Abstract
This paper describes the ways that the Athenians practiced a polytheistic religion which expressed itself through civic festivals and cults. The paper attempts to create an overview of the most important Athenian civic festivals. It describes the way in which each festival provided a basis in Athenian worship, gave Athenian's a sense and a meaning in life and provided them with a sense of identity as human beings.

Table of Contents:
The Panathenaia
The Anthesteria
The Dionysia
The City Dionysia

From the Paper
"The Dipolieia was a very strange Athenian festival that took place two days after another important festival, the Skira (Parke 162). It comprised of a ceremony called the Butaphonia in the honor of Zeus (Parke 162). They celebrated a special aspect of Zeus by this festival, i.e. Zeus as the God of the city and the festivities took place at his altar from the Acropolis (Parke 162). The ceremony implied the sacrifice of an ox and a mock of its restoration to life. The ritual had become antiquated and so did the festival (Parke 166).
In conclusion, the calendar of the ancient Greeks was full with both the specific Athenian festivals and the ones referring to the entire Attica. However, they did not serve only the scope of entertainment, but they supported the development of the sciences and the art while encouraging people to travel and try new things."

Tags:Acropolis, Zeus, Dionysia, Anthesteria, Panathenaia

Abstract
An analysis of the ritualistic, religious and practical uses of public space at the Athenian Acropolis and Trajan's Forum. Part II considers the movement of people through the space, especially in ritualistic contexts and how the Athenians related the religious functions of the Acropolis to its layout is examined. Part III outlines what political functions, if any, took place at the Acropolis. In Part IV, the various social, business, religious, and civic uses of the different spaces at Trajan's Forum and Markets, and how these uses related to the physical layout of space are reviewed.

From the Paper
"Acropolis is renowned as a fortified natural stronghold or citadel in ancient Greece. Greeks built their towns in plains near or around a rocky hill that could easily be fortified and defended. Nearly every Greek city had its acropolis, which provided a safe place of refuge for townspeople during times of turmoil or war. Rulers of the town often lived within the walls of this stronghold. In many cases the acropolis became the site of temples and public buildings and thus served as the town's religious center, focal point of its public life, and as a place of refuge."

Tags:historical, ancient, greek, life, civilized, public, arena, gods, ritual, religious

Abstract
This paper provides an analysis of how exploring alterity through the performances of actors wearing masks in Greek dramas performed at the City, Dionysia permitted Athenian audiences to be both entertained and instructed about important Greek values at the same time. Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" and Euripides' "Cyclops" are used to support the analysis.

From the Paper
"Athenian dramas deriving from the cult of Dionysius eventually evolved to include a chorus of approximately ... men and generally three actors who play multiple roles via the use of masks. These masks permitted actors to play the other something inherent in Greek dramas anyway, since women were not permitted as actors and males played female roles in plays from Euripides' "Medea" to Sophocles' "Oedipus the King". Masks facilitated the playing of the other, whether it was multiple roles, female roles or the more fantastic..."

Tags:satyr plays, tragedies, marriage, family, heroic, ideals, licentiousness

Abstract
In this article, the writer points out that the cemeteries in early Athens were located on the outskirts of the city and many were situated near city gates, with graves facing the various roads in the area. The writer describes the graves and the funerary ceremonies and traditions and discusses how these demonstrate Athenian values.

From the Paper
"Graves and markers were abundant with epitaphs and epigrams that praised noble men and commemorated the Athenian woman, and orators spoke eloquently of the deceased. All of this pomp and circumstance was an indication of Athenian societal values, which was also evident in non-funerary items."

Tags:funerary, epitaph

Abstract
The paper examines the real meaning of Pericles' famous funeral oration during which he praised not only Athens' fallen heroes, but the democratic government of the city state. The paper explains that the Athenian democracy was what it claimed to be - a government of and by the people. Not only were all citizens given equal chances to participate in the chief organs of government, they were also allowed the opportunity to pass judgment on one another. The paper points out, however, that those in charge of this business were not free to act as they pleased. The paper shows how those who climbed to greater power, wealth, or influence than their fellow citizens were quickly suspected of subverting the entire system.

From the Paper
"In his oration, Pericles compared the governmental system of Athens to that of its bitter rival, Sparta. Though obviously favoring Athenian forms, it is less clear what Pericles considered to lay at the core of Athenian superiority. Athens was a democracy, and Sparta an oligarchy, but precisely what was the Athenian democracy? Was Pericles saying that his city state was a pure democracy - ruled directly by its citizens - or was he saying that it was superior to Sparta, and other oligarchies, because it employed democratic principles along with other useful, even oligarchic, methods of government?"

Tags:oligarchy, power, influence, government

Abstract
This paper looks how the phallocentricity of Athenian society was a set of attitudes, legislation, and behavior, which elevated the prestige, power, and place of men, while assigning women to roles that would sustain the propagation of this way of life. In particular, it examines the differences in the prescribed roles of those women most intimate with the men, namely the wife and the hetaera, and their respective roles, which manifested themselves across a broad range of attributes and circumstances.

