Ancient Greece Research Articles

THE DINOTHERIUM AND THE ACROPOLIS: ALBERT GAUDRY’S RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EXTINCT FAUNA OF ATTICA AND THE MAKING OF GREECE INTO A EUROPEAN STATE (1850s–1860s)

ABSTRACT Between 1862 and 1867, Albert Gaudry (1824–1908) published Animaux fossiles et géologie de l’Attique, a seminal work describing and depicting the rich collection of mammalian fossils that he assembled during his scientific expeditions in Attica, Greece. This paper will focus on how Gaudry’s collection and reconstruction of the extinct fauna of Attica articulated itself with geopolitical, cultural, and economic concerns regarding the newly independent Greek state and its place within Europe. Since the Greek War of independence against the Ottomans between the 1820s and 1830s, European nations sought to secure a series of strategic advantages in the region. France for example invested a lot of capital, military, and cultural resources in the newly independent Greek state in hope of cementing France’s influence in the Mediterranean. Between 1853 and 1854, Gaudry was sent on a mission by the French government to evaluate the agricultural production of countries of the ‘Orient’, including Greece. Gaudry was tasked with gathering information intended to facilitate the advancement of agriculture in France’s colonies as well as the planning of future investments in the Eastern Mediterranean. In his report published in 1855, Gaudry explicitly defined the restoration of Greece’s agricultural industry as a sine qua non condition for Greece’s establishment as a European state. It was during this official mission that Gaudry learned about the existence of exceptionally rich fossil sites in Attica. He returned on multiple occasions to collect thousands of fossil specimens from these sites. In Animaux fossiles et géologie de l’Attique and in his subsequent publications on the same fossils, Gaudry regularly articulated the reconstruction of extinct mammals and their environment with inspired descriptions of the ruins of Athens. In his writings, the reconstruction of a Greek geological past inhabited by a grandiose and harmonious megafauna echoed the celebration of Ancient Greece as the cradle of Western civilization. This paper will comment on the complex interplay between three temporalities which informed Gaudry’s work on the mammalian fossils of Attica: (1) the reconstructed paleontological past, (2) the idealized Ancient Greece, and (3) the present geopolitical context.

CONTRIBUTION OF WESTERN SCIENTISTS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICS

This paper explores the significant contributions of Western scientists to the development of mathematics from ancient Greece to the modern era. Key figures such as Euclid, Archimedes, Newton, and Gauss are examined for their groundbreaking work in geometry, calculus, and number theory. The study highlights the interdisciplinary impact of these contributions, illustrating how mathematical innovations shaped fields like physics, engineering, and computer science. Additionally, it emphasizes the cultural and historical contexts that facilitated mathematical advancements, showcasing the dynamic evolution of mathematical thought and its lasting legacy in contemporary society.

An Analysis on the Historical Transformation and Consequences of the Relationship Between Theoria and Techne

The subject of this study is the historical transformation of the relationship between the concepts of theory/theoria and techne/techne-logie. Methodologically, the meanings of theoria and techne in ancient Greece are taken as reference. Then, it is explained how this relationship, in which theoria is in a privileged position, has changed with the modern period and where the process has evolved. The aim of the study is to explain the risks of techne, whose relationship with theoria has been severed. Theoria is the activity of thinking about and questioning something. Since it was an end in itself, it was considered a divine activity in ancient times. Techne, on the other hand, was the knowledge of making and doing something. The knowledge of the craftsman was such a knowledge and it was instrumental. With the modern period, the transformative effect of technological developments on nature and society ensured that it was perceived in an impartial, irreversible and positive way. Despite the destructive effects it caused, technology became a commodity and a goal. Considering that today, technology has exceeded the dimension of digitalization and we have entered the era of intelligent robots, albeit artificial, it is a necessity to re-establish the connection between techne-logie and theoria.

Castoriadis in Search of Origins: Exploring Archaic Greece

Abstract The essay discusses the English translation of the first volume of Castoriadis´s seminars on Ancient Greece; its main focus is on the question of a primordial Greek grasp of the world, expressed in the metaphors of chaos, abyss and meaningless disorder, and on the religious imaginary that developed around this core. Arguments for and against a religious revolution in Homeric Greece are considered. A concluding section deals with the philosophical transformation of mythological themes.

