DOCSLIB.ORG

On Ancient Greece

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
On Ancient Greece ANCIENT I ' . A Historical Overview of Greece Greece is located on a peninsula jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea. The Aegean Sea is to the east and the Ionian Sea is to the west. A thin strip of land connects Greece's northern mainland to the Peloponnesus, which is another name for southern Greece. Here the climate and land are poor for farming, but this location is perfect for seafaring-the Greeks have al­ ways been excellent fishermen and sailors. Around 2000 B.C., a tribe called Mycenaeans settled in the Peloponnesus. In 1194 B.C., they attacked the city of Troy on the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea. This began the Trojan War. A blind poet named Homer re- ...______________ .. corded the deeds of the heroes of the Trojan War in the llliad. Homer's other famous epic poem, the Odyssey, told the adventures of a Trojan War hero as he traveled home to Greece after the war. Ancient Greeks believed many gods and goddesses controlled the world and lived in the sky on Mt. Olympus. The mountains and valleys on the mainland of Greece isolated people from each other and caused them to form their own city-states. Everyone thought that their city-state was the best. The Greeks' pride in their own city-state kept them from uniting into a strong country. II. T.S. Denison & Co., Inc. 5 Ancient Civilizatwns-{;reece One of these important city-states was Athens. The people of Athens were divided into three social classes: the upper class, free male land­ holding citizens born in Athens; the middle class, foreign-born merchants; and the lower class, which were slaves. All citizens took part in the government, which was the beginning of what we call a "democracy" today. (The women of Athens were not considered citizens because they could not take part in the government.) During the reign of the leader Pericles,Athens enjoyed thirty years of growth in the arts and sciences, a period known as the Golden Age. Sparta was another well-known city-state which was a military society made up of three social classes: the upper class, adult free male citizens; the middle class, foreign-born merchants; and the lower class, slaves called Helots who had been taken as prisoners after wars. Although women could own property in Sparta, they were. not considered citizens. Two major periods of war arose in an­ cient Greece. The Persian Wars were twenty years of fighting between the Persianinvad­ ers and the Greeks. The Greeks won in 480 B.C., and the Golden Age began. Later, the Spartans attacked the Athenians and fought a twenty-five-year war known as the Peloponnesian War. Sparta defeated Athens in 404 B.C., and the Golden Age ended. In 338 B.C., Greece was conquered by Alexander the Great, who ruled all of the known world until his death in 323 B.C. This began the Hellenistic Age, a time when Greek culture combined with and influenced the cultures of Eastern lands also conquered by Alexander. In 31 B.C. the Roman army con­ quered Greece. T.S. Denison & Co., Inc. 6 Ancient Civilizations-Greece '1 I Geography The country of Greece is on a peninsula located in the Mediterranean Sea in south­ eastern Europe. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and the Ionian Sea lies to the west. A thin strip of land links the southern part of the mainland, called the Peloponnesus, to the northern part. Mountains and small valleys divide the land into many small areas, each one cut off from its neighbors. During the time of ancient Greece, each area became a mini-country, or a city-state. The soil was full of rocks and farm­ ing was difficult; growing enough food for everyone was not easy. However, the Greeks were close to the sea. No part of Greece is more than eighty-five miles (137 km) from shoreline, so the Greeks became expert sailors. They used their knowl­ edge of the sea to fish, to trade with other peoples, and to colonize other small islands in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Greece has a warm, dry climate. Because it is only about 40° north of the equator, sum­ mers are very hot and winter temperatures seldom freeze the crops. Rainfall averages between twenty and fifty inches (60-127 em) per year. T.S. Denison & Co., Inc. 7 Ancient Civilizaticms--Greece FARMING (1) the A s in most of the early civilizations, agriculture in Ancient Greece was the .t\rnost important occupation and employed most people. Around 6000 B.C., people from the ea~tern Mediterraneall regions settled in eastern Greece and began to ens farm the land. In the folloVving centuri.es, it became