To vote in Athenian democracy, you had to be a. a free citizen b. a free land-owning citizen c. a free male citizen
The part of government made up of all eligible Athenian citizens was called a. the Senate b. the Council c. the Assembly
Most democracies around the world are a. direct b. representative c. authoritarian
Discussion/essay questions
Winston Churchill famously said “Democracy is the worst system of government except for all those other forms that have been tried.” What do you think of this quote? Do you agree or disagree? What do you think the best system of government would look like?
Transcript
The word “democracy” comes from the ancient Greek word demokratia. “Demos” means “people” and kratos means “rule.” The idea of demokratia originated in Athens around 500 BCE. Athenian democracy was a direct democracy, which meant it allowed the people to vote on decisions and laws. Not everyone could vote. Only free male citizens were eligible. The eligible people formed a part of government called the Assembly. To participate, Athenian men had to go to Assembly meetings and share their opinions. Although the word “democracy” originated in Greece, there is evidence for other ancient democracies. Some early tribes around the world used popular rule. Many historians now believe that civilizations in Mesoamerica also had democratic governments. Today, most democracies are representative, which means that people elect leaders to make decisions for them. However, some countries, like Switzerland, require referendums for important decisions.
Historians believe Homer was from Ionia because a. the original texts were found there b. the dialect of the writing originated there c. the stories are set there
Homer’s birth year is hard to determine because a. most calendars from that time period were destroyed b. time was not commonly documented yet c. different sources from the time name different years
Homer is often depicted as a. a blind man b. a faceless figure c. a child
Discussion/essay questions
Do you think it is important to know the real author of a piece of literature? Why or why not?
Transcript
Homer was an ancient Greek poet known for his epics, the Odyssey and the Iliad. The stories are some of the earliest foundations of European literature. However, historians know very little about Homer himself. The dialect of the original texts makes it likely that he was born in Ionia, which is now in Turkey. His birth year is hard to determine because he lived before time was commonly documented. Historically, many artists and writers have depicted him as blind, but there is little evidence of this. There is even debate about whether Homer existed at all. Some people believe that the Odyssey and the Iliad were written by two different people using the same pseudonym. Some others believe that Homer simply compiled stories from oral traditions.
The Trojan War is a widely-known legend from Greek mythology. Do you know any other ancient Greek myths?
Even today, there are many movies and books based on ancient myths. Why do you think people find ancient mythology so fascinating?
Transcript
The Odyssey is an epic poem by the ancient Greek writer Homer. It is made up of 24 books about a mythical king named Odysseus; his wife, Penelope; and their son, Telemachus. The story describes Odysseus’s ten-year journey home from the Trojan War. It was written around 700 B.C., making it one of the oldest texts that is still commonly read today. The first copy of the Odyssey was handwritten in ancient Greek. The first English translation wasn’t published until 1615. Since then, the Odyssey has been translated many times, and every translator has given a different interpretation of the text. The story has also inspired many other works, including multiple books, movies, and plays.
Do you like to watch the Olympic Games? What are your favourite sports to watch?
Why do you think so many people around the world are interested in watching the Olympics?
Transcript
The Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece in 776 B.C. Every four years, the city of Olympia would hold athletic competitions to honour Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. These competitions were open to any men who wanted to participate. The ancient Greeks held the competitions until 393 A.D., when they were banned by a Roman emperor named Theodosius I. Over 1500 years later, a man named Pierre de Coubertin decided to organize a modern version of the Olympic Games. The first event took place in Athens, Greece in 1896. After that, cities around the world began to take turns hosting the Olympics. Today, athletes from over 200 countries participate in the Olympics every two years.
