Dr.

Christoph Greger
Humanities 41A
Fall 2015
Study Guide for Unit 2:

The Greeks
Below are some topics concepts, questions, ideas and objects that are fairly important to the course.
These are all topics that either weve covered in class or that are covered in some detail in our textbook,
Culture and Values (volume 1). In order to assure yourself of a good grade on quizzes, midterm and final
exams, you should familiarize yourself with most of these concepts. Of course youre not expected to be an
expert on any of these topics, but you should be aware of why theyre important, what some of the questions
are about them, whats unique about them and you should be able to communicate some of this stuff in
writing, of course.
The Early Greeks

The Minoans and Mycenaeans who they were and what some of their art looked like (Minoan art,
anyway).

The Palace of Knossos.

Myths of Minos and the Minotaur and Daedelus

The Bronze Age Collapse and the subsequent dark age. Know what these terms refer to.

Know the general story of the Trojan War, and its key players: Helen, Agamemnon, Achilles,
Odysseus, Hector.

Know a bit about Homer and his role in Greek Culture.

Know some key Greek myths: Echo and Narcissus, myths surrounding the Trojan war.

Have something to say about the roles of the gods in early Greek society, based on the Greek myths
weve looked at and the selections from Homer.

Greek black and red figure pottery what it is, what it looks like.

How early Greek sculpture evolves and differs from Egyptian and that of earlier civilizations.

Classical Greek Arts: Pottery and Sculpture

Know what Greek pottery was used for.

Know the difference between black-figure and red-figure pottery.

Be able to identify different stages in the development of Classical Greek sculptural style, from the
early Kouros figures to the works of Praxiteles and Myron (the Doryphoros and Discobolus);

Be able to contrast Greek sculptural styles from those of Egypt which we looked at.

Be able to identify the Greek love of the ideal in sculpture and architecture.

Greek Architecture

Know the function and role of Greek temples in civic culture.

Know the two different stylistic orders for Greek temples: the Doric and the Ionic.

Be able to identify some ways in which the Parthenon in Athens embodies the Greek love of order.

Be able to identify some ways in which the Parthenon acknowledges the imperfection of human
perception and perspective.

The Greek Polis Athens and Sparta

Be able to identify some of the necessary elements of the Greek ideal of the Polis.

Be able to identify some of the chief features of the Spartan Polis, as described by Plutarch in his
description of the life of Lycurgus.

Be able to identify some of the chief features of the Athenian Polis, as set forth by Pericles in his
funeral oration.

Plato and Socrates

Be able to identify some key elements of Platonic philosophy the distinction between the ideal and
the real, the immortality of the soul, the need for the wise and enlightened to guide the rest of us, the
reason most important knowledge is remembered, not learned.

Know what the Socratic method of inquiry is.

Understand the allegory of the cave.

Understand Socrates argument for submitting to his execution at the hand of the state.

Aristotle, Tragic Drama, and Oedipus the King

Know some of Aristotles views on Tragic Drama especially the concept of Catharsis.

Know something about the history and development of Greek Tragic Drama.

Know the story of Oedipus the King.