An Introduction to European Culture

The Parthenon and other main buildings on the Acropolis were built by Pericles in the fifth century BC as a monument to the cultural and political achievements of the inhabitants of Athens. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered one of the high points of Greek art.

The older temple of Athena, called the Pre-Parthenon or Older Parthenon, was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 BC. The Emperor Theodosius turned the Parthenon into a Christian Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Franks into a Catholic Church (1204) and the Turks into a Mosque (1458). On 28 September 1687 an Ottoman ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by Venetian bombardment. The resulting explosion severely damaged the Parthenon and its sculptures.

In spite of all the vicissitudes of history, the Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy, and is one of the world's greatest cultural monuments.

The following are some websites or web pages on this architectural miracle:

1. The Parthenon at Ancient-Greece.org

2. The Parthenon: Historical Setting, Architecture, Orders, Metopes, Pediments, Frieze, Ancient Authors and Other

3. Michael Lahanas: Parthenon

4. The Acropolis of Athens

Please watch The Mystery Of The Parthenon for more about Parthenon and the reconstruction.

Click on the documentaries for more about Ancient Greece and Rome.

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Why Study Cultural History?

Lily @ 2008-09-03 06:59

Hello.

You are all welcome to the first lectures on European Culture. I suppose you'll have to understand the methods and purposes of this course before you decide whether to take it seriously or not. Please have a look at the following essays to think, to question yourself, or to prepare yourself for real efforts as well as great rewards.

     What is "Culture"?

     Foreign Languages - Culture or Tool

     The Proper Attitude

     Why Study History

Once you make up your mind, we'll then go on together a journey through the cultural history of Europe.

Your comments are welcome.

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New Semester Greetings

Lily @ 2008-08-28 21:38

Are you ready for Fall 2008? Don't Fall Behind!

Here are WELCOME and GREETINGS from the course teacher of "Introduction to European Culture" (for English majors) and "Introduction to Western Culture"(for Translation students).

The Fall semester is rapidly approaching with 5 classes in FLC beginning on September 3, 2008. I trust that you are looking forward to an exciting and productive Fall. On this site you will find information which should be helpful in learning your course.

Should you have any questions about your course, please feel free to ask me in class, or contact me at rby123@zjnu.cn.

Please note that while the Web is a fantastic treasure trove of information, browsing comes with a warning, as it is important to remember that the Internet is not a permanent medium. Frequently sites don't remain active, they move, are busy, have trouble with their servers, the phone lines are down, or they just simply disappear.

If links from this site fail to appear after repeated tries over a period of time, please let me know. I know how terribly frustrating it is to click on a hyperlink and get a "page not found" message. Also, if you find an interesting or informative site related to my topic headings -- one not already part of my lists, please let me know the address so I can add it. Thanks!

Have fun browsing!

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