欧洲文化入门

EuropeanCulture:

AnIntroductionTextbook《EuropeanCulture:AnIntroduction》欧洲文化入门主编：王佐良祝珏李品伟高厚堃外语教学与研究出版社ContentschronologicalTermScheduleNo.ofClasses/Week2No.ofWeeks18TotalNo.ofClasses36AssessmentIntroductionUsesoftheSubjectLanguagecannotbelearnedwithouttheknowledgeoftheculturebehindit.Necessarytothecitizensoftheworld.TwoMajorElementsinEuropeanCultureGreco-RomanelementJudeo-Christianelement

Division1GreekCulture&RomanCultureGreekCultureTheHistoricalContext1200B.C.WarbetweenGreeceandTroy5thcenturyB.C.GreekculturereachedahighpointCivilwarbetweenAthensandSparta4thcenturyB.C.AllGreeceruledbyAlexander,KingofMacedon146B.C.RomansconqueredGreeceGreekCultureGreekCultureHomer700B.C.AuthorofancientGreeks’epics(1200-1100B.C.)TheIliadTrojanWarGreek:Agamemnon,Achilles,OdysseusTrojan:HectorTheOdyssey

ReturnofOdysseusaftertheTrojanWartohishomeislandofIthaca.GreekCultureGreekCultureLyricPoetrySappho(612-580B.C.)womanpoet-ThemostimportantlyricpoetofancientGreece-NotedforlovepoemsofpassionateintensityPindar(518-438B.C.)

Bestknownforodescelebratingthevictoriesattheathleticgames.(the14Olympianodes)GreekCultureDrama-Developedinthe5thcenturyB.C.-Performedinopen-airtheatres,actorsworemasksWriterWorksTragedy/ComedyCharacteristicsNotedforAeschylus(525-456B.C.)PrometheusBound,Persians,AgamemnonTragedyOnlytwoactorsandachorus;WritteninverseVividcharacterportrayalandmajesticpoetrySophocles(496-406B.C.)OedipustheKing,Electra,AntigoneTragedyAddathirdactoranddecreasethesizeofthechorus.StrongimpactonEuropeanliterature.Someplotsadoptedbylaterwriters.“theOedipuscomplex”Euripides(484-406B.C.)Andromache,Medea,TrojanWomenTragedyMainlyaboutwomen;moreofarealist;characterslessheroic,morelikeordinarypeople.Thefirstwriterof“problemplays”Aristophanes(450-380B.C.)Frogs,Clouds,Wasps,BirdsComedyLooseinplot,satiricalintone,fullofcleverparodyandacutecriticism.Contemporaryeventsanddirectattacksonwell-knownpeopleofthedayGreekCultureHistoryHerodotus(484-430B.C.)FatherofHistoryWrotewarsbetweenGreeksandPersiansFullofanecdotes,digressions,andlivelydialogueThucydides(460-404B.C.)MoreaccurateasanhistorianWrotewarsbetweenAthensandSparta,betweenAthensandSyracuseTraceeventstocausesandbringouttheeffectsGreekCulturePhilosopherIdeasPythagoras(580-500B.C.)FounderofscientificmathematicsAllthingsarenumbers.Heracleitus(540-480B.C.)Fireistheprimaryelementoftheuniverse.Everythingelsehasarisenoutofit.Allisflux,nothingisstationery.Thestrifebetweentheoppositesproducetheharmony.Democritus(460-370B.C.)OneofearliestphilosophicalmaterialistsSpeculateabouttheatomicstructureofmatter.“Forallmengoodandtrutharethesame,butpleasureisdifferentfordifferentmen.Itisrepentanceforwhathasbeenshamefullydonethatsetsliferight.Hewhodoeswrongismoreunfortunatethanhewhoiswrong.Itisright,sincewearehuman,thatweshouldnotlaughathumanmisfortunesbutlamentthem.”PhilosophyandScienceGreekCultureGreekCultureGreekCultureGreekCultureSchoolsPhilosopherIdeasSophistsProtagoras(500B.C.)Manisthemeasureofallthings.CynicsDiogenes(412-323B.C.)Hedecidedtolivelikeadogandtheword“cynic”means“dog”inGreek.Rejectallconventions,advocateself-sufficiencyandextremesimplicityinlife.ScepticsPyrrhon(360-272B.C.)Notallknowledgewasattainable.EpicureansEpicurus(341-270B.C.)materialistPleasureisthehighestgoodinlife;notsensualenjoyment,butfreedomfrompainandemotionalupheaval;couldbeattainedbythepracticeofvirtue.StoicsZeno(335-263B.C.)materialistOpposedtotheEpicureans.Themostimportantthinginlifeisnotpleasurebutduty.Oneshouldendurehardshipandmisfortunewithcourage.Virtueisthesolegoodinthelifeofaman.Ifhehastodie,heshoulddienobly.ContendingSchoolsofThoughtGreekCultureSciencePlatoAmathematician.ArchimedesDidimportantworknotonlyingeometry,butalsoinarithmetic,mechanics,andhydrostatics.Mathematics,thepurestofsciences,wasappliedinacoustics,optics,geography,Staticsandastronomy.AristotleContributedtoZoology,startedmethodicalresearch,laidmassivefoundationsformodernscience.EuclidWell-knownforhisElements,atextbookofgeometryandinuseuntiltheearlyyearsofthe20thcentury.Greekscientistsdeducetheoriesandbuildupsystems.GreekCultureArt,Architecture,SculptureandPotteryArt

