Robbie de Mello e Souza
8/17/14
Summer Assignment
Overall Chapter Questions:
1. Pericles said, unlike other nations, we Athenians do not call a man who takes no part in public life quiet or unambitious; we call such a man useless.” How would Pericles evaluate the behavior of citizens who fail to vote in elections today?
a. I think that Pericles would find those citizens useless because of the fact that they don’t vote. On the other hand, those citizens could be doing other activities in public life to make up for the fact that they aren’t voting. Some examples of activites that could possibly make up for not voting could be volounteering, hosting public events, or creating activities to help improve the society.
2. How did the arts reflect the Golden Age and decline of Athens?
a. During the Golden Age sculptors aimed to create figures that were graceful, strong, and…show more content… During the decline of Athens, art began to depict the joys and sorrows of the artist. So for the first time art began to show emotion. In addition, drama also underwent a change. Playwrights began to write comedies that made fun of the politics, peopl, and ideas of their time.
3. Compare the Roman ideal of gravitas with the Athenian ideal of arête. What do the differences in these tell about the civilization they represent?
a. Both the Roman ideal of gravitas and the Athenian ideal of arete are ideals that aim to improve the citizens each society. But, I would say that the Roman ideal of gravitas is centered toward the “love” of Rome (in a way). The Romans strived to be loyal and strong: loyal in the way that they loved Rome and were always true to their people and strong in the way that they fought for Rome. On the other hand, I think that the Athenian ideal of arete was more centered toward being a better person. The Athenians strived for excellence, to show courage, and to win fame and honor. I feel like these attributes are more centered toward the individual than the entire city of