Classical Period

1200 BC – 455 BC

Classical Period

• HOMERIC or HEROIC PERIOD (1200-800 BCE)

• CLASSICAL GREEK PERIOD (800-200 BCE)

• CLASSICAL ROMAN PERIOD (200 BCE-455 CE)

• PATRISTIC PERIOD (70 CE-455 CE)

Famous Names of the Classical Period

• Popularized styles that led to many current genres, lyrical poetry, pastorals, and dramatic representations of comedies.

• Major poets of the time were Sappho and Pindar.

• Major Playwrights were Aeschulys, Sophocles and Euripides.

• Major Comedic plays were done by Aristophanes, and Menander.

Philosophy of the Classical Period

• Plato, Socrates and Aristotle.

• Wrote dialogues (written arguments), first attempt at explaining the world.

• These individuals opposed traditional thinking of the world.

Classical Period Drama

• Most prominent genre coming out of the Classical Period.

• Evolved from song and dance in ceremonies.

• Objective and impersonal, stated authors opinions.

Homer (900-800 B.C)

• Greek philosopher and poet • Author Iliad and Odyssey- epics that explain

ancient Greece which greatly impacted Western and a part of Eastern history and literature.

• The Iliad was written about the Trojan War• The Odyssey was a story about Odysseus, King

of Ithaka

Plato (429–347 BC)

• One of the earliest philosophers• Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician,

writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western World.

• Plato helped to lay the foundations of natural philosophy, science, and Western philosophy.

Plato (429–347 BC)

• Plato's writings have been published in several fashions; – Resulted in the naming and referencing of

Plato's texts.

• 35 dialogues and 13 letters have are know to be written by Plato– Dialogues influence today’s thoughts and

writings

Aristotle (384 - 322 BC)

• A Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.

• His writings cover many subjects– Physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music,

logic,politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology

• Aristotle wrote many elegant treatises and dialogues – majority of his writings are now lost and only about

one-third of the original works have survived

Aristotle (384 - 322 BC)

• Influenced literature – Writings and philosophical teachings

• Codifying and systematizing – Aristotelian principles

• Literary criticism – Guidelines to literature developed into rules

Julius Cesar (100 - 44 BC)

• He was made a dictator for life and was essentially above the law.

• He ruled the roman people for many years until he was murdered in March 15 44BC.

• This was a very religious time and a lot of literature was based on religion so this would have a large influence.

Game Time!

Works Cited

• http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Periods_Lit_History.pdf

• http://www.poetry-portal.com/poets31.html• http://www.answers.com/topic/homer• http://library.thinkquest.org/19300/data/homer.htm• http://homer.thefreelibrary.com/• http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/randomstuff/

faq.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato