Ancient Greece

Western Civilization

Greek ideas that spread to Europe and America and remain part of our culture.

Aegean Sea

Sea that surrounds mainland Greece.

Mediterranean Sea

Large sea that the Aegean Sea opens into.

Socrates

Greek philosopher who questioned all of the accepted values in Greece. He created the Socratic Method: asking question after question.

Black Sea

East of Greece; united Greece with the eastern world.

Tyrants

Ambitious men who came to power through rebellions. They supported the wants/needs of the common people rather than nobles.

Aristocracy

Government run by a small group of noble/wealthy families.

Clesithenes

Enacted a series of laws that made Athens a full democracy; he created the Council of 500 and allowed citizens to serve on it; he increased the power of the Athenian assembly.

Sparta

Greek city-state that focused solely on its military and military domination.

Peloponnesus

Southern part of Greece where Sparta was located.

Pericles

Ruled Athens for many years. Increased the number of public officials in Athens; strengthened democracy in Athens and gained wealth for Athens through the Delian League.

Council of 500

Made up of Athenian citizens and was supposed to propose laws and advise the assembly on what actions to take.

Delian League

An alliance of 140 city-states, headed by Athens. Their purpose was to war off attacks from the Persians by uniting all of Greece.

Ephor

These were the rulers of Sparta. They had unlimited power and used it harshly; forbade any citizens from leaving or entering Sparta.

Archon

Early rulers of Athens.

Alexander the Great

Created the largest empire of the time that was headed by Greece and created a blended culture called Hellenism.

Plato

A student of Socrates who believed society should be ruled by the greatest philosophers, not democracy. He believed average citizens were not educated enough to govern wisely.

Aristotle

He believed that all truths followed logically from other truths. People should use general logic to make decisions.

Homer

Famous for his epics (Iliad, The Odyssey)

Herodotus

The first true historian.

Philosophers

Questioned the most basic and widely accepted ideals of the time in search for truth,

Drama

Written plays to be performed on stage, created by the Greeks.

Agora

Marketplace where Greek people gathered.

Polis

Greek word for city-state.

City-state

A city surrounded by a wall and all of the land surrounding that city.

Chora

The land outside the city walls as part of a city-state.

Acropolis

A fortified hilltop.

Dark Ages

The 400 years after Mycenaeans fell.

Oracle

Temples where the gods and goddesses spoke to citizens through priests.

Olympic Games

Athletic contests in honor of the gods and goddesses.

Citizens (Sparta)

Native people who were born and lived in Sparta.

Neighbors (Sparta)

Free people who were not native to but still lived in Sparta.

Helots (Sparta)

Slaves

Metics

Free people who were not originally from Athens. Usually merchants or artisans.

Assembly

Members are elected by the people.