西方文化导论

1、Get StartedText StudySupplementary ResourcesGet StartedGet Started1. A General Introduction2. Focus In Get StartedGet Started Greek culture dates back to the Neolithic Age (about 4000 BC). By its Bronze Age (about 2800 BC), Greek culture had come to a stage of substantial development in view of its

2、ability to produce useful tools and articles and weapons in bronze, as were evidenced by the unearthed artifacts in the neighborhood of the Aegean Sea. The Aegean Civilization or the Stone and Bronze Age Civilization was thus shaped and included Cretan Civilization and Mycenaean Civilization, which

3、appeared subsequently, with a high level of cultural development, as was demonstrated in its architecture, art and crafts as well as the pictographic script which had been used widely. Get Started After the Dorian invasion, Greece was further divided into a number of tribes before they were organize

4、d into the city-states. The ancient Greek economy heavily depended on slave labor, the most popular resource for production at that time, and laid the foundation for the success of Greek culture. In the 5th-4th centuries BC, the slave-based democracy politics in Athens reached its peak during Pericl

5、es reign, providing a comparatively free environment for the development of Greek culture. However, split occurred between the two strongest city-states and wars among most poleis caused the decline of Greek Civilization, and it was conquered by Roman Empire before 146 BC. Get Started Historically,

6、Greek culture is of a rich variety, lasting value and wide influence around the world. Under the administration of the city government and its stimulation on cultural exchange, cultural prosperity rose up in architecture, philosophy, literature, arts and sports. Such an intellectual climate hence le

7、d to the emergence of a number of famous philosophers, artists and historians who produced their remarkable contributions to Greek Civilization.Get StartedlTo get a brief view of the history and development of Greek CivilizationlTo be familiar with Greek culture in mythology, religion, philosophy, h

8、istory, literature and artslTo know some representative philosophers and their contributions Text StudyText StudyI. The Early Period of Greek CivilizationII. The Development and the End of Greek Civilization III. Greek CultureText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasAgesStagesCharacters & Cultural Achievements

9、Pre-historical AgeStage 1:Cretan Civilization(5000 years ago)l2600 BC2000 BC, the Neolithicl2000 BC1600 BC, social classes appeared; Minosa unified country from smaller city-states.lDuring 1600 BC1125 BC, Minoan Dynasty was weakened and toppled.Text StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasPre-historical AgeStage 2

10、:Mycenaean Civilization(ended in the 12th century BC)Mycenae was a country where slaves were commonly used in agricultural and handicraft production. Mycenaean culture benefited much from Cretan culture on its social and economic development.Heroic Age The period is between the coming of the Greeks

11、to Thessaly and the Greeks returning from Troy and culminates in the Trojan War. The Trojan War had helped to produce two famous epics, Odyssey and Iliad.Text StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasDark Age1200 BC800 BCIt was peopled with many legendary names like Hercules, Ajax, Achilles and Agamemnon.Golden Age

12、the 8th the 4th century BCIt can be divided into three periods: the archaic period, the central period and the period of dependence.Text StudyInterpretation of Cultural TermsInterpretation of Cultural TermsThe Neolithic 新石器时代新石器时代: It is a period in the development of human technology, beginning in

13、about 9500 BC in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age. The Neolithic is a measured progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and changes, including the use of wild and domestic crops and the use of domesticated animals.Text StudyInterpretation

14、of Cultural TermsInterpretation of Cultural TermsMinos 米诺斯米诺斯: In Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan Civilization of pre-Hellene Crete has been named after him by the archaeologist Arthur Evans.Te

15、xt StudyComprehension ExercisesMultiple choice.(1) _ is the major foundation in the Western culture and makes a powerful impact on the development of human civilization. A. Ancient European cultureB. Ancient Greek cultureC. Ancient Chinese cultureD. Ancient Egyptian cultureComprehension ExercisesA.

16、the Neolithic AgeB. the Bronze AgeC. the Stone and Bronze AgeD. the Old Stone AgeText StudyComprehension Exercises(2) Greek culture can date back to_.Comprehension ExercisesMultiple choice.A. farmingB. handicraft and tradeC. religionD. philosophyText StudyComprehension Exercises(3) Mycenaean culture

17、 was influenced the most by Cretan culture on _.Comprehension ExercisesMultiple choice.A. the Heroic Age B. the Golden Age C. the Cretan Civilization D. the Mycenaean CivilizationText StudyComprehension Exercises(4) The Trojan War broke out at the end of _.Comprehension ExercisesMultiple choice.A. a

18、rchaic B. central C. dependentD. darkText StudyComprehension Exercises(5) The first Olympiad began in the _ period of the Golden Age. Comprehension ExercisesMultiple choice.Text StudyThink and DiscussGive a brief introduction to the Trojan War and check references to know more about the war. The Tro

19、jan War broke out at the end of the Mycenaean Civilization. All the city-states in Mycenae sent troops to help form a coalition army for the battles. Not long after the war, the Dorians from the northwest of Greece invaded and destroyed Mycenae in about the12th11th centuries BC.Think and DiscussText

