Ancient Greece Exam Master List

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to Ancient Greece, including the Bronze Age, major civilizations, and cultural developments during the Dark Age and Archaic period.

Bronze Age

The era from c. 3500-1150 BCE characterized by the use of bronze, palace societies, and complex trade networks.

Minoan Civilization

A palace-centered civilization on Crete, notable for its complex administration and religious structures.

New Palaces

Period from c. 1800-1550 BCE when palaces on Crete were built on a grand scale, marking the peak Minoan power.

Linear A

Minoan script used primarily for administration, not securely deciphered.

Mycenaean Greece

A civilization on the Greek mainland (Late Helladic period) characterized by fortified citadels and Linear B writing.

Wanax

The top ruler or king in Mycenaean palace society, distinct from the later basileus in the Dark Age.

Dark Age

Period from c. 1150-750 BCE characterized by reduced population, disappearance of writing, and cultural continuity through oral traditions.

Basileus

A local chief or leader during the Dark Age, serving as protector and priest.

Polis

A small autonomous city-state in ancient Greece, emerging from the unification of villages.

Xenia

A guest-host friendship system in Greek culture involving reciprocal hospitality and gift exchange.

The First Olympic Games

Traditionally dated to 776 BCE, marking a key event in ancient Greek culture.

Nomothetai

Lawgivers in the 7th century BCE who published customary laws, undermining aristocratic privileges.

Heroon

A shrine or monument dedicated to a hero, reflecting the community's worship rituals.

Tholos tomb

A beehive-shaped tomb with a corbelled dome, typically associated with Mycenaean elite burials.

Phoenicians

Major seafaring traders in the ancient Mediterranean whose settlements influenced Greek colonization.

Al Mina

An early 8th century BCE Greek trading post in northern Syria, significant for its contact with Phoenicians.

Penteconter

A standard Archaic Greek warship with 50 rowers, known for its speed but lack of maneuverability.

Cyclopean Walls

Massive stone walls characteristic of Mycenaean fortifications, exemplified in sites like Mycenae and Tiryns.

Electrum

A natural alloy of gold and silver, used in early Greek coinage.

Hesiod

A farmer-poet from the late 8th to early 7th century BCE known for works like 'Works and Days' and 'Theogony'.

Colonization (Apoikiai)

The process of establishing new independent city-states overseas, significant during 750-550 BCE.

Bronze Age

The era from c. 3500-1150 BCE characterized by the use of bronze, palace societies, and complex trade networks.

Minoan Civilization

A palace-centered civilization on Crete, notable for its complex administration and religious structures.

New Palaces

Period from c. 1800-1550 BCE when palaces on Crete were built on a grand scale, marking the peak Minoan power.

Linear A

Minoan script used primarily for administration, not securely deciphered.

Mycenaean Greece

A civilization on the Greek mainland (Late Helladic period) characterized by fortified citadels and Linear B writing.

Wanax

The top ruler or king in Mycenaean palace society, distinct from the later basileus in the Dark Age.

Dark Age

Period from c. 1150-750 BCE characterized by reduced population, disappearance of writing, and cultural continuity through oral traditions.

Basileus

A local chief or leader during the Dark Age, serving as protector and priest.

Polis

A small autonomous city-state in ancient Greece, emerging from the unification of villages.

Xenia

A guest-host friendship system in Greek culture involving reciprocal hospitality and gift exchange.

The First Olympic Games

Traditionally dated to 776 BCE, marking a key event in ancient Greek culture.

Nomothetai

Lawgivers in the 7^{th} century BCE who published customary laws, undermining aristocratic privileges.

Heroon

A shrine or monument dedicated to a hero, reflecting the community's worship rituals.

Tholos tomb

A beehive-shaped tomb with a corbelled dome, typically associated with Mycenaean elite burials.

Phoenicians

Major seafaring traders in the ancient Mediterranean whose settlements influenced Greek colonization.

Al Mina

An early 8^{th} century BCE Greek trading post in northern Syria, significant for its contact with Phoenicians.