traditional for Greek freemen m- to own land and their wealth was indicated by the size of their property and the lere number of animals they owned. Some smaller farrnel~ could not afford slaves and just managed to scrape a living for their familie..o;;. If there was a crop failure, poor farmers could not u, ually support themselves and would have to work for their 1en 1and OVvl1ers on larger e.."tates or seek work in the city. There were no huge farming me Coin from a Greek colony ill $()llthem estates run by hundreds of slaves as in the later Roman Empire, but there were Italy, Agroin motif hows tlit slaves used on the larger farms owned by noble families or rich landowners from importance oi this crop. the cities. 'l{ay With so many mountains, soil in Greece was generally poor. Most of the Copy of va..", in the good farmland was near the coast, though there were well-watered areas British Museum like one about 20 km northwest of Corinth which was famous for its fruit uld sho\\'ing the olive and vegetables. Bread was the most important food, so barley, wheat (in ced harvest. Olives \Vel<' more fertile areas) and other grains were the main crops. Athens could picked by hand or dislodged from the only grow about 30 percent of its grain requirement~, so large quantities trees \l.ith sticks, This had to be imported. Olives were also an important crop. Poor fanners pot was made in could plant olive trees for they would grow on pOOl' soil. Some oliw'A'i were Athens about 520 B.C. eaten but most were pre..<;sed to obtain oil for cooking and lighting, or for export to sell or barter for other goods. In the city-state of Athens it was a criminal offence to dig up an olive tree, possibly because they took so long to mature, but probably because of their importance to the economy. Activity Box How did the Greeks pick their olives? L The most important crops were grains and \'\·11en did early settlers first cultivate the 7. What was the most important food made from land in Greece? farm produce? 3. Which city-state grew fine fruit and vegetables? 8. Which Greeks could own land? 4. Why was olive oil so important? 9. Why could olive trees grow on motmtain slopes? 5. Olive trees grow qUickly. True or False? 10. Which city-state had to import grain? Greece 1. Identify the fol­ lowing on your map (refer to a map of an­ cient Greece in an en­ -..-.. cyclopedia): • Mediterranean Sea • Aegean Sea • Ionian Sea • Peloponnesus • Crete • Persia • Macedonia • City of Athens • City of Sparta • City of Troy • City of Alexan­ dria (in Egypt) • Pindus Moun­ tains • Griva Mountains 2. Shade the water blue, the land tan, and the mountain ranges gray. 3. Greece is a land of mountains and rocky soil. If you had lived in ancient Greece, how would you have fed your family? ______________ 4. The coastline of Greece has many harbors-which is considered the most important? Why do you think many Greeks choose to make their living from the sea? --------------------------- T.S. Denison & Co., Inc. 9 Ancient Civilizations-Creece N Read the paragraph for background information. Then use the map to answer the questions. w E The Minoans lived entirely surrounded by water on the island of Crete. Sometimes known as s the Bull-Jumpers for a popular sport on the island, they might be better iWlown as the ship­ builders of the ancient world. They were the first civilization to have a navy. Without their navy, the Minoans might never have developed to the extent that they did. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, ancient pirates controlled the waters. They would also land at towns and cities along the coast and attack the people to steal their goods. The navy kept the Minoans safe and allowed the culture to flourish. The Minoans produced two famous forms of artwork. They covered their walls in colorful frescoes-paintings made on wet plaster. They also made beautiful sculptures and vessels from bronze and pottery. During the middle Minoan period, writing was developed and palaces were built. The first sophisticated form of writing from the area is now called Linear A. A later form that came from the Greeks is known as Linear B. 1. What was Linear A and how does it relate to Knossos? 2. Which island is closest to 35°N and 24°E? 3. Look at the scale and the measures of latitude and latitude. Why is this information necessary when comparing the map to other maps? 4. How many palace sites are shown on the map? 5. When did the Minoan culture first become established on Crete? 6. Which sea is south of Crete? 7.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Imperial Republic
