Thoughts and Reflections on : The Funeral Oration

Katie Taylor, World History Period 6.                                                  January 22, 2014
Thoughts and Reflections On: The Funeral Oration 

By: Thucydidies 

      Each year in Athens at the annual public funeral held in honor of those who were the first to die in battle, a speaker would get up and give a memorial speech to honor the fallen, but this year they had year they had a speaker who believed the dead should be honored by the fact that they had the fought and died for there great city. Different from previous speakers Pericles began to speak of the great and powerful city of Athens. What made him think it was great you ask? Well to start with the government. The Athenians had one of the best and only functioning democracies in the world during this time period and Pericles took great pride in the fact that Athens unlike its neighbors did not steal or copy its form of government from others, but instead was only copied from. He also mentioned that people were not put into power because of social or economic class but were evaluated for their personal abilities in order to be chosen. Although it wasn't entirely true he went on to point out the fact that the under the law all Athenians were equal, which is something we still strive for in our world today. Continuing to talk about law he said that "it commands our deep respect" that the Athenians are aloud to keep private lives private while abiding by the law in all public affairs, making it clear that it was a athenian privilege that enabled them to keep the government out of all their affairs while still keeping peace and order in the city. Pericles then spoke of the great Athenian way of not only obeying written laws and authorities, but also adhering an unspoken sort of honor code and closely following the laws which stopped oppression. Not only did Pericles talk of the government and laws held by the Athenians but he also mentioned that the Athenians had what sounds like a work hard play hard sort of attitude. The people of Athens were able to join in all sorts of sports and activities and also enjoyed all the beauty of the finer things. Next he talks about how Athens was a real place of power in the world and how its great reputation and power established Athens as a trade hub which aloud its people to have access to things from all different regions. Also relating to worldly exposure he talked of how Athens is opened to anyone and rarely even deported people, which would allow the city to have a good amount of diversity. Following that he spoke of their education system. He almost boasted about the fact that the Spartans undergo intense training while the Athenians enjoy life and are just as brave and prepared as the Spartans are for war.

Needless to say Pericles took great pride in his city but if you are wondering why he chose then to express his patriotism, to explain why Pericles chose such a speech instead of a traditional style he said "This, then is the kind of city for which these men, who could not bear the thought of losing her, nobly fought and nobly died. It is only natural that every one of us who survive them should be willing to undergo hardship in her service. And it is for this reason that I have spoken in great lengths about our city".     

Human Nature

Katie Taylor, World History Period 6                                              January 27, 2014
Thoughts and Reflections On: "The Plague" & "The Civil War in Corcyra"
From History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides

             When reading these two articles many possibilities presented themselves as to what exactly is the nature of humans, but the things I found most previlaent in both articles was that humans barbaric and selfish. In The Plague people were extreamly selfish. People were dying every where, bodies piled on bodies. People grew selfish they didn't follow laws, they spent loads money, they locked their doors and windows and they selfishly took no pity on the sick for fear for their own lives. 

           

In the Civil War in Coryra "revenge was more important than self restraint". The greeks jumped for the chance to fight even when war was avoidable and they were willing to do anything to win, even burning down their own city. It even appears that the Corcyreans got to a state of serious disorderly confusion among their navy simply because they were to prideful to take simple advice from Athens. This war was a fight for the top and every man seemed to be a little on his own even among his own fellow people and allies. The corcyreans killed whom ever thry thought was their enemy. Father killed son, brother killed brother it even mentions that the women were helping bychucking roof tiles at people, anyone who was against the democracy was killed. Soon anyone who wanted a change in government went to war and the result was pure savagery. People were considered more manly if they had violent revengeful plots and uncourageous if they simply wanted peace and unfortunatly I think that was the main point he was trying to make about human nature in this article. In these articles its very clear that humans are all barbaric and violent and that when the worlds social restraints are loosened by war or pleg the savagry inside of all people expresses it self. 

Thoughts and Reflections On: How to Write History

Katie Taylor, World History Period 6.                                                  January 22, 2014
Thoughts and Reflections On: How to Write History 

By: Thucydidies 

Unlike many historians of the time period Thucydides was one who sought to write the truth. He did not write without either being there himself or talking to more than one eye witness and he tried to avoid depicting stories based off of people's stories if they had bias opinions. 

His writing was not romanticized or dramatized for the enjoyment of the public, instead Thucydides wrote for people who were looking for the truth about these historical events. He believed that his writing was not for the the immediate public but meant to last forever.  