From the Paper
"A child fathered on a hetaera, even by a full-fledged citizen, would not be afforded citizenship in kind, which rendered the role of a mother obsolete in her. The hetaera found her place in a much different and less domestic setting, but one which was as polarizing to the wife as child-bearing was to the hetaera. The proper place for love and sex was "excluded from the family setting," given over instead to the drinking group, which was primarily set in the symposium which was found in the men's quarters, an area to which the wife was restricted from entering (Murray, 23). It was in this setting, which was forbidden territory for Athenian women that the highest expressions of love took place."

Tags:sexuality, family, men

Abstract
This paper examines the classic Greeks and Athenian view on the world around them. It describes the concept of the body, mind and inner self that lead to philosophical inquiry and questioning of the human mind and the resulting societies it created.

From the Paper
"Athens during the fifth century B.C. is often identified as one of the main sources of Western values and standards. Later Europeans and Americans regarded the Athenians as the originators of democracy, drama, representational or realistic art, history, philosophy, and science. At different times over the last 2,500 years they also attempted to imitate the "Golden Age" of classical Athens in everything from buildings to literature. Many U.S. state capitols and government buildings are modeled on the Parthenon or other temples. We still divide drama into tragedy and comedy in the same way the Athenians did. During some historical periods, such as the Renaissance, thinkers and writers made conscious attempts to return to the classical ideals in all areas of life, combing the works of Athenians authors for previously overlooked material in the quest to draw guidance and learn everything possible from this unique flowering of culture."

Tags:ancient, athens, classical, greek, philosophy, plato, renaissance, socrates, classic, classics, western, society, fifth, century, b.c.

Abstract
The paper argues that the roles of men and women in ancient Athens were stringently separated, but that women were not dishonored in the process. The paper describes how, while women were expected not to interfere in the sphere of men, they were honored and respected for their roles. The paper provides evidence for this thesis from "Antigone" by Sophocles and the speech "On the Killing of Eratosthenes" by Lysias.

From the Paper
"There is no evidence that Athenian women craved the sort of emancipation as enjoyed by her modern counterpart. Antigone, the heroine of Sophocles' play, is a strong willed woman who oversteps propriety and challenges a king. She is the daughter of the ousted and deceased king Oedipus, whose two sons have just died in battle against the new claimant to the throne, Creon. He then refuses to give a proper burial to Polynices, the elder brother, whose corpse lies on the battlefield being torn by dogs. This breaks the heart of Antigone, and she resolves to violate the king's decree and bury her brother, slipping into the battlefield in the dead of night. She is caught in the act and brought before Creon. She will not repent, and so is sentenced to death. There is nothing in the play to indicate that Antigone is making a statement on behalf of womankind. Hers is a purely moral stance, and the men who advocate on her behalf, Haemon, her lover, and Tiresias, the wise old man, make this clear."

Tags:feminism, gender, roles, Antigone, Sophocles, Lysias

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that although the Internet does offer a great deal for rich countries, there are many other poor nations that are left out of this revolution. The writer points out that while countries such as the United States get great benefits, other countries such as Africa get nothing. The writer further notes that there are fast and slow lane countries, and globalization, like capitalism, is designed only to profit the faster moving countries. The writer concludes that what the Internet promises is something for the rich majority, along with an increase in world poverty.

From the Paper
"The idea that the Internet promises a new age of democracy is true and false. Democracy means the rule of the majority. It is very true that the Internet offers a great deal for the rich nations of the world. The Internet is a growing network of computer networks. Out of the Internet has developed a new culture and a revolution in goods and services. The problem is that much of the world is left out of that culture and revolution."

Tags:equality, control, internet

Abstract
Athenians thought their democracy to be based on their unique characteristics of temperance and justice, the core of political virtue. The paper explains that by teaching and continually reinforcing this political virtue they could utilize everyone and confidently make the wisest decisions. It explains how this form of government forced the citizens to act for the common welfare so as to ensure their personal freedom. The Assembly, Council of 500, court system, and military appointments, all reflect these ideologies. Since everyone had political virtue, all were welcomed to participate and advance if they displayed the necessary abilities.

From the Paper
"In order to fully understand Athenian democracy it is necessary to explore the Athenian tenets and ideologies that ultimately created this government. Athenians believed that: certain human qualities made democracy a more functional solution than other constitutional alternatives; there was a practice that best nurtured these qualities; democratic governments were more likely to make wise decisions than other forms of government; and one factor ensured that citizens would act for the common good. Athenians thought justice and temperance, the human qualities that rendered democracy more practical than other governments, embodied political virtue. The community nurtured this political virtue by teaching and continually reinforcing it in every day life. This established democracy made wise decisions because it believed that everyone had political virtue and so utilized everyone when legislating. Athenians would act for the common good solely to ensure that they retained their personal freedom. Consequently, the Athenian democracy reflected their ideologies in its institutions and practices, namely in the Assembly, the Council of 500, the court system, and the appointment of military generals."

Tags:500, athens, council, democracy, plato, protagoras