My Greek History Flashcards

I liked this class a lot and like to remember this stuff.

Epigraphy

The study and interpretation of ancient inscriptions

Heinrich Schliemann

German archaeologist who excavated the site in Turkey and finding the remains of Troy. Found Shaft Graves where Mycenaean Elites were buried with significant items

Lycourgos

The "original lawmaker" for the Spartan government. Delivered his speech, The Great Rhetra, in which he laid out a form of oral constitution for the Spartans. Herodotus ~ "Chosen by Apollo" as the original lawmaker to establish eunomia.

Shaft Grave

Grave consisting of deep, rectangular pits made for elites and their lineage. Each elite was buried with some sort of significant item showing their societal status.

El Armana Letters

A series of hand-written cuneiform letters written as diplomatic exchanges the Egyptians and surrounding nations in the Early Bronze Age. Earliest form of legible writing that is very similar to Linear B in it's process (written on clay)

Iconography

The visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these. Used by historians to infer information about ancient civilizations and their practices and norms.

Cuneiform

A system of writing in which words were characterized by symbols. Each symbol represented a type of vowel combination that eventually combined to create names, locations, and other words. Written on clay tablets as the earliest form of writing

Knossos

The largest city of the Minoan civilization of significant importance and contained much of the remaining Linear A documents salvaged over time.

Redistributive economy

System of Minoan, and later Mycenaean, economic organization in which a substantial share of the wealth flows into the control of a centralized administration, the palace, and out from there to the general population in times of importance (Religious festivals, storage against shortfall, etc.)

Linear B

A form of syllabic script based off of Linear A, but further developed by the Mycenaeans. Used for strictly administrative documents and logging (movements of goods, tax receipts, lists of personnel/workers).

Pylos

Main city-state in the Hither Province of the Mycenaean civilization.

Mycenae (2)

Site of shaft grave excavations in the 19th century AD. In Homer's epic poems, Mycenae was the base of King Agamemnon, who commanded the Greeks besieging Troy.

Cyclopean Architecture

Term used to describe the ancient Mycenaean palaces and their construction. Large stones (such as the wall at Tiryns) believed to be moved by cyclopi

Wanax

Mycenaean word for king. Head of the societal ladder and in control of entire Mycenaean empire/kingdom

Megaron

Large throne room constructed in palaces strictly for the king as a throne room. In Mycenaean architecture, the Megaron was the heart of the castle and was protected by all surrounding walls and hallways.

Bronze Age Collapse

Around 1200 BCE, the destruction of palaces and end of the Mycenaean empire as a superior power. Trade routes were lost, and literacy began to decline once again during this collapse.

Homeric Question

The doubt and consequent debate over the identity of Homer, the authorship of the Iliad and Odyssey, and their historicity. Was Homer an actual person/author? Or was it a collective group of people who put together the writings?

Hesiod

Author, wrote Works and Days(a farmer's almanac) and Theogony (a geneology of the gods)... shorter poems than Homer. Wrote poems for significant importance and even competitive performance.

Works and Days

A didactic poem written by Hesiod about farming. More so, a manual on proper behavior in order to maintain a productive and functioning agricultural society (Wisdom Literature). Main viewpoints: work hard, contribute to the redistributive economy, be nice to your neighbors.

Theogony

Poem by Hesiod describing the origins and genealogies of the gods. Tells of the creation of the cosmos and the generation of the gods (Gods - Titans -Olympian Gods - lineage of children gods).

The Iliad and Odyssey

Greek epic poems attributed to Homer; defined relations of gods and humans that shaped Greek mythology. The Iliad covers a part of the Trojan War cycle in which Troy is besieged by the Greeks. The Odyssey covers the adventures of Odysseus on his return from the Trojan War.

Heroon at Lefkandi

Monumental structure in timber and mud brick covering the burials of a man, woman, and four horses. Ca. 1000-950 BCE. Very similar to shaft graves found in Mycenaean society, and also the Homeric burial of Patroclus.