20、 StudyThink and DiscussIntroduction from Wikipedia: In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war was among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narr

21、ated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer. The Iliad relates a part of the last year of the siege of Troy, while the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the Achaean leaders. Other parts of the war were toldThink and DiscussText StudyThink

22、 and DiscussThink and Discussin a cycle of epic poems, which has only survived in fragments. Episodes from the war provided material for Greek tragedies and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets like Virgil and Ovid. The war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera

23、, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked “for the fairest”. Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris, who judged that Aphrodite, as “the fairest”, should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the

24、 most beautiful of all Text StudyThink and DiscussThink and Discusswomen and wife of Menelaus, fall in love with Paris, who took her to Troy. Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae and the brother of Helens husband Menelaus, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years bec

25、ause of Paris insult. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris, the city fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans (except for some of the women and children whom they kept or sold as slaves) and dese

26、crated the temples, thus earning the gods wrath. Few of the Achaeans returned safely to their homes andText StudyThink and DiscussThink and Discussmany founded colonies in distant shores. The Romans later traced their origin to Aeneas, one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Troja

27、ns to modern-day Italy. The ancient Greeks thought the Trojan War was a historical event that had taken place in the 13th or 12th century BC, and believed that Troy was located in modern- day Turkey near the Dardanelles. By modern times both the war and the city were widely believed to be non-histor

28、ical. In 1870, however, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann excavated a site in this area which he identified as Troy; this claim is now accepted by most scholars.Text StudyThink and DiscussThink and DiscussWhether there is any historical reality behind the Trojan War is an open question. M

29、any scholars believe that there is a historical core to the tale, though this may simply mean that the Homeric stories are a fusion of various tales of sieges and expeditions by Mycenaean Greeks during the Bronze Age. Those who believe that the stories of the Trojan War derive from a specific histor

30、ical conflict usually date it to the 12th or 11th century BC, often preferring the dates given by Eratosthenes, 1194 BC1184 BC, which roughly corresponds with archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VIIa.Text StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain Ide

31、asMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMain Ideas Since the 8th Century BC, Greece stepped into an important period when iron t

32、ools were universally used as a substitute for bronze. With further coastal economic development, the city-states were founded one after another, numbering more than a hundred altogether in either Dorian or Ionian dominance. Among them, Athens and Sparta were the most developed and powerful. Later M

33、iletus became an even larger and more important city than Athens after the Persian conquest of Asia Minor in the 6th century BC. In politics, the newly founded city-states were usually ruled by the slave-owning aristocrats or kings who were formerlyText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasM

34、ain Ideasformerly military leaders. But some states could be ruled by the archons such as Draco and Solon, Peisistratus and Cleisthenes, etc., who would proceed with their reforms. Thus it led to a period of business and patriarchal aristocratic democracy. There were two legislatures during that per

35、iod: one was the general assembly, known as the Ecclesia which passed policies, and the boule led by ten archons enforced them; the other was the supreme council which supervised and checked the behavior of the local officials and teachers. The strength of the system was the highly democratic featur

36、es which controlled the power of aristocrats. Greek Civilization came to its peak during Pericles reign and then began to decline, during which two wars broke out with profound meanings. One is the war between Greek city-states and Persian invaders (499 BC449 BC). The victory laid the foundation for

37、 the development and prosperity of Greece. However, peace and stability did not last long after the victory because a split occurred between the two strongest city-states (459 BC404 BC) , thus leading to the decline of Athens and most poleis involved in the war. Till 146 BC, the regions of Greek Pen

38、insula and Aegean Sea islands were all seized and conquered by Roman troops and merged into the map of Roman Empire.Text StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyInterpretation of Cultural Termsostracism 陶片放逐制陶片放逐制: In ancient Greece, when a citizen was considered dangerous to the state, he would be banis

39、hed for a certain number of years as a punishment, decided by popular votes. Now it relates to any social exclusion.Interpretation of Cultural TermsText StudyInterpretation of Cultural TermsThebes 底比斯底比斯: A Mycenaean city, located in east-central Greece, northwest of Athens. It was at the height of

40、power and splendour in the 4th century BC. In 336 BC it was ruined by Alexander the Great.Interpretation of Cultural TermsText StudyInterpretation of Cultural TermsSparta 斯巴达斯巴达: an ancient Greek city-state of Dorian Greeks in the southeast Peloponnesus，which was widely known for its military power,

41、 and reached its peak in the 6th century BC when Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian Wars (460404) and then became the leader of the union of Greek city-states before it was toppled by the Thebans in 371 BCInterpretation of Cultural TermsText StudyInterpretation of Cultural TermsInterpretati

42、on of Cultural TermsText StudyInterpretation of Cultural TermsJustinian I (Justinian the Great) 查士丁尼一世查士丁尼一世: The emperor of Byzantium who resisted the Persian aggression at the eastern frontier of his empire and then re-occupied the former Roman territories in Africa, Italy and Spain. Eastern Ortho