Obraz życia kobiet na podstawie "Lizystraty" oraz "Sejmu kobiet" Arystofanesa

It is common knowledge that in ancient times women did not have many rights that were assigned only to men, such as the right to education, owning their own property or freely choosing a partner. The aim of the article is to present the image of the life of women in ancient Greece, with particular emphasis on the citizens of Athens during the Peloponnesian War and after its end, based on two comedies by Aristophanes: Lysistrata and Assemblywomen. By highlighting some stereotypes regarding women, the comedy writer draws attention to the chaos that prevails in political matters for which men are responsible. Women make a kind of transition from the zone of oikos intended for them to the zone of polis, becoming the main characters of comedy.

The Importance of Olives and Their Oil in Ancient Egyptian and Greek Civilizations

Olives have been of great importance in ancient civilizations, since the beginning of life, scientists have different opinions on the origin of this tree, some Palestine and Syria, some Greeks and some Cyprus and the Aegean Sea region In the sources and languages of the world, the name is mentioned in different ways, because Movi was not very experienced at that time, he initially regarded it as an ordinary tree and treated its branches and fruits In many religions and throughout different times, its oil has been the purest and best way to show their relationship with God, so in the time of kings and princes Prominent figures, aristocrats, heroes, athletes and clerics, East and West, used perfumed oil to show their holiness and high social status. It was one of the pillars of Egyptian and Greek civilization, especially in ancient Greece It was a food that they called liquid gold, but because of its effects on religious thought and thought after death, the title of the study (The importance of olives and their oil in ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations), which consists of three main topics. The first topic: The name of the olive, its history of development, its distribution areas and its causes and motives. The second topic : its religious position in both civilizations. The third topic: the importance of the use of olives and their oil in different fields of both civilizations

Sejarah Perkembangan Filsafat dan Sains pada Zaman Yunani

Ancient Greece was an important milestone in the history of the development of philosophy and science. This article will summarize the historical development of these two fields in Greece. In the 6th to 4th centuries BC, an intellectual culture grew in Greece known as the Classical Age. This research uses a library approach (library research). According to Mushtofa et al. (2020) bibliography research is research carried out in order to obtain information data obtained from various written sources. This research shows that the development of science in Ancient Greece and beyond was driven by the spirit of understanding the philosophy of humanism. The philosophy of humanism teaches that humans have the ability to regulate themselves and the universe around them. This belief has been present since ancient Greece and has been one of the main factors in the evolution of human thinking about nature.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IDEAS OF ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION OF F.U.PARKER IN THE MODERN AMERICAN SCHOOL

The article` purpose is to reveal the peculiarities of using F.U.Parker` ideas of alternative education in a modern American school. Research methods: theoretical ‒ study of scientific literature, analysis, systematization, comparison, concretization, information generalization. Alternative education differs significantly from traditional education in its content, forms and methods of educational process organizing. It gives greater freedom to teachers and students, takes into account the individual characteristics and capabilities of children as much as possible. The article emphasizes that the ideas of alternative education emerged a long time ago. They can be found in the works of famous scientists of Ancient Greece (Anaximenes, Heraclitus, Democritus, etc.), the Renaissance (T.More, F.Rabelais), in the period of the New Age (XII-XIX centuries) (Y.Komensky, D. Locke, D.Diderot), the modern era of the second half of the 19th century (I.Hegel, H.Spencer, R.Steiner), "postmodernism" (R.Usher, K.Torres, M.Rosenau). The scientists` works expressed the ideas of humanism, freedom, equality, justice, the uniqueness of each individual and the need to ensure an individual approach to children. Alternative education is developed in the USA, whith numerous educational programs and schools that differ significantly from traditional ones. The activities of J.Dewey, F.Parker, J.Counts, W.Kilpatrick, H.Rugg, K.Washburn and others became a prerequisite for the development and establishment of alternative education in the USA. The pedagogical legacy of F.W.Parker deserves special attention, who, having started the fight against formalism in education, set before the school the task of harmonizing the content of educational subjects with their vital importance for students. It was found that today in the USA there are schools that actively implement the ideas of alternative education of F.U.Parker (the connection of learning with life, the development of children's creative thinking, interdisciplinarity, classes of different ages, etc.).

