Homework Questions - Persia/Greece by Matthew Poling https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu en-us 2016-10-10 18:18:52 UTC 2016-10-11 16:14:00 UTC hello@padlet.com polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129599747 Was there anything in particular that pushed the Spartans to be so harsh and militarized?

Two things made them so militaristic: 1) It happened naturally and was a byproduct of the region (conquer or be conquered) and 2) Because the conquered so many peoples and then enslaved them, there was an ever-present need to have a strong military to deal with potential slave revolts since the slaves (Helots) outnumbered the Spartans roughly 10 to 1.]]> 2016-10-10 18:20:34 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129599747 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129600123 This question is more so for later Greek history, but did all of Greece unite when the Persians invaded or did simply some Greek civilizations respond to the invasion?

The diversity grew for several reasons, not the least of which was geography. The mountainous terrain and the thousands of islands making up Greece never allowed for any form of centralized government, so each city-state developed independently and a variety of governments sprang up.]]> 2016-10-10 18:21:41 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129600123 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129659627 Why is Aristotle still so important to modern ideas about so many things if he was wrong all the time?

Think about EVERYTHING we know about ANYTHING today. How long have we known the truth and facts about those things? For most things, not very long in the grand scheme of things. If we held everyone in the past to the standard "well, they were wrong about things, so they shouldn't matter/be important" then nobody in history would matter! For Aristotle, and the Greek philosophers as a whole, it wasn't necessarily about being right, it was about seeking truth, the process of finding out and not accepting anything, but always seeking answers. That mentality was crucial for later Western Civilization thought.]]> 2016-10-11 00:13:25 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129659627 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129660868 Did the philosophers ever consider what their students emphasized later and just felt strongly about their own concepts? Like for example, did Plato ever consider more scientific reasoning like Artistotle?

Think of the philosophers as one BIG family. Overall, there's a lot of interaction, cooperation, love, etc., but there's also many differences and conflicts. At the end of the day, you're still a family and stick together despite what might arise. The philosophers were kind of like that - there would be disagreement, debate and even horrible things said to and about each other. But at the end of the day, they all sought truth - which is what philosophy is about. So, to generally answer your question, no good philosopher wouldn't admit he was wrong. If a philosopher's student proved him wrong or disagreed with him, he would bear him no ill will. He embraces truth above all else and would put his pride aside in the pursuit of truth.      ]]> 2016-10-11 00:27:06 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129660868 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129664607 Two questions 1. So how did alexander the great die? 2. Why didnt the spartans help with the delian league?

It's still disputed how Alexander died, but poison has been ruled out. Most believe he contracted a disease (maybe malaria when he was in India). The Spartans didn't feel they needed the Athenians; it was a matter of wanting to be the Alpha. The Spartans formed their own league.      ]]> 2016-10-11 00:57:17 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129664607 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129775163 If Socrates was so despised, why weren't Plato and Aristotle treated similarly?

Socrates was like the smart guy who was a pompous windbag about it; the others did not have the flaw of character.]]> 2016-10-11 12:49:37 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129775163 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129778966 Were there any significant rebellions in Sparta?

When an earthquake struck in 464 BC, the Helots (slaves) seized the opportunity to revolt. This was the largest revolt recorded. The Helots fortified Mount Ithome, which was besieged by Sparta. The siege only ended five years later when both sides agreed to a truce. There were other revolts, of course, the Spartans took special care to prevent them. For example, when they Spartans were fighting for their "freedom" in the Persian Wars, they didn't conscript their Helots to fight (as they normally would) because of the fear of the ideal of freedom spreading among the Helots.
]]> 2016-10-11 12:58:57 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129778966 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129779890 Why is it that in Sparta, a very military oriented society, Women had more rights? I would assume that women were seen as a weakness in that time, ESPECIALLY in a militaristic society. When compared with Athens, the democracy, i was surprised to hear that they were less forgiving than Sparta. 

The notion that women had to raise strong boys to be warriors fits into the idea that women must be educated to a certain degree in things men do and must know so that they can raise their strong warrior. So, as you can see, it's not like they did it out of the kindness of their hearts; they had an ulterior motive for treating women as they did.]]> 2016-10-11 13:01:13 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129779890 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129780302 What differences would there be in today's society if the Greeks had been defeated by the Persians?

There are too many hypothetical scenarios, but one thing to think about would be about how tolerant the Persians were. Greek civilization may still have flourished and may have been even longer-lasting in its home region if Persia had won. Alexander the Great may not have been successful in conquering the known world if Persia had been successful against the Greeks. If that were the case, maybe the Roman Republic never comes to power.]]> 2016-10-11 13:02:09 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129780302 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129781624 Why isn't Persia better known for its freedom? I would think that we would recognize their ideals more than we do.

"Freedom" is a tricky word. The people the Persians conquered were certainly free in many ways, but they were still beholden to the king, so is that really free? But by the standards of the ancient world, Persian subjects were relatively free.]]> 2016-10-11 13:04:49 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129781624 polinmat https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129872986 If Greece had so many philosophy and ways of teaching then how did they decide which philosophy is the correct one and which are presented today?

Is there a "right" philosophy for anyone? The philosophy discussed by the Greeks was more of an open dialogue among philosophers about what is truth - and that's what it was about - finding truth in everything. So, in a way, the Greek philosophy wasn't about how to live your life or what's right or wrong, it was about finding truth to helping you understand the world.]]> 2016-10-11 16:13:51 UTC https://padlet.com/polinmat/1yj7hzmyr2vu/wish/129872986