希腊文明

Lesson2GreekcivilizationGreekcivilization(2000B.C.—130B.C.)(1)Aegeancivilization(2000B.C.—1200B.C.)orPre-historicperiod.(2)EarlyGreekCivilization(1200B.C.—500B.C.):PersianWar(499—460B.C.)波希战争(PersianEmpireVSGreece):withthevictoryofGreece,leadingtothehighestpointofGreekcivilization.(3)ClassicalGreece(500B.C.—323B.C.)Flourishingperiod;PeloponnesusWar伯罗奔尼撒战争(431-404B.C.),awarbetweenSpartaandAthens,whichmarkedthedeclineoftheGreekcivilization.(4)HellenisticPeriod(323B.C.—130B.C.):thespreadofGreekculturebyconquestandcolonization:AlexandertheGreat,KingofMacedonia.Ⅰ.GeographicsettingsofAncientGreeceTheheartlandofancientGreececonsistedofthemountainousBalkanPeninsulaandsouthernItalianPeninsula,aswellasdozensofruggedislandsinthenorthernMediterraneanregion.ImportantsettlementswerelocatedonthesouthernBalkanPeninsula;onthePelopónnisos(Peloponnesus)(伯罗奔尼撒半岛),alargepeninsulaconnectedtothesouthernendoftheBalkanPeninsulabytheIsthmusofCorinth;andonthelargeislandsofCrete(Kríti),southofthePelopónnisos,andSicily,southoftheItalianPeninsula.1.ImportantplacesinGreekcivilization1)AegeanSeaAegeanSea(GreekAigaionPelagos),armoftheMediterraneanSea,betweenGreeceandAsiaMinor.ThenameisvariouslyexplainedinwritingsofantiquityasderivedfromAegeus,kingofAthensandfatherofTheseus,orfromAegea,aqueenoftheAmazonswhodrownedinthesea,orfromanancientGreektownnamedAegae.TheAegeanSeais600km(400mi)longand300km(200mi)wide.TheAegeanSeaisirregularinoutlinewithnumerousgulfs,andisstuddedwithislands,includingtheSporades,Cyclades(Kikládhes),andDodecanese.ItwasthecenterofoneoftheearliestknownEuropeancivilizations.WiththeriseoftheancientGreekandMiddleEasterncultures,thelandssurroundingtheseabecamethesitesofwidelydifferingcivilizations,andthecultureoftheAegeanislandsbecameidentifiedwiththatofGreece.西方文明的源头有一个诗一样的名字---爱琴海,这些钻石一般散落在蓝色海域的岛屿和半岛,养育了欧洲最初的智慧和性格.2).Mesopotamia美索不达米亚平原Mesopotamia,locatedinaregionthatincludedpartsofwhatisnoweasternSyria,southeasternTurkey,andmostofIraq,laybetweentworivers,theTigrisandtheEuphrates.ThenameMesopotamiaisaGreekwordmeaning“betweentherivers.”Itsoldestknowncommunitiesdatefrom7000bc.Severalcivilizationsflourishedintheregion.Inthe6thcenturybcitbecamepartofthePersianEmpire,thelargestempireintheworlduptothen.Itisregardedasthecradleofmen’searliestcivilization.MapofMesopotamia(美索不达米亚平原)TheRapeofEuropa欧罗巴的蹂躏Europa(mythology),inGreekmythology,daughterofAgenor,thePhoeniciankingofTyre,andsisterofCadmus,thelegendaryfounderofThebes.Onemorning,whenEuropawasgatheringflowersbytheseashore,thegodZeussawherandfellinlovewithher.Assumingtheguiseofabeautifulchestnut-coloredbull,heappearedbeforeherandenticedhertoclimbontohisback.HethenspedawaywithheracrosstheoceantotheislandofCrete(Kríti).AmongthesonssheborehimwereMinosandRhadamanthus,bothofwhombecamejudgesofthedead.TheabductionofEuropahasbeenthesubjectofpaintingsbymanyartists,includingItaliansPaoloVeroneseandTitian3)AncientEgyptAncientEgypt,civilizationthatthrivedalongtheNileRiverinnortheasternAfricaformorethan3,000years,fromabout3300bcto30bc.Itwasthelongest-livedcivilizationoftheancientworld.TherelationshipbetweenWesterncivilizationandEasterncivilization最初的西方文明是从东方汲取养分,茁壮成长的.今天的西方学者在希腊找到了自身文明的起源.但谁也不能无视希腊有着天才的埃及父亲和美索不达米亚母亲.当希腊刚刚在黑暗中睁开蒙昧的双眼,东方的两河流域,埃及,中国和印度就已经建立起了辉煌的帝国,创造了自己的天神.古希腊人汲取古巴比伦和古埃及的天文学,数学和医学知识,也吸取了他们的农业,手工业,航海和铁器制造技术.4)AsiaMinor小亚细亚AsiaMinor,regionoftheancientworld,roughlycorrespondingtopresentAsianTurkey,orthepeninsulaofAnatolia.SomeoftheearliestNeolithicsettlementsintheMiddleEasthavebeenfoundinAsiaMinor.Oneofthemostimportant,atÇatalHüyük,nearpresentKonya,datesfromasearlyas9000bc.5)Mount.Olympus奥林匹斯山A.Gods’dwellingplaceB.theoriginofOlympicsOlympus,Mount(Greece),mountain,northernGreece,2,917m(9,570ft)high,theloftiestpointinGreece,ontheboundarybetweenThessaly(Thessalia)andMacedonia,neartheAegeanSea.InearlyGreekmythologyitwasbelievedtohavebeenthehomeofthegods.Onitssummitwerethepalacesofthegods,whichhadbeenbuiltbyHephaestus,godofmetalwork.TheentrancetoOlympuswasthroughagateofclouds,protectedbythegoddessesknownastheSeasons.ZeushadhisthroneonOlympus,andthegodsfeastedonnectarandambrosiaandwereserenadedbytheMuses.The12majorOlympiandeitieswereZeusandhiswifeHera;hisbrothersPoseidon,godofthesea,andHades,godoftheunderworld;hissisterHestia,goddessofthehearth;andhischildren:Athena,goddessofwisdom;Ares,godofwar;Apollo,godofthesun;Artemis,goddessofthemoonandofthehunt;Aphrodite,goddessoflove;Hermes,messengerofthegods;andHephaestus.LaterGreekwriterstransferredthehomeofthesedeitiestoaheavenlyregionfreefromsnowandstormandfilledwithlightSignificanceofthegeographicsettingofGreece:Surroundingseasdevelopmentofcommerceandtrade:clay,timberandoliveforgrains.MountainousPeninsulacolonizationandconquestⅡ.GreekMythology:1.GreekMythology:1)Mythology:anarrativethroughwhichancienthumanbeingsinterprettheworldandthemysteriousnaturalpowerandwerepassedorallyfromonegenerationtothenext.GreekMythology:setofdiversetraditionaltalestoldbytheancientGreeksabouttheexploitsofgodsandheroesandtheirrelationswithordinar