Ancient Greece Quiz

Classics 101

topography + climate

mountainous topography with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or islands. hot-summer mediterranean climate w/ hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. 80% of the land is mountainous

the aegean sea

weak tides, but feature a counter-clockwise surface current system influenced by islands and straits. The sea is home to a vast archipelago of over 1400 islands

significant island groups in the aegean sea

cyclades, dodecanese, crete, rhodes, and lesvos

The road system of Greece

a network of city-state-organized, often narrow paths that were sometimes paved within cities, but frequently just dirt tracks between them

• less unified than Roman roads

The Diolkos

a road that carried ships overland across the Isthmus of Corinth

Fundamental characteristics of greek cities

• fortified urban center with an acropolis

• a central agora for commerce and public life

• surrounding countryside (chora) that supported the populations

• public buildings including temples and theaters

Factors contributing to low life expectancy

• high infant mortality rate and child mortality rates

• diseases and plagues

• high risk childbirth

• warfare

• a lack of medical knowledge and sanitation

Why did Greeks honor their gods?

• to ensure prosperity, health, and protection

• appeasing them was crucial to avoid punishment and gain favor

• gain blessings and avoid misfortune

• to receive protection

• to gain favor in specific endeavors

• to live a life of piety and order

Polytheism

worshipping multiple gods

Anthropomorphic

gods appearing as, or with parts of, an animal

Ritualistic

religious practice centered heavily on specific, formalized actions and ceremonies

• rituals include prayers, making offerings, and sacrificing animals 

“Do ut des”

i give so that you may give

Reciprocity in prayer and sacrafice

core concept where humans made offerings to the gods to receive divine favor in return

• human to divine: offering sacrifices to the gods to receive divine favor in return

• divine to human: gods expected to reciprocate with divine favor, protection, or assistance 

elements of a typical animal sacrafice

purification rites, a procession, and the ritual of slaughtering an animal, then a sacred preparation

• gods recieved the most prized parts, like thigh bones and fat

• burned with wine and incense

preparation and rituals of animal sacrafice

• purification: washing hands in sacred water (knernips) to ensure ritual cleanliness

• the nod: putting water on the animals head so it looks like they’re nodding with conset to be killed

• the kill

• the cry: the women in attendance would let out a ritualistic cry after the animal was killed (ololyge)

divination at delphi

• involved the Pythia, a priestess of Apollo

• Prep included purifying themselves, then making a sacrafice to apollo

• Preists would interpret the prophecy, and then deliever the interpreted prophecy to the seeker

characteristics of greek tragedy

• noble protagonist who suffers a downfall due to a fatal flaw

• reversal of fortune

• insight and realization: the protagonist often comes to an understanding on the flaw right before death

• unity of time, place, and action

tragic competition at the city dionysia at athens

• annual event where 3 playwrights each presented a tetralogy of 4 plays: 3 tragedies and a satyr play

• honored dionysus

Origins of greek athletics

• religious festivals honoring gods with events evolving from military training or rituals

• 1st olympic games in 776bce honored zeus and were apart of a religious festival

• later panhel games were established at delphi, nemea, and isthmia

crown games

• 4 major panhellenic games: olympics, pythian, isthmian, and nemean games

• prize for victory was a crown of leaves

  • olive in olympia, laurel at delphi, pine at isthmia, and wild celeary at nemea

the panthenaea: events and prizes

• events included athletic, musical, and equestrian contests

  • including the stade (footraces), chariot races, wrestling, and the pankratrion (a no-holds-barred combat)

• victors rexeived prizes like panthenaea prize amphore filled with sacred olive oil, monetary prizes (drachmea), gold + silver crowns for muscians, and honorary titles for athletes

the hoplite panoply

the ful suit of armor worn by ancient greek heavy infantrymen, called hoplites

• typically included a bronze helmet, breastplate, greaves, large circular shield (aspis), long spear (dory), and a sword (xiphos)

the agoge

rigorous military training and education program that spartian boys underwent from ages 7-21

Lycurgus

• legendary law giver of sparta

  • honored as a god

Helots and Periokoi

helots were a class of enslaved, state-owned serfs in ancient sparta who worked the land, while perioikoi were free, non-citizen inhabitants who lived in surrounding territories and engaged in crafts and trade

• both subordiants to spartans

• helots were legally considered enemies of the state

lives of spartan women

to contemporaries outside of sparta, spartan women had a reputation for promiscuity and controlling their husbands. women could legally own and inherit property, and were usually better educated than athenian counterparts

spartan poet tyrtaeus

7th century bc greek elegaic poet from sparta, known for his war songs that inspired courage and civic duty in spartan soldiers 

the synoecism of attica

• the political and cultural unification of the independant communicites of the attic penninsula into a single city-state, athens

  • attributed to the hero theseus

  • gradual process occuring through centuries 

pisistratus

politician in ancient athens, ruling as tyrant in the late 560s.

cleisthenes and athenian democracy

clestinenes is credited with establishing athenian democracy around 508 bce. Broke the power of astristrocratic families and rempowered ordinary citizens 

the boule

council of 500. 50 from each 10 tribes in athens. members annually chosen by lot, and prepared meetings for ekklesia

ekklesia

citizen assembly, open to all male citizens over 18, all eligible citizens could attend and participate directly, met about 40 times a year

ostracision

a political tool in ancient athens and other city-states for banishing individuals without a formal trial, used to prevent people from becoming too powerful or those who threatened the stability of the state