Ancient Greece Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and definitions related to Ancient Greece.

**Polis

Self-governing city and its surrounding territory.

**Democracy

Government where people hold power; majority rules; citizens make decisions by voting.

**Oligarchy

Government in which a small group of people holds all the power; decisions are made by a small, select group.

**Monarchy

Government in which one person rules and passes down power in their family; decisions typically made by a king or queen.

**Tyrant

A ruler who has absolute power and often takes it by force and uses it oppressively.

Polytheism

Belief in many gods.

**Aristocrat

An individual who belongs to the highest class in certain societies; aristocrats pass their power and titles on to their children.

**Peninsula

A piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides; example: Florida or Italy.

**Colony

A group of people of one nationality or ethnic group living in a foreign city or country.

Oracle

A prediction about the future believed to come from a god or ancestor; the person who makes the prediction.

**Citizen

A resident of a city or town, especially one allowed to vote and enjoy other privileges there.

Acropolis

The protected high part of an ancient Greek city at the top of a hill; the most famous acropolis is in Athens.

**Assembly

A gathering of citizens.

Helots

Enslaved people in Sparta.

Hellenism

Greek culture and the spreading of Greek culture.

Agora

The outdoor marketplace of ancient Greek cities.

Hoplite

Greek soldier.

Oral Tradition

The practice of passing down stories, history and knowledge through spoken word.

Philosophy

The study of ideas about knowledge, truth, and the meaning of life.

Barbarian

According to the early Greeks, someone who is not Greek, or an uncivilized person.