SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT KALOKAGATHIA, by Sara Catastini and Virginia Stortini

KALOKAGATHOS..

1) What do Καλός and Αγαθός mean?

Καλός = good; noble and handsome
Ayaoòç = person’s bravery or ethics

2) Which famous philosopher used the neuter form of kalokagathia in his work to attempt to define ideals?

Plato in his work used the term to kalòv in his attempts to define ideals.

3) The Greeks invented athletic contests and held them in honour of their gods. Where did the most famous games take place and for who?

Famus games took place in Olympia, for Zeus.

4) Which of these phrases is a recent translation of "Kalos kagathos" emphasizing the military element?

“war hero”


5) Besides translating "Kalos kagathos" as "handsome and brave" how else can we translate it? As an intersection of which words?

“Good and upstanding” is a translation of Kalos Kagathos.

6) At the which Greek's poet times being not experienced in gymnastics was considered as a disgrace?

At Homer's times not being good at gymnastics was considered as a disgrace.

7) Because of the Kalokagathia schools of sports in ancient Greece, the Gymnasia, were devoted not only to bodily training but also to the mental training. In which country (in connection with that fact) the term "Gymnasium" became the general title of high schools?

This became the general title of high schools especially in Germany.

8) As a result of what the idea of "kalos kagathos" lost its sense?

On the one hand because of the development of professional sports and on the other by the development of the strictly intellectual disciplines.

9) When did the idea of Kalokagathia lose its sense?

It lost its sense in the 6th century bc.

10) What is the opposite of Kalokagathos?

Thersites is the opposite of Kalokagathos.

MEN AND WOMEN IN ANCIENT GREECE by Diletta Giacomelli, Hristina Petkova and Marco Salvadori

Womens’s life

Greek women had no political rights; they had to bear children and to run the household. Duties of rural women were agricultural works .When men weren’t at home the wife with slaves had to run the household.

In the poorest homes the wives had to do the household by themselves.

Greek women could go outside the house only to visit her female neighbours , or for weddings or funerals

The clothes of the women were normally made at home from locally available wool.

Later women spent much of their time in the courtyard of the house, the one place where they could regularly enjoy fresh air .

Men’ s life

Men’s activities encompassed politics, arts and crafts, construction, agriculture, sea-faring, manufacturing and trade

The most important men’s pastimes were hunting and horseback riding which took place far from constraints of family life.

In the school philosophy, mathematics, logic and rhetoric were taught only to aristocratic boys.

The difference

While the men spent their free time going hunting and horseback riding, women had to look after their children and run the household.

Women couldn’t neither take part in the politic life or vote while man had important activities in politics, art, crafts and trade.

Men could study and become important in the social life; while women had to stay at home without going to school or studying.

Women could enjoy only in the courtyard of the house; while men usually could go out for work or for spare time activities.

While women had to wear poor and simple clothes men wore smart and classical clothes.