Golden Age of Classical Greece and The Peloponnesian War (499–371 BC) – Key Terms (Vocabulary)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key people, institutions, ideas, and terms from the Golden Age of Classical Greece, Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, and early Greek philosophy.

Delian League

Athens-led alliance formed after the Persian Wars; later transformed into an Athenian empire and vehicle for imperial power.

Pericles

Athenian leader who expanded democracy to poorer citizens (thetes) and promoted civic participation and public works, including building programs.

Thetes

Poorer citizens who gained political voice under Periclean reforms and could be paid for public service.

Periclean Democracy

Democracy expanded to include more citizens and provide pay for civic duties, strengthening participation.

Dionysia

Public religious and cultural festival in Athens featuring dramatic performances.

Tragedy

A form of Greek drama exploring justice, fate, war, and civic duty; often political critique.

Comedy

Greek dramatic form that uses satire to critique leaders and policies.

Theater as democracy

Theater served as a civic forum where shared values were examined and public discourse occurred.

Herodotus

Historian known as the Father of History; emphasized inquiry and storytelling in recording events.

Thucydides

Historian known for evidence-based, critical analysis of war; described the Peloponnesian War as a defining conflict.

Parthenon

Temple on the Athenian Acropolis; symbol of civic pride and architectural height of the era.

Phidias

Renowned sculptor associated with the Parthenon; celebrated naturalism and idealized human form.

Naturalism (Greek sculpture)

Artistic emphasis on realistic, well-proportioned human bodies and ideal beauty.

Slavery in Athens

Foundational to the economy and politics; underpinning democracy and social order.

Peloponnesian War

Prolonged conflict (431–404 BCE) between Athens and Sparta; ended Athens’ empire and weakened Greece.

Sparta

Land-based rival to Athens; opposed imperial expansion and led military strategy in the Peloponnesian War.

Polis

Greek city-state; the political and social unit central to Greek identity and politics.

Sicilian Expedition (415 BCE)

Athens’ huge military campaign against Syracuse that ended in disaster and weakened Athens.

Alcibiades

Charismatic Athenian leader whose shifting allegiances and advocacy for Sicily influenced the war’s course.

Cleon

Demagogic Athenian leader criticized for reckless populism in Thucydides’ account.

Demagogues

Popular leaders who appealed to emotion rather than wisdom; seen as dangerous in democracy.

Thirty Tyrants

Oligarchic regime installed by Sparta in Athens after the war, signaling political repression.

Typhus Epidemic (429 BCE)

Plague that devastated Athens, killed Pericles, and weakened its military and morale.

Socrates

Philosopher who challenged democratic norms; known for the unexamined life and the trial leading to his death.

Sophists

A traveling group of teachers of rhetoric and persuasion; advocates of relativism in truth.

Aristophanes

Comic playwright who satirized Socrates as a sophist in The Clouds.

Plato

Philosopher who portrayed Socrates as a truth-seeker in Crito and authored The Republic; championed justice and philosopher-kings.

Aristotle

Philosopher who emphasized empirical observation, moderation, and practical ethics; defended slavery as natural.

Logos

Principle of order and reason in ancient Greek thought; a key concept in Ionian philosophy and Pythagorean thought.

Arche

The fundamental element or underlying principle sought by the Ionian School (origin of knowledge about the universe).

Ionian School

6th-century BC philosophers from Miletus pursuing arche—the primary substance or principle of reality.

Protagoras

Sophist who proclaimed 'Man is the measure of all things,' exemplifying relativism.

Praxiteles

Sculptor known for introducing lifelike realism in Greek sculpture.

New Comedy

4th-century dramatic shift toward private, everyday life and less political satire.

Pericles’ Building Program

Athens’ reconstruction and monumental projects (including the Parthenon) that showcased civic pride and culture.

The School of Hellas

A descriptor of Athens as a center of culture, philosophy, and the arts during its Golden Age.

Barbarians (Greeks’ term)

Outsiders; used by Greeks like Aristotle to justify cultural hierarchies and slavery.

Republic (Plato)

Plato’s work outlining an ideal city governed by philosopher-kings and harmony.

Philosopher-kings

Plato’s concept of rulers who govern with wisdom and virtue for the common good.