Archytas of Tarentum
Archytas of Tarentum, Italy, was born in 428 BC, and passed away in 347 BC. He universally identified himself as Pythagorean, even though other teachers and philosophers had not referred to him by that name. In the span of his life, he had multiple teachers. Aristotle was one of the first, who never named him, and Plato referred to him as the Seventh Letter. Cato, another famous philosopher, stated that he was the pupil of Philolaus, making it probable that he was taught in the Pythagorean theory, and that he would also take up that name. Only one pupil among possibly countless others is known, and that is Eudoxus, another prominent mathematician. It is stated that he was a contemporary of Plato, but others still speculate
this statement. Many of the information we have on Archytas hails from other writers mentioning him in their works. Archytas was elected as general of Tarentum for several years in succession, and he was given power to address his town, giving him political experience. As general, he is most famously known for sending a ship to rescue Plato from Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse. He soon formed a friendship with him, believed to be twenty years before the rescue. Many believed that Archytas was the bigger man, and that he may have been seen as a role model to Plato. It is also argued to be the other way. In the Seventh Letter, Plato describes Archytas as a dependent pupil, and others argue that instead Plato was the dependent one, and that after Socrates had fallen Plato had sat at Archytas’s feet.
Many believe the notion of equality and justice are very much intertwined. Through the ways in which Lycurgus and Solon reform their city to resolve social inequalities, the notion of equality and justice is discerned, which is to say equality is universal whereas justice depends on the parameters of the society. Lycurgus led his reforms so that everyone equally advances as a public duty. As opposed to Lycurgus, Solon led his reforms so that every person had a fair chance at advancement and participation in government built on merit and wealth. Lycurgus and Solon both modified their city through political, social, and economic reformations to alleviate social injustice.
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), son of a physician to the Macedonian ruler, was a Greek philosopher who studied virtually everything from logic to the sciences to ethics. He spent two decades under Plato’s tutelage in the Academy in Athens, then tutored abroad for twelve years, during which he taught Alexander the Great. He settled down afterwards in Athens and established his own school, the Lyceum. He stayed there until the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. caused an increase of anti-Macedonian sentiment, at which point he left the city and died shortly afterwards due to natural causes. Considered one of the most significant and influential figures of Western philosophy, he produced many written pieces, though most have not survived to this day. Many of those that have, however, are still being studied worldwide.
To have a hero there must be a monster to vanquish. Monsters in Greco-Roman mythology are often portrayed as: irrational, nearly impossible to communicate with, often a compound of animal parts or some form of mutation, and are set upon human destruction. “Monsters in the language of mythology were beings of unnatural proportions or parts, usually regarded with terror, as possessing immense strength and ferocity, which they employed for the injury and annoyance of men” (Bullfinch Pg. 143). Mythological monsters are a way for man to explain what he doesn’t understand. They are an attempt to explain ‘why’ to things such as: storms, droughts and other unseasonable weather, unexplained deaths, birth defects, disease, and mental illness. Generally those are associated with fear, and nothing is more fearsome than a monster. Yet, on the other hand, is hope. Man’s need to remain hopeful gives cause to the creation of heroes. Monsters are essential to the existence of heroes. “[…] the mythical monster is present in any number of shapes - Gorgons and Hydras and Chimaeras dire - but they are there only to give the hero his meed of glory” (Hamilton 12). Without a great foe, there’s no need for the greater good. “Myth provides us with absolutes in the place of ephemeral values and with a comforting perception of the world that is necessary to make the insecurity and terror of existence bearable” (Morford 4).
The Greeks believed that the earth was formed before any of the gods appeared. The gods, as the Greeks knew them, all originated with Father Heaven, and Mother Earth. Father Heaven was known as Uranus, and Mother Earth, as Gaea. Uranus and Gaea raised many children. Amoung them were the Cyclopes, the Titans, and the Hecatoncheires, or the
Greek history is full of myths and legends, stories of Gods, Goddess, heros, villains, and everything in between. These stories have been told over and over again and through time the versions have changed. Not only has time taken a toll on these stories but also the culture that these stories are
Empirical thought was prevalent during both Greek and Roman dominance, where scientists were more commonly referred to as ‘natural philosophers’ as they were practitioners of skilled professions such as medicine, or followers of religious theory such as temple healers. A pre-Socratic philosopher named Thales (640-546BCE) has been dubbed the ‘father of science’ due to being the first to postulate that there was a natural answer to otherwise supernatural phenomena such as land floating on water and that earthquakes were caused by the agitation of that water by underwater movement or currents rather than the religious view that earthquakes were caused by the god, Poseidon (Arieti, 2005). Further advances of scientific thought and procedure were made over those years by Anaximander (610-546BCE), Pythagoras (570-500BCE), Xenophanes (570-478BCE) and Heraclitus (535-475BCE). While each man had a different interest in science, and the areas they studied include mathematics, astronomy, geometry, theology and metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and cosmology; they all had an important impact on modern science. The advance of Aristotelian science was halted by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus who ruled from 1081 until his death in 1118 due to
are a reflection of his devotion to the ideals of an honorable Roman hero. A roman hero is one whose actions are guided by pietas and stoicism. Aeneas is fated to found the great Empire of Rome. On this journey, he endures many instances of great personal suffering yet continues to act in accordance with the fate, which has been imposed upon him by the gods, exemplifying his adherence to the standards of a Roman hero. Beginning in Book Ten, however, when the gods withdraw from human affairs, the death of a comrade, Pallas, ignites an ineradicable anger in Aeneas, causing him to perform actions in direct contrast with the ideals of a Roman hero. This withdrawal of the gods reveals Aeneas’ true character, as he acts according to his own will, exposing his ignoble nature. illustrates the pinnacle of Aeneas’s betrayal of Roman heroism. Rather than enact clementia , Aeneas chooses to indulge in his rage and kill Turnus, ignoring his invocation of familial piety and violating the characteristics of a truly pious Roman Stoic hero.
