Notes on Greece

I. The Athenians surrounded themselves with beauty. They decorated their structures with their finest work of art, especially sculpture. The Acropolis, the location of the original polis, provided the backdrop for special artistic creations. The Parthenon is considered the finest example of Greek architecture. The structure represents a Greek idea known as the Golden Mean- a midpoint between two extremes- Nothing in excess and everything in proportion. The Parthenon had doors but no windows, the best preserved Greek painting are those found on vases. These artists delighted in showing the graceful and Natural movement of their subjects. Other Greek painters decorated public building with murals or wall painting.
II. Greek culture reached new heights during the 400’s b.c., a period so magnificent we call it Bolden Age. In the 300’s b.c. an outside power, Macedonia conquered the Greek city state, Alexander the Great established a vast empire. By creating a much bigge...