman name: Juno
- Symbols : peacock and cow
- Goddess of marriage and queen
of Olymous
- Zeus’s wife and sister; sought
revenge whenever Zeus betrayed
her.
 POSEIDON
- Roman name: Neptune
- Symbols : horse and trident
- God of the sea
- Lived under the sea and caused
earthquakes when he was in a
temper
 APHRODITE
- Roman name: Venus
- Symbols : myrtle tree and dove
- Goddess of love and beauty,
protector of the sailors
- Daughter of Zeus and Titan
Dione or rose from a sea foam
 APOLLO
- Roman name:
- Symbols : laurel tree, crow and
dolphin
- God of music and healing
- An archer, hunted with a silver
bow.
- Son of Zeus and Titan Leto, twin
of Artemis
 ARES
- Roman name: Mars
- Symbols : vulture and the dog,
often carried a bloody spear
- God of war
- Cruel and coward
- Son of Zeus and Hera, but no
one liked him
 ARTEMIS
- Roman name: Diana
- Symbols : cypress tree and the
dear
- Goddess of the hunt and
protector of women in childbirth
- Hunted with silver arrows and
loved all wild animals
 HEPHAESTUS
- Roman name: Vulcan
- Symbols : anvil and forge
- God of fire and forge
- Makes armors and weapons for
the gods but loved peace
- Son of Zeus and Hera, married
Aphrodite
 HERMES
- Roman name: MErcury
- Symbols : winged sandals,
winged hat, magic wand
- The messenger of the gods,
trickster and a friend to thieves
- Invented boxing and gymnastics
- Son of Zeus and Maia
 DEMETER
- Roman name: Ceres
- Symbols : wheat
- Goddess of the harvest
- Word “cereal” came from her
Roman name
 HESTIA
- Roman name: Vesta
- Symbols : fire
- goddess of the hearth (fireplace
at the center of the home)
- The most gentle of the gods and
goddess and does not play any
role in many myths
- Sister of Zeus and the oldest of
the Olympians
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