Classical Period (Europe): summary, cultural features and characteristics

We explain what the Greco-Roman classical period is and the arts in which it stood out. In addition, its innovations in science and characteristics.

During the Classical Period, the Greek and Roman civilizations reached their peak.

What is the Classic Period?

The term “Classical Period” or “Classical Antiquity” is used to refer to the time when the Greek and Roman civilizations existedIt does not correspond to an exact period of time, but rather to an era of splendor of the cultural creations of these civilizations that, over time, became fundamental references of current Western culture.

The Classical Period integrates the history of the Greek and Roman civilizations, which They inhabited the Mediterranean basin and the Near EastAs a guide, the Classical Period can be divided chronologically according to the predominance of one or another civilization: Ancient Greece (500-323 BC), Hellenistic Period (323-31 BC), Ancient Rome (31 BC-476 AD).

See also: Hellenistic Period

Temporal location of the Classic Period

Classic Greece

It corresponds to the period between the 5th and 4th centuries BC.

Timeline – Ancient Greece

• Fall of the tyranny of Athens (500 BC).
• Century of Pericles (mid-5th century BC)
• Conquests of Alexander the Great (336 BC).

Hellenistic Period

It corresponds to the period between the 4th and 1st centuries BC.

• Conquests of Alexander the Great (323 BC)
• Cultural promotion in the great cities of Antioch, Alexandria and Pergamon (2nd and 1st centuries BC)
• Roman conquest of Egypt (31 BC)

Ancient Rome

It corresponds to the period between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD.

• Expansion of the Roman Republic (2nd century BC).
• Transformation of the republican system in the Roman Empire (1st century BC and 1st century AD)
• Political crisis, Christianization and disintegration of the empire (3rd-5th centuries AD)

Politics in the Classical Period

There are different political elements of the Classic Period that constituted a cultural legacy for later Western civilizations.

In Ancient Greece, Each polis maintained its political independence and had its own system of government. Sparta, for example, established an aristocratic government that incorporated different magistracies. However, the most important political reference of this period is Athens, which developed, for the first time in history, a democratic system of government.

Athenian democracy organized its institutions to include and encourage the direct participation of its citizens in government decision-making. Citizens were adult males, born in the city, sons of an Athenian father and mother.To achieve the participation of so many individuals, the Athenians organized a system that combined the holding of mass assemblies, voting, the use of temporary magistrates, and the activity of individual politicians.

Another important development for later Western cultures occurred in Roman civilization. The Roman State regulated relations between citizens through precise textsOver time, the notion of “law” was created. The different norms, laws and legal principles were codified in writing and became what is currently known as “Roman law”. This form of legislating is a fundamental antecedent of modern law and legislation.

Cultural features of the Classic Period

Religion and mythology in the Classical Period

Greek and Roman mythology have the same deities.

Mythology was established as a fundamental element of the different cultures of the Classic Period.. During the Archaic Period (800-500 BC) and the Classical Period (500-323 BC) of Greek civilization, oral accounts passed down through the generations were collected into a coherent corpus of writings on the history and genealogy of the pantheon of Greek gods and heroes.

During the Hellenistic Period, with the expansion of Greek culture throughout the territories of the Near East and Egypt, There was a fusion and combination of the cult of some Greek gods with other local deities.

In Ancient Rome, The original archaic cults were also influenced by Greek mythology.Over time and with territorial expansion, the different Roman deities were assimilated to different references from Greek mythology.

As a guide, the combination of divinities and cults can be identified as follows:

See also: Greek mythology

Philosophy of the classical period

During the classical period there lived great philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

Philosophy has its origins in Greek civilization. It was born in the 6th century BC, and had its heyday during the 5th century BC.

Philosophers questioned the origin of life and how the world works. They argued that through the rational thinking, which includes the observation and the reflectionone could know and understand the nature of things. Among the most important philosophers of Classical Greece were Plato and Aristotle.

On the other hand, As a result of philosophical thought, different specific disciplines were developed that focused on different aspects of the world.

Roman philosophers were influenced by their Greek background. The main philosophical current of Greek origin that the Romans adopted was Stoicism. The Stoics linked philosophical thought with ethics and believed that through reason and understanding peace and virtue could be found. Roman Stoic thinkers included Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius.

On the other hand, Some thinkers took another philosophical current from Ancient Greece: Epicureanism. The Epicurean philosophers sought practical happiness and advocated hedonism, as the enjoyment of physical pleasures. Philiscus and Lucretius were Roman exponents of the Epicurean philosophy. However, they had a limited scope.

Architecture of the Classical Period

Roman architecture was noted for its monumentality, to express grandeur and power.

The architectural works of the Greek and Roman civilizations became a fundamental legacy of Western architecture in later periods.

• Greek architectureThe most popular architectural forms of Greek culture are its temples, public buildings, open-air theatres, public squares, mausoleums and stadiums, among others. Greek architecture was inspired by the principles of harmony and proportion. It had three well-defined styles that followed one another over time: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
• Roman architectureThe Romans developed their own style, influenced by both Greek and Etruscan architecture. From the Etruscan style, the Romans took two fundamental elements of their architecture: the arch and the vault. On the other hand, from the Greeks they adopted the design of the columns and the use of statues in temples and civil buildings. In general, the Roman style is characterized by the solidity and monumentality of its works: they built temples, pantheons, triumphal arches, coliseums, basilicas, bridges, aqueducts, amphitheaters, circuses, and forums.

Art in the Classical Period

Greek sculpture sought harmony and proportion in the human body.

The Greek and Roman civilizations encouraged the development of different arts. During the height of the Greek civilization, some cities, such as Athens, Thebes and Sparta became cultural centers for artistic promotion.

During the Hellenistic Period, the cities of Antioch, Alexandria and Pergamon replaced the previous ones in importance and represented a style of their time, in which Greek influence was exalted while combining it with local elements of Eastern culture. The different rulers They promoted the creation of educational institutions, libraries and art schools. In the Hellenistic Period, patronage also appeared as a cultural relationship, in which nobles hired artists and philosophers, and thus contributed to the development of local culture.

The Romans continued the tradition of patronage and contributed, in turn, to the expansion of Greco-Roman culture throughout the empire.

Sculpture

• Greek sculpture. Known as severe stylecovers a wide variety of genres: bronze sculpture, stelae, architectural reliefs. Myron, Phidias and Polykleitos stood out as sculptors. Sculpture was the art that most expressed admiration for the human body, the culminating work being the series of the labors of Hercules.
• Roman sculpture. Greek sculpture being a constant reference to Roman sculpture, the most important Latin contribution to this art is the portrait due to its great realism, expressiveness and detail. Landscape relief is also notable.

Literature

• Greek literature. The development of theatre and poetry as the most developed genres. The writers of tragedies, such as Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, of comedy, such as Aristophenes, and of poetry, such as Pindar, Homer and Hesiod, stood out. Among the most relevant epic works are: The Iliad and The odysseyThe main representatives of the oratory genre are Lysias, Isocrates, Aeschines and Demosthenes.
• Roman literatureIn Roman culture, classical poets and writers such as Virgil, Ovid, Pliny the Younger, Seneca, Suetonius and Horace stood out. Their works took fundamental elements from the Greek tradition that allowed them to exalt Roman culture.

The sciences of the Classical Period

Pythagoras established the foundations of geometry.

The sciences had a great development in the Greek and Roman cultures. From the development of Greek philosophy, Rational thinking was established as a fundamental element for understanding and interpreting the world.The Greeks dared to seek rational answers to natural phenomena, moving away from mythological or supernatural concepts.

Thales of Miletus…