Activity 1

As you know, scholars generally agree that the ancient Greek polis reached its highest development in Athens. The man credited with launching Athens on the path to democracy was Solon, whose reforms broke the power of the old aristocratic oligarchy and permitted all classes to participate in government. Take a look at some selections from the Fragments of Solon. (As you read these, keep in mind that the word "demos" roughly means "the people" or the community of the city; you can click on the "class notes" links for further explanation.) How did Solon envision what he was doing as a statesman? What values do his words articulate? What role does mythopoeic thought play in Solon's conception of Athenian politics? Where do you see evidence of the exercise of reason for the which the ancient Greeks are so famous? Another important figure in the history of Athenian democracy was Pericles. Not only did he preside over Athens' golden age, he also saw the city through the first years of the Peloponnesian War. Read the following excerpt from his speech after an invasion by the Spartans. How did Pericles present the situation to his audience? What does this speech reveal about Pericles as a statesman? In what ways does his statesmanship resemble and/or differ from Solon's? Finally, consider the Greek democratic practice of ostracism. Read the following set of remarks about ostracism by ancient Greek authors. How did the practice work in Athens? Do you see any names you recognize? Why do you think they were ostracized, or what do they have to say about ostracism? Do you think the practice could play a useful role in today's democracies?

Activity 2

Olympian religion was the religion that bound the Greeks, whether they lived in the city-states of the Greek mainland or the far-flung colonies of the Black Sea or western Mediterranean. From the Olympian pantheon each city took its patron god, and, as you have read, devotion to that patron was an act of civic loyalty. However, although Olympianism provided a focus for civic pride, it did not always satisfy the emotional needs of believers. As Homer's epics and other literary works suggest, the Olympian gods were capricious, often vengeful, and less than noble of character. Consequently, in the search for emotional fulfillment and moral clarity, many Greeks turned to mystery religions. Among the most popular of these were the Eleusinian mystery devoted to Demeter and the cults of Dionysos and Orpheus. Read the following excerpt from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. What are the mythic origins of the Eleusinian mystery? What do you think adherents of Demeter found satisfying about this story? Now take a look at a few texts concerning the Eleusinian mystery, a description of the Orphic initiation rite, and the description of Dionysian frenzy from Euripides' play The Bacchae. What do you think attracted people to these mystery cults? What was so compelling about them? What did they offer to people in search of spiritual fulfillment?