CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLASSICAL CIVILIZATION

POLITICAL LIFE The Delian League was formed

Under Pericles, Athens became the leader of this league

Democratic system of government All male citizens were the members of the

General Assembly Laws were carried out by the Council of Five

Hundred , elected by the people. Courts were set up and were tried by the jury

PHILOSOPHY

Socrates lived and taught during the Periclean Age

He taught that men must think freelyHis teachings were spread by his pupil PlatoPlato had an equally brilliant pupil called

AristotleAlexander the Great was educated by Aristotle

Religion

All Greeks believed in the family of gods that lived on Mount Olympus

Zeus was the king of gods His wife Hera was the goddess of home

Zeus’s Children- Athena-goddess of wisdom

Apollo- god of music Aphrodite-goddess of love

Ares- god of war Hermes-messenger of gods

SOCIAL LIFE

• Olympic games originated in ancient Greece.• These were held near Mount Olympus in the

sacred city of Olympia• It became a national festival and were held

every year

ART AND CULTURE

• LITERATURE• A number of fine plays were written • A number of epics were composed• Homer-the greatest Greek poet wrote the

famous epics-Iliad and Odyssey• The great Greek historian Herodotus –father

of history

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The Parthenon, a temple built in honour of Athena(the guardian goddess of Athens) on the Acropolis hill in Athens is one of the most beautiful buildings

SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT

Pythagoras (geometry) Democrites (atomic theory)

Hippocrates (medicine)-father of medicine

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