Golden Age of Athens
6-2
pp. 174-180
Athens
• Golden Age 479 B.C. – 431 B.C.
• Art, philosophy, & govt. flourished during
this time
• Athens grew rich from trade & the Dellian
League
• Dellian League – weaker city-states paid
Athens tribute for protection
Government
• Pericles – a great Athenian statesman
– Strengthened democracy
– Jurors and political office holders were paid
Religion
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Greeks worshiped the Twelve Olympians
Zeus = head of the gods/goddesses
Zeus lived on Mt. Olympus
Greeks built temples & held festivals
(Olympics) to honor gods/goddesses
• Visited oracles to seek advice from
gods/goddesses (ex. Delphi = oracle of
Apollo).
Philosophy
• Sophists were skilled speakers who
partook in debates
• Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle = great Greek
philosophers
• Socrates taught Plato, and Plato taught
Aristotle
• Socrates was sentenced to death for
encouraging young people to rebel in
Athens
The Arts
• Acropolis – refers to acropolis of Athens &
is dedicated to Athena
• Greek art focused on perfection and
balance
• Greeks = first playwrights
– Tragedies – famous tragedy writers:
Euripides, Aeschylus, & Sophocles
– Comedies – Aristophanes is most famous
comedic writer