Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, governance systems, philosophy, military, and historical developments of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

Polis

An independent Greek city-state developed within a valley and its surrounding mountains.

Agora

A public marketplace in a Greek city-state that served as the center for trade and government.

Acropolis

A temple built on a hill in a Greek city-state dedicated to a sacred god.

Monarchy

A state ruled by a king with hereditary rule, practiced in Mycenae by 2000 B.C.

Aristocracy

A state ruled by elite nobility based on family ties, social rank, and wealth, practiced in Athens prior to 594 B.C.

Oligarchy

A state ruled by a small group of citizens based on wealth or ability who control the military, practiced in Sparta by 500 B.C.

Direct Democracy

A state ruled by its citizens who vote directly on decisions based on citizenship and majority rule, practiced in Athens by about 500 B.C.

Socratic Method

A question-and-answer teaching approach developed by Socrates that exposed flaws in people's thinking.

Philosopher-Kings

The top governing social class in Plato's 'The Republic' who rule the state wisely because they love knowledge and truth above all.

Rule of Law

The principle outlined by Aristotle stating that everyone, including a ruler, should be subject to the law.

Peloponnesian War

A war stemming from competition for influence between Athens and Sparta, in which Sparta defeated Athens and left the Greek city-states weak and open to invasion.

Persian Wars

A series of conflicts from 493 B.C. to 479 B.C. where Persian kings Darius and Xerxes tried and failed to conquer the Greeks.

Hellenism

A vibrant culture representing the spread and blending of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian ideas across Alexander the Great's empire.

Alexandria

A Greek-styled city founded by Alexander the Great in conquered lands, most notably in Egypt, which featured a famous museum and library and became the center for Hellenistic trade and culture.

Greco-Roman Culture

The culture resulting from the blending of Greek and Roman cultural achievements after Rome conquered the Greek city-states.

Latins

The group considered to be the first Romans, who built the original settlement of wooden huts on the Italian peninsula and helped spread Latin-derived languages.

Etruscans

Skilled metalworkers native to northern Italy who influenced Roman civilization through architecture, such as the arch, and gladiator events.

Republic

A form of government established in Rome where power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders.

Forum

A central public space in Roman cities used for markets and public gatherings, similar to the Greek agora.

Patricians

Wealthy Roman nobles who made up 5% of Roman citizens and controlled most of the land as well as key military and government positions.

Plebeians

Roman commoners—such as farmers, shopkeepers, or peasants—who made up 95% of Roman citizens and paid the majority of taxes.

Senate

A governing council of 300 members elected by Roman citizens to make laws and set taxes, lasting throughout Rome's entire history.

Twelve Tables

Rome's written laws created in 451 B.C. and displayed in the forum, establishing that all citizens had a right to the protection of the law.

Legion

A large military unit in the Roman army consisting of 5,000 soldiers.

Century

A sub-unit of a Roman legion consisting of 80 men.

Catapulta

A Roman war machine used by soldiers to shoot arrows.

Ballista

A giant catapulta that could hurl huge stones for 300 meters to destroy enemy walls or fortresses.

Punic Wars

A 43-year series of battles on land and water in which Rome defeated Carthage to become the dominant power in the Mediterranean.

Pax Romana

A 207-year era of peace, wealth, and expansion ('the Roman Peace') that began under Augustus and lasted from 27 B.C. to 180 A.D.

Martyrs

People who sacrifice their lives for their beliefs, such as early Christians executed by Romans, whose deaths helped spread their faith.

Edict of Milan

A proclamation issued in 312 A.D. by Emperors Constantine and Licinius bestowing tolerance and equality for Christianity and other religions.

Constantinople

The new capital of the Roman Empire located in the East (formerly Byzantium), established by Emperor Constantine as a major trade center.

Byzantine Empire

The name given to the Eastern half of the Roman Empire after the fall of Western Rome in 476 A.D., which preserved Greco-Roman culture for another 1,000 years.