The Ancient Greek View of Life and the Objects Pertaining to Their Culture - Research Paper Example

Module 5 Describe the earliest form of democracy in Athens. How did this influence Rome and then modern European and American governments? Athens began in the 7th century B.C. as a polis with power concentrated in the aristocracy. By the 6th century B.C., however, the many poor rose up against the rich, and after a period of unrest, the Athenians agreed to designate Solon as their mediator in order for an acceptable solution to be arrived at. Solon was a Greek noble of moderate means, a poet and eventually lawmaker. Solon tried to appease all the Athenian rivals by mitigating the suffering and hardships of the many poor, while retaining some of the privileges of the elitist few. Solon created four classes which each had a set of rights and duties: they were, in order of decreasing wealth, the Pentacosiomedimni, Hippeis, Zeugitae, Thetes). These classes formed groups that eventually became the governmental bodies in a democracy. First of these bodies was the Ecclesia or Assembly, where all citizens, whatever their designation, were entitled to participate. The Ecclesia became the sovereign body, whose task it was to promulgate laws and decrees, elect officials, and hear appeals from the courts. The second group was the Boule of 400, the council of citizens tasked to run the day-to-day affairs of the city and prepare the business of the Ecclesia. Only citizens from the upper three classes could qualify to be a member of the Boule, and membership was bestowed by election. Each citizen was entitled to serve for only one year, and may serve only twice in his lifetime. Every month, 50 men are chosen by the boule of 500 from among themselves to served in the prytany (the leaders of the Boule), and every day a new leader is chosen by the 50 from among themselves. Except for holidays, the Boule met every day. Another group, the archons or magistrates was reserved for the two higher income groups, and they occupied the higher governmental post. The retired archons then comprised the Areopagus, who oversaw and called attention to any improper actions of the Ecclesia (Kurt A. Raaflaub, Josiah Ober, and Robert W. Wallace, Origins of democracy in ancient Greece, 2007). The laws eventually created by the Ecclesia eliminated slavery of Athenians by Athenians, established rules and procedures for legal redress against abusive archons, and determined political privilege based on productive wealth rather than noble birth. This early democratic system was eventually adapted by the Romans. Many of the basic principles of rule by the people were adopted; Rome had its Senate which took the place of the Assembly, and its decimviri took the place of the boule. The property classes were comprised of the patricians (the ruling families) and the plebeians, and leadership of the government was placed on the shoulders of the tribune (Mogens Herman Hansen, The Tradition of the Athenian Democracy, 1992). However, the central idea of popular government remained consistent. Of course, the same Roman model had evolved into the present American system, which generally retained some of the same nomenclatures. The structure of the Senate with a broader assembly in the House of Representatives as the legislature, the members thereof adopting the title “solon,” are a tribute to the Greco-Roman beginnings. An executive branch is led by the President in place of the tribunes, and the magistrates comprise the judiciary. As in ancient Greece, a system of checks and balances provides the mechanism by which abuse of power may be quickly arrested and curtailed. Video Presentation: Socrates – Encyclopedia Channel The video is a concise elucidation of the essence of Socrates, even as the events of his life were sparingly narrated. Born in Athens 469 BC, this man, who was described by Nietzche as the greatest talking head of all time, could not read nor write. His wisdom always sought moral perfection, and he felt compelled to seek this wisdom even as he neglected his own needs and was reduced to poverty (Steven Kreis, Greek Thought: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, 2000). His dialectic method, called the Socratic method or the method of elenchus, is the method of arriving at the truth by asking leading questions. This is still is the dialectic method employed today in the study of law and philosophy, and is described as the art of giving birth to ideas. The search for truth, beauty and wisdom consumed Socrates, and he attributed his wisdom to the realization of his own ignorance. He felt it was his calling to enlighten the youth of Athens, and formulated standards of morality that applied to all men. He believed that the only goodness is knowledge, and the only evil is negligence. His dedication to truth has earned him enemies who manipulated his conviction for the charge of the disgrace and depravity of the youth; however, he insisted it was necessary to obey the established laws, even if he was put to death unfairly. He drank the hemlock without hesitation, believing that the death of body became the recovery of the soul. Socrates life, viewed in perspective, was the supreme embodiment of morality and integrity, maintaining consistency in his life – and death – with the philosophy he taught. This has earned him his immortality in the history of the human race. Reaction to Posts: Post 1: Mary M. The comments by Mary M. shows a profound appreciation of the artistic achievements of the ancient Greeks, particularly in their rendition of the human figure. Her explanation brings to the fore the principles of beauty and truth that have influenced art today as a celebration of the human figure. Particularly interesting is the interpretation of the Greeks of the female figure, which was usually portrayed as pregnant. This may be interpreted as a celebration of that unique role of women as the wellspring of future generations. Thus, far from being the depraved object of lust, the woman’s body was accorded the recognition it deserves as the shelter from which all humanity emanated. Post 2: William T. William’s review is well-written in that it conveys s deeper understanding of the ancient Greek view of life than just a narration of the objects pertaining to their culture that were visually portrayed. There is a brief expose on the investigation conducted about the problem in Athens, wherein the British confiscated the Parthenon’s marble friezes and the efforts of the Greeks to recover these artistic treasures. This looting and destruction is a sad footnote to the beauty and grandeur that comprised the birthplace of Western culture. William T. calls attention to this important issue, which does indeed deserve to be resolved, in order to best preserve the legacy of this era in human history. Read More