Lecture Notes: Classical Greece

Monarchy

Rule by one individual.

Aristocracy

Rule by a few, specifically the best citizens with the best intentions for the polis.

Oligarchy

Rule by a select few who govern for their own self-interests.

Tyranny

Rule seized by an individual usually through overthrow.

Democracy

Rule by the many; can include 'tyranny of the majority'.

Polity

Rule of many; also known as a republican form of government.

Athens Assembly (Ekklesia)

The official meeting place for the Athenian democratic assembly; composed of eligible voting citizens.

Draconian laws

A term derived from the harsh laws enacted by the Athenian judge Draco.

Solon

An Athenian lawmaker who divided the populace into four tribes or classes based on wealth.

Kleisthenes

Expanded the Boule to 500 members and sent names of heroes to Apollo’s oracle for tribe naming.

Ostracism

A process to prevent individuals from gaining too much power in Athens.

Spartiates

Full Spartan citizens, dedicated to warfare and holding political power.

Perioikoi

Free citizens who were not Spartans, living around Sparta.

Helots

State-owned slaves in Sparta, assigned to Spartiates with their kleros.

Themistocles

Leader of the Delian League who warned about the Persian threat but was ostracized.

Hoplites

Heavily armored fighters from the middle class, crucial to the Greek military.

Phalanx

A linear formation of soldiers, with the strongest on the outside and weaker in the middle.

Battle of Leuctra

A battle where Thebes defeated Spartan forces, breaking the myth of Spartan invincibility.

Pericles

A prominent politician in Athens who died during a devastating plague.

Peloponnesian War

A significant conflict between Athens and Sparta marked by crucial turning points.

Delian League

An alliance led by Athens to protect Greece from Persian attacks.

Persian Wars

Conflict involving Greek city-states defending against Persian invasions led by Darius I and Xerxes.

Aegospotami

The final battle in the Peloponnesian War where the Spartan fleet defeated the Athenians.

30 Tyrants

An oligarchy imposed on Athens after the Peloponnesian War, leading to civil strife.