    HISTORYHISTORY — ROME The Imperial Republic Once a republic reluctant to fight wars except in selfdefense, Rome became an imperial colossus capable of annihilating an entire nation out of sheer spite. by Steve Bonta Romans, who had deployed extra infantry Rome by brute experience that imperial in the center of the formation in hopes of expansion has a high price. This is the third installment in a series of breaking through the Carthaginian lines, Rome had never been a peaceful state. articles on the rise and fall of the Roman found themselves outflanked by elite In the early centuries of the republic, how- Republic. North African cavalry units. Hannibal’s ever, many of Rome’s conflicts were pro- cavalry overwhelmed the Roman cavalry voked by jealous neighbors like the Vols- n all of human history, there have been on both flanks and then swept behind the cians and the Aequans. The early Italian few spectacles to rival the great battles Roman forces to attack from the rear. In peninsula was a tough neighborhood, with I of the ancient world, with their pag- short order, the Romans were completely rival Etruscan and Latin states, including eantry, color — and awful carnage. And hemmed in by the Carthaginians. Han- Rome, jostling for control, and the Gauls, few battles of that age could match the nibal’s numerically inferior forces then who occupied parts of northern Italy, fre- drama that unfolded under the hot Ital- slaughtered the Romans on the field al- quently making incursions southward. ian sun one August morning in 216 B.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Calendar of Roman Events
    Introduction Steve Worboys and I began this calendar in 1980 or 1981 when we discovered that the exact dates of many events survive from Roman antiquity, the most famous being the ides of March murder of Caesar. Flipping through a few books on Roman history revealed a handful of dates, and we believed that to fill every day of the year would certainly be impossible. From 1981 until 1989 I kept the calendar, adding dates as I ran across them. In 1989 I typed the list into the computer and we began again to plunder books and journals for dates, this time recording sources. Since then I have worked and reworked the Calendar, revising old entries and adding many, many more. The Roman Calendar The calendar was reformed twice, once by Caesar in 46 BC and later by Augustus in 8 BC. Each of these reforms is described in A. K. Michels’ book The Calendar of the Roman Republic. In an ordinary pre-Julian year, the number of days in each month was as follows: 29 January 31 May 29 September 28 February 29 June 31 October 31 March 31 Quintilis (July) 29 November 29 April 29 Sextilis (August) 29 December. The Romans did not number the days of the months consecutively. They reckoned backwards from three fixed points: The kalends, the nones, and the ides. The kalends is the first day of the month. For months with 31 days the nones fall on the 7th and the ides the 15th. For other months the nones fall on the 5th and the ides on the 13th.
    [Show full text]
  • I © 2016 ANNE MALTEMPI ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
    © 2016 ANNE MALTEMPI ALL RIGHTS RESERVED i SICILIANITÀ IN THE RENAISSANCE: SICILIAN NATIONAL IDENTITY IN THE WRITINGS OF SICILIAN HUMANISTS TOMMASO SCHIFALDO AND LUCIO MARINEO SICULO A Thesis Presented to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Anne Maltempi July, 2016 i SICILIANITÀ IN THE RENAISSANCE: SICILIAN NATIONAL IDENTITY IN THE WRITINGS OF SICILIAN HUMANISTS TOMMASO SCHIFALDO AND LUCIO MARINEO SICULO Anne Maltempi Thesis Approved: Accepted: Advisor Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Michael Levin Dr. John C. Green Faculty Reader Dean of the Graduate School Dr. Martha Santos Dr. Chand Midha Department Chair Date Dr. Martin Wainwright ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people to whom I owe a great deal of thanks, and all of my gratitude for helping me through the process of completing my Master’s degree in History. First I would like to thank all of the professors in the History Department at the University of Akron, I have learned so much from all of them. I would like to extend a special thanks to my advisor Dr. Michael Levin, and my second reader Dr. Martha Santos whose classes and encouragement have helped me grow as a scholar, and whose advice in revising and editing this manuscript were essential to the completion of this project. I would also like to thank my peers and colleagues who inspire me and help learn new things every day including Dr. Tom Weyant, Kathryn Mcdonald-Miranda, Nathaniel Bassett, Suraj Lakshminarasimhan, Brittany Amiet, Kenneth Kosovich, Devaun Tyler, and so many others.
