The Beginnings of Western Literature

1
The Beginnings of Western Literature

• Early Mesopotamian, Hebrew, Greek, and Roman
  cultures
• 2750 b.c.e. (BC) 476 c.e. (AD)

2
Early Mesopotamia Culture

• Gilgamesh Written in approximately 2750 bce
• Polytheism
• Themes of journey and existentialism
• References a great flood that is strikingly
  similar to the biblical account

3
Hebrew Culture

• Old Testament 1000 bce 200 ce
• Core of literature is religion
• Single god provides the good and moral role
• Stress of individual experience and conscience
• Mental imageone man on a mountaintop learning
  good directly from god

4
Greek Culture

• Greece begins to be populated in 2000 bce
• Homer 8th century bce
• Greek plays 5th century bce
• Macedonia conquers in 338 bce
• Roman empire conquers in 146 bce

5
Greek Culture

• Religion is not focused on morals or conscience
• Polytheistic gods superior in power, beauty,
  and immortality, but not ethics
• No code of morality
• Greek individual looks to self for sense of the
  good
• Strong sense of crime, but none of sin
• Know thyself and Nothing too much
• Mental imagegroup of people have a conversation
  in attempt to attain the truth

6
Roman Culture

• Beings in 6th century bce
• Original religion-spirits watch out for people,
  places, and possessions
• Rome installed Greek gods as the state religion
• Roman Empire falls to Germanic tribes in 476 ce

7
Roman Culture

• Horace says it is sweet and seemly to die for
  ones country.
• Subordination of individual to state
• Obsession with death
• Stoic denial of personal feeling
• Discipline, control, obedience, order,
  organization, law
• Mental imagesoldier marching in a column behind
  his commander to triumph or death