Ancient Greek Beliefs and Arts Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering ancient Greek literature, drama, mythology, religion, and the arts based on the provided lecture notes.

Greek tragedies

Serious dramas that often traced the downfall of heroic figures caught in conflict with family, the city, or the gods; famous authors include Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles.

Greek comedies

Plays that ended happily and dealt with current events while making amusing observations about Greek culture, society, and politicians.

Aristophanes

The most famous comic playwright of ancient Greece, two of whose comedies are still performed today.

fable

A short story that teaches a moral lesson, with the most famous examples credited to Aesop.

Aesop

A legendary slave from the island of Samos who lived during the $500s\,BCE$ and was freed for his learning, later traveling to collect and retell fables.

The Odyssey

An epic poem written by Homer in the late $700s\,BCE$ that tells the story of Odysseus' decade-long struggle to return home to Ithaca from the Trojan War.

satrapies

The $20$ provinces into which Darius I divided his dominions.

Darius I

A Persian ruler who divided his empire and was called "the merchant" by the Persians because he made petty profit out of everything.

Herodotus

A Greek historian who wrote about Darius I, Cambyses, and Cyrus.

polytheism

The worship of many gods or deities with supernatural powers.

mythology

A collection of myths or stories that people tell about their gods and heroes.

Arachne

A girl in Greek mythology who challenged Athena to a weaving competition and was turned into a spider as a punishment for excessive pride.

Zeus

The supreme ruler of the gods, lord of the sky and rain, who lived on Mount Olympus and threw thunderbolts.

Hera

The wife of Zeus and queen of the gods who protected married women and their households.

Athena

The goddess of wisdom, protector of cities, and guardian of Athens who reportedly gave the Greeks the gift of the olive tree.

Poseidon

The brother of Zeus and the god of the sea.

Hades

The brother of Zeus who ruled the underworld, the place inhabited by the souls of the dead.

Apollo

The god of prophecy, music, poetry, light, and healing.

Artemis

The twin sister of Apollo and goddess of hunting and childbirth.

Ares

The Greek god of war.

Aphrodite

The Greek goddess of love and beauty.

Olympic games

A famous athletic competition held every $4$ years to honor Zeus, during which all conflicts between city-states ceased.

Delphi

A sacred site on the slopes of Mount Parnassus containing the holy temple of Apollo.

oracle

Someone who predicts what will happen in the future, such as the priestess at the temple of Apollo known as the Delphic oracle.

Parthenon

The finest example of classical Greek architecture, built to honor the goddess Athena by architects Ictinus and Callicrates.

lyric poetry

Short poems that were originally sung by performers while playing a stringed instrument called a lyre.

Sappho

A greatly admired female Greek poet who wrote lyric poetry about human emotions.

drama

A Greek word meaning a play or performance on stage.

chorus

In Greek drama, a group that commented on the action and advised the characters.

cease

An academic vocabulary term meaning to stop.

submission

An academic vocabulary term meaning obedience.