PHILIP OF MACEDON, OLYMPIAS, CHAERONEA, ALEXANDER THE GREAT,
BUCEPHALUS, GRANICUS, (ISSUS), (GAUGAMELA), TYRE, (ROXANNE),
(OECUMENE), HELLENISTIC AGE, KOINE, (EUCLID), (ARCHIMEDES)
PART II—ESSAYS
1. The story of Athens in the 5th century BC (especially from
the end of the Persian war in 479 BC until the end of the
Peloponnesian War in 404 BC) has both tragic elements and the
elements of a real tragedy. Comment.
2. If Herodotus is properly considered the father of history,
to Thucydides should possibly go an equally distinguished title:
either the "father of political science" or "the father of
scientific history." He is certainly a great historian, a
great literary artist, and a great master of presenting history as
"political science teaching by examples." Comment.
3. While the Greeks made contributions in many areas (e.g., the
visual arts), the development of philosophy was perhaps their most
important contribution to subsequent civilization. Comment.
4. For all their supposed love of freedom, the Greeks in the period
following the Peloponnesian war did not behave in a manner at all
appropriate to free men, and it is not surprising that the Greeks
soon lost their freedom. Comment.
5. Philip of Macedon and his son Alexander both in some ways deserve
the title "the great," if we understand “great” as meaning simply
important. But were either of them “great” in any other
sense? Perhaps—or perhaps not. Comment.