Humanities ch 2

Acropolis

The portion of an ancient Greek city-state that functioned as its religious center, translated to mean “top of the city.”

Agora

The public meeting place, marketplace, and civic center of an ancient Greek city-state.

Kyklos

A Greek term translated as “circle.”

People of Thea

Known for elaborately decorated homes, clay pipes for sanitation, and straw-reinforced walls.

Minos

The legendary ruler of Crete’s ancient capital, Konossos.

Male virility

Associated with bulls in ancient Greek culture.

Labrys

A Greek term translated as “double ax.”

House of the Double Axes

The palace of Minos, known in Greek times.

Queen Pasiphae

The wife of Minos who gave birth to the Minotaur.

Daedalus

The chief craftsperson who constructed a hollow wooden cow for Queen Pasiphae.

Ariadne

Daughter of Minos who aided Theseus in killing the Minotaur.

Mycenae

An ancient citadel city known for its cyclopean masonry and the Lion Gate.

Homer

The author of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Achilles

The greatest warrior among the Greeks in the Trojan War and the central character in the Iliad.

Arete

A Greek term translated as “virtue,” interpreted as “reaching one’s highest potential.”

Hector

Son of the king of Troy who killed Patroclus, enraging Achilles.

Priam

The King of Troy during the events of the Iliad.

Penelope

The wife of Odysseus.

Hesiod

The author of Theogony, who detailed the Greek pantheon.

Corinth

Controlled trade routes and built a towpath to enhance its maritime trade.

Delphi

The home of the Sanctuary of Apollo.

Peristyle

The row of columns on the raised platform of an ancient Greek temple.

Entasis

The architectural feature where columns swell and contract.

Ionic order

An architectural style featuring scrolled capitals.

Krater

A vessel depicting the Death of Sarpedon, showcasing figures like Hypnos and Thanatos.

Kleisthenes

Instituted the first Athenian democracy in 508 BCE.

Demes

Small local areas in the Athenian political system, similar to modern precincts.

Darius

The ruler of the Persians at the time of the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE.

Phidippides

Ran 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce Greek victory.

Herodotus

Recognized as the first Greek historian, author of History of the Persian Wars.

Parthenon

The centerpiece of the Athenian Acropolis.

Propylaia

The monumental entryway to the Athenian Acropolis complex.

Polyciltus

The sculptor of the bronze statue Doryphoros, celebrated for its proportions.

Metopes

The 92 panels on the Parthenon narrating battles between Greeks and enemies.

Socrates

Placed on trial for subversive behavior, corrupting youth, and introducing new goals.

Leucippus

A pre-Socratic thinker who conceived an atomic theory of indivisible particles.

Protagoras

Known for the dictum “Man is the Measure of all things.”

Aristophanes

A playwright known for writing comedies, including Lysistrata.

Aeschylus

The playwright of the Oresteia trilogy, detailing events post-Trojan War.

Proscenium

The elevated platform in ancient Greek theater where actors performed.

Alexander

Rumored to face a kingdom with a force of 5,000 elephants in the east.

Aristotle

Expressed the idea of catharsis in the Poetics, referring to the purification of the soul.

• The 92 metopes on the four sides of the temple narrate battles between the Greeks and four enemies:

• Trojans

• Giants

• Amazons

• Centaurs

Socrates was placed on trial for:

• Subversive behavior

• Corrupting young men

• Introducing new goals