Blurbs

Pausanias: Description of Greece

• One of the first things that you see when entering Attica is the temple to Athena. Peiraeus is the port of Athens and there is a lot of history behind it, it is believed that is where Menestheus left to go destroy Troy. There are monuments to Zeus and Athena in Periaeus also, they are both bronze statues. Near a portico by the see is another monument to Zeus and Demos. By the other see Canon is the sanctuary of Aphrodite. At another harbor called Munchyia the Athenians have many sanctuaries and shrines to gods and heroes alike. In the city of Athens itself there is another monument to Antiope, an amazon woman shot because of a love triangle she was enthralled in. Moving up from Peiraeus is a road and on the side of the road are graves of famous men who had fought in wars. The city is a perfect depiction of being wary of the gods because it is basically a shrine to them. Many of the memorable places in Athens have a story behind them that can be told a number of ways. Pausanius likes to give the back stories on basically everything in Athens because it gives these different places character and it shows their history.

Plutarch

• Solon's father is considered to be Euphorion more people agree that it is Execestides. His mother is related to Pisisastrus's mother making Pisisastrus and Solon Cousins. Plutarch says this is why Solon and Pisisastrus never really fought even though they had heated arguments in government. Plutarch likes to give quotes to prove his statements true. Plutarch likes to explain all angles of the person he is writing about even the people that in this case, Solon met. This way he does not leave anything open and everything is explained.

Solon

• Solon wrote of everything that he did in career. The way he wrote it down was very poetic, he wrote of how he freed many Athenians from slavery. Solon was a strong Athenian and all for his city. He was a patriotic person.

Herodotus

• Herodotus wrote of how politics, no matter how perfect they seem, have flaws and when people gain to much power it goes to their heads. Herodotus's writing seems almost poetic and it flows so that although what your reading is true it seems like a story is being told.

Pericles

• In Pericle's Funeral Oration he is writing to bring patriotism to the Athenians and showing that all the pain that many of them have gone through is not in vain.