Now that the mythical Hyperboreans and the imaginary Ethiopians have been discussed noble savages that were known by the Greeks and Romans to have existed will be considered. Unlike the former idealised people, the land of the Arcadians was accessible to the Graeco-Roman world, yet the notion of these people as a noble savage living the life of a golden race people persists in literature. Lovejoy and Boas note that they are particularly interesting because they are geographically located in Greece; the ethnocentric space. Because of its close-proximity to the civilised world it is easier to create inversions of the ethnocentric viewpoint. They have many traits characteristic of the golden race: pastoral life, position as the first humans, and vegetarianism among them. Theopompus relates that the Arcadians received both masters and slaves at their feasts at which all ate the same food. This indicates a communal lifestyle typical of the golden age. This communal feasting of master and slave is similar to the Ethiopians and the Hyperboreans feasting on an equal level with gods. Pausanias relates that the Arcadians are descended from Pelasgus who was responsible for providing them sheep-skins as clothes, huts as shelter from the cold, and a diet of acorns as food; developments which have not been improved upon. Here the founding-father myth of a noble savage people is present like Olen of the Hyperboreans as well as their shared diet of acorns. Polybius describes the Arcadians’
In the story “ The Odyssey “ by Garreth Hinds, we can identify a universal theme of hospitality or “Xenia” in Ancient Greek Culture. For instance, when King Alcinous helps Odysseus when he was shipwrecked we can see the type of culture and manners that are expected by Greeks. Another prime example is when Menelaus welcomes Odysseus in Sparta and offers drinks and food. The author uses these examples throughout the story to reiterate the general theme.
The Odyssey touches on two important features of ancient Greek society which are generous hospitality and devotion to the gods. These traditions not only give the story depth and variety to The Odyssey, but they also shine the light on ancient Greek culture.
Comparison Between Athens and Sparta 1 Comparison Between Athens and Sparta University of the People 22nd June, 2017 Comparison Between Athens and Sparta 2 Athens and Sparta are two rival cities in the ancient Greece. The two cities are opposite in terms of governance as ancient historians view Athens using democracy and Sparta as dictator. However, in terms of the rule of women in each city, women in Sparta are given huge obligation and that is to conceive a boy that will become a Spartan.
The pathos and ethos of cultures is often discernable in literary narratives as expressions of the sentiment of approval or disapproval. Thus, the impact of literary narratives on cultures cannot be understated; the arts do impact and influence culture in both positive and negative ways. This is not a new phenomenon and can be observed in cultures as early as 6 Century B.C. and can be traced throughout human history. An example of this can be seen in Homer’s Odyssey, in which there are certain characters within the narrative that portray what is known as “arete.” Arete is viewed as a desirable character trait which some define as the display of perseverance, quick-wittedness, prowess, valor, etc.
In Homer’s “The Odyssey” the traces and nuances of this pursuit can be found in the very structure and hierarchy of Ancient Greece. Through his storytelling, Homer paints a vivid picture of adventure and wonder, but even while Homer tries to deliver an
In “The Foreign Travels of Sir John Mandeville,” John Mandeville provides an account of his travels by creating an imaginative geography of the people and places he visits. Through this imaginative geography the idea of the Western “self” is explored by highlighting the differences between “self,” and the “other” – the peoples of civilizations Mandeville visits. It is in this way that the Western identity is formed – it is not concerned with what Western civilization is but more, what it is not. This dichotomy between self and other is explored in Mandeville’s writing in several capacities, specifically: the civilized human and the savage animals, the pious Christians and the uncivilized pagans, and the good and the evil.
The various ideologies of love mentioned by speakers in Plato’s Symposium portrayed the social and cultural aspect of ancient Greece. In the text, there were series of speeches given by Phaedrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus, Aristophanes, Socrates, and Agathon about the idea of love, specifically the effect and nature of Eros. Within the speakers, Agathon’s speech was exceptional in that his speech shifted the focus of the audience from effect of Eros on people, to the nature and gifts from the Eros. Despite Agathon’s exceptional remarks about Eros, Socrates challenged Agathon’s characterization of Eros through utilization of Socratic Method.
