Contents
Contents
- Introduction
- The ancient Greeks valued (physical) excellence
- The ancient Greeks valued the art of rhetoric
- Ancient Greek culture is one of storytelling and theatre
- Conclusion
Introduction
The ancient Greeks have profoundly influenced the course of development of many Western nations existing today. Known as the cradle of Western civilisation, the classical period within Greece’s history has been the birth place of many systems and institutions that we now take for granted.
The culture that pervaded Greece around 480-323 B.C. was one of myths and legends. As such, ancient Greek society was greatly influenced by the happenings of the pantheon above.
The ancient Greeks strove hard to embody the cultural ideals of the time and sought to accomplish great feats through sheer willpower, strength and skill. As such, many citizens of the time were after glory and honour – this is not surprising in a culture that was as competitive as ancient Greece.
The values of the ancient Greeks were greatly inspirational, and many cultures were influenced by the values of the ancient Greeks. These included the Romans and even Western cultures much later on (e.g. during the 16th century Renaissance movement).
In this week’s post I’ll highlight three cornerstones of ancient Greek culture that allowed it to flourish as it did and set the precedent for many cultures yet to come.
The ancient Greeks valued (physical) excellence
The ancient Greek people were idealists.
The Homeric epics stand as a centre piece of ancient Greek culture. The legendary heroes of the Odyssey and the Iliad, are seen to overcome the numerous obstacles that beset their path to glory; their journeys are truly heroes’ journeys.
To the ancient Greeks, the world was one of monsters and heroes, of mythology and legends. A world to be conquered through sheer force, cunning, and willpower.
These values were not just preached, but also practiced. As such, physical excellence took the centre stage in ancient Greek society. This likely comes as no surprise. After all, we’ve all seen the numerous marble statues of gods, demi-gods, and honoured athletes.
What would be a key institution to a society that honours their deities and celebrities by showing off their physical prowess, I hear you ask.
If you answered: the gym, you’d be right!
The ancient Greek gymnasium played a central role in ancient Greek society. It is here that (male) citizens trained for public games. Training included a variety of weight-bearing exercises, cardiovascular exercises, as well as boxing, wrestling, and Pankration, an ancient Greek martial art.
Not only served the gymnasium as a training facility, it also served as a community centre. And pursuits of both an intellectual and entertainment nature were also actively engaged in.
To the ancient Greeks, physical fitness and intellectual fitness went hand-in-hand, and even the greatest thinkers of this age were obsessed with the notion of physical excellence.
As such, Socrates, the grandfather of Western philosophy, advocated physical excellence, saying:
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
The ancient Greeks valued the art of rhetoric
Though the ancient Greeks were known to be competent athletes and warriors. As much as they valued brawn, they valued brains too.
As is well known, they were responsible for many innovations within the intellectual sphere. Indeed, Athens during the age 5th century BCE was known to be an intellectual hub and even attracted a slew of foreign thinkers.
One of the key reasons for such budding intellectualism in ancient Athens may be as a consequence of the greatly lauded art of rhetoric at the time.
The art of rhetoric’s origin lies in the advent of democracy in ancient Greece. In ancient Athens, citizens were expected to take part in political gatherings regarding elections of officials and approval of laws. The official nature of these gatherings demanded a manner of speech which was profound and which convinced the listener of the orator’s point of view; thus rhetoric was born.
With time, the nature of such rhetorical debates steered away from politics and eventually came to encompass intellectual topics. The ancient Greeks’ passion for public speaking served as a platform for wider discourse and was a key factor in shaping the intellectualism that was popular in Athens at the time.
As such, intellectualism pervaded the town-squares, marketplaces, and the very streets of Athens. Certain philosophers, such as Socrates, made it a point to wander the streets and debate with random passers-by or to instruct the youth in the ways of critical thinking.
Indeed, the art of persuasive (and accurate speech) was closely tied to intellectual flourishing of the Greek classical period.
Ancient Greek culture is one of storytelling and theatre
As mentioned previously, the ancient Greeks were greatly influenced by their polytheistic beliefs and the mythology that it encompassed.
They saw themselves as human actors on the world-stage, and their lives were an essential part of the eternal drama of the pantheon above. Each man’s fate was decided by the multitude of temperamental gods that governed the earth and the heavens.
Thus, theatre formed an essential part of the fabric of society in ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks valued the art greatly, and it was a civic duty to attend the theatre.
Originally, theatrical plays were Athenian tragedies which were performed to honour the god Dionysus. These later branched out to form three categories of theatrical plays: tragedy, comedy, and satyr, each with their own purpose.
Such plays were written by honoured poets and played by skilled actors. Each play followed a main protagonist and was performed by a maximum of three actors. With the rise of the popularity of theatre in ancient Greece, the role of actor became highly valued.
Depending on the type of play, topics such as religion, heroism, or even the mockery of politicians could be breached. Theatre, then, served as a medium to convey ideas (and ideals) throughout the wider fabric of ancient Greek society.
The ancient Greeks, much in harmony with their surroundings, favoured the liveliness and dynamism that nature represented, and this was reflected in their love for theatre. Indeed, Socrates himself was known for praising the virtues of the spoken word as opposed to the written word, warning that once something has been written down, it lost its ability for change and growth.
Theatre then, represents the culmination of the spoken word, and freely embodies the dynamism of language. Emphasis on the spoken word is added by means of heightened use of body language, facial expressions, and vocal inflections.
As such, theatre served as a captivating medium for recounting the epic poems that served as the cultural cornerstone of Greek society at the time. Here, skilled actors were able to convey significant cultural themes to the audience about what it meant to be human, and what it meant to be Greek.
Though most of us aren’t Greek (and also not ancient), the highs and lows that the heroes of the tragedies witness, are universal and everlasting human themes which are beneficial to all. Greek mythology serves as an magnificent repertoire of the experiences that make the human condition. In this sense, the culture of ancient Greece remains relevant to us today.
What’s more, in a modern world where ideals of excellence and heroism are laid down in favour of more expedient ones (e.g. comfort and gratification), at the cost of the long-term well-being of the psyche, the repertoire of ancient Greek myths with all its idiosyncrasies, can serve as a much-needed cool breeze on a hot summer’s day (I will be writing more about mythology in the coming few weeks).
Conclusion
The ancient Greeks were a unique people, and their culture represented one that sought to harmonise itself with the dynamism of nature and life itself. This is highlighted by the fatalism that the ancient Greeks embodied: their lives as actors on the world stage, moved by the stirrings of the pantheon above.
Despite the forces of nature, be they good or bad, the ancient Greeks aspired towards excellence; their fervour in the things that make us most human are witness to this. As such, the ancient Greeks placed great emphasis on warfare, athleticism, politics, storytelling, and philosophy.
Fast-forward two-thousand years, and we find ourselves in a society greatly influenced by the ancient Greeks. Many of their methods and practises have become fixed, and we owe much more to them than one might initially think.
Despite this, the virtues of the ancient Greeks have somewhat lost their shine and stand in contrast to the virtues of the modern day. However, by looking back and remembering their traditions, myths, and legends, we might be able to add to our lives by virtue of their golden nuggets of wisdom and insight.
