Greek Discipline

1 Pages 363 Words

One value that the Greeks emphasized is self discipline. The greeks worked out and ate healthy. In addition they were disciplined of mind. An example of this would be the Spartans who would not eat alone so the they would not eat too much. An example of this in artwork is the Discus Thrower. He is extending a mental and physical effort to throw the discus to the best of his ability. He is in good physical health which is a result of his self discipline.
A second value that the Greeks felt was important is humanism. Humanism is the belief that human beings have the ability to accomplish great things. They felt humans had the great potential and they showed their power more than any other civilization. An example of the humanism in artwork is the Spear-Bearer. Greek sculpture was highly advanced and was later duplicated by the Romans. In this sculpture movement and confidence can be seen by someone looking at the Spear-Bearer. This shows how great the sculptures that lived in Greek were and the extent of their ability.
A third value emphasized by the Greeks is balance. Everything was done in moderation, there was never too much or too little. An example of balance in architecture is the Parthenon. When the Parthenon was being built the architect decided that the columns would not be spaced evenly so that when looking at the Parthenon from a distance it would appear to be perfectly balanced. Also, on the freeze at the entrance of the Parthenon there was a sculpture of the gods. In the middle was one god, and to his left and right was another two gods who were standing. Next to the standing gods, the gods would be sitting. Next to the sitting gods, the gods were laying down. There was an equal number to the left and right of the large on in the middle. This was so that the sculpture would be perfectly balanced. Also, the bottom of this sculpture would be very close and as it become higher the sculpture would come out of the stone more...