Wyl.p5.t9 Greek/Roman Era Synthesis Question

team members: Nicki Quiles, Gus Shettleroe, Misael Rivera, Audrey Ford

Literature has been and always will be a commonly and successful type of art form. Throughout the works of literature we see its many connections with subjects such as science, religions, and even modern lessons used by ancient Greeks. During the ancient Greek era, many stories were told through Greek tragedies. In these Greek tragedies we see someone of a higher power having a characteristic to their personality which causes a spiraling downfall to their life. Each of the stories also sets as a lesson to test ones belief in their religion, considering it was an era in which one dedicated their life to pleasing their many gods. They were also taught not to try to change their fate because they were born into a certain lifestyle for a reason and they should be happy with their place. Take for example the story of Oedipus, written by a famous Greek philosopher named Sophocles. In this story we see a test of one’s belief of fate and how one is willing to handle that fate of which they are given to by their gods. The Greeks were given many obstacles to prove their dedication to their gods as well as their teachings about fate, much of like how it is today with many current religions such as Christianity, Judaism, etc. People were given a test and it was their responsibility to handle it in such a way that would end in a consequence or reward.

Literature sets as a guideline to teach people how to use their own knowledge to interpret feelings and ideas of their own. When reading a play or poem, the author tries to set a tone or idea, but it is your own duty to interpret what feeling you see being portrayed. During the Greek era there was a huge emphasis in both science and knowledge of government in order to grow as a whole. Everyone was taught to follow their orders so there would be a peaceful way to maintain order, but thanks to the teachings of Socrates, people questioned their government and used their own knowledge to really challenge authority. After people really started questioning why they had to follow certain actions, they further extended it to other things around them such as interactions between other people, and why things did what they did. These questions and observations led to many theories created by many famous philosophers such as Aristotle’s Theory of Beauty and Creation of Beauty or Plato’s theory of Forms. Many theories were a connection to ideas connected to real life situations and observations to come to terms with reality.