Study Guide for Ancient Greece Test

Minoans

A peaceful culture known for their language, Linear A, which has yet to be translated.

Fall of the Minoans

Occurred due to a volcanic eruption followed by the invasion of the Mycenaeans.

Mycenaeans

A more warlike people whose earliest form of Greek, Linear B, has been translated.

Fall of the Mycenaeans

Caused by the invasion of the Sea People, also known as the Philistines.

Geography of Greece

75% mountainous with many coasts and ports for trading.

Role of the sea in Greek society

Greece held a monopoly over the Aegean Sea and used it for trading with other nations.

Contributions of the Greeks to modern civilization

Athenian architecture greatly influenced early American architecture in D.C.

Trojan War

Involved the Mycenaeans and Trojans.

Reason for the Trojan War according to Homer

Homer claimed it was due to Helen being stolen.

Reality of the Trojan War

Greece hated Troy and wanted an excuse to attack them.

Time period of the Trojan War

Took place in the 12th and 11th century BC.

Literature about the Trojan War

The stories are found in the works of Homer, specifically the Odyssey and the Iliad, and Virgil's Aeneid.

Heinrich Schliemann

Contributed to understanding the Trojan War through archaeology.

Democracy in Athens

A limited form of democracy.

Athenian Voting

Only males could participate, and a council of 500 presided over public meetings.

Voting process in Athens

Citizens could vote, debate, and propose laws in meetings presided over by the boule.

Eligibility to vote in Athens

Citizen males who owned land were allowed to vote.

Direct Democracy vs. Representative Democracy

Athenians had a select amount of voters, which would be unfair in modern times.

Pericles

A prominent statesman in Athens.

Athenian willingness to fight

They believed that even if they lost a battle, they would eventually win the war.

Sparta vs. Athens

Students should know the differences in education, military, ethics & morals, women's roles, and government.

Greco-Persian War

Fought between Athens and its allies and Persia, with the Greeks winning.

Start of Persian attacks on Greece

Began around 490 BC.

Battle of Marathon

The major battle that began the Persian Wars.

Consequences of losing the Battle of Marathon

Outcomes are subject to interpretation.

Impact of a Persian victory

Western Civilization and culture would look significantly different today.

Darius I

Leader of the Persians at Marathon.

Leonidas

Leader of the Greeks (Spartans) at Thermopylae.

Thermopylae

Significant battle where the Persians won and Greeks were betrayed.

Salamis

Battle where Athens had an advantage over the Persians due to their ships being too big for the strait.

Triremes

First boat to have three levels for the ships' arrows.

Plataea

The largest and final major battle of the Persian wars.

Greek Golden Age

Timeframe for Golden Age: 500-300 BC, smaller scale 479 BC-431 BC.

Delian League

An important alliance for the Greeks with main purposes including mutual defense.

Peloponnesian War

War fought between Athens and Sparta starting in 461 B.C.E due to rivalry.

Long walls

Athenian strategy during the Peloponnesian War, wrapping around the city-state and harbor.

Thucydides

First scientific historian known for his significant style of recording history.

Macedonians

Powerful tribe located in Northern Greece.

Philip II

Began conquering Greece in 338.

Aristotle

Tutor of Alexander the Great, influencing his 'Greekness'.

Phalanx

A Greek military tactic.

Socrates

One of the three main philosophers of Ancient Greece.

Plato

One of the three main philosophers of Ancient Greece.

Aristotle

One of the three main philosophers of Ancient Greece.

Philosophy

'Love of knowledge' - search for answers to life's big questions.

Herodotus

One of the two historians known for recording history accurately.

Geography of Ancient Greece

Led to the formation of city-states.

Alexander the Great

Contributed to the spread of Greek ideas throughout the world.

Battle of Marathon

A significant battle in which the Greeks fought against the Persians.

Battle of Thermopylae

A significant battle where Spartans fought against the Persians.

Contributions of Greece

Influences on modern society including democracy, philosophy, and arts.