Lightning and thunder explanations in encyclopedias – from ancient Greece to Wikipedia

Abstract. After a brief introduction to encyclopedias, the explanation of lightning and thunder in well-known encyclopedias, from the works of Greek philosophers to encyclopedias of modern physics, is examined. Starting with Aristotle (who is not regarded as an encyclopedist but is very important for our topic), 10 out of more than 200 known encyclopedias are treated in some detail. This selection is certainly somewhat arbitrary, but it an attempt was made to choose encyclopedias which are highlights and which were widely circulated at their time. In antiquity and during the Middle Ages, the explanations of thunderstorms were generally quite different from the modern view, explaining, for instance, lightning as a consequence of thunder. Besides this, strange effects of lightning were often reported. Many authors of those times used the explanations of former encyclopedias, sometimes referring to earlier authors, often just plagiarizing. These ideas, unorthodox by our present understanding, persisted for almost 2 millennia in encyclopedias. From the middle of the 18th century onward, physical explanations began to emerge; these are still valid today. More and more correct details regarding lightning and thunder and the results of experiments have been reported in encyclopedias. It is also attempted in this paper to name the insights of other scientists which the authors of contemporary encyclopedias do not mention but which should have been available at the time. Finally, it is stated that, even today, several details regarding thunderstorms are not well understood.

Where did the herds go? Combining zooarchaeological and isotopic data to examine animal management in ancient Thessaly (Greece).

Historians and archaeologists have been debating the scale of animal husbandry in ancient Greece for decades. This study contributes to the debate by examining Classical and Hellenistic faunal assemblages from Magoula Plataniotki, New Halos, and Pherae through non-destructive zooarchaeological methods and a multi-isotopic (87Sr/86Sr, δ13C, and δ18O) approach. Zooarchaeological data suggest that small-scale sedentary animal husbandry focused on caprine production in Magoula Plataniotiki and New Halos, and small-scale and semi-specialised animal husbandry was practised in Pherae. Isotopic data show both sedentary and mobile management of livestock in all sites, indicating different levels of production intensity and variety of goals. Based on our results, we propose an economic model whereby semi-specialised and small-scale animal husbandry co-existed, confirming mixed husbandry models for ancient Greece.

THE BIBLICAL MILIEU AND THE SHAPING OF THE DEMOCRATIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF WESTERN CULTURE

This paper will examine the relationship between religion and democracy in the traditions of the Old Testament. Historically, scholars have argued that „democratic” thinking appeared after 800 B.C.E., in the Greek colonies of Asia Minor and also within the semi-independent cities of the Greek league. Scholars have argued that the fragmented geographical environment of ancient Greece seems to have shaped the independent mindset of its inhabitants. It has been shown that the geographical separation from mother Greece and the economic prosperity that merchants brought to the colonies influenced the attitude of their inhabitants toward philosophy and politics. Our study will focus mainly on the religion, culture and history of the Hebrew nation, as it is depicted in the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Bible. Our purpose is to show that the unique religious vision of the ancient Hebrews had a significant impact upon the development of the „democratic” consciousness of what later became the civilization of the Western world. To achieve this goal we will trace and analyze the role that biblical religion played as a catalyst in the movement for improving the rights of the disposed and the socially marginal classes of ancient Israel. We will argue that biblical religion shaped the attitude of the worshippers toward authority (political or ecclesial) in such a way that tyranny – though present at all stages of history– was always sanctioned. In the later part of the study we’ll show how this ideology impacted the thinking of Christian authors who had a crucial role in shaping the foundations of Democratic thinking.

The Iroquois Confederacy and the Possibility of Heteronomous Democracy

Abstract Cornelius Castoriadis (1922–1997) argues that the project of autonomy appears in only two societies throughout human history: ancient Greece and Western Europe. Is this true? The present study examines the case of the Iroquois Confederacy with the intention of testing Castoriadis’s argument. Using the debate between Castoriadis and the members of mauss as its starting point, it interprets historic Iroquois institutions with reference to what Castoriadis presents as the two inextricably linked conditions of an autonomous society: democracy and philosophy. Ultimately, the essay contends that while Castoriadis justifiably interprets the Iroquois Confederacy as heteronomous, the confederacy’s democratic institutions compel us to doubt the necessary connection he posits between democracy and philosophy. Iroquois society created a heteronomous democracy, a type of polity that Castoriadis’s theory of autonomy occludes.

