Ancient Greece Important Men
Sophist success was more important than moral truth developed skills in rhetoric Ambitious men could use clever and persuasive rhetoric to advance their careers Older citizens, accused the Sophists of undermining traditional Greek values
Socrates Athenian stonemason and philosopher Used the Socratic method Accused of corrupting the city s youth and failing to respect the gods Standing before a jury of 501 citizens, he offered a calm and reasoned defense The jurors condemned him to death
Plato Emphasized the importance of reason Through rational thought people could discover unchanging ethical values, recognize perfect beauty, and learn how best to organize society Set up a school called the Academy, where he taught and wrote about his own ideas In his book The Republic, Plato described his vision of an ideal state
Aristotle He analyzed all forms of government and found good and bad examples of each In his view, good conduct meant pursuing the golden mean, a moderate course between the extremes He set up a school, the Lyceum, for the study of all branches of knowledge, with writings on politics, ethics, logic, biology, literature, and many other subjects University courses were based largely on the works and ideas of Aristotle
Aeschylus Wrote tragedies that showed how even the powerful could be subject to horrifying misfortune and how the wrath of the gods could bring down even the greatest heroes
Sophocles Wrote tragedies Explored what happens when an individual s moral duty conflicts with the laws of the state
Euripides Wrote tragedies His plays suggested that people, not the gods, were the cause of human misfortune and suffering
Aristophanes Wrote comedies Ridiculed individuals of the day, including political figures, philosophers, and prominent members of society Through ridicule, comic playwrights sharply criticized society, much as political cartoonists do today
Philip II Through threats, bribery, and diplomacy, he formed alliances with many Greek city-states Others he conquered Brought all of Greece under his control
Alexander the Great He unified all of Greece, Persia, Egypt, and parts of India Spread the Greece culture wherever he went Created the Hellenistic Culture - a blend of all of the cultures he was surrounded by Encouraged pursuit of knowledge by scholars, as he had been educated by a great philosopher; Aristotle Set the designs for the city of Alexandria in motion, created the Library of Alexandria
Zeno Founder of Stoicm Urged people to avoid desires and disappointments by accepting calmly whatever life brought
Stoicm Stoics preached high moral standards, such as the idea of protecting the rights of fellow humans They taught that all people, including women and slaves, though unequal in society, were morally equal because all had the power of reason Stoicism later influenced many Roman and Christian thinkers
Pythagoras Calculated the relationship between the sides of a right triangle
Euclid The Elements, a textbook that compiled earlier works and became the basis for modern geometry Had a powerful impact on Islamic mathematics, and Latin translations of Arabic versions first made it known in Europe
Aristarchus Earth rotated on its axis and orbited the sun Used geometry to calculate the sizes and distances of the sun and the moon
Eratosthenes Showed that Earth was round and accurately calculated its circumference
Archimedes Applied principles of physics to make practical inventions He mastered the use of the lever and pulley Devised machines of war to defend his hometown against Roman attack Invented the Archimedes screw
Hippocrates Studied the causes of illnesses and looked for cures The Hippocratic oath attributed to him set ethical standards for doctors