The Homeric Scriptures of the Greeks

How are Homer's writings Greek creation myths? The writings of Homer are stories that can never be proved true and also seem a little far fetched in some aspects giving them the title myths and additionally the existence Homer maybe some what if a myth it self. In away his writings were Greek creation myths because, although they were not meant to focus on creation, they did tell the stories of the creation of the Greek gods and were the foundation for the development and creation of Greek culture. 

What function did the Iliad and the Odyssey serve for the people of ancient Greece? The Iliad and the odyssey were first written for amusement but eventually became part if the foundation for Greek culture, morales and the religion giving it an even greater purpose than I'm sure Homer expected. 

Homer's work survived the ages while much of the other Greek literature did not. Would the oil of ancient Greece be as great if the majority of their literature had survived? 

Why did Homer's work survive? I think that if more works of Greek literature had survived then the when people thought of Greek literature their focus may be spread and may even focuses on one of the Greek failures instead of on the Iliad and the Odyssey which were stories of Greek triumph and culture. Homers works survived because of there fame. The Iliad and the odyssey were both copied down numerous other times including in other countries, allowing them to survive the ages. 

 

What role do the gods play in the lives of humans? 

The gods of homers writings were created in mans image and possessed many man like qualities and each god seemed to support or help certain cities and people allowing the gods to have a direct effect on the people. But in real life it is obviously extremely unlikely that there is a god backing each of the main cities (if there was obviously avoiding bankruptcy isn't one of the Greek gods talents). In real life the effect the gods have on the life's of humans was more from a religious or moral standpoint.     

Thoughts and reflections on Greek gifts

Katie Taylor, World History Period 6                                                             January 13, 2013

Thoughts and Reflections On: Greek Gifts

By Peter Green

When we take a look at the Ancient Greeks we realize that they were responsible for many things still prevalent in our culture today. Democracy, Dramas, the Olympics, Greek style architecture, sun dials, art, poetry were all gifts the Greeks contributed to the world, but when you really take a look at Greek culture it's obvious that although the Greeks may have had the original ideas and were the first to practice these things, they were not really responsible for why we have them today. The Greeks were xenophobic and seclusive.

They did not share there culture with anyone and looked down on any and all people who were not Greek. They even called anyone who did not speak Greek a "barbarian". Even with the minorities in there own society like Greek Jews were looked down on and segregated. In truth we would not have these "Greek gifts" today if it was not for the Romans who took the Greek ideas and fostered and developed them, eventually spreading them by means of conquests and trade throughout all of Europe. So although the Greeks are accredited for these great accomplishments in reality the Romans are responsible for these gifts lasting throughout the ages and being a part of out culture today. 

Greek gifts

Ptolemaic is anything relating to the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy. 

Hellenistic was a period of time in Greek history that was between the death of Alexander the Great and the time when Roman Empire became dominant 

Septuagint is the Hebrew bible that has been translated into Greek. 

Debarred means to oficially keep someone from doing something

Theocracy is a form of government where the offical rulers, laws and policies are "guided" by a deity or higher power and that higher power is reconized as a civil ruler. 

Thoughts and Reflections On "Two Ancient Cities Follow Diverse Paths"

Katie Taylor , World History Period 6                                                              Jan. 7, 2014

Thoughts and Reflections On "Two Ancient Cities Follow Diverse Paths" 

By James C. Davis

Athens and Sparta although both city states of Greece were quite different in several fundamental ways. Sparta and Athens both had very different governing styles, cultural values and ways of life. Sparta was larger than Athens and its people devoted there lives to military focus. Spartan men began intense warrior training when they were quite young and the spartan men relied on there captured slaves to be farmers providing for there monetary and food needs and spartan women were not highly valued and viewed more as warrior makers. Sparta's government was led by upper class warriors and land owners and two kings which as you might expect lead to many disagreements and fights between the two kings but over all the government ran fairly smoothly. 

Athens on the other end concentrated on the happiness of its people (or so it said). Athens was home to some of the worlds most renowned philosophers and unlike the Spartans also begot unto many amazing teachers, artists and writers. Unlike Sparta Athenians did not undergo intense training to be warriors although their military was adequately prepared, their dedication was nothing compared to Sparta. Athens strong point was its navy being a costal city it was easy to develop and excellent navy to help make up for its lack of training dedication. Athens created the first form of democracy to govern its people and that is something the people can thank the Greeks for.

Some of the Greeks other great accomplishments were the Olympics, which is a still a part of world culture today and many comical writings and plays, some of which are also still preformed today. I suppose if you think about it we have Greece to thank for democracy, several styles of art and literature, cause for the aspirations of athletes around the world, the Olympic Games and numerous other things. 

 Thank you- Greece