    [Show full text]
  • PHILOPOEMEN IMMODICUS and SUPERBUS and SPARTA the Decision Taken by the Achaean League in the Autumn of 192 B.G at Aegium To
    PHILOPOEMEN IMMODICUS AND SUPERBUS AND SPARTA The decision taken by the Achaean League in the autumn of 192 B.G at Aegium to wage war against the Aetolians and their allies was crucial to the Greeks and their future. Greece proper had been divided for generations among several political bodies — and, in fact, had never been united into one state. Yet all those known as Έλληνες felt the natural human desire to avoid the unnecessary violence, bloodshed, and self-destruction engendered by ceaseless competition for preeminence and hegemomy in the domestic arena. The so-called “Tragic Historians” adopted these emotions as the leitmotif of their principal efforts to delineate the deeds and omissions of the Greek leadership and populace.1 Rome’s powerful political-strategical penetration east of the Adriatic sea, into Mainland Greece, particularly during the later decades of the third century B.C, undermined the precarious balance of internal Greek politics. The embarrassment which had seized most of Greece is easily understandable. Yet the Achaeans at Aegium do not appear to have been inspired by the memory of their ancestors’ resistance to the Persians. The Achaean leaders, Philopoemen not excluded, rejected Aetolian pleas for help or, at least, non-intervention in the struggle that they had started in the name of Έλληνες for the whole of Greece. Somewhat surprisingly, the Achaean leaders hastened to declare war on the Aetolians, anticipating even the Roman crossing to Greece2. These are the bare facts available to us (Livy 35.50.2-6). However, the conventional interpretation of these occurrences derived from Polybius 3 tends to be pathetic more than historical, and consti­ tute an embellished portrait of Achaean policy and politicians of those days rather than an honest guide to the political realities of the Έλληνες and Greece proper.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    Introduction Ancient Western history is largely defined by three civilizations: Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Egyptians endured for thousands of years, while the Romans established a reputation for ruthless conquest and impeccable organization, but the Greeks, bookended by the Egyptians before them and the Romans who followed, did not make their name through long legacies nor, with the brief exception of Alexander the Great, worldwide conquest. The true reputation of the Greeks was one of fierce independence and a great thirst for knowledge. Though the Greek civiliza- tion began and ended with kings, its golden years were forged in the time of the city-state, when common men from cities like Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes set their minds to learn everything they could about the world around them, to colonize and spread their culture all across the ancient world, and to create governments that would be models to the world for centuries to come. While they lacked the unity of other great kingdoms, in many ways that was the very thing that allowed this tiny country filled with individualistic people to be listed among the greatest civilizations the world has ever seen. Each lesson in this Project Passport includes fact-filled, engaging text, created to be all you need for a compact assignment. Should you or your child wish to expound on a subject, a variety of books, videos, and further avenues of research are available in the “Additional Resources” section. This study can also act as an excellent accompaniment to any world history program. You will want to print out the “Travel Tips” teacher helps beforehand and brief yourself on the lessons and supplies needed.
    [Show full text]
  • War and Peace in Ancient and Medieval History
    War and Peace in Ancient and Medieval History edited by Philip de Souza and John France CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521817035 © Cambridge University Press 2008 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2008 ISBN-13 978-0-511-38080-8 eBook (Adobe Reader) ISBN-13 978-0-521-81703-5 hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Contents List of contributors page vii Acknowledgements ix Note on abbreviations xi 1 Introduction Philip de Souza and John France 1 2 Making and breaking treaties in the Greek world P. J. Rhodes 6 3 War, peace and diplomacy in Graeco-Persian relations from the sixth to the fourth century BC Eduard Rung 28 4 Treaties, allies and the Roman conquest of Italy J. W. Rich 51 5 Parta victoriis pax: Roman emperors as peacemakers Philip de Souza 76 6 Treaty-making in Late Antiquity A. D.
    [Show full text]
  • Roman Policies Towards Antiochus III and the Greeks from Winter 197/196 B.C
    Roman Policies towards Antiochus III and the Greeks from Winter 197/196 B.C. to Autumn 196 B.C. [Roms Politik gegenüber Antiochos III. und den Griechen zwischen Winter 197/196 a.c. und Herbst 196 a.c.] Eike Hellmut Deutschmann (Universität Hamburg) [email protected] Abstract Zusammenfassung In the Second Macedonian War (200-196 B.C.), the Die res publica verminderte im Zweiten res publica reduced the strength of the enemy King Makedonischen Krieg (200-196 a.c.) die Macht des Philip V apparently to establish a new political gegnerischen Königs Philipp V - anscheinend um order in Southern Balkans: Assumedly a pro- eine neue politische Ordnung im südlichen Roman balance of forces should prevail there, Balkanraum zu etablieren: Vermutlich sollte dort untainted by influence of another major power. A ein romfreundliches Kräftegleichgewicht particular senatorial policy towards the Greeks vorherrschen, auf das keine andere Großmacht probably did not exist before the fighting in Hellas Einfluß hat. Eine speziell an die Griechen gerichtete came to an end in summer 197 B.C. In the same Politik seitens des römischen Senats gab es year, the Seleucid king Antiochus III brought large wahrscheinlich nicht vor Ende der parts of the west coast of Asia Minor under control Kampfhandlungen in Hellas im Sommer 197 a.c. In and set about crossing the Hellespont. Rome dem Jahr erweiterte der seleukidische König subsequently stylized itself as the guardian of Antiochos III. seinen Einflussbereich auf große Teile freedom for the Greeks living in Hellas and Asia der kleinasiatischen Westküste und schickte sich Minor. The statesmen of the res publica could have an, den Hellespont zu überqueren.
