2. ATHENIAN
GOLDEN AGE
Three great tragic
writers:
-Aeschylus
-Sophocles
-Euripides
Age of Pericles
(Pericles was the ruling
power in Athens at the
time)
Athenian Age
(Athens became the
white-hot literary
center of Greece)
Golden Age
(drama flourished
during this period)
DRAMA was the
crowning glory
Aristophanes
(the greatest comedy
writer)
3. Three
divisions
of poetry
A. Epic belongs to a period when the minds
of the people were deeply influenced by
legends.
B. Lyric poetry was developed during the
rule of a more republican form of
government.
C. Dramatic poetry was the organ of the
prevailing thoughts and feelings of the time.
4. Drama of antiquity vs. Modern Drama
Drama of antiquity
Had dignity, nobility, and power
Was cut up into situations or episodes
Has choral recitations between these
episodes
Choral recitations slowed the action
and interrupted the forward
movement of the story
Participants competed with each other.
Modern Drama
Has spontaneity and easy naturalness
Divided into acts and scenes
No interruption of action
Actors are natural.
7. AESCHYLUS
The father of Tragedy
Introduced the Trilogy
Wrote 70 tragedies but only seven
have survived
Is called the theological poet (plays
had great spiritual and religious
fervor)
Prometheus (greatest work)
Also called soldier playwright ( Battle
of Marathon and Battle of Salamis)
Wrote the trilogy Oresteia
(Agamemnon, Cheophori, and
Eumenides)
8. SOPHOCLES thirty years younger than
Aeschylus
wrote 120 plays but only 7 have
survived in a complete form
was the most celebrated
playwright in the dramatic
competitions of the city-state of
Athens (almost 50 years)
won 18 first prizes, never placed
lower than second prize
the darling of the Athenian
populace
Oedipus the King (greatest play)
9. SOPHOCLES greatly influenced the technical aspects of
Greek theatre
Originally, drama was performed on an
open-air theatre with few props or sets.
Sophocles expanded using stage machinery
(utilized technological advances) and sets.
He was the first to use a crane to
“miraculously” lower and take away actors!
He also used painted scenery.
Changed cast size (Introduced a third actor
and reduced the chorus from 50 people to 12)
Used more elaborate costumes, including
masks
10. EURIPIDES
A modern playwright
Wrote merely serious plays (not true
tragedies)
His outstanding works:
A. Medea (kills her children to avenge
herself on her husband ,Jason)
B. Alcestis
C. Orestes
11. ARISTOPHANES known as the Father of
Comedy and the Prince of
Ancient Comedy
a comic playwright of
ancient Athens
wrote 40 plays but only 11
have survived
wrote plays to castigate
society (was to attack the
faults and weaknesses of
society)
13. the most important general
in Athenian government
guided Athens after the
Persian Wars for more than
thirty years
strengthen democracy,
expand empire, beautify
Athens (goals)
14. PERICLES, The Boy
Pericles grew up in Athens in a
wealthy family.
He was about three years old when
Athens fought the battle of Marathon.
He was among the Athenians who
were evacuated during the Battle of
Thermopolae and Salamis.
He was very bright, and had some of
the best teachers in Athens.
He studied politics, ethics, philosophy,
and music.
15. Pericles, Early Adult Life
As a young man, Pericles used
much of his wealth to support the
arts. This helped him to become a
popular figure in Athens.
Together with some supporters, he
took on a powerful council of
leaders, and helped to break down
their power, an important point in
the history of democracy.
As a general of the Athenian army,
Pericles led several successful
military campaigns
16. Pericles as Leader...
The leadership of Pericles began a
time which is known as the
Golden Age of Athens.
Pericles worked on reforming the
Athenian democracy:
He introduced new laws and ideas,
for example, that people who
served on a jury would be paid.
He appointed people to positions
because of their abilities, not
because they were members of a
certain social class.
He brought more ordinary
Athenians into government.
17. Pericles as Builder
Pericles is famous for his building
projects. He loved the city of Athens,
and wanted it to be the leader of the
Greek world.
He rebuilt many of the temples on the
acropolis that had been destroyed by
the Persians.
He built the Parthenon on the
acropolis. It was a magnificent
building dedicated to the goddess,
Athena.
He had the Long Walls built to protect
the city in the event of a siege.
18. Pericles and Art and
Education
Pericles supported writers, artists,
teachers, sculptors, and architects.
He allowed the poor to attend the
theaters for free.
Philosophers and their teachings
flourished during the rule of
Pericles. (Philosophers are
thinkers who reflect on the
meaning of life.)
Athens became a great center for
knowledge. Pericles called his city
"the school of Greece."
19. Pericles as a Great
Speaker During a public funeral for soldiers
who had died in battle in a war
between Athens and Sparta, Pericles
talked about the greatness of Athens.
He reminded the people that they
made their government strong.
He reminded them that citizens had to
obey the rules in the constitution- their
framework of government.
He emphasized that the democratic
way of life is worth protecting.
This famous speech is called the
Funeral Oration.
