Ancient Greece

6th grade quizlet

Peninsula

A body of land that is surrounded on three sides by water.

Aegean Sea

An arm of the Mediterranean Sea, off the east coast

of Greece.

Colony

a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland

Monarchy

state ruled over by a single person, as a king or queen

Aristocrat

a member of a rich and powerful family

Oligarchy

form of government in which a few people have the power

Tyranny

a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

Democracy

A government in which power is held by the people, who exercise power directly or through elected representatives.

Citizen

A person with certain rights and responsibilities in his or her country or community

Assembly

A group of citizens, in an ancient Greek democracy, with the power to pass laws.

Athens

a city-state in ancient Greece; the capital of modern-day Greece

Sparta

an ancient Greek city famous for military prowess

Council of 500

A group of 500 Athenian citizens randomly elected for one year to propose laws in Athens

Council of Elders

The 28 Spartans over the age of 60 that helped make laws

Peloponnesus

the southern peninsula of Greece, dominated by ancient Sparta.

Agora

the marketplace in ancient Greece

Persian Wars

A series of wars between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire (5th century B.C.).

Persian Empire

a vast empire of southwest Asia founded by Cyrus II after 546 B.C. and brought to the height of its power and glory by Darius I and his son Xerxes

Cavalry

soldiers on horseback

Parthenon

temple in Athens built to honor the goddess Athena

Acropolis

a large hill in ancient Greece where city residents sought shelter and safety in times of war and met to discuss community affairs

Heliot

Spartan slave

Marathon

a battle in 490 BC in which the Athenians and their allies defeated the Persians

Polis

A city-state in ancient Greece.

Solon

Early Greek leader who brought democratic reforms such as his formation of the Council of Four Hundred

Olympic games

in ancient Greece, an athletic competition held every four years in honor of Zeus

Olympia

City i n the Peloponesus where the Olympics took place

Darius

Persian king who put satraps in place and built the Royal Road

Ionian Sea

The body of water to the west of Greece.

Black Sea

a sea between Europe and Asia

Phoenicians

A maritime people who spread their alphabet to others including the Hebrews, Romans, and Greeks.

Minoans

One of the early Greek peoples from 2600 BCE to 1500 BCE. Inhabitants of the island of Crete.

Javelin

light spear thrown by hand

Zeus

King of the gods

Hera

Queen of the gods, Zeus wife

Athena

Goddess of wisdom guardian of Athens

Dionisus

God of wine

Poseidon

God of the sea and earthquakes

Aphrodite

Goddess of love and beauty

Pathernon

Temple that dominates the hill of the Acropolis at Athens. It was built in the mid-5th century bce and dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena.

Pindus Mountains

Runs through the center of the Greek mainland and is considered the backbone of Greece.

Iliad

Homer's great epic that tells the story of the Trojan War

The Odyssey

Homer's major epic means a long, adventurous journey

Artemis

goddess of the hunt and the moon

Solon

Early Greek leader who brought democratic reforms such as his formation of the Council of Four Hundred

Acropolis

A fortified hilltop in an ancient Greek city

Phoenicia

An ancient seafaring civilization located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea

Carthage

A cityCorinth located in present-day Tunisia, founded by Phoenicians ca. 800 B.C.E. It became a major commercial center and naval power in the western Mediterranean until defeated by the expanding Roman Republic in the third century B.C.E.

Corinth

A Greek city-state ruled by an oligarchy and later, a tyranny. where there is the istmus and a canal separating Greece's mainland from the Peloponesus

Istmus

narrow stretch of land connecting two larger land areas