Module 1 -- Humanities Test #1

Minoans

Ancient civilization that lived on the island of Crete from 1900-1400 BCE, known for their prosperous society and large harbors.

Mycenaeans

Ancient civilization that lived on the Peloponnese Peninsula from 1600-1200 BCE, known for their militant and aggressive nature.

Heinrich Schliemann

German archaeologist who discovered the site of Troy and the city of Mycenae, driven by his passion for the Trojan War stories.

Trojan War

A legendary conflict between the Mycenaeans and the city of Troy, lasting ten years.

Heroic Code

The ethos of performing brave deeds in battle so that one's name is remembered by poets.

Polis

Latin term for city-state; Ancient Greece was made up of approximately 200 independent city-states.

Acropolis

The highest hill in a city, typically where temples dedicated to the gods were constructed.

Democracy

Political system invented by the Greeks, meaning 'Power to the people'.

Olympics

Ancient Greek athletic competitions held every four years, starting in 776 BCE, where only men and boys could compete.

Battle of Marathon

A pivotal battle in 490 BCE where 10,000 Greeks defeated 90,000 Persians.

Battle of Thermopylae

A famous battle where 300 Spartans, led by King Leonidas, held off a much larger Persian army.

Battle of Plataea

Decisive battle where the Greeks defeated the Persians, marking the end of Persian attempts to conquer Greece.

Golden Age in Athens

A period of cultural flourishing and intellectual advancement in Athens from 480-430 BCE.

Delian League

An alliance of Greek city-states led by Athens formed in 478 BCE to defend against Persian aggression.

Peloponnesian Wars

Conflict that erupted between the independent city-states of Sparta and Athens, starting in 431 BCE.

Humanism

A philosophical stance emphasizing the value of human potential and achievements.

Idealism

A belief in representing things in their perfect state, often associated with classical art.

Rationalism

The principle of placing faith in reason as the primary source of knowledge.

Contrapposto

A pose in art where weight is distributed on one leg, creating a sense of relaxed naturalism.

Doric

One of the three orders of Greek architecture, known for its simple, sturdy design.

Ionic

An architectural style characterized by scroll-like capitals.

Corinthian

The most ornate of the three Greek architectural orders, characterized by acanthus leaves as capital decoration.

Naturalist Philosophers

Thinkers like Thales and Hippocrates who applied reason to understand the natural world.

Socrates

A philosopher who focused on ethical questions and is known for the Socratic Method of inquiry.

Plato

Socrates' student who founded the Academy and developed the Theory of Forms.

Aristotle

Plato's student who rejected the Theory of Forms and emphasized knowledge acquired through the senses.

Empirical Method

The approach of gaining knowledge through sensory experience, foundational to Aristotle's philosophy.

Golden Mean

Aristotelian ethical concept of moderation between excess and deficiency.

Hellenistic Style

A period characterized by individualism, realism, emotional expression, and respect for diverse cultures.

pericles

an Athenian leader, steals the Delian League treasury money, brings it back to Athens, and uses it to rebuild the city, including the Parthenon, a monument to Imperialism. 

He justifies himself by telling the people that since Athens did most of the work in the Persian Wars, it is rightly theirs 

This launches the Peloponnesian Wars (written about by Thucydides) 

Homer

Either a blind poet named Homer or a collection of poets who wrote the accounts and formed the Iliad. 

Sophists

Turned from the world of nature to the inner world (the mind)  

Believed in relative truth 

Protagoras believed sensory appearances and beliefs are only true for the person whose appearances and beliefs they are (relative truth)