Documentary / each ca. 50 minutes
Another great historical documentary by Bettany Hughes. I think this should be mandatory in each school in democratic countries to serve as education and a warning to all future generations.
Documentary / each ca. 50 minutes
Another great historical documentary by Bettany Hughes. I think this should be mandatory in each school in democratic countries to serve as education and a warning to all future generations.
Got some spare time? Like history? You already know everything about Spartan culture? Nope? Then watch this great documentary.
Documentary / three episodes each about 55 minutes
Ms Hughes has done a great job writing and presenting these insights into one of the most influential cultures of European history.
More? Bettany Hughes @ Wikipedia and the Sparta @ Wikipedia
Socrates death was a tragic loss for Athenian culture - and still stands as a grave warning to all Democracies around the world: don’t kill your intellectuals, just because you don’t understand or appreciate them telling you the truth.
|
1. Click player below to start the music. 2. Click the image above to dive into the art. 3. Study for four minutes this great piece of art. |
Athens just started it’s decline - it had lost the Peloponnesian War against Sparta. Socrates himself had fought for Athens and was a loyal patriot. But he also challenged the status quo of it’s society and wanted more progress. His ’smartass’ questions made the citizens of Athens more and more uneasy.
Plus Socrates had a large following of younger man and often met with them in more or less secret places to discuss their ideas. It didn’t help that some of Socrates biggest followers Alcibiades had betrayed Athens during the war with Sparta. So it was suggested that Socrates was corrupting Athens’ youth and he should therefore be punished. And Socrates challenged the religious believes of his times.
His trial was a huge event - he was judged by 500 of his fellow citizens. Socrates stuck to the truth, even mocked the jury and all the accusations instead of playing ‘nice’ and begging for mercy. He was found guilty 280 to 220. But he was still defiant. When his punishment was discussed he himself suggested being threat like an Olympic winner and given free meals (which was a great insult). So his death sentence had an even greater majority 360 to 140.
His execution was a sad affair - he refused to flee the city or take any chance to redeem himself.
We have seen the prosecution of smart wise man again and again in all cultures by kings, priests and mobs alike. Democracy is not a protection against acts of stupidity and uneducated destruction of brain power.
The curse of any great thinker will always be that his fellow citizens will be far behind him. The great publicity and admiration people like Einstein, Freud or Oppenheimer in their days was and is very unusual. Today’s bighead like Noam Chomsky and Richard Dawkins face very hostile opposition and ignorance. Once again the citizens of democratic states don’t like to be asked simple questions or have their religion challenged by ‘thinkers’ …
More? Jacques-Louis David @ Wikipedia and Socrates @ Wikipedia
From Wikipedia:
Ikaria, also spelled Icaria, locally Nikaria or Nicaria , is a Greek island 10 nautical miles (19 km) south-west of Samos. It derived its name from Ikarus, the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology, who fell into the sea nearby.
It is one of the middle islands of the notherner Aegean, 660 km² (255 mi²) in area with 102 miles (160 km) in coastline and a population of about 7,000 inhabitants. The topography is a contrast between verdant slopes and barren steep rocks. The island is mountainous for the most part. It is traversed by Aetheras range, whose highest summit is 1,040 metres. Most of its villages are nestled in the plains near the coast, with only some of them on the mountains. Ikaria has a tradition in the production of strong red wine. Many parts of the island are covered by large bushes, especially ravines, making the landscape lush with green. There are no rare species of fauna on the island. Besides pets, only small goat herds make their presence known, disturbing the serenity of the island with their bells. Ikaria’s climate is considered mild.
Ikaria has been inhabited since at least 7000 B.C. when it was inhabited by the Neolithic pre-hellenic people that Greeks called Pelasgians. Around 750 B.C. Greeks from Miletus colonized Ikaria establishing a settlement in the area of present day Campos, which they called Oenoe for its wine. In the sixth century B.C. Ikaria was absorbed by Samos and became part of Polycrates’ sea empire. At this time the temple of Artemis at Nas, on the northeast corner of the island was built. Nas was a sacred spot to the pre-Greek inhabitants of the Aegean, and an important port of the island in antiquity, the last stop before testing the dangerous seas around Ikaria. It was an appropriate place for sailors to make sacrifices to Artemis, who among other functions, was a patron of seafarers. The temple stood in good repair until the middle of the 19th century when it was pillaged by the villagers of Christos, Raches for marble for their local church. In 1939 it was excavated by the Greek archeologist Leon Politis. During the German and Italian occupation of Ikaria in the Second World War many of the artifacts unearthed by Politis disappeared. Local custom has it that there are still marble statues embedded in the sand off the coast.
Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"
Until the late 12th century almost any cultural life or innovation had died in Europe. Christian mysticism and symbolism had completely taken over all the great minds. Thanks to the Arabs and many wars we started to exchange ideas again and rediscover lost authors and wisdom of Greek and Roman origin.
Not only animals, but also culture, art and science can be completely eradicated. Beware of religious fundamentalism, it won’t tolerate any knowledge beside itself and keep it’s followers dumb.
