PHIL 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Fifth-Century Athens, Athenian Festivals, Athenian Democracy

• School: York University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHIL 1100
• Professor: Henry Jackman

Document Summary

Historical background to reading plato"s apology & crito: The apology is a rough restatement of socrates" own defense speech against charges of impiety, The crito is a dramatization of his decision not to escape from athens the day before his execution. >both dialogs are dramatizations of real events that took place in ancient athens. The apology is set in ancient athens around 399 bce (actually written a few years later). 593 bce: solon"s reforms in athens: democracy introduced to athenian city-state. (greek cities were often politically independent, so a city like athens was an autonomous entity. 490-479: bce persian wars: athens & other greek city-states fend off persian invasion & 479-404: bce golden age of athens: most of what is studied as "classical greek culture" was tied to this 75 year period in athenian history. >it was during this time that the most famous 3 dramatists of the ancient world (aeschelus,