Unit 3 Study Guide: Persia & Ancient Greece

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the Persian Empire, Greek mythology, Athenian democracy, Sparta, the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, and Hellenistic culture.

RITZ

An acronym representing key elements of the Persian Empire: Road, Imperial Bureaucracy, Tolerance conquered peoples, and Zoroastrianism.

Cyrus the Great

Leader who expanded the Persian Empire and is best known for his governing style.

Darius

A member of the king’s bodyguard who went on to govern the Persian Empire with an imperial bureaucracy.

Zoroastrianism

A Persian religion based on the belief in two opposing forces: good and evil.

Royal Road

A Persian road system that enhanced communication, movement, and trade throughout the empire.

Zeus

The king of the Greek gods and the god of the sky.

Hera

The wife of Zeus and the Greek goddess of marriage.

Apollo

Greek god of light, poetry, music, and the sun, who kept the same name when the Romans adopted Greek mythology.

Artemis

Greek goddess of the moon and hunting.

Athena

Greek goddess of wisdom and war.

Aphrodite

Greek goddess of beauty and love.

Achilles' heel

Weak spot (a modern term derived from Greek mythology and literature).

Odyssey

Adventurous journey (a modern term derived from Greek mythology and literature).

Titanic

Something large and strong (a modern term derived from Greek mythology and literature).

Trojan horse

Device used to gain access by stealth (a modern term derived from Greek mythology and literature).

Athenian Citizen

A free adult male residing in Athens.

Direct Democracy

A system of government where citizens directly vote on public matters and policies, as practiced in Athens.

Public Debate

Civic discussions held in Athens so citizens knew what they were voting for.

Draco

Athenian leader who developed a legal code based on the idea that all Athenians were equal under the law, and who was known for his punishments.

Solon

Athenian leader who outlawed debt slavery and created the four social groups (hierarchy) of Greek society.

Sparta

A Greek city-state that was a very disciplined state focused heavily on the military.

Persian War

A major conflict involving Athens, Sparta, and Persia that united Athens and Sparta.

Delian League

An alliance of Greek city-states formed as a result of the Persian War.

Golden Age

A historical era in which a country enters a good state and achieves great accomplishments in areas like art, architecture, and philosophy.

Pericles

Athenian leader in power during the Golden Age who promoted more democracy, established the Delian League, and helped rebuild Athens after the Persian Wars.

Peloponnesian War

A conflict from 431 BC to 401 BC fought between the Delian League and the Peloponnesian League after Sparta became angered by Athens' growing power.

Philip | |

The ruler who united Greece after the end of the Peloponnesian War.

Hellenic Culture

The original Greek culture, which was spread primarily through sea trade.

Hellenistic Age

A historical period characterized by the blending and mixing together of different cultures following Alexander the Great's conquests.

Alexander the Great

Leader who conquered the Persian Empire, adopted Hellenic culture, and established an empire stretching from Greece and Egypt in the west to the Indus River in the east.

Euclid

A Greek mathematician who is known as the father of geometry.

Hippocrates

A Greek physician regarded as the father of medicine.

Pythagros

A Greek philosopher and mathematician well known for creating the Pythagorean Theorem.

Greek Architectural Columns

The three classical styles of columns in ancient Greek architecture: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.