Penteconter

A standard Archaic Greek warship with 50 rowers, known for its speed but lack of maneuverability.

Cyclopean Walls

Massive stone walls characteristic of Mycenaean fortifications, exemplified in sites like Mycenae and Tiryns.

Electrum

A natural alloy of gold and silver, used in early Greek coinage.

Hesiod

A farmer-poet from the late 8^{th} to early 7^{th} century BCE known for works like 'Works and Days' and 'Theogony'.

Colonization (Apoikiai)

The process of establishing new independent city-states overseas, significant during 750-550 BCE.

Linear B

The deciphered syllabic script of the Mycenaeans used for archival records, representing an early form of the Greek language.

Oikos

The basic social unit of Ancient Greece, encompassing the family, their house, and all their property and dependents.

Agora

A central public space in the Greek polis used for assemblies and as a marketplace.

Hoplite

A heavily armed Greek infantryman who fought in a phalanx formation, typically providing his own armor.

Geometric Period

A phase of Greek art (c. 900-700 BCE) characterized by linear motifs on pottery and a resurgence of seafaring trade.

Ethnos

A regional ethnic group or league of villages that shared a common identity but did not initially form a centralized polis.

Metropolis

The 'mother-city' of a Greek colony, which provided the founder (oikistes) and the initial population for an apoikia.

Tyrant (Tyrannos)

An absolute ruler who gained power through unconventional means, often championing the cause of the common people against the traditional aristocracy.

Phalanx

A dense block formation of hoplite soldiers standing shoulder-to-shoulder, where shields overlapped to create a nearly impenetrable wall.

Panhellenism

The sense of cultural unity and shared identity among all Greeks, reinforced by common religious sites, festivals, and language.

Oracle of Delphi

The sacred precinct of Apollo where the Pythia delivered oracular responses, influencing significant political and social decisions across the Greek world.

Homer

The legendary epic poet to whom the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey' are attributed, whose works served as the foundation of Greek education.

Greek Alphabet

The first true alphabet using symbols for both vowels and consonants, adapted from the Phoenician script during the 8^{th} century BCE.

Lefkandi

An archaeological site on Euboea containing a massive Dark Age building and rich burials, providing evidence for early social stratification.

Megaron

The principal rectangular hall in a Mycenaean palace, typically serving as the throne room and the ritual center of power.

Kleros

A plot of land assigned to a citizen, serving as the necessary economic basis for maintaining their status within the polis.

Knossos

The primary Minoan palace complex on Crete, famous for its maze-like architecture and vibrant frescoes depicting bull-leaping and nature.

Oikistes

The appointed leader of a colonization expedition who was responsible for choosing the site, distributing land, and establishing the new city's laws and sanctuaries.

Stasis

A state of internal civil strife or factional conflict within a Greek polis, often resulting from social inequality or power struggles among the elite.

Symposium

A formalized drinking party for elite Greek men, serving as a critical social institution for political networking, competition, and the transmission of aristocratic values.

Kouros

An Archaic Greek statue of a standing nude male youth, characterized by a rigid posture and the 'Archaic smile,' used as a grave marker or a votive offering.

Kore

A free-standing Archaic statue of a clothed young woman, typically draped in elaborate garments and serving as a dedicatory gift to a deity.

Lycurgus

The semi-mythical lawgiver of Sparta who is traditionally credited with the radical military and social reforms that shaped Spartan society into its classic form.

Helots

The class of unfree, state-owned laborers in Sparta, primarily the indigenous populations of Messenia and Laconia, who worked the land for the Spartan citizens.

Synoecism (Synoikismos)

The process of 'dwelling together,' where several separate villages or communities politically merged to form a single, centralized city-state.

Aristocracy

A form of government where power is held by a 'superior' class of noble families who initially dominated the Greek poleis through hereditary land ownership and religious prestige.

Great Rhetra

The Spartan constitution, said to have been received from the Oracle of Delphi, which established the council of elders (Gerousia), the kings, and the assembly.