Ancient Greece: The Persian Wars, Athenian Law, and Social Customs

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the key battles, figures, and chronology of the Persian Wars, Delian League, and classical Athenian laws regarding marriage, citizenship, and divorce.

Medize

The act of Greek polises choosing to side with Persia during the Persian expansion and conflicts.

Delian League

An alliance formed to fill the power void in the Aegean after Persia was driven inland, which ultimately led to the creation of the Athenian empire.

Croesus of Lydia and Cyrus the Great (546 BC)

The historical confrontation in 546 BC between Cyrus the Great of Persia and Croesus of Lydia as Persia expanded westward.

Ionian Revolt (499–494 BC)

A major conflict occurring from 499 to 494 BC in which Athenians provided aid to Ionian cities against Darius and the Persians.

Battle of Marathon (490 BC)

A 490 BC battle in which Miltiades and Athens fought against Hippias, Darius, and the Persian forces.

Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC)

A 480 BC engagement during Xerxes's invasion of Greece where King Leonidas and 300 Spartans made their stand.

Battle of Salamis (480 BC)

A 480 BC naval battle against Xerxes's invasion forces led by Themistocles and the Allied Greek fleet.

Battle of Plataea (479 BC)

A decisive 479 BC land battle led by Spartan Pausanias and the Spartan infantry against Persian forces.

Battle of Mykale (479 BC)

A 479 BC engagement where the Allied Greek fleet confronted Persian forces in the Aegean region.

Ancient Greek Marriage Age and Life Expectancy

The custom setting the ideal marriage age at circa 14 for a girl and circa 30 for a man, influenced by short life expectancies of 36 for women and 45 for men.

Ancient Greek Marriage Vow

The most serious formal agreement of a marriage, made between the bride's male guardian and the groom.

Ancient Greek Wedding Ceremony

A sequence of rituals not focused on the couple: a feast at the bride's home, a procession to the groom's home, entering the wedding chamber while the crowd made noise to drive away evil spirits, a next-day dowry procession, and a later feast for the groom's friends.

Epikleros Rules

Inheritance-related rules that encouraged inbreeding; under Greek law, marriage between full siblings was illegal, but paternal half-siblings sharing the same father could marry.

Athenian Citizenship Law of 451 BC

A law mandating that an individual must have both parents as citizens to hold Athenian citizenship, ending the previous practice of allowing foreign mothers (such as Themistocles's mother) and highlighting aristocratic versus democratic conflicts.

Athenian Divorce

A straightforward legal separation achievable by mutual consent or initiated by either spouse with no attached social stigma; a husband could send his wife back to her family, or a wife could have a male relative bring the case before the archon, while children remained with the father.