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Ancient Greek society
Importance of agriculture
Importance of agriculture
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If we compare the three different places, Phaeacia, Cyclops' island and Ithaca in Homer's The Odyssey, we can claim that these islands are quite different from one another both in terms of their nature and the inhabitants' way of living. Phaeacians, for many apparent reasons, is the most civilized society and they have best kind of nature and wealth. People of Ithaca follow Phaeacians with slight differences and Cyclops comes last in the sorting because of being completely uncivilized. The garden of Phaeacia is insanely wealthy. The land is so fertile that all kinds of fruits are abundant in the garden.."..Olives swelling sleek and dark/ And the yield of all these trees will never flag or die/ neither in winter nor in summer, a harvest all year round" (Homer, 183). As it is portrayed, Phaeacians have permanent natural wealth so they don't have to struggle hard in order to obtain food, for everything is available in considerable amount. Climate is also very appropriate because they have no radically changing seasons, which may damage the crops. Their civilization consists of what men made. In a sense, they give shape to their environment with the intention of having better conditions. " But once we reach our city, ringed by walls/ and strong high towers too, with a fine harbor either side..." (Homer, 176) The city of Phaeacians has walls, which is a sign of wealth and power as well as human effort to do it. They have also man made buildings, towers. Likewise, they make wine and bread that confirms their diligence in the system of civilization. They not only rely on the generosity of the nature but also work hard to have an improved environment. Phaeacians are also more tolerant and democratic in their own way. Although... ... middle of paper ... ...can be classified, as the most civilized is Phaeacians because they work to better their environment, they are producers. They know about aesthetic and art. They give importance to cleanliness. They are hospitable and pious. They have man made structures. They have democratic and tolerant in their own way. Despite having small differences in terms of natural wealth and social structure Achaeans follow the Phaeaceans in the order of civilization because they are also pious, hard working and hospitable people. They have a political order and they are also producers in a sense. Finally, Cyclops comes last in the line because they are lawless, lazy and cruel creatures. Although they have wonderful fertile island, they only rely on that and don't produce anything. They have no notion of art and aesthetic. They are impious and hostile so they are quite uncivilized.
After ignoring the Greek value respect for the body, Cyclops is tricked and blinded by Odysseus. Odysseus describes the monster when trapped in his cave: "in one stride he clutched at
The Ancient Greeks knew that to survive in their ever-evolving society, a person would needed to live more practically, putting more of an emphasis on learning and knowledge than of strength and power. If looked at in this light, The Odyssey can be viewed as an example of Ancient Greek society communicating to it's people the evolution of society itself.
When I was young, it was easy to wish for infinite days on earth and beautiful youth for all eternity. As time passes, and more knowledge is gained, this wish starts to diminish. Reading the Odyssey really highlighted the differences between mortals and immortals. Over the course of the story we discover how different characters develop in these categories.
Throughout the Odyssey there are many themes that Homer uses to portray different people and events. To name a few, there are the themes of Betrayal and Revenge,Greed and Glutony, Hospitality, Role of the Gods and Wealth (the amount of money one had determined the status he held in the greek society, and this explains Odysseus's love for plunder).
The Minoans are known as the first advanced civilization of all of Europe. This may be a strong reason why the Greece Age remained for such a long time. They created a great civilization on the Island of Crete. The second great civilization of the Greek Bronze Age was the Cycladic society. They created their society on the islands of the Aegean. They were considered a large contributor to the overall success of Bronze Age Greece. However, they were never as significantly important as the Minoan society...
These civilizations were possible because the people in the areas became sedentary and agricultural. They were able to do this because of the vast natural resources and climates of where they lived. Their cultures were for the most part male dominated, possessions usually past through the male line from one male member to another male. Women would normally move to the male’s village when they got married. All three empires had some form of writing, the use of a calendar and math. They all had elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial architecture, including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories, all built without metal tools. They had no metal tools, no draft animals, and very little use of the wheel. They did understand the use of the wheel but because of the geography where they lived they could use it very little.
One of the clearest points of honor and honor culture within The Odyssey is found in the encounter of Odysseus and the Cyclops. While the punishment that Poseidon rains down on Odysseus may be seen to stem from his arrogance in announcing his name to the Cyclops on his escape, “I called back with another burst of anger ‘Cyclops-/ if any man on the face of the earth should ask you/ who blinded you, shamed ...
Around 3500 B.C.E to 3000 B.C.E., civilizations emerged in many places. Egypt and Mesoamerica are distinctive two of them. Considering the different aspects of civilization, historians can find some same characteristics and differences which are valuable for historians to understand civilization in-depth.
The cyclops lack the intellectual capacity as well as the very desire to create means going “from city to city, or sail over the sea to one another’s country”. This very lack of travel completely hinders their ability to conduct business with any other country. May they ever find themselves in great trouble their lack of alliances could greatly affect the very existence of their race.
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.
Brains over brawn, who will win this battle?Homer's tale of Odysseus' adventures in “The Odyssey” show that being intelligent and cunning can be far better than having physical strength. Being physically strong certainly has its advantages, but not in all circumstances. Strength in intelligence shows new meaning of strength. Odysseus is amused with himself when he defeats Polyphemus. His great skills with a bow outweigh the others abilities. Knowledge of the placement of his bed win his beloveds heart.
Little is known about the Phoenician way of life other than the fact that they were a society founded on trade with other, larger nations. These people made use of their natural resources to establish trade with such nations as Egypt and Assyria. The geographical locations of the Phoenician city-states were also advantageous to their role as a trading state. Located on the east coast of the Mediterranean, where Israel lies today, the Phoenicians were able to trade with virtually all of the Mediterranean nations. Little else is known about their actual culture, other than what is written about them in other nation’s texts. In a text from the seventh century, the rules of trade are established, and appear to have been independent of any local rulers, traders acted on their own accord. Phoenicia became one of the greatest trading states in all of history, due to the fact that they possessed a large amount of valuable materials, a good location for trade, and an unsurpassed knowledge of the sea. It is through these advantages that Phoenicia was able to become such an influential state.
Abounding similarities exist between the Mesopotamian and Greek societies. As history progresses many cultural advances occur, but societies also adopt some of the same characteristics as preceding societies, you will notice this between the Mesopotamian and Greek civilizations. After learning about the Greek civilizations I immediately began generating connections to Mesopotamian societies. I noticed similarities in all aspects of society, whether it was religion, military, architecture or any other cultural idiosyncrasies.
A civilization is compiled of eight features. 1. Cities 2. Well-Organized Central Government 3. Complex Religions 4. Job Specialization 5. Social Classes 6. Arts and Architecture 7. Public Works 8. Writings
For thousands of years, people all over the world have developed, progressed, and eventually formed civilizations. A civilization is a community characterized by elements such as a system of writing, a development of social classes, and cities. Early civilizations such as ancient Greece, classical Rome, Mesopotamia, and classical China have made many contributions to society that still affect people in the modern world. The inventions, progress, and contributions of the people of these ancient civilizations and others have shaped the world that we all live in today.