In Homer’s, The Odyssey, the traits of an ideal Greek man is described many times over. Often times, Homer indirectly illustrates these characteristics through the qualities of men who do not appear to be ideal. Zeus relates the traits of an unideal man: “Greed and folly . . . stole his wife and killed the soldier on his homecoming day”(2). Zeus’s description of Agisthos, the man who had an affair with a king’s wife and killed him after he returned from the Trojan war, chastises this behavior, he indirectly teaches men the characteristics of a quintessential man.
From the Athenian acropolis to the temples of Thebes, Panhellenism has been prevalent throughout Greece, from the age of heroes to the Ottoman conquest of Greece. Developed naturally, the enduring virtues and ideas acted as a vessel for the ideal western civilization that modern powers accordingly look up to as a template for enlightenment. The basis of Panhellenic development grew from Greek cities’ independence its values derived from it, which can be seen in Homer’s Iliad.
Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey is one of the most complex pieces of literature in the field of classics, the intricacies and hidden meanings that are engrained in the text make it a perfect source to examine the behaviors that were valued and displayed in Greek society. Hospitality is one of the major behavioral patterns that is central to this epic as well as ancient Greek society. Homer helps the reader to understand this code of behavior by writing vivid scenes where the audience can see what lengths the hosts are willing to go to in order to please their guests. However, this understanding is complicated by some abuses of hospitality by the protagonists, Odysseus and Telemachus when they themselves are guests, receiving others hospitality.
Theogony was a myth that addressed the connection between human beings to the Gods and the universe. Giving that Hesiod lived during the Iron age ( 750-650 B.C.) alongside Homer, it is not extraordinary that the two shared similar religious views. Keeping that in mind, he was able to offer his interpretation of how the world came into existence in his epic poem the Theogony. While creating Prometheus’ myth, he focused on the ominous interactions between Zeus and Prometheus that lead to abhorrent events such as the creation of Pandora. On the contrary, Aeschylus lived in the sixth Century B.C. amid a time of great stir and movement in matters of religion and speculation.
This paper will discuss the well-published work of, Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken, 1975. Print. Sarah B. Pomeroy uses this book to educate others about the role women have played throughout ancient history. Pomeroy uses a timeline to go through each role, starting with mythological women, who were called Goddesses.
Modern historian, Ateneus, once wrote that Etruscan women “Lie on the kline not only with their husbands but also with strangers and have relations with anyone willing to do so” (Lobner n.d, 357)1. This is illustrated in Figure 1 where the women are shown seated next to men in the banquet. Etruscan women, whether married or unmarried are allowed to dine and socialize with men on any occasion. In other societies, the only women who are allowed to join men in banquets are the prostitutes, thus the negative interpretation over the freedom of the Etruscan woman in attending these festivities. The Etruscan women are described by other Greek societies as having no morals and women who enjoyed pleasure rather than being upright. This was observed by other societies who do not understand the right and privilege accorded to them by the society.
Academic sources will be relied on to provide the necessary actualities when one considers ancient civilisations. The legal status of women in society, the different roles that each unique region’s women played, and the possible education permitted and occupations available to these women will be discussed, as well as, their domestic atmospheres will be compared in this short essay to demonstrate the different treatment (if there were a difference)
The appearance of stability of the Greek patriarchy is seen to be much greater than that of the Biblical nature because the jobs of the classes and sexes are clearly defined within Greek life where the variance in the lives Biblical tribes, due to their nomadic nature, sometimes masks the patriarchy within their society. The realistic depiction of the Greek daily life, while still far removed, is contrasted against the Old testament stories, which lack the peace of daily life. The final comparison between the two texts is how their styles represent the two basic types of ancient epics with the Homeric style being fully externalized, “displaying unmistakable meanings” (23), while the Old Testament has sayings with many meanings that require interpretation. The text finishes by stating that since the Homeric and Old Testament styles are starting points for the analysis, we cannot consider anything that pertains to their