Symposium

A gathering where elites drank together, conversed, and enjoyed themselves usually following a dinner. Also the place for a lot of oral poetry

Pithekoussai

First Greek settlement established in 750 BCE off the coast of Italy as a commercial settlement for trade. While a cultural hub to spread Greecian influence, it was also a place in which other nations' practices were received and learned

Emporion

Places where traders had a place to come and exchange goods and practices of their home nations. Established as sites of complex, "hybrid" cultural identities

Polis

Urban settlement as a center of a political community, and controlling force of a territory in the Archaic Age. Place of meeting for the Boule (Political Institutions) and the Agora (Commercial Institutions)

Agora

a public open space used for assemblies and markets in ancient Greece. Established around the creation of poleis.

Basileus

The "king" in the polis. Commanded army and presided over many of the religious matters. Many of Homer's heroes were, in fact, local basileis

Demos (non-Athenian)

Part of the political community, but shut out by Aristoi in the poleis. The common folk/people not included in any form of government; merely instructed to contribute to the poleis with goods.

Demos (Athenian)

Under Kleisthenes, the Demos are the ruling political power when it came to making political decisions and agendas. Still, even though important in politics, former elites and wealthy figures still played a major influence in society. Demos also had possession of Ostracism power

Messenian Wars

Conflicts between the neighbors Sparta and Messenia that resulted in Messenia's conquest by Sparta in about 600 B.C.E. Multiple attempts were made, however, the Second Messenian War ended with the enslavement of the Messenians and the addition to the Spartans' Helots (slaves)

Hoplite

A citizen-soldier of the Ancient Greek City-states. They were primarily armed as spear-men, and fought in phalanx formations with one-another. Thought of as the "middle-class", and were not trained in one-on-one combat, but rather group combat.

Panoply

Heavy bronze armor supplied by the "citizen-soldiers": the Hoplites. Thick metal chestpiece and helmet with arm guards worn by all Hoplite warriors alongside large shields.

Phalanx

A military formation of Hoplite foot soldiers armed with spears and shields. Every shield would be arranged in order to cover the side of the neighboring Hoplite, and created an almost impenetrable defense against opposition in combat.

Stasis

A state of civil unrest prominent throughout Greece, especially during the age of the tyrants. Stasis was the point in which the societal constructs of Greecian city-states were fragile because they did not have a strong central power or form in which to govern.

Helots

Spartan slaves who were essentially refugees enslaved after battle. Given no place in Spartan society, and never given an opportunity to gain citizenship or any sort of rights.

Spartiate

A full citizen of Sparta, who had gone through the agoge. Given all rights a Spartan citizen could possess. The Spartiates were actually few in number because it was difficult to maintain status. Each Spartiate was required to contribute to the Sysstia with a certain quota of goods in order to support the Spartan community.

Periokoi

In ancient Sparta, free inhabitants but not full citizens - were required to pay taxes and perform military service. Not given as much power as Spartiates, however, more than the Helots.

Syssitia

Spartan communal meal between men and youths. It is the core civic institution of Sparta, and is very similar to the redistributive system used by more ancient civilizations such as the Minoans.

Agoge

The Spartan military school that boys began attending at the age of seven. Taught in the ways of combat and how to lead a life in the military while upholding the values of a Spartan. Typically provided a mentor in which students bonded with and developed a pederastic relationship.

Krypteia

Spartan rite of passage in which young men were required to kill a helot with their bare hands and not get caught. Also designed in order to terrorize the helot population in an effort to suppress and prevent revolts.

Eunomia

"Good political order" followed by the Spartans. Given to them by Lykourgos through the Great Rhetra, Eunomia was a state of being contributed by and maintained through the Spartans' regulation of their traditional practices and ways of life.

The Great Rhetra

Speech given by Lycourgos to the people of Sparta as a form of oral constitution. Designed education, training, general ethics, and described many of the traditional practices in which the Spartans followed.

Ephors/Ephorate

5 annually elected magistrates whose main purpose is to oversee the dual kingship and keep them in check. Not originally part of the Rhetra.

(Spartan) Kings

Dual kingship passed down by lineage (two seperate families). The kings were the main commanders of the military forces for all of Sparta.

Apella

Spartan citizen's assembly entirely comprised of Spartiates. Vote on legislation regarding the Spartan people.

Hypomeion

Natural full-born Spartan citizen deprived of full rights because of failure to provide for the sysstia. Still expected to serve in the military, but always recognized and known as a failure.

Alkmaeonids

Family cursed after the killing of Kylon. Kleisthenes, a future Alkmaeonid, is banished from Athens by Kleomenes, king of Sparta, in order to expel the curse (and also to stop the rise of democracy).

