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Episodes
- S1 E1 - Why Study the Greek World?May 21, 202034minExamine the many reasons to study the ancient Greeks, from their phenomenal art and architecture to their philosophy, religion, and inventions of drama and democracy. Consider how we identify the Greeks, in cultural, historical, and linguistic terms. Finally, note the influence of Greece’s landscape and physical environment on the development and character of Greek civilization. #HistoryFree trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E2 - Bronze Age Greece: Minoans and MyceneansMay 21, 202035minTrace the origins of human habitation on the mainland and islands of Greece. Study the Bronze Age cultures of the Cycladic islands; the famed Minoan civilization centered on Crete, with its palaces and religious ritual; and the Mycenaean civilization, with its monumental architecture. Learn about Mycenae’s connection with the Trojan War, and what may have led to its collapse.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E3 - Dark Age and Archaic GreeceMay 21, 202032minGrasp the contours of Greece’s Dark Age, an era of restricted trade and a breakdown of centralized power. Take note of the achievements of this epoch, such as iron technology, the Greek alphabet, and the advent of the Olympic Games. In the following Archaic Period, chart Greece’s geographical expansion, creation of city-states, invention of coinage, and movement toward democracy.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E4 - Classical Greece: The Age of PericlesMay 21, 202033minTake an overview of Greece’s Classical Age, an astonishing period of human accomplishment, which the series will treat in detail. Explore defining events of the period, from the 479 BCE defeat of the Persians, through the period of the Peloponnesian War, to the emergence of Macedonia as a great power and the exploits of Alexander.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E5 - Alexander the Great: Greek Culture SpreadsMay 21, 202033minThe conquests of Alexander the Great gave birth to the world we call Hellenistic. Observe how Alexander’s military expansionism brought a vast geographical area under the influence of Greek civilization. Note how the conquered peoples embraced Hellenistic culture, how Alexander’s empire fragmented after his death, and how the majestic city of Alexandria became a major center of learning.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E6 - Greece, Rome, Byzantium, and BaghdadMay 21, 202036minExplore the fascinating and conflicted relationship between the Greeks and their Roman conquerors. Take account of the profound impact of Greek culture on Rome, and how the Romans both despised and admired the Greeks. Witness the founding of the Byzantine Empire, its flourishing of scholarship and theology, and the major role of Islamic scholars in preserving and disseminating Greek learning.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E7 - Modern Ideas of Ancient GreeceMay 21, 202031minWith the fall of Constantinople in 1453, learn how the Greeks fared under Ottoman rule. Then trace the processes through which Europe rediscovered classical antiquity. Grasp the philosophical spirit of the Renaissance, which brought a sudden interest in the ancient Greeks. Chart the huge influence of Greek mythology on Western art, and how Greek literature was widely disseminated in the West.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E8 - The Birth of the Greek Nation-StateMay 21, 202036minHere, follow the struggle of the Greeks under the Ottomans, which became a bloody political movement for Greek independence. See how European intellectuals, artists, and Europe’s major powers supported the movement, leading to the founding of the nation-state of Greece in 1830. Track Greece’s territorial expansion through the ensuing century, and its tumultuous modern history up to the present.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E9 - Greek Mythology: Monsters and MisfitsMay 21, 202027minDelve into the nature and roles of mythology in Greek civilization. Explore the subject matter of Greek myths as they figure in literature and art. Contemplate the function of mythology, as it helped the Greeks interpret the world and come to terms with the dark side of human experience. In particular, study the figure of the hero, and the features and meaning of the hero’s journey.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E10 - Greek Religion: Dangerous Gods, Tricky HeroesMay 21, 202030minFor the ancient Greeks, every human activity contained a religious dimension. Examine the underlying worldview of the Greeks’ polytheistic religious beliefs, and where we find it represented in literature. Look at each of the major Greek gods, and their characteristic roles and qualities. Grasp the very human moral and psychological attributes of the gods, and what constituted piety and impiety.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E11 - The Sensuality of Greek SculptureMay 21, 202031minThe sublime sculpture of the ancient Greeks is among their most enduring cultural artifacts. Study the six periods of Greek sculpture, from the Archaic through the Classical and Hellenistic. In each, look at masterful examples, noting how the practice of sculpture constantly evolved. Take account of sculptural techniques, and how the sculptors achieved such sensual appeal and expressive power.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E12 - The Perfection of Greek ArchitectureMay 21, 202032minStudy the primary forms of Greek architecture, which emblemize Greek civilization and have profoundly impacted architecture in the West. Visit the Acropolis of Athens as the ancient Greeks would have seen it; take in the magnificent features of the Parthenon, as well as those of other temples and civic structures. Learn also about Greek domestic architecture, house plans, and town planning.