A Society Discovered Athens Essay Research Paper
A Society Discovered ( Athens ) Essay, Research PaperA Society DiscoveredResearch workers have late uncovered grounds of an advanced civilisation, named Athens, that flourished in the 400 & # 8217 ; s B.C. That grounds is in the signifier of three Hagiographas, which have late been discovered.
One of these plants was, & # 8220 ; The Peloponnesian War & # 8221 ; , written by Thucydides, who was believed to hold been a historian in Athens. The following two signifiers of Hagiographas were verse forms written by Sophocles and Aristophanes. These two verse forms were entitled & # 8220 ; Antigone & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; Lysistrata. & # 8221 ; All of these plants point out many different facets of this great civilisation. Athens & # 8217 ; democratic signifier of authorities, military strength, love of the humanistic disciplines and theatre have made Athens one of the most good rounded and culturally diverse civilisations to hold of all time existed.In Thucydides & # 8217 ; Hagiographas he talked of Pericles & # 8217 ; funeral oration. During the same winter after the war the Athenians gave a public funeral for those that had lost their lives in the war. Pericles, who was the boy of Xanthippus, was chosen to give the traditional address in congratulations of the dead.
In reading the address many of import facets of the Athenian civilization were revealed. They are all really valuable and should be recognized.Athenians respected their ascendants and sires for giving their lives so future coevalss could bask a good life full of freedom. Besides, they loved recreational games and leisure clip. There were featuring events, competitions, and forfeits on a regular basis during the twelvemonth. They besides were really unagitated and collected in their ideas and ne’er rushed into things. & # 8220 ; The worst thing is to hotfoot into action before the effects have been decently debated & # 8221 ; ( Pericles, C & A ; T book-Butler University 44 ) .
In add-on the Athenians were really proud of the strong military systems. & # 8220 ; This is because we rely, non on secret arms, but on our ain existent bravery and trueness & # 8221 ; ( Pericles, C & A ; T book-B.U. 43 ) . They are so strong when the Spartans would occupy them they would convey all of their Alliess as opposed to the Athenians who were ne’er confronted by any enemy when they were at full strength. & # 8220 ; If our enemies engage a withdrawal of our forces and licking it, they give themselves recognition for holding thrown back our full ground forces ; or, if they lose, they claim that they were beaten by us in full strength & # 8221 ; ( Pericles 44 ) .
By far the most of import facet was the system of authorities. They lived in a free democratic society where the people ruled. The governmental system was a theoretical account for neighbouring societies. & # 8220 ; Our fundamental law is called a democracy because Power is in the custodies non of a minority but of the whole people” ( Pericles 43 ) .Besides in the Hagiographas of Thucydides it talks about the Mytilenian Debate and the Melian Dialogue.
In the Mytilenian Argument it shows a determination doing procedure in the governmental system. At first there was a gesture to set all Mytilenians to decease. Diodotus, who opposed the gesture, said they should merely set the leaders to decease and non the whole population.
In bend there was a argument and Diodotus won. Therefore he saved the metropolis and that shows how the Athenian society allows citizens to voice their ain sentiments. The Melian Dialogue shows how Athens finally destroyed itself. They tried to command excessively many other societies or states and could non command all of them.
Pericles warned them this would go on if they tried to spread out the imperium excessively far but they did non listen. They were merely detaining the inevitable and finally Sparta defeated them.In the tragic drama, & # 8220 ; Antigone, & # 8221 ; it shows the quandary of the single vs. the province. During the drama Antigone has to make up one’s mind if she values her ain opinion more than the provinces. Basically her brother committed lese majesty and the province refuses to allow him be buried. Antigone loves her brother and thinks he deserves a just entombment. She has to make up one’s mind if she should interrupt the jurisprudence and face the effects in order to bury her brother.
This drama shows the type of ethical motives the Athenian people possessed.In the last work, Lysistrata, it is a comedy with a concealed significance and an antiwar subject. It is about adult females non giving work forces sexual satisfaction until they stop contending. Obviously the adult females finally win. Therefore in the Athenian society war is ne’er good.
The people of our coevals should experience really privileged to hold been given the chance to larn about Athens. Our society is really fortunate to hold recovered these plants. The three fragments from Thucydides, & # 8220 ; Pericles Funeral Oration, & # 8221 ; the & # 8220 ; Mytilenian Debate, & # 8221 ; and the & # 8220 ; Melian Dialogue, & # 8221 ; was where a big majority of the information about the Athenian civilization and society came from. The two dramas, & # 8220 ; Antigone & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; Lysistrata & # 8221 ; were by no agencies immaterial. Both dramas doubtless show how important theatre was in Athens. In all Athens was a dominant society that should and will be placed into the history books.
Aristophanes, & # 8220 ; Lysistrata. & # 8221 ; Mentor Books, New York. 1970.Cornell, John, coordinator. Butler University, Change and Tradition. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. 1998.
Sophocles, & # 8220 ; Antigone. & # 8221 ; Butler University C & A ; T Program. Copyright J. Joel Farber, 1978.