Kylonian Affair

The attempt of Olympic victor and aristocrat, Kylon, and his followers to overthrow the Acropolis on the day of a religious celebration (Zeus) in order to become tyrant. Efforts futile, followers murdered and chained, and Kylon is eventually found and killed.

Drako's Law code

Laws pertaining to homicide and unintentional murder. Supposedly a part of a wider set of laws, this law was inscribed in order to diminish intra-elite cycles of violence by involving LOTS of family consensus when it came to determining the sentence to a murder, whether unjust or not.

Seisachtheia

"shaking off of debts"-when Solon banned enslaving debtors, freed all debt slaves and recalled all exiles due to debts. The people freed were called the Hektamoroi, and were allowed to live as free men rather than be debt slaves.

Pentekosiomedimnoi

"500 measure men" at the top of the societal ladder under the Solonian reforms. The richest men who's land could grow "500 medimnoi" of yield.

Hektamoroi

The debt slaves who the Solonian Reforms, especially the Seisachtheia, freed. Men who were unable to pay off their debts and, instead, were required to work on their debtors' lands in order to work off the money they owed.

Hippeis

Second highest social class in Athens, they could afford to serve on the cavalry. Nicknamed the "knights" because they were able to afford horses on their land because of their size yield.

Zeugitai

The second lowest class of Athens who formed the foot soldiers (hoplites) of the army. Also nicknamed the "ox-team" because they were mainly responsible for raising cattle and ox on their plots.

Thetes

Athenian citizens who did not own any land and were mere Peasants during the Solonian Reforms. Were not able to farm crops or anything of the sort.

Boule (Solonian)

Council of 400 approved and appointed people/members. Responsible for making many of the legislative decisions and actions brought up from the Assembly. Selected to serve for life.

Boule (Kleisthenic)

New council of 500 men; 50 representatives from each tribe accounted for the executive actions based upon their individual places of origin. Selected to serve for one year and selected by lot (chance).

Hippias

(527-510 B.C) Son of Peisistratus. He abused powers as partial tyrant of Athens when his brother, Hipparchus, was murdered, so sent into exile. His short reign ended tyranny for Athens.

Hipparchos

Son of Peisistratus who is murdered by Harmodios and Aristogeiton. Accidental assassination because their target was, rather, his brother, Hippias.

Kleomenes

The king before Leonidas who was responsible for keeping careful watch over the Tyrants of Greece - very anti-tyrant based. Once Kleisthenes introduced democracy to the Greeks, Kleomenes exiled Kleisthenes in fear of democracy spreading to Sparta and threatening to get rid of the political balance of the Archaic empires.

Peisistratos

Tyrant from Ancient Greece; known to "rule like a citizen"; took land from the rich and gave it to the poor to make it equal. Respected the religious values and practices of other nations. Made multiple attempts to become tyrant - failed twice due to 1. overthrow by Megakles and Lykougos (political rivals) and 2. a broken agreement between Megakles and Peisistratos (marriage betwen him and Megakles' daughter. 3rd time is successful due to brute force and domination of Acropolis (ironic compared to leadership style).

Panatheneia

A festival held in Athens every four years in honor of Athena. The cause of the Athenians "always being late to things" in the eyes of other nations.

Kleisthenes

The "father of Athenian democracy", a noble Athenian and member of the Alkmaionidai; credited with establishing democracy in Athens. Broke up regional power blocks by establishing a new delineation of groups from various regions of the Greek empire.

Deme (not demos)

139 in total within the Kleisthenic Greece World. A Deme was a village in Attica or neighborhood in Athens proper that held Greek citizens. These were then comprised in order to make larger groups of political groups called Trittys.

Trittys

Part of Cleisthenes' reforms; trittys were the next division after demes, and there were 30; people within 155 non-proximate geographical districts were separated into 30 trittys; extremely democratic. Makes sure each trittys is roughly equal because some demes are smaller than others.

Tribe

3 Trittys total make up a Tribe, and 10 Tribes to make up the entirety of the Demos. There are 3 denominations of trittys that make up a particular tribe. City, coast, and plain trittys were combined in order to create Tribes with many differences in practices and ideals.

