Ancient Greek Values

1.)  What values were most important to the early Greeks and why were they considered so important?
         Based on what we have learned from listening to excerpts from the Odyssey, I would assume that ingenuity, loyalty, and athleticism were the top three most important values to the early Greeks. 

Odysseus Outsmarts the Cyclops and Blinds Him

          At least 3/4 of the stories show ingenuity.  Odysseus uses his wits to outsmart the cyclops, the sirens, and all the other obstacles in his path.  Penelope, Odysseus's wife, uses here ingenuity to stall against marrying one of her suitors.  In other Greek myths, there are many more examples of cleverness being a major value.  For example, there is one architect, Daedalus, who turns up several times.  He makes the labyrinth in which the Minotaur is kept, and when the king who hired him to create the maze imprisons him, he escapes by making wings out of bird feathers.  Another example of ancient Greek heroes being clever is when Hercules needs to pick a golden apple from Hera's garden of Hesperides.  Atlas tricks Hercules into holding up the world on his shoulders forever and almost leaves the hero there, but Hercules tricks the titan into taking the world back again.

Penelope Tricks her Suitors about her Weaving

          The second value that I think was pretty important to the ancient Greeks was loyalty.  All over tales from the Odyssey, loyalty is demonstrated.  Penelope stays loyal to her husband while being pressured into marrying a suitor; Odysseus is loyal to one of his men who died and travels back to give the man a proper burial, etc.  Everyone is loyal to people they love.  I think that the ancient Greeks valued loyalty because it is so honorable and the "right" thing to be.  How can anyone like a hero who doesn't stay loyal to his wife?  How can anyone respect a hero who isn't loyal to his allies?  Like today, the ancient Greeks probably believed that being disloyal was despicable. 
          Lastly, the ancient Greek people believed that athleticism was a quality to be admired.  Examples in the Odyssey are when Penelope says that she will only marry the man who can string and shoot from Odysseus's bow, and when Odysseus kills all of Penelope's suitors.  Odysseus is part-god, so he is extra-strong (another example of the Greeks valuing physical strength and fitness).  Because he is so strong, no one else can use his bow.  This proves that none of the other men are worthy to marry Penelope.  This idea that the strongest man gets the woman also emphasizes how highly thought of athleticism was by the Greeks.  Also, Odysseus ends up using his awesome strength and skill to kill all of Penelope's suitors.  This also demonstrates the hero of the story being strong and fit. 
          Of course, there are many more Greek values that are demonstrated in the Odyssey.  Loyalty, ingenuity, and athleticism just popped out at me the most. 

2.)  In what ways are the early Greek values found in modern society? 
          There are many, many examples of where early Greek values can be found in modern society.  All three values I mentioned above are still valued today. 

Ancient Greek Olympics

          It is very obvious that people still value athleticism.  The winter and summer Olympics (which were invented in ancient Greece) still go on every two years.  The point of the Olympics is for different countries to compete in athletic events.  The strongest, fastest, and most skilled competitors are honored with medals and trophies.  The Wimbledon cup for tennis, the men and women's World Cup for soccer, the NBA...all of these are more examples of us valuing good athletes.  Even at school, sports teams exist.  The  best players get picked for A team, and the rest for the B and C teams.  Everyone strives to reach the A team.  Everyone wants to be a good athlete. 
          Modern-day humans still value ingenuity as well.  There are National Spelling Bees in the US, there are book competitions, there is jeopardy, there is Math Counts - there are so many competitions out there for people with brains.  Awards are given to the students in school with top grades.  The Valedictorian of each senior year is honored.  Even grading systems show that we still care about being smart.  In visual arts, people are complimented on how creative, how ingenious their work is.  In performing arts, you are admired if you can use your ingenuity to improvise, or to make a script come alive.  People still value cleverness.
          Lastly, loyalty is still valued.  You are shunned if you cheat on your wife, husband, girlfriend, or boyfriend.  You won't have any friends unless you stay loyal to the ones you have.  Most people are patriotic, which means that they are loyal to their country.  Everyone values loyalty, too. 


          So as you can see, the ancient Greek values that were valued thousands of years ago are still valued today.  Their legacy still remains with us in modern times.  We believe what they believe.  Their beliefs have lasted through the ages.  The ancient Greeks were more similar to us than we think. 

The Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations

1.)  Briefly describe both civilizations:
     a.) Minoan

Minoan Art

          The Minoans were a very peaceful group of people.  They worshiped a mother goddess who protected animals, fish, and plants, and they conducted their religious rituals outside and in caves.  The Minoans had portable bathtubs, flushing toilets, and an advanced underground drainage system.  They did not make weapons with their metal, and instead focused on creating jewelry and tools.  Another example of how peace-loving the Minoans were is that they had no locks our walls around their castles.  Someone could easily just walk in and murder the whole royal family.  The Minoans also had beautiful paintings and painted on their palace walls and their pottery. This civilization had a type of writing called Linear A, but it has not yet been translated. 
      b.) Mycenaean
             In contrast to the Minoans, the Mycenaean civilization was much more war-like.  They worshiped the same mother goddess, but not only did she protect animals - she protected human warriors, too.  The Mycenaeans used their metals to produce weapons and armour, and their palaces were used as military bases and centers of defense.  Like the Minoans, the Mycenaeans also had an advanced pipe system, but they did not develop flushable toilets, and their bathtubs were attached to the walls and the ground.  The Mycenaean civilization also painted their pottery, but they did not have as many colors as the Minoans.  They had a type of writing called Linear B, which has been translated.

Mycenaean Pottery

2.)  What aspects of both civilizations would you expect to survive in later periods of Greek history?

          I would expect that the drainage systems and the art of both civilizations would survive in later periods of Greek history.  Both civilizations, especially the Minoans, had such good pipes that I believe it would have been a big mistake of other groups of people not to copy them.  Also, I believe that art lasts for long periods of time because everyone admires it, and that civilizations coming after the Minoans and Mycenaeans might replicate their styles in their own art.