CL 101 Midterm

Troy

The ancient city in Asia Minor, central to the Trojan War and the setting of much of The Iliad.

Aegean Bronze Age

The period (approximately 3000–1200 BCE) when Aegean civilizations like the Minoans and Mycenaeans thrived.

Mycenaean Civilization

A late Bronze Age civilization (1600–1100 BCE) known for its palatial cities and warrior culture.

Late Bronze Age Collapse

The fall of several advanced civilizations, including the Mycenaeans, around 1200 BCE.

Greek Dark Ages

A period following the Bronze Age collapse (c. 1100–800 BCE), characterized by reduced literacy.

Early Iron Age

The period after the Greek Dark Ages when iron became the dominant material.

EIA Chieftain

A leader during the Early Iron Age, often a tribal chieftain.

Transformative 8th Century

The 8th century BCE marked by the formation of the Greek polis (city-state).

Early Archaic Period

The period from the 8th to 6th centuries BCE when Greek city-states began to develop.

Aristocrats

The upper class in ancient Greece, often depicted as warriors or landowners.

Colonization

The expansion of Greek influence through settlement in new territories.

Polis

A Greek city-state, the fundamental political unit in ancient Greece.

Trojan War

The legendary war fought between the Greeks and Trojans, central to The Iliad and the backdrop to The Odyssey.

Homeric Question

The debate over whether Homer was a real individual and the method of composition of the epic poems.

Oral Poetry

A form of poetry passed down through oral tradition, exemplified by The Iliad and The Odyssey.

Heroic/Epic Epithet

A descriptive phrase used to characterize a hero, such as 'swift-footed Achilles'.

Formula

Repeated phrases or lines used in oral poetry to aid memorization and performance.

Thersites

A soldier in the Greek army known for his cowardice and criticism of Agamemnon.

Agamemnon

The leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War, central to the conflict with Achilles.

Chryses

A priest of Apollo whose daughter is captured by the Greeks, leading to a plague.

Chryseis

The daughter of Chryses, taken as a war prize by Agamemnon.

Briseis

A woman captured and awarded to Achilles, whose removal sparks his wrath.

Achilles

The greatest of the Greek heroes in the Trojan War, known for his anger and withdrawal from battle.

Sarpedon

A Trojan prince and son of Zeus, who fights bravely but is killed by Patroclus.

Diomedes

A Greek hero known for his bravery and significant role in The Iliad.

Zeus

The king of the gods, whose decisions impact the events in The Iliad and The Odyssey.

Hera

The queen of the gods, who supports the Greeks in the Trojan War.

Athena

The goddess of wisdom and warfare, aiding Greek heroes.

Ares

The god of war, depicted fighting alongside the Trojans.

Thetis

Achilles’ mother, a sea goddess who intervenes on his behalf.

Helen

The wife of Menelaus, whose abduction by Paris leads to the Trojan War.

Hector

The greatest Trojan warrior, whose death at the hands of Achilles is pivotal.