The Ultimate Foundation of Western Literature: Homer (whom we know little about) composed these timeless stories, which had been shaped over centuries by a culture of bards entertaining crowds with storytelling.
The Iliad is the first great war narrative I find it more poetic line to line than Odyssey
The Odyssey is the first great Adventure Narrative I find the plot more interesting than the Iliad
Playwrights took the stories of Homer + Others and turned them into some of the most disturbing theater ever produced, performing at Yearly Dionysian festivals.
Aeschylus first mastered Tragedy, taking an incredibly grave tone revolving around themes of Fate and Justice.
Prefers long poetic vibey speeches to plot.
Sophocles perfected the form, most notably with Oedipus Rex, focusing more heavily on plot and how human decision fits in with Fate.
Euripides focused heavily on psychology, and specifically, CRAZY Ladies
Ancient Greece invented the genre of History
Herodotus Was Quite loose with the facts and accepted unresearched hearsay as evidence, but allowed for some funny beliefs (about Egypt in Particular)
Thucydides took a more evidence based approach, chronicling the legendary war between Athens + Sparta
The Greek philosophy scene led by Socrates emphasized questioning everything in an everlasting pursuit of truth and goodness.
Plato used Socrates as his main character in virtually all his writing, arguing his points through the character of Socrates.
Plato tends to be more idealistic, elitist, top-down, and otherworldly. Likely the most influential philosopher of all time.
His student, Aristotle, was scientific, down-to-earth and stressed moderation in all things.
Aristophanes watched the tragedians, philosophers, and recent historical events, and laughing the entire time, wrote plays mocking culture, Socrates and war.
The closest modern equivalent would have to be South Park episodes: lewd and heavily satirical.
Nearly every western literary tradition is directly indebted to the Ancient Greek.
Most directly, the Romans took nearly all of their ideas from Greece, including the exact same mythological framework.
The Ultimate Foundation of Western Literature: Homer (whom we know little about) composed these timeless stories, which had been shaped over centuries by a culture of bards entertaining crowds with storytelling.
The Iliad is the first great war narrative I find it more poetic line to line than Odyssey
The Odyssey is the first great Adventure Narrative I find the plot more interesting than the Iliad
Playwrights took the stories of Homer + Others and turned them into some of the most disturbing theater ever produced, performing at Yearly Dionysian festivals.
Aeschylus first mastered Tragedy, taking an incredibly grave tone revolving around themes of Fate and Justice.
Prefers long poetic vibey speeches to plot.
Sophocles perfected the form, most notably with Oedipus Rex, focusing more heavily on plot and how human decision fits in with Fate.
Euripides focused heavily on psychology, and specifically, CRAZY Ladies
Ancient Greece invented the genre of History
Herodotus Was Quite loose with the facts and accepted unresearched hearsay as evidence, but allowed for some funny beliefs (about Egypt in Particular)
Thucydides took a more evidence based approach, chronicling the legendary war between Athens + Sparta
The Greek philosophy scene led by Socrates emphasized questioning everything in an everlasting pursuit of truth and goodness.
Plato used Socrates as his main character in virtually all his writing, arguing his points through the character of Socrates.
Plato tends to be more idealistic, elitist, top-down, and otherworldly. Likely the most influential philosopher of all time.
His student, Aristotle, was scientific, down-to-earth and stressed moderation in all things.
Aristophanes watched the tragedians, philosophers, and recent historical events, and laughing the entire time, wrote plays mocking culture, Socrates and war.
The closest modern equivalent would have to be South Park episodes: lewd and heavily satirical.
Nearly every western literary tradition is directly indebted to the Ancient Greek.
Most directly, the Romans took nearly all of their ideas from Greece, including the exact same mythological framework.