    [Show full text]
  • Download PDF Datastream
    A Dividing Sea The Adriatic World from the Fourth to the First Centuries BC By Keith Robert Fairbank, Jr. B.A. Brigham Young University, 2010 M.A. Brigham Young University, 2012 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Program in Ancient History at Brown University PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND MAY 2018 © Copyright 2018 by Keith R. Fairbank, Jr. This dissertation by Keith R. Fairbank, Jr. is accepted in its present form by the Program in Ancient History as satisfying the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date _______________ ____________________________________ Graham Oliver, Advisor Recommended to the Graduate Council Date _______________ ____________________________________ Peter van Dommelen, Reader Date _______________ ____________________________________ Lisa Mignone, Reader Approved by the Graduate Council Date _______________ ____________________________________ Andrew G. Campbell, Dean of the Graduate School iii CURRICULUM VITAE Keith Robert Fairbank, Jr. hails from the great states of New York and Montana. He grew up feeding cattle under the Big Sky, serving as senior class president and continuing on to Brigham Young University in Utah for his BA in Humanities and Classics (2010). Keith worked as a volunteer missionary for two years in Brazil, where he learned Portuguese (2004–2006). Keith furthered his education at Brigham Young University, earning an MA in Classics (2012). While there he developed a curriculum for accelerated first year Latin focused on competency- based learning. He matriculated at Brown University in fall 2012 in the Program in Ancient History. While at Brown, Keith published an appendix in The Landmark Caesar. He also co- directed a Mellon Graduate Student Workshop on colonial entanglements.
    [Show full text]
  • Interventions by the Roman Republic in Illyria 230 – 167 BC
    Interventions by the Roman Republic in Illyria 230 – 167 BC Submitted by Jack James Willoughby, to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Classics, September 2018. This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. (Signature) ……………………………………………………………………………… Page 1 of 181 Abstract This thesis aims to determine how and why Rome undertook a series of interventions in Illyria during the period of 230 – 167 BC. The thesis is based on a detailed examination and consideration of the ancient written sources and the subsequent historiography on the subject. The Roman interventions in Illyria during this period have traditionally been treated as a component of wider studies of Roman expansion, although Rome’s involvement in Illyria has recently been examined by Dzino in his 2010 work Illyricum in Roman Politics 229BC-AD68. This work examined the development and integration of Illyricum in Roman political discourse, in which the Roman interventions were a smaller component in the broader study. A study of the Roman interventions in Illyria during the period of 230 – 167 BC has never previously been treated on this scale, nor effectively with a synthesis of the various approaches and pieces of evidence that are now available.
    [Show full text]
  • Bibliography
    Bibliography A. Aaboe, Episodes from the Early History of Mathematics (Random House, New York, 1964) A.D. Aczel, Fermat’s Last Theorem: Unlocking the Secret of an Ancient Mathematical Problem (Four Walls Eight Windows, New York, 1996) D. Adamson, Blaise Pascal: Mathematician, Physicist, and Thinker About God (St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1995) R.P. Agarwal, H. Agarwal, S.K. Sen, Birth, Growth and Computation of Pi to ten trillion digits. Adv. Differ. Equat. 2013, 100 (2013) A.A. Al-Daffa’, The Muslim Contribution to Mathematics (Humanities Press, Atlantic Highlands, 1977) A.A. Al-Daffa’, J.J. Stroyls, Studies in the Exact Sciences in Medieval Islam (Wiley, New York, 1984) E.J. Aiton, Leibniz: A Biography (A. Hilger, Bristol, Boston, 1984) R.E. Allen, Greek Philosophy: Thales to Aristotle (The Free Press, New York, 1966) G.J. Allman, Greek Geometry from Thales to Euclid (Arno Press, New York, 1976) E.N. da C. Andrade, Sir Issac Newton, His Life and Work (Doubleday & Co., New York, 1954) W.S. Anglin, Mathematics: A Concise History and Philosophy (Springer, New York, 1994) W.S. Anglin, The Queen of Mathematics (Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1995) H.D. Anthony, Sir Isaac Newton (Abelard-Schuman, New York, 1960) H.G. Apostle, Aristotle’s Philosophy of Mathematics (The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1952) R.C. Archibald, Outline of the history of mathematics.Am. Math. Monthly 56 (1949) B. Artmann, Euclid: The Creation of Mathematics (Springer, New York, 1999) C.N. Srinivasa Ayyangar, The History of Ancient Indian Mathematics (World Press Private Ltd., Calcutta, 1967) A.K. Bag, Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India (Chaukhambha Orientalia, Varanasi, 1979) W.W.R.