The Blood Culture of the Ga-Dangbe Tribe of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

The study enquired about extra but relevant information about blood culture of the Ga-Dangbe tribe of the Greater Accra-Region of Ghana .The cultural practices involving the innovation and application of certain type of blood from specific animals for certain rituals. The performance and purpose remain mysterious and confidential with less information and any social economic consequence of the practice. The research team selected this topic to unearth the mystery and the conceptual framework of the research topic as well as any relevant information to the academic fraternity .To accomplish this expectations the research team reviewed a number of literature on blood culture from the ancient Greece ,Crete,Egypt,Israel and certain tribes in Africa and in Ghana .Most importantly about cultural practice of the Ga –Dangbe. As a fundamental issue, the team used much of exploratory and qualitative research methods. They also participated, granted interviews to mostly traditionalist and knowledge persons involved in traditional practices in Ghana. The team organized research objectives on the subjects relating to blood cultural practices of the Ga-Dangbe tribe ;to identify the source of the blood ;to investigate of any economic and entertaining actions accompanying the practice. The team found out that blood was used by the Ga-Dangbe people for mainly cultural activities in nature from birth to death of certain specific persons and for certain specific cultural practices .The animals used for such practices were goat, sheep, cow and crow .It must be emphasized that no human sacrifice(human blood) was mentioned or uncovered during the research work .Meanwhile, blood was poured out onto a child of royal birth, spiritualist in the cleansing stage ,for atonement etc. More so, it was used for spiritual cleansing ,healing process, achievement in any competition and in dispelling evil spirits. It was recommended that further research be conducted for further revelation of unknown practices which this research team could not capture on the concept of blood culture of the Ga-Dangbe traditional practices.

De Sepulchrorum Titulis

The present paper aims to comment on the perspective presented by the Italian humanist Leon Battista Alberti regarding epigram, inscription, and epitaph in Chapter IV of Book VIII of the architectural treatise De Re Ædificatoria. This study begins with Alberti’s viewpoint, surveying, through intertextuality, the potential sources, and epigrammatic traditions with which the author engages in this passage, providing a concise overview of the genre’s history, tracing its earliest origins from ancient Greece, its practice in Rome, and its revival by Renaissance humanists. This historical context will facilitate a more precise examination of whether Alberti incorporates elements from a singular tradition or draws from multiple ones. Finally, we will seek to gather here both what Alberti as well as the modern literary criticism, although lacking an explicit definition, understand by epitaph.

Mourning Becomes Electra: Aile Sistemlerinde Sistemik Dolaşıklık Olgusu

The present article aims to discuss the phenomenon of systemic entanglement in the Mannon family in Eugene O’Neill's famous trilogy, Mourning Becomes Electra. It also argues that this trilogy can be read as a pioneering work for the recently popularized theory of “family constellations” by Bert Hellinger, a German psychologist. According to this theory, some unresolved conflicts or events in the past may cause some unconscious entanglements to move in loops and induce intergenerational suffering. In other words, it argues that ancestral curses and/or sins can be inheritable. If not resolved, they can inflict similar sufferings on the lives of the future members of the family. This theory has been snubbed and labelled as pseudoscientific by the rationalist science. However, having little or no definitive explanation on rational scientific grounds does not mean we can breeze past a perennial phenomenon that manifests in different contexts from Ancient Greece to today’s world. O’Neill takes off from this phenomenon in Mourning Becomes Electra, a re-interpretation of Aeschylus’s Oresteia, considering the dynamics of his contemporary America. He argues whether systemic entanglement in unhealthy family systems may inflict repetitive suffering on future generations. This trilogy may be read with an exploratory eye to lift the veil on this mystical functioning of systemic entanglement in the family context.

Philosophy of music in the context of mathematics

In the philosophy of mathematics, two opposing trends have historically developed: apriorism (Pythagoras) and empiricism (Aristotle) and both of them have had their impact on the development of music. Philosophers of Ancient Greece and the East noted the important role of music; it was used in religious rites, which served as the basis for social and state relations. The article presents a joint panorama of the development (by historical eras) of the philosophy of mathematics and music and notes their close relationship. But if the Philosophy of Mathematics has long been included in the section of sciences «Philosophical Questions of Science», the Philosophy of Music has not yet acquired such a full-fledged status, although philosophers, specialists in aesthetics, art criticism, composers and musicians have dedicated their works to it. This can be attributed to the fact that since the time of Pythagoras, science has not advanced much in explaining the phenomenon of music. The article attempts to explain this paradox and offer as a hypothesis possible options for studying this topic «Mathematics and Music». The development of brain sciences, high technologies and cognitive sciences can contribute to the success in the development of the Philosophy of Music. The philosophy of music explores ontological, epistemological and axiological problems, the essence, historical and social existence of music, as well as the features of its interaction with art, literature, mathematics, natural and humanitarian sciences. Applied issues of the philosophy of music are the formation of ethical and cognitive guidelines for life and ideological ideals in humans. Music finds its practical embodiment in medicine, psychology, education and various means of communication. The latter is becoming the most important direction of modern philosophy and science. At present, mathematics contributes to the development of new integral directions in music associated with light, color and many other characteristics.

