Historia The medium is the message… Intellectual Culture: Historia (ἱστορία = inquiries)

• historia –learning by examination, inquiry; the knowledge so gained. • A processing of information to discover a truth. • Implies critical evaluation, comparison, qualification. • histor – a wise man, a judge. The Seven Sages:

• (624-547 BC.) • of Athens (c.624-560) • Pittacus of Mitylene (650-570) • (flourit ca. 570) • Chilon of (Ephor in 556) • of Lindus (6th. cent.) • Myson of Chen (6th. cent.) • Or: • of Corinth (late 7th. Cent) Myson Pittacus

Solon Bias

Thales Chilon

Cleobulus Tripods etc.

• Golden tripod offered to “the wisest.” • Golden bowl “who has done the most with his wisdom” • Golden goblet • All of the Sages refused the award… is the point. The Pre-Socratics: • Kosmos (order) • Chaos (disorder) • Nature (physis) • Sought the origin (arche) of all things • Milesians: • Thales • Anaximander • Anaximenes Miletus Essence, Arché Thales

• Of Miletus • A descendant of Cadmus • 624 - 547 • Learned Geometry in Egypt • Five Theorems of Elementary Geometry • Foretold of the eclipse of 28 May, 585 • Water is the arche. Anaximander

• 610 – 575 BC • The earth is a sphere and floats free in space • Celestial bodies circle the earth. • The moon’s light is from the sun • The sun is a ball of fire • Published his Historia late in life Anaximenes • Student of Anaximander • ca. 585 – ca 528 BC

• Air is the ‘arche’ • "Being made finer it [air] becomes fire, being made thicker it become wind, then cloud, then (when thicker still more) water, then earth, then stones; and the rest come into being through these" (Phys. 24. 26). • Air is arche, ergo eternal, ergo divine

Solon of Athens

Dracon

 First Public Law ca. 621 B.C. Political power to the hoplites (?) All offences punishable by death” “because the least offence deserves it, and I couldn’t think of anything worse for the more serious offences.” Solon

 Originally from Salamis  ca. 624 –558  Archon in 594/3  Asked to reform the constitution in 592  Repealed Dracon’s law code.  Best laws?  “Best they would accept” Solon’s Constitution

• Ecclesia Assembly of citizens Previously restricted by property • Boule Open to all but the Thetes Purely deliberative • Areopagus (Hill of Ares) A ‘supreme court’ of sorts Solon’s Reforms

 Written law code  Public law means rule of law  Heliaia  A ‘people’s court’  Anyone could bring a prosecution  Seisachtheia  “shaking off of burdens”  Hectemoroi (sixth part people)  The body as chattel The Archon in Athens  Nine archons served for one year  Took office on 21 June (1 Hecatombeon)  Chosen from the eupatridae  Eponymous Archon  Supervised civil administration  Archon Basileus  Supervised religious functions  Polemarch  President of the board of strategoi  6 Thesmothetai  Supervisors of the laws  Joined the Areopagus council Tyrants

• One-man rule • No constitutional foundation • Popular support • Usually: • initiated to solve a crisis • Absolute power corrupts absolutely • Economically beneficial • Ruthless Pisistratus

• 560 B.C. • Takes control of Athens as Tyrant • "He was supported by the majority of both nobles and the common people (Arist. A.P. 16.9) • Civic programs • Economic prosperity • The Iliad • Succeeded by his son, Hippias, in 527 BC. Cleisthenes The Birth of Democracy Democracy • Hippias • 510 BC: Hippias deposed • 509 BC: Cleisthenes creates the first democracy. • Legislative power given to the Ecclesia • All citizens, regardless of wealth • Isonomia • Isegoria Citizenship

• 18 yrs. • Enrolled in his father’s deme • Served as a military cadet for 2 yrs. • 20 yrs • Eligible to attend the Ecclesia • 30 yrs • Full citizen • Eligible to serve as a magistrate (Boule, Strategos, etc) Citizenship

• A person who… • Could own land • Served in the military • Women • Rights and legal protection… • But did not vote or hold political office • Metics • Foreign residents with few rights • Slaves • Roughly 50% of the population b = 89 Natural Philosophy • Pythagoras of Samos • 569 – 476 a = 55 • Captive in Babylon • Philo (love) sophia (wisdom) a • Lovers of wisdom – but no man can be wise • Harmonic ratios 2:1, 3:2 and 4:3 used in music. • "Golden Mean" 1:1:2:3:5:8:13:21:34:55:89 • Ration of 1 to 1.618 • Earth rotates around the sun • Transmigration of the soul

Xenophanes of Colophon 570 – 478 BC

• Attempts to define existence • Founder of the Eleatic School • Wrote Elegiac poetry • One God, one Universe • A supreme being cannot be created or destroyed • God is the animating power of the universe • Man’s concept of God is an illusion Relativism:

• Xenophanes of Colophon: “Mortals made their gods, and furnished them with their own body, voice and garments. Our gods have flat noses and black skin, say the Ethiopians. The Thracians say, our gods have red hair and hazel eyes” The Persian Empire in 510 BC Persia in the Aegean ca 510 Parmenides of Elea

• Flourit ca 500 BC • Possibly student of Xenophanes • Pythagorean • On Nature • Written in verse • Divine inspiration • The goddess Wisdom revealed to him the “unchangeable heart of Truth” • Translation Parmenides • Man-made truths • We are fooled by empiricism • The Phenomenal world is illusion • Absolute truth • Existence is : cannot become or cease to be • The true Existence is the mind. • Logic and reason are the guides to Truth Anaxagoras

• 500 – 428 BC • Nature itself, like humans and animals, could be a sentient being – could have a Mind (νοός) (Arist. Met. 984b) • If Mind motivates things to come into being then it must do so for some purpose, and that purpose must be The Good (Arist. Met. 1075b, 1091b). • First to postulate the zero-sum balance of the universe. • Teacher of Pericles, Euripides and Socrates