Key Terms and Concepts of Ancient Greek Culture

Acropolis

Elevated citadel of Athens with major temples like the Parthenon; symbol of Athenian pride

Altar

raised platform for sacrifices and offerings to the gods. 

Andrōn

The men's dining room in a Greek house, used especially during symposia.

Agora

Open public space for markets, politics, and social life.

Antigone

A tragedy by Sophocles about a woman who defies King Creon to bury her brother Polynices.

Apology

A Socratic dialogue by Plato where Socrates defends himself against charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. defense speech where socrates chooses truth over death.

Archidamus (II)

King of Sparta during the early Peloponnesian War; warned against rushing into war with Athens.

Arkiteia

A coming-of-age ritual festival she-bear for girls dedicated to Artemis, practiced at Brauron.

Artemis

Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and young women; often associated with chastity and protection. , childbirth, and protector of young girls.

Ashlar masonry

A construction technique using precisely cut and fitted stones for building walls. nice rectangular stones used for elite buildings, nice version of cinder blocks.

Aspasia

A learned woman in Classical Athens, companion of Pericles, known for her intelligence and rhetorical skill.

Asty

The urban center or city proper, in contrast to the surrounding countryside (chōra).

Athena

The goddess of wisdom, war, and the patron deity of Athens.

Burial

A significant religious and civic act in ancient Greece, involving rituals like the prothesis and ekphora.Ritualized practice marking death, memory, and civic identity.

Brauron

A sanctuary of Artemis in Attica, associated with the Arkiteia ritual for young girls. Sanctuary of Artemis where girls performed puberty rituals.

Cape Zoster

A cape in Attica with a temple to Apollo. Mythical site where Leto prepared to give birth to twins. - It was the site of a sixth century sanctuary to Apollo called The Temple of Apollo Zoster

Chorēgos

Wealthy sponsor of dramatic productions at festivals in athens

Chryselephantine

A sculpture style using gold and ivory.  like Athena in the Parthenon.

City Dionysia

A major Athenian festival featuring dramatic contests. Honors dionysus

Cleon

eft leaning politician of 420s, leads military in surprise win over spartan, grinding down in war (demagogic politician) popular then died in battle

Creon

King in Antigone; symbolizes law and order.

Colonus

Suburb of Athens and sacred setting of Oedipus at Colonus, where Oedipus finds redemption and a mysterious death.

Corcyra

In Thucydides' account of the Peloponnesian War, Corcyra (modern Corfu) experienced a naval blockade, part of a larger conflict involving Athens and Corinth. The blockade was a strategic maneuver employed by Corinth against Corcyra, which had allied with Athen

Corinth

Corinth played a crucial role in the Peloponnesian War debate, initial debate in Thuyc., major greek city between Athens and sparta. Should we go to war? 

Crito

Plato's dialogue about Socrates' refusal to escape prison. same neighborhood and age of socrates, speaks to him in dialogue, closeness to Socrates (jailbreak). Crito is Socrates' friend and neighbor who is close to Socrates' age. Crito visits Socrates in prison to offer him an opportunity to escape death. Crito is motivated by a desire to save Socrates' life, fearing his execution is imminent. The dialogue explores the themes of justice, obedience to laws, and the nature of civic responsibility

Critoboulos

Son of Crito; appears in Xenophon's works.  framed narrator in the household management about what does a good property look like through him 

Delian League

Athenian-led alliance formed against Persia.

Delos

Sacred island and early treasury site of the Delian League.

Diodotus

Athenian who argued against executing Mytileneans.

Dipylon Gate

Main gate in Athens; near a major cemetery.

Ekphora

Funeral procession in ancient Greek rites.

Ekklēsia

Citizen assembly in Athens for political decisions.

Eleusis

Site of the Eleusinian Mysteries dedicated to Demeter and Persephone.

Erechtheion

temple to Erectious myth founder, snake leg and early kings divine cult or hero cult he's the hero cult. dedicated to Athena, Poseidon, and the mythical king Erechtheus. Erechtheus was worshipped as a hero, not a god, and his cult was associated with Poseidon in the temple, indicating a shared reverence. The temple also housed shrines dedicated to Hephaestus and Boutes, Erechtheus's brothe

Eteocles

Son of Oedipus who died fighting his brother Polynices for control of Thebes. Brother of Polynices; fought in the Theban civil war.

Funeral oration

Public speech honoring the war dead, most famously given by Pericles to praise Athenian values.

public speech honoring the war dead.

Genre

A category of artistic composition with shared features (tragedy, comedy, etc.).

Haemon

Son of Creon and fiancé of Antigone, who dies defending her and opposing his father's harsh rule. Creon's son and Antigone's fiancé.

Herm

Sacred stone pillar with a carved head and phallus, used for protection and marking boundaries. Pillar with Hermes' head and phallus, used as boundary markers.

Hero cult

someone died bones are there, super powerful person, w death location and venerated as god, not immortal but they have spirit that needs honors Worship of legendary human figures as semi-divine.

Hetaira

Educated courtesan or companion, often present at symposia.

Hetairos

Companion or comrade, often in military contexts.

Hieron

A sacred precinct or sanctuary.

Horos

Boundary stone or marker.

Ikaria

An island associated with Dionysus; also a deme in Attica.