    [Show full text]
  • Ancient Greece Geography- Sea
    ANCIENT GREECE GEOGRAPHY- SEA No one place in Greece was further than 50 miles from the sea. No navigable rivers, so use sea Greece itself was poor in resources Vital for trade with other nations, and transportation between islands. Jobs- provided source of income for Grecians. Ex. Fishers, Traders, and Pirates! GEOGRAPHY- THE LAND 3/4ths of Greece is covered in mountains. Peninsula and many islands Influenced Food: The land lacked the ability to support cattle or flocks of sheep, so they had a limited amount of meat. Main diet- fish, olives, wheat, barley, vegetables, bread, beans GEOGRAPHY- THE CLIMATE Moderate temperatures and rain only in winter Outdoor life for men Marketplace, gymnasium, theater, civil/religious celebrations CITY- STATES Because Greece is made up of many islands, and has many tall mountains, the Greeks began to build city-states instead of one country. A city-state (Polis) is a city with its own laws, rulers, and money. City-states were cities that acted like countries Examples: Athens, Sparta GOVERNMENT- CITIZENSHIP Citizenship: To be a citizen you must be: Free (not a slave) Adult Male Born in the city-state CITIZENSHIP CONT’D Slavery Virtually all job titles were slaves No money or clocks to pay and measure time worked Cheaper to force labor than to pay- when money was invented The less free people, the less input in democracy- leaving decisions up to rich men GOVERNMENT- DEMOCRACY DEMOCRACY A form of government in which all citizens took part Important matters of the Polis were debated between all citizens Vote taken to decide outcome or law GOVERNMENT- DEMOCRACY Benefits: Direct democracy = Polis was ruled by assembly of all citizens Citizens had right and duty to govern Citizens had equal rights under law Citizens were responsible for justice Any citizen could bring charges against another person/citizen If a citizen saw a crime committed against a slave, the citizen could bring a charge even though slave could not.
    [Show full text]
  • Aquinas Medalist's Address
    Aquinas Medalist’s Address Anthony Kenny Abstract: The author begins by observing that he has often been described as an analytical Thomist. He proceeds to argue that—regardless of what school one belongs to—genuine philosophical engagement with Aquinas’s texts means one should be both reverent and critical. If we are to consider the relevance of Aquinas’s thought for contemporary philosophy, the author suggests, the best way for us to write about Aquinas is the way in which he wrote about Aristotle: stating his views as clearly and sympathetically as possible, showing their con- nection with current concerns, and contesting them politely but firmly if they appear to be erroneous. he thought of St. Thomas Aquinas continues to exercise and fascinate the minds of many. After the Second Vatican Council Thomism lost Tthe commanding position that it had for nearly a century occupied in the training of Catholic clergy; but in compensation many philosophers outside the Roman fold took up the serious study of the Summa Theologiae and the Summa contra Gentiles. The seminary manuals had, in any case, functioned at some distance from Thomas’ actual writings, and the disrepute that has overtaken manual Thomism has in the long run served the Saint’s reputation well. In the English speaking world it is possible to distinguish four different schools among contemporary admirers of Aquinas. First, there are the conservatives who continue to work in the neo-scholastic tradition of Gilson and Maritain, albeit in a chastened and less triumphalist form. A doughty exponent of this school of thought is Ralph McInerny, who has sought to make Thomism accessible in many works, and whose recent Gifford lectures pre- sented a popular defence of traditional natural theology in its relation to theoretical and practical reasoning.
    [Show full text]