Ancient Greek Dichotomy

Antigone ignores the idea of civic responsibility and puts her family first. Her family is more important to her than the law because she finds religion more powerful than Creon. “The ancient Greeks were polytheistic, they believed in many different gods and goddesses. The Greeks believed that these gods and goddesses controlled everything, from the waves in the ocean to the winner of a race.” (Richmond)

One has the capability to determine from right and wrong and having the determination to stand up for what one believes in, no matter what the price is. In Sophocles’ Antigone, a written dramatic play, Sophocles portrays the theme that at times of one’s life, it is necessary to follow moral law and ignore political law. In the play, a determined and courageous woman named Antigone is loyal to her beloved brother by granting him a proper burial and having to suffer the consequences for revolting. Throughout Antigone, several incidents occurred where the political law was of no importance to the individual. Conflicts between Antigone and Ismene and then with Creon and Antigone are examples of the theme. The theme also ties with the

The play “Antigone” by Sophocles present different aspects of conflicts such as … Social vs. moral laws in the ancient cultures. The ability to follow the desired moral law brings various results and different reactions from the society. Going against the law of Creon in the play brings consequences such as being branded the name the “traitor” and facing punishment by the state. Similarly, in today’s world going against the law leads to serious effects and punishment by the state law. A good example is the imprisonment of a couple in Florida for helping the homeless. Despite the state law however, I believe that moral law should not be neglected especially if it serves humanity and only brings economic and social benefits to a country.

In lines 449-525, when Creon examines Antigone after the burial of her brother, Antigone plainly admits that she follows Zeus’ moral laws before Creon’s law, citing Zeus’ to be “unwritten and unshakable” and “forever”, which contrasts with Creon’s, which are ephemerally “for now or yesterday”. Antigone’s extremism typified in her willingness to die just to correct a single lapse in morality that exists within the law makes the importance placed upon founding law in morality as clear as it can possibly be.

Throughout history, individuals have broken the law for various reasons. Many people do not have a logical reason for disobeying the law. However, there are a few people, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., for example, who have demonstrated the proper way to break unjust laws to bring forth reform. Such demonstrations are called civil disobedience. Sophocles, a Greek author, provided one of the earliest portrayals of civil disobedience through the writing of “Antigone.” Antigone is one of the two daughters of Oedipus. Her two brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, agreed to rule Thebes in alternate years. However, when Eteocles refuses to relinquish his rule, Polyneices and his army attack and both brothers end up killing each other. Their uncle, Creon, gains royal power over Thebes and refuses to give Polyneices a proper burial. As for Eteocles, he will receive all the proper burial rituals. Even though Antigone rebels against this decree, she feels justified in her actions based on the beliefs of her culture and society. In fact, she believes this so strongly that she is willing to die. Antigone’s acts of civil disobedience can be justified because of her beliefs in a higher law, and more importantly the way in which she broke the civil law.

In the plays Antigone and the Crito the two lead characters, Antigone and Socrates, showed completely different ideas regarding their responsibilities to the State. Antigone believes in divine law and does what she thinks that the Gods would want her to do. Socrates, on the other hand, believes that he owes it to the State to follow their laws whether he thinks they are right or not.

Sophocles believed that it was significant that the law of a persons conscience supersedes the law of the state. Antigone overlooks the law of the state and follows her heart to do what she knows is morally right, opposed to a law created by a human with high authority. She understands that the consequences are heavy for the act, however, she courageously concluded that the importance of the act was greater than the consequences.

Divine law vs human law is a recurring theme in Antigone by Sophocles, The protagonist faces many situations when she must choose between the Gods and King Creon's rule. Antigone is the protagonist in the play Antigone, she is

Sophocles' Antigone is, at its simplest, a tragedy of conflict and misunderstandings. In the play, the laws of the gods are set up against the laws of man, and the two appear irreconcilable as the values are upheld by equally opposing characters, Creon and Antigone respectively. Indeed, Wilkins and Macleod decide that in Antigone `not only is there conflict, there is also a refusal even to recognise the other's point of view' (23). Thus Chorus significantly warn against the pursuit of extremes and sing about the need for men to reconcile human and divine law:

The funeral oration by Pericles is filled with instances in which he exhibits love for common good that surpasses individual benefit. According to Pericles, the Athenians illuminate qualities of people who are good and contribute to the benefit of their city because it is in fact great. In this case, it is possible for the reader to infer that common good can only be attained if the society in which individuals live is permissive of the same. Indeed, it is human nature to tend to feel the individual need and promote its good as opposed to what is good for the society in general. However, Pericles attempts to resolve this predicament of individual and common good by showcasing that people are capable for having such a collective form of thinking if they reside in a society that is permissive of the same. The inference can be gathered from the manner in which the orator describes Athens with so much awe. In his opinion, the city is to be admired because it is economically, socially, and politically great. There is a high level of democracy in Athens, so much so that anyone can wake up one day and decide to be a ruler. He regards the city as one to be admired by many, and in which the aspects of equality and

The heroine Antigone sacrifices her life to defy the patriarchal society in which she is imprisoned. By confronting and resisting Creon’s authoritarian rule, Antigone empowers the oppressed people of Thebes. On the surface, her motives seem clear; she defies civil law in favor of a higher moral law. Antigone declares she acts out of a sense of honor and obedience to the gods, however her words and actions reveal additional motives. Antigone follows her own unique law, which is a mixture of her commitment to divine law and her desire for glory, love, death, and liberation. Her willingness to challenge authority makes her a heroic figure as she has the courage to

The respect shown by their Ptolemaic conquerors in 2nd century B.C. was demonstrated by the fact that, again, they did not attempt to force the Egyptians to take up Greek cultural practices. They “...did not interfere with Egyptian society, contenting themselves with the efficient organization of agriculture, industry, and tax collection” (Traditions and Encounters pg141). This freedom in societal and religious matters lessened the impression of oppression and allowed for a much smoother melding of governments. The Olympic Games, begun in 776 B.C. fostered a sense of “collective identity” within Greek territories by allowing athletes from all poleis to participate (Traditions and Encounters

With the almost no recognition of classical studies in the last part of the 20th century, most educated individuals know almost nothing about the Ancient Greeks. One exception to this general ignorance, however, is the near worldwide knowledge that the Ancient Greeks had a powerful love of competition and sporting events to test the strength and power of the individual. The Ancient Olympic Games are normally dated to 776 B.C.; but we know that Greek athletic competition had a long history before this recorded date. Homer devoted much of the Book 23 of the Iliad to an account of the games played at funerals, really sporting events that Achilles gave in honor of his dead friend, Patroclus.

The ancient Greek Olympics were a big part of ancient Greek entertainment. The Olympic Games were the most famous festival and were held every four years in honor of Zeus. The games included many sports, many of which many are still around. One of the events was running. The two hundred meter foot race is still around today. Wrestling was also an event in the Olympics. “This was highly valued as a form of military exercise without weapons. It ended only when one of the contestants admitted defeat” (“The Sports Events”). Women were forbidden to observe the Olympics and the penalty for watching them was death. Ancient Olympic Games had many similarities and differences to the Olympics of the modern age.

This investigation will explore the question, what are the similarities and differences of the impact of sports in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome? The question is relevant because sports, much like today, were important pieces in society for Ancient Greeks and Romans. A major accomplishment for athletes today would be to be in the Olympics which originated in Greece showing there is an impact in modern time. The issue that will be addressed is how sports impacted the lives of Ancient Greeks and Romans. This investigation will focus on the time period of 900 BC to 300 CE to extend the analysis of sports in the locations of Greece and Rome.