Aristophanes, Plato, Thucydides
Let’s Go Greek After discussing the questions with your group, answer all of the following as completely as possible, using examples from the text. The readings are the .pdf files included with this assignment. 1. Thucydides. Why, according to Pericles, is Athens/Athenians s great? 2. Plato. What kind of guy is Socrates? 3. Aristophanes. Is this a comedy? What does this tell you about women? What does this tell you about sex?
Discussion Questions
Looking at the rooms used by women, describe the role of women in Athenian family life.
How much contact would there have been between the women who lived in this house and men of the family and male visitors?
If the goal of the architecture of Athenian houses was to limit women from appearing in public spaces, are there any potential weaknesses? If so, where?
According to Aristophanes, how do women in the Greek Golden Age feel about sex? What, if anything, is surprising about Lysistrata's proposal to the group?
How might Socrates have reacted to Pericles' description of the role of wealth in Athenian society?
Are there any similarities between Pericles' and Euphiletus's understanding of the relationship between the individual and the state?
How did Socrates challenge this relationship?
How does the archaeological plan of a house on the Areopagus help you understand the story told by Euphiletus?
Both Euphiletus's defense and Aristophanes' comedy suggest that the attempt to enforce the segregation of women did not always work. Compare the actual women mentioned in the defense with the heroines of the play. What do they have in common? What does Aristophanes exaggerate or make up to advance his antiwar position?
According to Pericles, what sets Athens apart from its neighbors and adversaries?
As described here, what are the guiding principles of Athenian democracy?
How does Pericles characterize his fellow Athenians and their contributions to the city's glory?
What obligations does Pericles believe Athenian citizens have to the state?
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Thucydides. Why, according to Pericles, is Athens/Athenians s great?
Pericles indicates that greatness began when Athenian ancestors earned and sustained Athens' freedom through relentless courage in fighting its enemies. He also indicates that Athens is the pace setter for its neighbors who emulate its democratic governance. Athens greatness is also attributed to its respect for common and customary laws that allow leadership on merit and regard for the vulnerable in the society. Athenians enjoy the fruits of hard labor and engage with trade with other countries. Its citizens live large in well-polished homes and also engage in periodic cultural practices in unison. Athenians are courageous and well trained in military action affording the country victory over its enemies. Athenians aptly engage in matters of policy and address poverty in their land. Pericles also commends the women whose husbands commit to charging against Athens' enemies. He indicates that the women that lose their husbands at war and those that take up their roles as informants are the pride of the country. He also indicates that Athenians are also great because the children they bear also grow and join military forces in patriotic defense of the country.
Plato. What kind of guy is Socrates?
Socrates is effective at communication in the way that he articulates his case against the authorities without using defamatory language. He uses what the authorities say against him to elaborate on their flawed and unfair judgment. For example, when he speaks of the authority's ...