The tales of Greek heroes and the gods are older than all of us. Most of these tales are thought to be myths, but every interpretation of Greek mythology and the stories that it contains correlates with something in the real world today. The story of the creation of the world, and the stories of the heroes Hercules, Perseus and Theseus, are only but a few of the compelling stories Greek mythology has to offer.
They had similar beliefs, but also immeasurable differences. It was composed of many meaningful gods and goddesses that all played a part in the everyday life of the average Roman and Greek person of that time.
It was Roman myths of origin which imparted the most quintessentially Roman qualities onto the city and its people. Since Rome’s founders first exhibited the desire for conflict, so too has Rome. The sense of divine protection of such importance to the city’s people, is a direct product of the creation myths. The myths also provided evidence of the honour found within rusticity, giving rise to the value Romans placed on thrift and simple living. The myths of origin also stipulated the nobility of Rome’s founders, who would come to reflect the nobility of later Romans. The broad implications of the creation myths on Roman society, were felt most sharply by women, who were subjugated throughout the city’s history. Rome is deeply reflective of its myths of origin, as it was the myths which shaped the city into what it became.
Mythology was an integral part of the lives of all ancient peoples. The myths of
Roman mythology applies to the religious system, and origins of ancient Rome. These attributes are found through the art and literature that the Romans provide. Although, the Romans have supernatural elements they still proceeded to treat their traditional stories historically. The Romans focused on how a person contributes to the Roman community, and merely concentrate on politics and morality. Catholicism is one of the most common known religions. Catholicism focuses on the traditions, and values of the Christian churches. The two main things that differentiate Roman mythology, and modern day catholicism is their: beliefs and religion.
Aristarchus lived from about the year 310 B.C. to about 230 B.C. Aristarchus was the first Greek philosopher and mathematician to make sense of the solar system. Others before him thought that the Earth is a sphere and that it moves, but he was the first to understand the heliocentric theory, which states that the sun is in the middle. In 288 or 287 B.C. he followed Theophrastus as the head of the Peripatetic School established by Aristotle.
The Classical mythology contains tales and epics of the ancient Greek and roman literatures and myths. On the other hand, Homer’s two epic poems, the Iliad relates to the events of the Trojan War while the Odyssey details Odysseus expedition after the war. Homer’s epic poems, the Odyssey and the Iliad present a major part of ancient history as modern fictional heroic stories. In ancient Greek, heroes were humans who were depicted to possess superhuman abilities. A key example in the classical mythology is Akhilles who is later known in Homer’s Iliad as Achilles. Achilles is he greatest hero of the Iliad whereas Odysseus is the greatest hero of the Odyssey. The greatest heroes from classic mythology and the modern fictional hero’s stories are mortal, and subject to death. The Odyssey and the Iliad marks the beginning of modern fictional literature.
Euclid of Alexandria was born in about 325 BC. He is the most prominent mathematician of antiquity best known for his dissertation on mathematics. He was able to create “The Elements” which included the composition of many other famous mathematicians together. He began exploring math because he felt that he needed to compile certain things and fix certain postulates and theorems. His book included, many of Eudoxus’ theorems, he perfected many of Theaetetus's theorems also. Much of Euclid’s background is very vague and unknown. It is unreliable to say whether some things about him are true, there are two types of extra information stated that scientists do not know whether they are true or not. The first one is that given by Arabian authors who state that Euclid was the son of Naucrates and that he was born in Tyre. This is believed by historians of mathematics that this is entirely fictitious and was merely invented by the authors. The next type of information is that Euclid was born at Megara. But this is not the same Euclid that authors thought. In fact, there was a Euclid of Megara, who was a philosopher who lived approximately 100 years before Euclid of Alexandria.