Thoughts and Reflections on The Plague and Civil War in Corcyra

Ryan Otto, World History                                                                              1/28/14

Period 6

Thoughts and Reflections on: The Plague and Civil War in Corcyra  

Thucydides 

     If one is looking for information on human nature, than all they have to do is look at a period in history when everyone is suffering. One such time would be the Peloponnesian War, in which a plague swept over Athens, killing dozens. Thucydides provides numerous examples of the behavioral changes which occurred when Athens was under the plague, such as a total disregard for law and a tendency to lose all hope once they caught the plague. The statement which Thucydides made about human nature was that it always adapts to fit its circumstances. If they are in a time of peace, people will establish laws and order. Similarly, if people are in a time of war, they will kill and brutalize each other with no regard for law. 

 

Funeral Oration Thoughts and Reflections

Ryan Otto, World History                                                                              1/24/14

Period 6

Thoughts and Reflections on: Funeral Oration 

Thucydides 

      In a time of war, it was traditional for the Athenians to select one speaker renowned for their intellectual prowess and contribution to the state. In this speech, the orator would do his best to honor the fallen warriors. During the Peloponnesian War, it was decided that Pericles would deliver this speech. However, instead of opting for the standard honoring of the departed, Pericles decided to inspire patriotism by reminding his fellow citizens of the greatness of Athens. These praises fell into three main categories: the government of Athens, the spirit of Athens, and the military of Athens. Concerning the government of Athens, Pericles stated that Athens was strong because it was not based on any other government, but rather a role model for other city-states. He claimed that what made Athens so great was that each citizen was equal under the eyes of the law, and that poor socioeconomic status didn't make someone any less important. Of course, what Pericles glossed over was that women were not considered to be full citizens of Athens, so his argument of equality under the eyes of the law kind of falls flat. When he spoke of the spirit of Athens, Pericles reminded citizens that though many of them live in luxury, they are not extravagant. He also told the audience (with some degree of truth) that Athens was far more cultured than any other city-state. In terms of military, Pericles claimed superiority over their rival Sparta. He said that even though the Spartans trained from a very young age, the Athenians were better because they had free will. He stated that the people of Athens rose to defend her because they loved their home, rather than because they were forced into combat. And finally, Pericles claimed that Athens was much better than their opponents because they were open to anyone, and had no deportation. But again, this argument is questionable because those who were not citizens were not considered open. 

Thoughts and Reflections on Peloponnesian War Introduction

Ryan Otto, World History                                                                              1/22/14

Period 6

Thoughts and Reflections on: Introduction to the Peloponnesian Wars

Thucydides 

    

    When we read the works of the Greek historian Herodotus from a modern perspective, we have to take it with a grain of salt. We know that in all likelihood, 300 Spartans did not face off against 5,000,000 Persians at Thermopoli. The historian Thucydides however had a method of recording history which involved thorough research and corroboration with numerous sources. He tried to go into his research without any preconceptions or biases. He claimed that he was not writing to entertain like Herodotus, but rather to chronicle the events for future generations. He said that hoped his work would prove useful in the event that similar circumstances came about in the future. 

The Homeric Scriptures of the Greeks questions

1. How were Homer's writings Greek creation myths? Homer's writings were not based in historical fact, but rather had to do with the Greek gods and how they had a hand in the Trojan wars. 

2. What function did the Iliad and the Odyssey serve for the people of Ancient Greece?  Homer's writings provided the Ancient Greeks with a rudimentary understanding of religion. 

3. Would the power of Ancient Greece be as great if the majority of their literature had survived? The power of Ancient Greence would have been, if anything, greater. We would have a better understanding of their culture, and it is likely that more of their ideas would have survived. 

4. How did Homer's work survive? Homer's work was so popular only a few centuries after it was made that it was translated in to different languages. There were thousands of copies made, so it was inevitable that it would survive. 

5. What role do the gods play in the lives of humans? If the mythology of Greece is to be believed, then the gods had quite a lot to do with the lives of humans. The gods controlled a fair amount of everything big going on, and some wars were faught due to interference with humans. 

Greek Gifts Pages 66-67

Hellenism: The study of Ancient Greek culture. 

Messianic: Having to do with the messiah. 

Ezekial: A prominent figure in the Bible. 

Berossos: A Babylonian writer. 

Ptolemaic: Having to do with the Greek astronomer Ptolemy

Summary: In this portion of the paper, the author illustrates how self centered the Greeks were in ancient times, and how there was such little collaboration between the minds of Greece and other places. He also points out how natives were favored in Greece, telling us that many foreigners took up. Greek names for the advantages. Native Greeks were a favored minority in those times. 

Greek questions

Ryan Otto, World History                                                                              1/9/14

Period 6

Thoughts and Reflections on: The Human Story Chapter 4

 When people discuss ancient Greece, the topics of Athens and Sparta are almost inevitably going to be brought up. Though technically in the same country, these two city states had drastically different lifestyles. One of the most prominent differences was how each city state was ruled. Athens was a limited democracy whereas Sparta was under a dual monarchy consisting of two kings. Athenian life was much less harsh than life in Sparta, and there was significantly more culture in Athens. As an ancient civilization, Greece had some of the most culturally impactful contributions to society, and most of these came out of Athens. They created the drama, a fairly sophisticated democracy and much of modern philosophy. They also managed to defeat the Persia empire a couple of times, though some of that can be put down to lucky circumstances. In fact, much of modern life in the US can be traced back to Ancient Greece. We have a similar democracy to that of Athens (though with more political rights), and much of modern entertainment has its roots in the ancient dramas of Greece. Greek architecture is also something which has withstood the test of time, and much can be found in the Southern regions of the US. Indeed, with the exceptions of Rome and Mesopotamia, one could argue that Greece had the most lasting impact of any ancient civilization on the United States.