Midterm Exam

1 . Describe the life of Pericles . What good and bad things did he do for Athens

Possibly one of the most influential general and orator in the history of Athens , in particular during the Golden Age , is Pericles . According to Jim Whiting 's The Life and Times of Pericles , he began his life entirely devoted to education , and his wealth and social status enabled him to seek higher studies . He was highly educated in music and was also considered the first political person to significantly contribute to philosophy . Furthermore , it is sometimes

believed that the age of 461 to 429 BC in Athens was the Age of Pericles ' due to his numerous contributions to the city

Although there is no exact date of Pericles ' first entry into political arena and his first leadership position , according to the book , it is believed that he started to gain prominence at around 460 B .C Historically , Pericles is well known for his advocacy of democracy and this is possibly one of his most significant contributions to Athens His democratic views can be first evidenced in his desire to reduce the powers of Areopagus , a council composed mostly of Athenian artistocrats which was the most powerful body in the state during that time . Pericles attained his position of leadership when he ostracized his strongest political rival , Cimon , accusing him of being betraying the city by being an ally of Sparta , a known enemy of Athens . During these years he supported a populist social policy , wherein he favored laws that are beneficial only to a select few . He allowed the poor to become involved in politics and created a citizenship law which allowed a person to become an Athenian citizen only if his or her parents are both Athenian

Pericles is also best known for the construction of the Acropolis , a magnificent building which boasted Athenian prestige and prowess . Known as the most ambitious building program in Greek history and also Pericles ' greatest triumph , the building took nearly 15 years to complete and was made from 20 thousand tons of marble of marble acquired from nearby Mount Penetelicus . The building was financed by the treasury of the Delian league , a group of Greek city states which he formed to become an empire . The use of these finances did not bode well with Athens ' allies resulting in resentment between them and Pericles However , his vast accomplishments and popularity prevented him from being toppled by his political rivals and disgruntled allies . A renowned general , Pericles is well known for leading the Delian League during the first years of the Peloponessian war . He first conquered Sicily and Arcania but was unsuccessful in his conquest of the Oeniadeia , Acarnania and Egypt . During times of war , in particular , the war with Sparta Pericles to devise strategies than engaging his opponents head on . This is the reason why his military skills and brilliance were seemingly unmatched

The war with Sparta , however , was considered his last major battle and his worst decision made as the Athenian leader . Before the battle began Pericles ed his entire empire to gather behind the walls of Athens and insisted that the main attacks are done by the navy . However , barely a year after the war broke out , a plague , which came from cargo of the boats that fed Athens , spread rapidly in the overcrowded city and wiped out at least 20 ,000 Athenians , including Pericles ' two legitimate sons The democratic assembly blamed Pericles for the devastation and stripped him of his powers . Although he was reinstated on a lower position due to his monumental contributions to Athens , he died soon afterwards

2 . When did Socrates live ? What is he like ? What did he accomplish

Socrates is best known as the Greek philosopher who laid the foundation for Western philosophy . He lived from 470 to 399 BC and gained prominence during the time of Pericles , where he focused on educating Athenians . While there are no written accounts of Socrates philosophies , the best known sources that recount his life and teachings are the Dialogues of Plato , the plays of Aristophanes , and the works of Xenophon , a noted Greek historian

According to Susan Zanos ' The Life and Times of Socrates , Socrates best contribution and accomplishment in Western civilization is his method of inquiry , known as the Socratic Method . He used this method when examining concepts on Good and Justice . According to The Dialogues of Plato , the Socrates method basically meant that to solve a problem you must first ask a question and then find the answer to that question Once you 've found the answer to the question , you have also found the answer to your problem . Specifically , what Socrates accomplished laid the foundation for the Scientific method in which the first step in solving a problem is also asking a question . He believed that asking a series of deeper questions to a certain problem gauged how person knew about the subject . So basically , Socrates was successful in knowing how people think

Furthermore , Socrates also had philosophies on other matters such as knowledge , virtue , politics and mysticism . On knowledge , Socrates believed that every man , including himself , has a limit to his knowledge and that having these limitations should make a person aware of his or her ignorance . On virtue , he basically emphasized that a person should not overly be concerned on attaining material wealth but rather always in the pursuit of good . On the other hand , while Socrates openly objected the idea of democracy and only believed in a society ruled by philosopher Kings , he never joined politics nor sought a political position . The reason for this is because Socrates believed that since he did not know how to truly live his own life , he could not tell other people how to live their lives

Moreover , according to The Dialogues of Plato , Socrates seemingly had a mystical side though it was never actually proven . However , Socrates believed that he possessed an inner voice that only speaks when was about to make a mistake . He interpreted this voice as a form of divine madness that gives us the source of poetry , love , and mysticism

All in all , Socrates was more of an educator than a philosopher because apparently all of his ideas were meant for people to ask more questions that will provide a deeper understanding of a problem and also give better answers

Works Cited

Whiting , Jim . The Life and Times of Pericles . Mitchell Lane Publishers 2005

Zanos , Susan . The Life and Times of Socrates . Mitchell Lane Publishers 2005

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