Primary Sources for Western Civilization

Running Head: THE GREEK GOLDEN AGE 1

Primary Sources:

The Greek Golden Age

History 101

By:

February 12, 2022

Introduction

The Greek Golden Age, also referred to as the Classical Period, was evident between the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. (Hunt et al., 2019). It was an era signified by the defeat of the tyranny in Athens, Peisistratus, who died in 528 B.C. His death ended an oppressive age, but it took until 510 B.C. for Greek civilization to settle and thrive again. Then came Alexander the Great's reign, a period of unparalleled expansion for the Greek people. Alexander's death in 323 B.C. marked the end of the Golden Age (Hunt et al., 2019). Both cites, Athens and Sparta were the two most important city-states in Ancient Greece during this period. These two city-states had opposing philosophies and were often at odds. However, both were victorious. They helped stop the Persian Empire from capturing Greece (Hunt et al., 2019). In 490 B.C., Athens defeated a large Persian force utilizing the infantry battle method during the First Persian Incursion.

Thesis

The Greek Golden age exhibited a unique society through advancement in technology, architecture, art, theater, and culture to develop new ideas in education and philosophy. However, the numerous changes did not come easy as there were frequent tensions within Athens, Sparta, and other Greek states.

Bibliography

Hunt, L., Martin, T., Rosenwein, B., & Smith, B. (2019). Chapter 3 -The Greek Golden Age 500-400 B.C.E. In Hunt, Martin, Rosenwein & Smith, The Making of the West, Volume 1: To 1750: Peoples and Cultures (6th ed.). Retrieved 13 February 2022, from.

Pritchard, D. (2015). Democracy and war in ancient Athens and today. Greece And Rome, 62(2), 140-154. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0017383515000029

Tridimas, G. (2018). The failure of ancient Greek growth: institutions, culture, and energy cost. Journal Of Institutional Economics, 15(2), 327-350. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1744137418000188

Instructor Notes

Some of the ideas are good-- and you mention primary sources in the paper's title, which is good, but make it clearer in the introduction (or at least part of it) and/or thesis especially that the paper's main purpose is an analysis of primary sources; see below and you can resubmit:

Some of the ideas are good, but remember that the paper is supposed to be an analysis of primary sources so you must keep the focus on an analysis of the primary document(s) that come from the Sources book or other primary sources you can find online and use historical narrative (key events and ideas etc.) for context (this comes from your textbook, The Making of the West, or any standard textbook)--be sure to use and cite sources. It is fine to discuss the Greek golden age, but I am not sure what primary sources you will be analyzing, and you need a list of primary sources (as well as secondary sources) that you will be using in a properly cited format (create a bibliography). The paper is not about events, but an analysis of primary documents. You are analyzing the primary sources revealing what they tell us about the people and the times during which they were written. Compare and contrast the primary sources (dealing with the Greek golden age) and see what they tell us about the society, people, and times—follow the syllabus and Source guidelines. In addition, the paper’s title should reflect the paper’s purpose—an analysis of primary sources and you need a brief description of a potential thesis based on the primary sources you will analyze (see syllabus). The title page is good but make sure the paper’s title reflects the paper’s purpose (an analysis of primary sources—so the title might be something like “An analysis of Hammurabi’s Code and other ancient law codes” or “What primary sources tell us about the Renaissance” or “An analysis of Persian War primary sources” or “What primary sources tell us about ancient Greek athletics” etc… ). The title should reflect the paper’s purpose—an analysis of primary sources. You should also have a brief introduction with a few key ideas and arguments and potential thesis you'll have based on an analysis of selected primary sources. Create a bibliography that has both primary (for analysis) and secondary (for context) sources. Be sure to proofread and edit as you write. There are some good ideas, so start finding and then reading and analyzing primary sources in their historical context. Create a bibliography that has both primary (for analysis) and secondary (for context) sources. You are welcome to see me for help (also see the syllabus for clarification). You can resubmit if you’d like