Ischomachus

Wealthy Athenian featured in Xenophon's Oeconomicus.

Ismene

Sister of Antigone; represents caution and compliance.

Kalos/kalon

"Beautiful" or "noble"; aesthetic and ethical ideal.

Kerameikos

A district of Athens, including a major cemetery.

Korē

eleusis cult and daughter w persephone, feminine youthful statue type dressed in robe, solitary statue in cemetery means daughter (demeters or type of image) A type of statue of a young woman, often votive. an archaic Greek statue of a young woman, standing and clothed in long loose robes.

Kyrios

The male guardian or legal representative of a woman.

Lekythos

A narrow oil flask, often found in graves.

Lesbos

Island home to the poet Sappho.

Long walls

Defensive walls connecting Athens to Piraeus.

Louterion

Basin used for ritual purification.

Marathon

Site of the Athenian victory over the Persians in 490 BCE.

Metic

A resident foreigner in Athens; had legal obligations but no full citizenship.

Misogyny

Disdain or prejudice against women, present in some Greek texts.

Mystery cult

cant talk about fight club, temples cauldrons and indoor dark space, trip down to hades w happy afterlife. Religious groups with secret rites (e.g., Eleusinian Mysteries).

Mytilene

Island city that revolted against Athens; sparked a major Athenian debate over punishment and justice (Thucydides).

Naiskos

 little temple, funeral site, couch and deceased reclining on it  (tim shae, replicate divine things) dead is opposite of god but go through ritual  Small shrine, often seen in funerary art.

Nemesis

Goddess of retribution who punishes hubris and restores balance. Goddess of retribution and divine justice.

Nicias

peace of nicias that ends archidamian era of the war (422-404, not all out continuous war) dies w Cicely expedition 

Athenian politician; negotiated the Peace of Nicias during Peloponnesian War.

Nike

Goddess of victory; often associated with Athena.

Oeconomicus

Xenophon's dialogue on estate management and household order.

Oikos

The household unit; basic structure of Greek society.

Oracle

A prophetic message from a god, typically via a priestess.

Parthenos

A maiden or virgin; associated with Athena.

Parthenon

Temple to Athena Parthenos on the Acropolis.

Pastas

greek household, no major openings to outside, windows upstairs, corridors and megaron central courtyard and the then other one (the pastas)  A long hallway or room along a courtyard in Greek houses.

Peloponnesus

The southern Greek peninsula; home to Sparta and Corinth.

Peloponnesian Alliance

League led by Sparta opposing Athens. The Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta, was a military alliance of Greek city-states, primarily centered on the Peloponnese peninsula. Key members included Corinth, Tegea, Sicyon, Epidaurus, Phleius, Halieis, Megara, Aegina, Troezen, Hermione, Elis, Mantinea, and Orchomenus. The alliance provided protection and security for its members, especially against threats like Argos. Athens had opposing delian league.

Peribolos

An enclosed court or sacred precinct.

Phaedo

Plato's dialogue on Socrates' final moments and the soul.

Phil-

Greek prefix meaning 'love' (e.g., philosophy = love of wisdom).

Piraeus

The main port of Athens.

Plataea

siege of Plataea, and battle 479 of Greek unity moment, had this icon of Greek unity that became poster child for devastation of infighting Site of major Greek victory over Persia in 479 BCE.

Plato

Athenian philosopher who explored ethics, justice, and the ideal society through dialogue Philosopher and student of Socrates; founded the Academy.

Polis

Greek city-state; the basic political, social, and religious unit of ancient Greece.

A Greek city-state; the central political unit.

Polygonal masonry

Stone construction using irregular but fitted stones. cobble not uniform 

Polynices

Brother of Eteocles; fought against Thebes in Antigone.

Poseidon

God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses.

Propylaia

The monumental gateway to the Acropolis.

Prostas

The main room or front room in a house.

Prothesis

Laying out of the body in Greek funerals.

Promachos

A front-line warrior or large statue symbolizing defense.

Prytaneum

Public building housing the city's sacred hearth and officials.

Rhamnous

Site of a temple to Nemesis and strategic fort. There she was a daughter of Oceanus, the primeval river-ocean that encircles the world. Pausanias noted her iconic statue there.

Ritual lament

Public mourning performed for the dead.

Sacred Way

goes through Dipolong gate to Eleusis, connecting parthenon and Eleusis on the other.Road from Athens to Eleusis used in the Mysteries

Sacrifice

Ritual offering to the gods, often of animals to seek favor or give thanks

Sanctuary

Sacred area dedicated to a god.

Slavery

Widespread institution in Athens; enslaved people had no political rights and performed labor in homes, fields, and mines. Central institution in ancient Greek society.

Sparta

Militarized city-state and Athens' rival.

Socle

The stone base that supports a statue or monument. The base or pedestal for a statue or monument.

Socrates

Philosopher who taught ethics through questioning, moral inquiry, and challenging authority

Socratic irony

way of quietly giving Greek finger to other Athenians? Say something you cannot trust/ Philosophical debate, read as textbook (get lost in vagueness)  Pretending ignorance to expose someone else's ignorance.

Socratic speeches

Dialogues by Plato and Xenophon featuring Socratic methods.

Sophocles

Athenian playwright of tragedies like Antigone.

Sounion

Cape with a famous temple to Poseidon.