archaic greece

Polis

city-state, the main political unit of ancient Greece, the city and surrounding countryside

agora

central public space used for discussion and trade

Phoenicians

Among the first to develop an alphabet, that the Greeks took and improved

Isthmian Games

Years before and after Olympics, Poseidon at Corinth

Pythia

High priestess of the temple of Apollo at Delphi

Cypselus

first tyrant of Corinth

Periander

Second tyrant of Corinth, son of Cypselus, who was a firm and good ruler

Hesiod

Greek poet, active the same time as Homer

Theogony

Work of Hesiod, that details the origin stories of the gods

Works and Days

Poem by Hesiod, a farmer’s almanac, and tells the story of Prometheus

Pindar

Greek poet who wrote victory odes for athletes

Draco

Ruler who put together the first Athenian law code in the 600s

Cylon

failed at attempting to become tyrant in the 600s, hid in a temple and was killed outside the temple using a rope

Alcmaeonids

Prominent Athenian family, one member killed Cylon

Solon

made changes to Athenian government that would pave the way for Athens to become a democracy in the early 500s

Croesus

King of Lydia who was defeated by Persian king Cyrus the Great

Cleisthenes

presented reforms that made the Athenian democracy stronger at the end of the 500s

Archon

one of the nine annually elected Athenian officials

Strategos

Athenian chief general

Polemarch

an archon that served as military commander in chief

Basileus

presided over religious matters

Ekklesia

the popular assembly of Athenian citizens

Deme

local district within a larger city state or polis

Metics

non-citizen residents of Athens, holding a social status between foreigners and citizens

Aristides the Just

Athenian statesman and strategos, recalled Athenian exiles, was later exiled himself

Laconia

Formal name for Sparta, area in which Sparta is located

Lycurgus

legendary founder of the Spartan constitution

Ephor

5 annually elected Spartan officials with various executive duties, including overseeing the kings

Gerousia

Spartan council of 30 consisting of the 2 kings and 28 men over 60 with a lifetime term, elected by shouting

Messene

fortified city state, was under the control of Sparta, many citizens went into exile, city was abandoned for some time

Perioikoi

Dwellers around the city, non-citizens

Krypteia

Patrolled the helots

Peisistratus

Seized power twice, strengthened the economy by promoting olive cultivation, commissioned Homer

Hippias

Oldest son of Peisistratus, last tyrant of Athens, deposed when Sparta invaded Athens

Hipparchus

Second son of Peisistratus, tyrant of Athens, murdered by Harmodius and Aristogeiton

Harmodius and Arestogeiton

Athenian lovers who murdered Hipparchus

Herodotus

first historian, wrote the history of the Greco-Persian wars

Cyrus the Great

founder of the Achaemenid empire, or the Persian empire

Achaemenid Empire

Persian empire, from Egypt to south Asia

Cambyses

Son and successor of Cyrus the Great, invaded and won Egypt

Darius I

Third king of the Persian empire, wanted to conquer Greece, lost the battle at Marathon

Ionian revolt

Uprising of Greek city states against Persian rule, marking the start of the Persian Wars

Battle of Sardis

First battle of the Ionian revolt, Greek armies launched an attack at a Persian capital in Greece, with the help of Athenians

Miltiades

Planned the Athenian strategy which led to victory at Marathon, he was familiar with the Persians fighting style

Battle of Marathon

Battle in 490 bc, Athenians and Plataeans against Persians under Darius I, Persians lost

Xerces

Son of Darius I, ruler of Persia, renewed his father’s campaign in Greece, defeated at the battle of Salamis

Leonidas

King of Sparta who sacrificed himself at Thermopolye, to deter the Persians, allowing Greeks to regroup and recede

Thermopolye

480 bc, battle between Persians and allied Greek city states, led by Leonidas, Greeks lost, but allowed time for Greeks to retreat

Artemesium

A naval engagement in 480 bc, took place simultaneously with Thermopolye, Greek fleet retreated after Persian victory at Thermopolye

Themistocles

Athenian general, persuaded Athenians to build up their navy, helped secure victory at Salamis, exiled later in life

