Ancient Greece Exam Master List

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms and definitions related to Ancient Greece, focusing on significant historical periods, people, places, and cultural concepts.

Bronze Age

Period (c. 3500-1150 BCE) characterized by palace societies and the use of bronze (copper + tin).

Linear A

Minoan script used for administration; not securely deciphered.

Linear B

Syllabic script on clay tablets used in Mycenaean bureaucracy; records Mycenaean Greek.

Mycenaean Greece

Late Helladic period, known for fortified citadels and Linear B administration.

Minoan

Palace-centered civilization on Crete known for trade and distinct art.

Tholos tomb

Beehive-shaped burial structure with corbelled dome; prominent in Mycenaean architecture.

Shaft grave

Deep rectangular burial at Mycenae exhibiting wealth, particularly found in Grave Circle A.

Cyclopean walls

Massive stone fortifications characteristic of Mycenaean citadels.

Wanax

Top ruler/king in the Mycenaean palace system, differing from the Dark Age basileus.

Basileus

Local chief or leader during the Dark Age; relied on personal authority.

Heroon

Monument or shrine for worshiping heroes; indicates social continuity in the Dark Age.

Xenia

Guest-host friendship based on gift exchange; hereditary among generations.

Polis

City-state consisting of a city and surrounding farmland; emerged after the Dark Age.

Acropolis

High, defensible area within a polis, often housing major temples.

Agora

Public open space in a polis used for markets and civic meetings.

Stoa

Colonnaded building in Greek architecture used for various civic purposes.

Olympic Games

First recorded games held in 776 BCE; important part of Greek cultural identity.

Phoenician alphabet

Script adapted by Greeks, including vowels, marking the return of literacy.

Cyrene

Greek settlement in Libya founded around 630 BCE; famous for exporting silphium.

Naucratis

Greek trading port in Egypt; significant for trade and cultural exchange.

Hesiod

Farmer-poet whose works provide insight on farming practices and societal issues.

Mycenae

Site known for elite graves and significant archaeological finds, such as gold masks.

Delphi

Location of the Oracle of Apollo, consulted for divine guidance during colonization.

Cyclades

Group of islands in the Aegean Sea, culturally distinct from Crete.

Ionia

Region on the west coast of Asia Minor, significant for trade and early Greek innovation.

Minoan Crete

Civilization characterized by maritime trade, complex administration, and unique art.

Eruption of Thera

Volcanic eruption affecting Aegean trade networks and leading to Minoan decline.

Iron smelting

Process of extracting metal from ore; spreads in Greece around 1050 BCE.

Al Mina

Early trading post in northern Syria, important for Greek-Phoenician interactions.

Syracuse

Greek colony founded by Corinth, later a powerful settlement in Sicily.

Magna Graecia

Region in southern Italy densely populated by Greek settlers.

Penteconter

Type of ancient Greek warship; equipped with 50 rowers.

Nomothetai

Legislators tasked with writing and publishing laws during the Archaic period.

Aristocracy

Noble elite claiming divine descent, prominent in early polis governance.

Sea Peoples

Migrating groups associated with the Late Bronze Age collapse around 1200 BCE.

Homer

Epic poet known for the Iliad and Odyssey, reflecting societal values and traditions.

Electrum

Natural alloy of gold and silver used for early Greek coins.

Cumae

Site of an Ionian settlement; significant for Greek history and Roman connections.

Hero cult

Cultural practice of honoring deceased heroes, as evidenced by sites like Lefkandi.

Apoikia

Term for Greek colonies; independent city-state settlements abroad.

Emporion

Commercial settlement or trading post, such as Naucratis.

Kolonization

Process of founding new independent city-states overseas during the Archaic period.

Oikistes

Founder-leader responsible for establishing a new Greek colony.

Dark Age

Era from c. 1150-750 BCE marked by the decline of palace systems and loss of writing.

Cultural continuity

Persistence of cultural practices, such as religion and oral poetry, through the Dark Age.

Hellenes

Greeks' name for themselves; distinguished from the Roman term Graeci.

Historia

Greek term for inquiry or investigation into the past.

Homeric epics

Important literary works fixed in writing during the late 8th century BCE.

Xenia

The concept of hospitality and guest-friendship in ancient Greek culture.

Hellenistic Period

Era following the conquests of Alexander the Great, characterized by Greek cultural diffusion.