Eli’s Mind

1. Read Homer’s description of the Cyclopes (plural) in Book 9 of The Odyssey. Would you describe them as having a civilization? Why or why not?

In Book 9 of The Odyssey, Odysseus and his men sail on to the island of the Cyclopes. How do these people act and if attempted, could they succeed in composing a civilization? “Cyclopes, a crude and lawless people. They don’t grow any plants by hand or plough the earth, but put their trust in the immortal gods, and though they never sow or work the land… They live without a council or assembly or any rule of law…”. With the evidence given this shows that no matter how hard they tried, their nature would intervene and prevent them from building a strong civilization.

2. What is the significance of ancient Greece in Western civilization?

Greece is extremely significant in Western civilization because of their important contributions to philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. Literature and theatre was also an important aspect of Greek culture and influenced modern drama. The Greeks influenced today’s architecture with their amazing sculptures and engineers.

3. Why is pre-Socratic philosophy significant?

The impact of the pre-Socratics’ teachings are enormous, they invented some of the main philosophy theories of the Western Civilization such as nationalism and naturalism. And they carved the base of scientific methodology.

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