CLC 101 Intro to greek civilizations quiz 1

What did the Greeks call themselves?

Hellenes; their land was Hellas.

What are the five main historical periods of Ancient Greece?

Bronze Age (3000-1100 BC), Dark Age (1100-776 BC), Archaic Period (776-480 BC), Classical Period (480-323 BC), Hellenistic Period (323-31 BC).

Why is 776 BC significant?

Date of the first Olympiad, marking the beginning of the Archaic Period.

What developed in the Archaic Period?

The polis, Pan-Hellenism, literature, colonization, and the Persian Wars.

What was the Classical Period known for?

Democracy, the Athenian Empire, Peloponnesian Wars, and flourishing of art and literature.

What marked the start of the Hellenistic Period?

Death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC; his empire was divided, and eventually Greece fell under Roman control.

Geographical features of Greece

Small, rocky, mountainous, limited fertile land; ideal for grain, grapes, olives; surrounded by the sea which encouraged trade and contact with Egypt and the East.

Father of History

Herodotus (5th century BC).

What sources inform us about the early Greeks?

Archaeological remains (art, ruins, artifacts), written remains (Homer, Hesiod), and later historians.

Who identified the site of Troy?

Heinrich Schliemann (1870, Hissarlik in modern Turkey).

What was the Cycladic civilization known for?

Figurines such as the "stargazer," harpist, and female figurines (c. 2800-2400 BC).

Who were the Minoans?

Bronze Age civilization on Crete (3600-1000 BC), excavated by Sir Arthur Evans; known for Knossos palace, frescoes, and trade.

Why are they called "Minoan"?

Named by Evans after the mythological King Minos and the Minotaur.

Palace of Knossos

Large, labyrinth-like complex; decorated with frescoes of bulls, dolphins, and figures; partially restored by Evans.

Character of Minoan art

Frescoes, marine-style vases, snake goddess figurines; colorful, dynamic, nature-inspired.

What is Akrotiri?

A Minoan settlement on Thera (Santorini) preserved by a volcanic eruption in 1628 BC; called the "Pompeii of the Aegean."

What is Linear A?

Undeciphered writing system of the Minoans, c. 1800-1450 BC.

What is Linear B?

Deciphered in the 1950s; an early form of Greek used by the Mycenaeans; found on Crete and the mainland.

Who were the Mycenaeans?

Bronze Age civilization (1600-1100 BC); palace culture on mainland Greece (Mycenae, Pylos, Tiryns); ancestors of later Greeks.

When and where did Mycenaean civilization flourish?

When: 1600-1100 BC, peak 1450-1200 BC. Where: Greek mainland, especially in the Peloponnese and central Greece, and also extending its influence to Crete, the Cyclades, Asia Minor, and parts of the central Mediterranean through trade and military

How do we know about Mycenae?

Shaft graves, tholos ("beehive") tombs, Lion Gate with Cyclopean walls, fortified acropolis with a megaron.

Why is Linear B significant?

Shows Mycenaeans as early Greeks, conquerors of Crete, and links to later Greek language.

What caused the end of the Bronze Age?

Palace destruction, population decline, invasions, natural disasters, economic collapse, possible "Sea Peoples" raids.

Why is the "Dark Age" called "dark"?

Loss of writing, population decline, fall in art and architecture; limited records. It's "dark" to us, not necessarily to them.

What site gives us insight into the Dark Age?

Lefkandi (Euboea), which remained occupied; contained monumental building and tombs (c. 950 BC).

Key technological development of the Dark Age

Iron tools and weapons (cheaper and stronger than bronze).

Proto-geometric pottery

1050-900 BC; precise designs using compass; developed in Athens.

What ended the Dark Age?

Population growth, colonization, codified laws, development of polis, Greek alphabet (from Phoenicians c. 750 BC).

Earliest examples of Greek writing

Cup of Nestor (c. 735 BC) and Dipylon inscription (c. 740 BC).

Who was Homer?

Poet whose works were written down c. 750 BC; author of the Iliad and Odyssey; considered the educator of Greece.

Trojan War date (traditional)

1184 BC.

How do Homer's poems reflect multiple periods?

Bronze Age material culture (chariots, boar's tusk helmet), Dark Age practices (cremation), Archaic social/political features (phalanx warfare, polis).

Who was Milman Parry?

20th c. scholar who showed that Homer's formulaic style reflected oral poetry traditions.

What is a "Mycenaean survival" in Homer?

Descriptions of gold-rich Mycenae, monumental tombs, ships, and artifacts like boar's tusk helmets.

What is a phalanx?

Archaic and Classical battle formation with soldiers lined up shield to shield, spears outward.

Who was Hesiod?

Poet from Boeotia, c. 700 BC; author of Theogony and Works and Days; considered the "first personality" in Greek literature.

Why is Hesiod important?

Along with Homer, he defined the gods for the Greeks and explained their origins.

What are Hesiod's two works?

Theogony (origins of gods, cosmogony) and Works and Days (farming, morality, country life).

What is a cosmogony?

Story of the birth of the cosmos.

What is a theogony?

Story of the birth of the gods.

Who are the Olympian gods?

Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Dionysus.

Who is Zeus?

King of the gods, ruler of sky and thunder; overthrew his father Kronos; established stable rule with justice and reason.

How did Zeus secure his rule?

Ended the cycle of succession by swallowing Metis, later giving birth to Athena from his head.

What is the significance of Prometheus?

Titan who tricked Zeus with sacrifice, stole fire for mankind, punished by having his liver eaten daily; his theft also led to the creation of womankind as punishment.

Why does Hesiod's Theogony begin with a hymn to the Muses?

Hesiod claimed the Muses inspired him, legitimizing his authority as a poet.

Where were early greek settlements located?

Crete, Cyclades, and Mycenae

What is a tholos tomb and why is it significant?

What: A self-supporting domed roof, held in place by the weight of the stones.

Why: They demonstrate the architectural advancement during the late bronze age

What is the lion gate?

The principal entrance to the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae in Greece

What are Cyclopean walls?

A wall constructed of large natural rocks, called cyclopean due to the fact that the rocks were so large a cyclops must have built it

What are characteristics of Mycenaean society?

Fortified citadels, a powerful king, and a feudal system with nobles, artisans, farmers, and slaves