Society and Culture in Ancient Greece

Mythology and Religion

· The ancient Greeks developed a vast and fascinating body of mythology to answer questions about their origins and to explain the nature of their world

· Greek myths tell the stories of gods and goddess who quarreled, fell in love, acted on jealousy and played tricks on one another

· These gods were anthropomorphic, they possessed human characteristics and played an important role in the everyday lives of mortals

· There were twelve brilliant and strong-willed gods known as Olympians, because they lived on Mount Olympus in the northern section of Greece

· Ancient Greeks practiced religion as individuals although there were shrines, altars, temples, prayers and favours (gifts) dedicated to the gods

· Prayer was offered by standing alone with both arms outstretched towards the sky, speaking out loud in a clear voice

· Ancient Greeks believed in omens, curses and superstitions

· Festivals held to honour gods often involved sacred processions, religious ceremonies, carnivals, dancing, singing, feasting and drinking

· Competitions also played an important role in festivals (drama, oratory, music or sports)

Death and the Afterlife

· The messenger god – Hermes led the deceased to the River Styx, the great divide between the world of the living and the world of the dead

· Hades was generally seen as a dreary place where the dead led a shadowy and cheerless existence

· Burial duties fell to the women of Ancient Greece

· The body was washed, anointed with oil and wrapped in a shroud

· A coin was placed in the mouth to pay the fare to the River Styx

· A crown or wreath was set upon the deceased’s head

· The body was laid out for viewing as relatives gathered to express their grief

· Remembering the dead was very important to the Greeks and offerings of food and drink were provided on appointed days of Remembrance

Social Structure of Athens

Citizens

Merchants

Artisans

Farmers

Wives & Children

Of Citizens

Resident Foreigners

(Metics)

Slaves

Citizens – small number of aristocrats who owned large country estates

- commercial and industrial class are included in this group

Wives and Children of Citizens – had no political or legal rights

Metics – had no political rights, could never become citizens although they were required to pay annual tax and they were expected to serve in the military

Slaves – considered the property of their owner, most were treated well and were given skilled, responsible jobs to do

Spartan Social Structure

Spartiates

Wives & Children

Of Citizens

Resident Foreigners

(Perioikoi)

Helots

Spartiates – free citizens; adult males over thirty who were born in Sparta

They were dedicated to the state and to the military

The accumulation of wealth was discouraged for fear it would interfere with the people’s dedication to the state

Wives and Children – had no political or legal rights

Periokoiv – could engage in industry and trade but had no political rights,

They were heavily taxed and were subject to military service

Helots – originally citizens of Lacedoemon, who were taken over by Spartans and put to work tilling the land

They were ruled with an iron fist; they were owned by the state and had no political rights and no hope of freedom

Everyday Life

- much of what we know about the everyday life of the ancient Greeks comes from the surviving literary works and the artifacts

- Athenian potters depicted many aspects of daily life on colourful vases

- They showed vivid and intriguing details about childhood, education, marriage, work and dress

Family Life

- Mothers were responsible for raising the children

- Grandfathers, no longer involved in public life took an active interest in the children (males)

- Boys had special naming ceremonies held seven to ten days after birth and were often named after their grandfathers

Education

- Formal education began early in childhood and was offered only to boys

- Schooling was expensive and was thus more accessible to the sons of the wealthy

Athens

- Began schooling at the age of seven, either with a private tutor or at a grammatiks, where they were taught reading, writing and arithmetic

- The state required all young males be taught to read and to write

- Physical exercise was a requirement as it developed the body as well as the character

- Boxing and wrestling were taught

- Cultural knowledge and training was also very important (music lessons, voice and instrument)

- Manners and morals were also taught

- By fourteen the elementary education was complete and many boys became apprentices in a craft or trade

- Very wealthy students could chose to attend a school of higher education run by Plato and Aristotle

Sparta

- Spartans believed that education had only one purpose; “to create an efficient garrison of hoplites to control the helots”

- The ideal education system would produce highly disciplined soldiers rather then focusing on the “unnecessary and superfluous arts”

- The newborns were inspected for any mental or physical weaknesses – if a weakness was detected, the baby was left to die

- Some abandoned babies were picked up and raised by slaves

- Babies who passed inspection were raised in an environment designed to harden them – little to no clothing, no whimpering, absolute obedience and they must endure pain without complaint

- Education was not entrusted to the family or tutors

- By the age of seven, Spartan boys were removed from their homes and sent to live in barracks where they were subjected to rigid discipline (barefoot, only one garment, slept on beds of reeds)

- Instruction emphasis was placed on physical exercise to produce good soldiers

- They trained in running, wrestling and a form of musical drill

- They learned the laws of Sparta and the poems of Homer

- Little emphasis was placed on reading and writing

- At eighteen years of age, Spartan males were drafted into Krypteia, secret corps, this served as the training between boyhood and manhood

- They stayed here for two years