The Greek & Latin Roots of English (42 page)

Cithara player. Fifth-century BCE vase painting (Antikensammlungen, Munich)

Studying the Classics

The term classical is usually applied to Greek art of the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. More generally, it is used to describe the civilization of Greek and Roman antiquity, and has come to represent a particular artistic or architectural style modeled on Greek and Roman prototypes.

classis
= type, class

>
classicus
= belonging to a class > belonging to the highest class

Pots and Pans

Greek pottery was valued both for its utility and its beauty. Often, elaborately decorated with scenes or figures from Greek myth, these products—ranging from storage jars to drinking cups—found their way all around the Mediterranean world.

ceramia (κεραμεία) = pottery

CITY PLANNING

The Romans, whose aesthetic tastes were in part influenced by Greek models, were innovators as well, especially in the realm of both public and private architecture and city planning.

Going Places

In order to unite the various provinces of an empire that extended from Britain to Mesopotamia, from the Danube to North Africa, Rome built a remarkable system of roads whose remains can be seen even today. The Emperor Augustus erected the “Golden Milestone” in the Roman Forum, and all distances within the empire were measured from this point, and it was from here that all the major roads within the empire diverged. Thus we have the expression, “all roads lead to Rome.” What does this phrase now mean?

LITERATURE

The ancient Greeks created enduring models for many of the genres of later European literature. Poetry in all its forms, as well as tragedy, comedy, and historiography, all can trace their roots to the classical literary traditions.

Mask of a tragic actor

THEATER

Although its exact origins are a matter of debate, it is clear that Greek theater had its beginnings in religious ritual: tragedies and comedies were performed in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility, who promised his worshippers release from the constraints of ordinary life. Attending the festival of Dionysus, at which the plays were performed, was a religious, civic, and perhaps psychological, obligation. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, in his definition of the function of tragedy, said that it was the representation
(mimesis)
of an action that, by means of arousing “pity and fear” in the individual, attempted to purge him of these emotions.

The production of the tragedies, which for the most part drew their themes and plots from Greek myth, was part of a competition subsidized by the wealthiest citizens, who paid the costs, including the training of the dramatic chorus, as a civic obligation. The judges, chosen by lot in order to prevent bribery, seem to have based their awards on audience applause.

In its most developed form, the cast consisted of three actors (female roles were played by men) and the members of the chorus. Originally, the author also acted in the production of his work; eventually the state provided the leading actor. The playwright Sophocles (496–406 BCE), author of
Oedipus
and
Antigone
, is said to have been a skilled musician and graceful dancer as well, who performed in several of his own dramas.

Not all Greek theater was serious and solemn. Comedy, with its sometimes fantastic plots, took pleasure in being raucous and often lewd, and in poking fun at popular religious beliefs and social relationships, as well as at prominent Athenian citizens, politicians, artists, and intellectuals.

The Muses

Traditionally, every artist claimed that he was inspired by the Muses, the divine daughters of Zeus and the goddess Mnemosyne (Memory). The nine sisters each had a particular sphere of creative activity over which she presided.

musike (μουσική) art, letters; accomplishment

MUSIC

Much of musical terminology and many musical instruments—woodwinds, strings, and percussion—have classical roots.

Linus, music teacher of the Greek hero Heracles. The Greek hero was said to have killed Linus after he criticized his student's playing. (Staatliches Museum, Schwerin, Germany)

Practice, Practice, Practice

If you play an instrument, you are familiar with the terms that are used to describe the various
tempi
, or rates of speed in a musical composition. Almost all of these terms are Italian, since in the seventeenth century, Italian composers were the first to use a system of notation to indicate the speed at which a piece was to be played. Italian is, of course, a direct descendant of Latin.