GreekartisavisualproofofGreekcivilization.ArchitecturetheDoricstyle(masculinestyle):sturdy,powerful,severelookingandshowingagoodsenseofproportionsandnumbers,monotonousandunadorned.theIonicstyle(femininestyle):gracefulandelegant,showsawealthofornament.theCorinthianstyle:ornamentalluxury.Famoustemples:theAcrpolisatAthens(437-432B.C.);theParthenon(447-432B.C.).GreekCultureArt,Architecture,SculptureandPotterySculptureTheearliest Gods,stiff,lifelesswoodcarving;7thcenturyB.C. Sizebecamebiggerandlife-size,standstiff;5thcenturyB.C. Beautyoftheinternalstructureofhumanbodiesandmythologicalfigures.GreekCultureArt,Architecture,SculptureandPotteryDiscusThrower

-relaxationandcontractionofthemuscle-senseofbodymovement-goodsenseofharmonyandthebalanceofoppositesGreekCultureArt,Architecture,SculptureandPotteryVenusdeMilo

-themostfamous-brokenarms-symbolofbeauty,graceandhealth,apersonificationofvitalityanddignity.GreekCultureArt,Architecture,SculptureandPotteryLaocoongroupabout125B.C.

-apriestofTroy-hewassufferedaslowdeathandkilledbyserpentswithhissonsforhewarnedtheTrojansagainstGreekattack-theexpressionofLaocoon’s

face-fear,sympathyandterrorGreekCultureArt,Architecture,SculptureandPotteryPotteryaresultofdomesticneedsandneedsforforeigntradeVaryingshapes(jars,utensils)Beautifulpaintings(everydayscenes,animals,figuresinIliadandOdyssey)VasesfromAtticaBlack-figurepaintings&Red-figurepaintings

GreekCultureImpact

playedavitalpartintheRenaissanceinItalyandotherEuropeancountriesSpiritofInnovation-inventedmathematics,scienceandphilosophy-firstwritehistory-speculatethenatureoftheworldSupremeAchievementphilosophy,science,epicpoetry,tragedy,comedy,lyricpoetry,historicalwriting,architecture,sculpture,etc.LastingEffect

-theboldefforttheymadetounderstandtheworldhadanenduringeffectonlatergenerations;-inliterature,countlesswritersquoted,adapted,borrowed;-Byron’sIslesofGreece-Shelley’sHellasandPrometheusUnbound-Keats’sOdeonaGrecianUrnRomanCultureRomansandGreeksBurningofCorinth(146B.C.)markedRomanconquestofGreece.GreecewasaprovinceoftheRomanEmpire.ThelanguageofwesternRomanEmpirewasLatin,theeasternwasGreek.CommonDifferenceRomanBothtraditionsrootedintheideaofthecitizen-assembly,hostiletomonarchyandtoservility.Religionswerealike.Languagesworkedinsimilarways,membersoftheIndo-Europeanlanguage.Builtavastempire.GreekDidn’tbuildavastempire.RomanCultureRomanCultureLatinLiteratureThewritingsinLatinshowedgreatoriginality,besidesbeingprofound,powerfulandbeautiful.ProseMarcusTulliusCicero(106-43B.C.)

-PlayedanimportantroleintheRomansenate.

-Hiseloquent,oratoricalmannerofwriting,describedasCiceronian,hadanenormousinfluenceonthedevelopmentofEuropeanprose.JuliusCaesar(102/100-44B.C.)

-AsuccessfulgeneralandthedictatorinRome.-Commentaries,modelsofsuccinctLatin,uselanguagewitheconomyandferocity.RomanCultureRomanCultureRomanCultureArchitecture,PaintingandSculptureArchitecturePontduGard

Anexceptionallywell-preserved