Humanism is an approach to life based on reason and our common humanity, recognizing that moral values are properly founded on human nature and experience alone. — The Bristol Humanist Group
It is interesting to me that the concept of humanism plays a large role in the Greek Arts when a huge part of their culture is Gods and Goddesses. However, I believe that is the reason it was only the concept that played a role in the arts and not the entire way of life. With that being said, as stated in the above quote, humanism is just what it sounds like; the belief and idea that humans make their own way in life and that there is no other divine entity playing a role in our life. A great example of humanism being demonstrated is the FUNERARY KRATER and the EXEKIAS’S AJAX AND ACHILLES PLAYING A GAME. I chose these two because in the first example, the krater, we are shown a funeral of a man. There are no special descriptions, other than the sacrifice of animals, to say that he believed in the after life. He is simply shown on the bier as a simple man figure. Then, in the card game between Achilles and Ajax, we are seeing two cousins playing a simple game of cards. They are shown enjoying time together as normal family members would, where as in a time that didn’t use part of humanism in their daily lives, we would see something geared more towards religion or some other divine individual.