Ekklesia

The Kleisthenic Assembly filled with a collective of all citizens selected to fill the magistracy positions at random. The Ekklesia has the final say when it comes to making political decisions raised by the Boule.

Ostrakon/Ostracism

Every year there was an assembly where you were given a piece of pottery (ostraca) were could write the name of somebody you wanted exiled. This method was used to keep people from getting to much power. People were exiled for ten years, however, they maintained their citizenship, property, and revenues while exiled.

Autopsy

First-hand witness method used by Herodotus in order to gather the best evidence for his writings. This included going directly to certain local informants and becoming more knowledgeable about certain practices and/or folklore.

Cyrus

Was the first king of the Achaemenid Persian Empire by defeating the Medes, Lydians, and Babylonians. Was known for his allowance of existing governments to continue governing under his name while maintaining a constant spread of his empire. Governed his empire through the use of Satraps/Satrapies.

Satrapy/satrap

A governor of a province in ancient Persia installed by Cyrus the Great. Used as a method in order to collect taxes from provinces, kick % up to the king, and also mobilizing the army of their individual provinces.

Cambyses II

530-522 BC The son of Cyrus who became the King of Persia after the death of his father. Expands the empire into Egypt and kills his "brother" Smerdis. Creates a state of turmoil through his "brother's" death as a new, fake Smerdis, arises and begins to stir up a revolt. Cambyses dies on his way back from Egypt to resolve the Smerdis dispute.

Smerdis

Younger brother of Cambyses the Younger; son of Cyrus the Great; was assassinated by his brother; impersonated in order to stir turmoil and raise a revolt against the Persian king, Cambyses. Fake Smerdis is inevitably murdered by Persian nobles.

Darius

The third king of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, and cousin of the first king, Cyrus. He ruled the empire at its peak. Continues expansionist policies of Cyrus in which he establishes dominance while simultaneously respecting and honoring the practices of the nations he conquers.

Ionian Revolt

Ionian cities revolted against Persian Rule, helped by Athenians and Eretrians. At first it was a success, then crushed by Persians. Began with the failure of Aristagoras, tyrant of Miletos, to take over the island of Naxos with Persian help.

Behistun Inscription

The famous Behistun inscription was engraved on a cliff about 100 meters off the ground. Darius tells us how the supreme god Ahuramazda choose him to dethrone an usurper named Gaumâta, how he set out to quell several revolts, and how he defeated his foreign enemies. This is a very biased inscription and is more so used as a "Rosetta Stone" for their ancient language and stories.

Aristagoras

Led 499 B.C. revolt of Ionians (Ionian Revolt) against Darius and Persian Empire. Tyrant of Miletos who approached Persians initially with offer to take over the island of Naxos. When he fails, he fears for his position of tyrant and influences surrounding poleis to revolt while simultaneously establishing Miletos as a democracy.

Trireme

Greek warships built specifically for ramming enemy ships. It was built to be powered by 200 rowers rowing in perfect unison with one another (lots of practice and training within the Athenian military). Established by Themistokles, the Athenian statesman and politician who used silver deposit profit towards building a navy.

Miltaides

Athenian military general who encouraged Kallimachos to make the tie-breaking vote between generals so that the Athenian military would meet the Persian military outside the city walls of Athens at the battle of Marathon. Inevitably led the Hoplite forces into battle, and conquers the Persian forces in the First Persian War.

Xerxes

Son of Darius; became Persian king. He vowed revenge on the Athenians. He invaded Greece with LARGE military both land & sea. Surprisingly, he did not loot and burn Greek villages that praised loyalty to Persia by gifting "water and earth" from each village.

Thermopylai

The combined forces of the Greek hoplites, 300 Spartan warriors, and other Hellenic forces were VERY outnumbered by the persians. They tried to block the mountain pass, Thermopylai, and created a choke point in which they held back the Persians for multiple days without significant losses. This was until Greek Ephialtes (Grade-A dick) tells Xerxes about a secret mountain pass around the narrows in which the remaining forces of the Greeks are surrounded and slaughtered.

Leonidas

King of Sparta after Kleomenes and hero of the battle of Thermopylae where he was killed by the Persians. Had the opportunity to flee with his forces prior to being slaughtered, however, he chose to press onward and sacrifice his life and those of the other 300 in order to kill as many Persians as possible.