Ancient Greece

city-state

a city that acts like an independent governing country, like a tiny nation

acropolis

A protected hilltop in an ancient Greek city

philosophy

love of wisdom, a pursuit of knowledge about the meaning of life

Athens

Greek city-state that emphasized democracy, art, theater, and philosophy

Sparta

Greek city-state ruled by an oligarchy and focused on military

Parthenon

A temple dedicated to the goddess Athena

Trojan War

A story/epic in Greek mythology about a war between the Greeks and Troy

Golden Age of Athens

a period of growth in ancient Athens in intellectual & and artistic learning, drama, poetry, philosophy, architecture, & science

direct democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule by discussing issues and vote directly

citizens

people with the right to participate in government. In Athens, this included adult males who were free and sons of citizens

tributes

payments by one nation to another for the price of protection

Pericles

Athenian leader known for advancing democracy in Athens and for ordering the construction of the Parthenon.

Socrates

An Athenian philosopher who was known for developing a method of questioning. He didn't write any teachings down.

mythology

Stories about gods and heroes that try to explain how the world works

Homer

A Greek poet, author of the Iliad and the Odyssey

Peloponnesian War

The war between Athens and Sparta that in which Sparta won, but left Greece as a whole weak and ready to fall to its neighbors to the north.

Alexander the Great

King of Macedonia who conquered Greece, Egypt, and Persia

oligarchy

A type of government in which a small group of leaders control decision-making.