From ''Dependent Translation" to "Creative Translation'' by Taha Abdurrahman

This paper undertakes a critical and analytical examination of the transformative dimensions of translation as conceptualized by the Moroccan philosopher Taha Abdurrahman. Central to Abdurrahman’s intellectual project is the call to transcend the pervasive Eurocentrism that characterizes contemporary translation theories. Abdurrahman offers a nuanced critique of the translation methodologies employed during the Abbasid period, particularly the uncontextualized appropriation of Greek philosophy. He contends that this approach led to the marginalization of Islamic philosophy, reducing it to a mode of mere transmission and dependency, initially on ancient Greece and subsequently on the modern West. To address these historical inadequacies, Abdurrahman advocates for an innovative translation strategy termed taʾṣīliyya, which translates literally to “authenticating.” This strategy emphasizes a transformative process whereby the source text is integrated into the receiving culture, aligning with its specific epistemic and cultural needs, irrespective of the original context. Abdurrahman posits that this method is essential for fostering an autonomous Arab/Islamic philosophical tradition, one that is not subsumed under external theoretical paradigms, even if this necessitates deviating from conventional criteria of accuracy and faithfulness. This paper critically engages with the theoretical foundations and proposes practical applications of Abdurrahman’s translation paradigm. It situates his framework within the broader historical trajectory of translation in the Arabic intellectual tradition and contemporary translation studies. Furthermore, it interrogates the theoretical and methodological ramifications of eschewing conventional norms of fidelity and accuracy, notwithstanding their entrenched and restrictive nature.

The Changing Nature of Reading an Overview from Ancient Greece to the Technological Era

The Changing Nature of Reading an Overview from Ancient Greece to the Technological Era

The Origin of the Library in Ancient Greece and Rome (Revising Traditional Views)

The Origin of the Library in Ancient Greece and Rome (Revising Traditional Views)

Phenomenal Eros: For a History of Sensuality

Forty years of scholarship in the history of sexuality and gender studies have delivered a considerable amount of knowledge, framed by an encompassing premise: power is paramount. A preferred object of this kind of attention are the erotic cultures of ancient Greece and Rome. The focus on power leads contemporary scholars to adopt binary thinking, namely the attribution to ancient writers and thinkers of dichotomies such as domination versus subjection, or activity versus passivity. This is a fixist view that obliterates the dialectic of desire and, therefore, its fundamental mobility. Desire aims at the other person’s desire; roles are exchanged; age and social status can play in surprising ways; hyperactivity can become subjugation. It is time for a change. It is time to look at what mattered for the Ancients themselves: the subjective experience of sensations, bodies and situations; the felicitous, ironic, or tragic reversals of intersubjective games. More importantly: the quest for pleasure, rather than the use of pleasures. The Greeks thought the sexual experience as sensuality. And sensuality inflects what they thought about gender. In poetry, narrations and philosophy, concrete details draw our attention to the felt phenomena of lived bodies – in the plural. When we look for the logic of gender, we discover that bodies can be compared, not as totalities, but as bundles of multiple discreet qualities, ready to be combined and recombined, allotted and exchanged. Qualities can be bits and pieces of anatomy, manners and garments; but also fragments of experience, moments of sensory awareness. The logic of the concrete meets the phenomenal body. For the body is a challenge, to be taken up – as a cinematic life, frame after frame. Sensations can be shared across the boundaries of female and male, which are adjectives, not substances. A granular, corpuscular, pointilliste redistribution of traits, distinctive – or not. Sensuality is queer. Like Plato’s pharmacy, erotic materialism can deliver us, beautifully, cathartically, refreshingly from the modern strictures of binary thinking. This is what the Greeks have to tell us. Let us listen!