[00:03.34]Unit 24 Society Culture Corner
[00:07.87]Golden Ages
[00:09.94]Although we often consider the modern world
[00:12.52]to be a time of opportunities,
[00:14.72]freedome and advanced technology,
[00:17.58]there have been some periods in history
[00:19.43]that represent high points in human achievement
[00:23.10]The civilizations that reached these
[00:25.09]"golden ages"hail from around the world,
[00:28.06]and made their mark on history
[00:30.11]through exceptional leaps forward in cultural,
[00:33.09]scientific and social achievements.
[00:35.83]Three of these civilizations are examined below
[00:39.07]and by studyingthe discoveriesnand
[00:40.95]milestones achieved during these golden ages,
[00:44.65]we can better understand what we enjoy today.
[00:50.27]Ancient Greece
[00:52.51]In the 5th century BC,Athens underwent one of
[00:55.99]the earliest golden ages.
[00:58.10]Scholars such as Protagoras,
[01:00.14]Socrates and Plato pioneered the study
[01:03.38]of philosophy-the search for truth.
[01:06.44]Hippocrates helped drive forward advancements
[01:08.99]in Western medicine,
[01:10.59]while Herodotus contributed greatly
[01:12.95]to the study of Western history.
[01:15.85]The playwrights Sophocles,
[01:17.64]Aeschylus and Euripides transformed drama
[01:20.69]into a serious art.
[01:23.11]Sculpture and painting flourished
[01:24.95]and there was a massive public
[01:26.46]buildings programme,
[01:27.77]culminating in the magnificent temple
[01:30.05]of the Parthenon.
[01:31.51]Why did this all happen in Athens
[01:34.14]and not somewhere else?
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