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E13 - The Monumentality of Greek PaintingMay 21, 202033minEncounter the major styles of Greek vase painting, in examples by master painters such as the Dipylon Master and Exekias, noting their remarkable iconography portraying social ritual, war, and mythological scenes. Learn about black and red figure technique, the use of incised decoration and brushwork, and the superlative qualities of Greek painting in both conception and realization.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E14 - Homer’s Humanity: The Epic ExperienceMay 21, 202032minIn exploring the genius of Homer, learn first about the features and tradition of epic poetry. In key excerpts from the Iliad, grasp Homer’s great humanity and insight into the human condition. See how the Iliad functions as a meditation on mortality, war, idealism, and loss, and how the Odyssey comprises a journey of self-realization. Witness Homer’s enduring influence in the modern world.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E15 - Greek Theater: Producing and Staging PlaysMay 21, 202031minUncover the origins of Greek drama, and how it evolved into the form of a chorus and masked actors. Learn about early theater festivals; the elements of a Greek theater; and how plays were selected, financed, and performed. Finally, study the rituals of theater going, the use of theatrical devices and stage machinery, and the story of how the Greeks’ iconic plays survived into the modern era.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E16 - Greek Drama: Laughter and TearsMay 21, 202032minIn this second look at Greek drama, examine individual plays that epitomize the genre of tragedy, such as Aeschylus’s Oresteia and Prometheus Bound, Sophocles’s Antigone and Oedipus the King, and Euripides’s Trojan Women and Medea. Explore the nature of tragedy, its meaning for audiences and existential function in the Greek world. Then, investigate the sublime comic plays of Aristophanes.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E17 - Greek Politics, Law, and Public SpeakingMay 21, 202030minRadical, participatory democracy was established in Athens in the 5th century BCE. Study the mindset and features of Athenian democracy, as it empowered every citizen to speak and vote, and required citizens to participate in civic affairs. Assess ancient and modern critiques of Greek democracy. Then study ancient Athenian legal practice, highlighting the system of trial by jury.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E18 - Greek Historians: The Birth of HistoryMay 21, 202031minTake the measure of two of ancient Greece’s greatest historians. Begin with the work of Herodotus, often called the “father of history”; grasp the qualities of his history writing, and how he established the first principle of historiography: impartiality. Continue with Thucydides, credited with establishing the discipline of scientific history and the political theory of Realpolitik.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E19 - Greek Philosophy: Man and NatureMay 21, 202032minLook into the origins of the great philosophical tradition within ancient Greece, and the contributions of the early, pre-Socratic philosophers. Then, examine the work of the philosophical giants Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, taking account of the core ideas and the influence of each. Conclude by exploring two major Greek philosophical traditions: Stoicism and Epicureanism.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E20 - Greek Science: Discovery and ControversyMay 21, 202033minInvestigate the many contributions to science of the ancient Greeks, as well as the great obstacles to free inquiry that early scientists faced. Study Greek achievements in astronomy, followed by medicine, highlighting the methods and doctrines of the Hippocratic school. Also learn about the cult of the healing god Asclepius, in which rational inquiry and faith healing existed side by side.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E21 - The Greek Way of Waging WarMay 21, 202032minThe art of war was integral to ancient Greek culture. Delve into warfare as portrayed in the Iliad, observing the highly ritualistic nature of Homeric combat. Continue with the classical warfare of the hoplites, phalanxes of heavily armed soldiers, and learn about hoplite tactics, strategy, and weaponry. Study Athens’s mighty naval forces, and assess the changing rules of battlefield conduct.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E22 - Greek Language, Literacy, and WritingMay 21, 202031minExamine the structure of the ancient Greek language, how it embodies and expresses thought, and how common linguistic devices express the Greek mindset. Learn about the evolution of writing in Greece, and the wealth of information available to us from ancient papyri. Finally, take account of literacy in ancient Greece, and our indebtedness to literate slaves who were copyists and transcribers.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E23 - Eating and Drinking among the GreeksMay 21, 202030minAs a final perspective on Greek culture, take a spirited look at Greek food and drink across the ages. Observe how the ancient Greeks ate, considering their diet, meal rituals, staple foods, and a signature Spartan dish. Learn about Greek food today, sampling a spectrum of standout dishes and traditional foods and wines. Then, visualize an ancient “symposium,” or traditional drinking party.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E24 - What Does Greece Mean to Us Today?May 21, 202036minBegin this final episode by reviewing criticisms leveled against the ancient Greeks, and aspects of Greek society which are “hot button” issues for the modern world, such as the repression of women and the elitist nature of their society. Conclude with five compelling reasons for studying the Greeks, from their areas of unsurpassed excellence to the beauty and wonder of their civilization.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
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