43、dox Christians respects him as a saint.Interpretation of Cultural TermsText StudyInterpretation of Cultural TermsCleon克里昂克里昂（?422 BC): One of the Athenian political and military leaders during the Peloponnesian War. He was the first prominent example of the commercial class who was considered as a w

44、armonger and demagogue by his contemporaries.Interpretation of Cultural TermsText StudyInterpretation of Cultural TermsPericles 伯利克里伯利克里 (c.495 BC 429 BC): A famous and influential Athenian leader. He was called “the first citizen of Athens” by Thucydides, a historian. His reign (461 BC429 BC) was k

45、nown as the “Age of Pericles”. He promoted the literature and arts and built many buildings. For this reason, Athens became the educational and cultural centre of ancient Greece. Furthermore, Pericles made contribution to the Athenian democracy.Interpretation of Cultural TermsText StudyComprehension

46、 ExercisesPlease match the following names of political leaders to their reformist ideas.(1) Draco (2) Cleisthenes(3) Peisistratus(4) Solon(5) Periclesa. supreme council check the behavior of leadersb. punish trivial crimes with the death sentencec. abolish slave labor d. carry out legislative refor

47、me. advocate peasants welfare and popular entertainmentsComprehension ExercisesText StudyThink and DiscussHow did the ancient Greek Civilization develop in its long history?Firstly, early period of Greek Civilization: the development of Cretan and Mycenaean Civilization. Secondly, with the developme

48、nt of economy, many city-states were founded. Aristocratic rulers were trying to proceed their reforms in politics and legislations, which led to the prosperity of Greek Civilization. Last, after two wars, Greek Civilization came to its end.Think and DiscussText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMa

49、in IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMain IdeasMain IdeasText Study(1) Greek Mythology and Religion Greek mythology is based on a religion which took shape during the Homeric Age and was developed from animism and fetishism into polytheism. The religious tales became fully developed myths in the Ho

50、meric epic and thus contributed greatly to the later development of all Greek arts. In Greek myth, all the gods live on Mount Olympus. Theres a list of a group of 12 gods (The Olympians) who ruled after the overthrow of the Titans.Main IdeasMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasGod & GoddessCharacterZeusthe

51、 heavenly king of the gods and ruler of mankindPoseidon the moody god of the seasHadesthe gloomy god of the underworldHestia the calm goddess of the hearthHerathe mature goddess of the familyAresthe fierce god of the warAthenathe sophisticated goddess of wisdom and artsMain IdeasText StudyMain Ideas

52、Apollothe youthful god of the sun and the musicAphroditethe sensual goddess of love and beautyHermesthe cunning god of the tradeArtemisthe wild goddess of the huntHephaestus the ill-favored god of metallurgyMain IdeasText StudyMain Ideas(2) Greek Philosophy Greek philosophy emerged from the bondage

53、of religion and went through a process of fruitful theoretical research combined with practical experience before it achieved its high point in the history of human intellectual development. It has influenced much of Western thought with a wide variety of subjects, including political philosophy, et

54、hics, metaphysics, ontology, logic, biology, rhetoric and aesthetics.Main IdeasText StudyMain IdeasEarly Greek Philosophers and Their Noble IdeasSchoolNameMain IdeaMaterialismThales The world originated in water and predicted a total eclipse of the sun.AnaximanderThe origin of everything in the worl

55、d is unlimited and all things split into two opposites.HeraclitusFire is the fundamental substance in the universe, and the universe is in a state of ongoing change, struggle or flux.Main IdeasText StudyMain IdeasMaterialism DemocritusMaterial world is composed of tiny, inseparable particles called

56、atoms.IdealismPythagorasEverything is numbers. And it is possible to acquire mystical knowledge.ProtagorasMan is the measure of all things. Main IdeasText StudyMain IdeasThe Most Influential Philosophers in GreeceNameLife & AchievementsMain InterestsNotable IdeasWorksSocrates(470 BC 399 BC)a classic

57、al Greek Athenian philosopher,one of the founders of Western philosophy epistemology, ethicsSocratic method, Socratic ironySocratic dialogues written by his students Plato and Xenophon Main IdeasText StudyMain IdeasPlato(427 BC 347 BC)a classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates

58、, founder of the Academy in Athens, and one of the founders of Western philosophy and science rhetoric, art, literature, epistemology, justice, virtue, politics, education, family, militarismPlatonic realismwriter of philosophi-cal dialogues, Apology, Protagoras, Gorgias, Phaedo, Symposium, Padres,

59、The Republic, The LawMain IdeasText StudyMain IdeasAristotle (384 BC 322 BC)a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato, one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy physics, metaphysics, poetry, theatre, music, rhetoric, politics, government, ethics, biology, zoologygolden mean, rea

60、son, logic, syllogism, passionThe Categories, The Peri Hermeneias, The Prior Analytics, The Posterior Analytics, Topics and the Sophistical Refutations, Physics, The Politics, On the Parts of Animals, Zoology and History of AnimalsMain IdeasText StudyMain Ideas(3) LiteratureGreek literature is consi