Ancient Greece Vocabulary List

polis

a Greek city-state

peninsula

a piece of land nearly surrounded by water

agora

a gathering place; marketplace in ancient Greece

eiren

a Spartan group leader

polity

political organization or form of government

constitution

structure of a government

soothsayer

a person who tells fortunesfable - a story meant to teach a lesson

fable

a story meant to teach a lesson

Zoroastrianism

a Persian religion based on the belief in one god

satrapy

the territory governed by an official known as a satrap

cavalry

part of an army in which the soldiers ride horses

strait

a narrow channel of water connecting two (2) larger bodies of water

philosopher

a person who searches for wisdom or enlightenment

elite

a select group of people at the top of society

Hellenistic Era

the time period after Alexander's death during which Greek culture spread through the known world

anthropocentric

human-centered; interpreting the world in terms of human values and experiences

inspiration

stimulation to think or act in a certain way

hypothesis

a proposed explanation for something that has to be tested

just

fair; righteous; morally good

monasticism

isolated way of life devoted to thinking or prayer

drama

a story written in the form of a play

comedy

a play or film that tells a humorous story

Stoicism

the philosophy of the Stoics who believed that people should not try to feel joy or sadness

plane geometry

a branch of mathematics that shows how points, lines, angles, and surfaces relate to one another

tyrant

a person who seizes power and rules with total authority

direct democracy

a form of democracy in which all citizens can participate firsthand in the decision-making process

representative democracy

a form of democracy in which citizens elect officials to govern on their behalf

helot

an enslaved person in ancient Sparta