Ancient WorldOrdinary TimeWeek 6 of 32

Ancient Greece II: The Greek Mind

Essential Question

How did Greek thought and Alexander's conquests shape the world Christ was born into?

This week we follow Greece from its hour of danger to its hour of glory and beyond. We watch the tiny Greek poleis defeat the mighty Persian Empire, enter the golden age of Athenian philosophy with Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and follow Alexander the Great as he spreads Greek culture from Egypt to India, creating the Hellenistic world into which Christ would later be born. Faith threads through St. Justin Martyr, who baptized Greek reason for Christ; the virtue of wisdom; and YOUCAT's teaching on Jesus' life and the Kingdom of God.

Liturgical note: Ordinary Time (autumn). A fitting week to consider how God used Greek philosophy and the common Greek language to prepare the world for the Gospel.

Threads at a Glance

What Each Thread Covers This Week

World History

The Persian Wars (Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis), the Golden Age of Athens, the Peloponnesian War, philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle), Alexander the Great & the Hellenistic world

US History

New England: Pilgrims, Puritans, and dissent

Historical Figure

Alexander the Great

Geography

Alexander's empire; draw its extent from Greece to India, with Alexandria & key cities

Art History

Greek art II — High Classical & Hellenistic; the Discobolus, Venus de Milo, Laocoon, the Pergamon Altar

Music History

Greek music theory's lasting legacy; music in Greek theater & drama

Saint

St. Justin Martyr (philosopher who baptized Greek reason)

Virtue

Wisdom (philosophy = the love of wisdom)

Catechism

YOUCAT — Jesus Christ II: his life, teaching & the Kingdom of God (Q86-Q98)

Grammar

Prepositions, conjunctions & interjections (completing the parts of speech)

Writing

Expository writing — explain a concept (democracy or a philosopher's idea)

Weekly Writing Assignment

Explain a Great Idea

Choose ONE concept from this week and explain it clearly to a reader who has never heard of it: either (a) Athenian democracy, or (b) one philosopher's key idea (Socrates' method of questioning, Plato's theory of Forms, or Aristotle's idea of the 'golden mean'/virtue). Your goal is not to argue or describe a scene, but to make the idea understood. Open with a clear thesis sentence that states what the concept is, then explain it step by step with definitions and at least one concrete example, and close by stating why the idea still matters today.

Skill: Expository writing — explaining a concept clearly and logicallyLength: 3 paragraphs (300-400 words)

Show rubric ▾