Battle at Salamis

Led by Themistocles, Athenian ships waited in the bay for the Persians, who were cramped due to their large ships, Persians lost

Artemesia

Queen of Halicarnassus, fought at the battle of Salamis

Maurdonias

Persian commander, spearheaded the destruction of Athens, killed in the battle of Plataea

Pausanias

Spartan general, led Greece to victory at the battle of Plataea, suspected of being a traitor, was starved to death in a temple

Battle of Plataea

Final land battle of the Persian Wars, Athenians surrounded the Persians in their camp, Persians went after the Athenians because they thought they were retreating

Battle of Mycale

Second major battle that ended the Persian Wars, Persian camp was attacked, Persians lost, and their navy was destroyed

Attica

region of territory controlled by Athens surrounding the city, divided into city, shore, and inland regions

Hipparchos

Athenian calvary commander

Phylai

Tribes in Athenian society

Phratry

brotherhoods that may have been military in nature

Taxiarchos

Athenian infantry commander

Boule

Athenian council of 400-500 that prepared material for the Ekklesia

Genos

Divided from phratry, two clans per phratry

Thesmothtai

six of the nine archons, presided over judicial matters

Areopagus

Council of retired archons

Epithet

descriptive phrase attached to an epic character’s name

Dactylic hexameter

six beat poetic rhythm used for epic poetry

Oral formulaic composition

Technique of composing long narratives orally that uses numerous standard scenes and descriptions

Thespis

Credited with inventing drama

Plot

Most important part of a tragedy

Spectacle

Least important part of a tragedy

Aristophanes

Only surviving author of old comedy

Deus ex machina

Literary device in which the author introduces something unexpected, used by Euripedes

Agon

Long debate scenes

Who is the author of the only known surviving trilogy?

Aeschylus

Who excavated at Knossos?

Sir Arthur Evans

Tholos

Tomb made from a corbelled dome built into a hill using a passage called dromos

Peloponnesus

Large peninsula of Southwestern Greece

Cyclades

group of islands between Greece and Turkey

Ashlar masonry

Stone set in joints to create an even surface

Cyclopean masonry

Mycenean architecture using massive limestone boulders without mortar

Hypostyle

Hall whose roof is supported by columns

Delian League

Led by Cimon, collection of Greek city states who provided Athens with money and soldiers to defend the area against another Persian invasion

Peloponnesian League

Alliance of Greek city states, led by Sparta, one of the participating groups in the Peloponnesian war

Cimon

Athenian Strategos, son of Miltiades, led the Greeks at Eurymedon, supported Sparta during a helot rival, but he was sent away

Thucydides

Athenian strategos, author of The History of the Peloponnesian War, got information from both sides, responsible for surrender at Amphipolis

Pericles

Athenian leader, took money from the Delian league to build the Parthenon, advocated for a defensive strategy

Archidamus II

Spartan king at the outbreak of the Peloponnesian war, advocated to avoid the Athenians at sea, and pillage the area around Athens

Corcrya

Corinthian colony whose dispute with Corinth led to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian war

Battle of Potidaea

Colony of Corinth, part of the Delian league, Athenians backed them against the Corinthians

Sphacteria

Island near Pylos where the Athenians trapped and captured a large Spartan force

Cleon

Athenian leader at Sphacteria, killed later at the battle of Amphipolis

Nicias

Athenian leader at Syracuse, rival of Cleon, arranged the short-term peace with Sparta, killed by Syracusans

Battle of Amphipolis

City in Thrace, sieged by Brasidas, Cleon led army to take it back, both were killed, Spartan victory

Brasidas

Spartan leader who captured Amphipolis, but died in the battle of Amphipolis

Alcibiades

one of the Athenian leaders at Syracuse, switched sides several times, and convinced Sparta to send troops to Syracuse against the Athenians

Lysander

Spartan naval commander whose victory at Aegospotami led to Spartan victory

Arginusai

Battle in which the Athenian fleet badly defeated the Spartan fleet, Athenian commanders put on trial for failing to rescue fallen soldiers

Aegospotami

Battle that ended the war, as the Athenians last fleet was destroyed

Xenophon

Student of Socrates, authored Hellenica, which details the Peloponnesian war, took over for Thucydides