The Time Compass: Classical Greece

Gr 4–10—The Greek world always provokes within us a sense of wonder and nostalgia for a period that bore witness to the birth of Western civilization. This brief, wonderfully insightful film explores the world of antiquity, including gods, goddesses, kings, warriors, the birth of democracy, and the exploits of Alexander the Great. Viewers are capably introduced to the Greek ideals of beauty and virtue; Homer's great epics of classical civilization, The Iliad and The Odyssey; the world of the polis that included the democratic Athens of Pericles and the brave, austere Sparta; and the philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Teachers will appreciate how the film, complete with a pithy teacher's guide containing objectives and activities, encapsulates and usefully explores the legacy of the Greeks in the fields of art, philosophy, and sports. Eye-catching graphics in a "cutout" cartoon style are combined with subtle humor that will grab the attention of many reluctant students. While the synthesis is succinct and the analysis terse, the overall effect is an introduction to an expansive topic that serves as an excellent preface to further, more in-depth conversations.—Brian Odom Pelham Public Library, AL