Greece Complete Study Guide

What are the two main types of Greek drama?

Tragedy and Comedy

What is the Trojan Horse?

A large hollow wooden figure filled with Greek soldiers, left by the Greeks outside Troy during the Trojan War.

What does 'polis' refer to in ancient Greece?

A Greek city-state.

What does 'acropolis' mean?

Greek for 'high city'; the chief temples of the city were located here.

What is an 'agora'?

A public open space used for assemblies and markets.

Who are the Mycenaeans?

A group of people who settled on the Greek mainland around 2000 B.C.; leading city called Mycenae.

Who were the Dorians?

A Greek-speaking people who migrated into mainland Greece after the destruction of the Mycenaean civilization.

What civilization developed on the island of Crete around 2000 B.C.?

The Minoans.

What was the Persian Empire known for?

Tolerance, bureaucracy, with famous rulers like Cyrus the Great and Darius; they had the Royal Road for trade.

What are the titles of the two epic poems written by Homer?

The Iliad and The Odyssey.

What is a monarchy?

A government ruled by a king or queen.

Define aristocracy.

The highest class in certain societies, especially those holding hereditary titles or offices.

What is an oligarchy?

A government ruled by a few powerful people.

What does tyranny refer to?

Cruel and oppressive government or rule.

What is Sparta known for?

A powerful Greek military polis that practiced oligarchy and relied on enslaved people known as helots.

What are helots?

Enslaved people in ancient Sparta.

What were hoplites?

Heavily armed foot soldiers of ancient Greece.

What was Athens known for?

A democratic Greek polis known for cultural achievements and conflicts with Sparta.

What is democracy?

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect representatives.

What were the battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis?

Key battles of the Persian Wars, with Marathon and Salamis won by Greeks and Thermopylae won by Persians.

What was the Delian League?

An alliance between Athens and many allied cities following the first Persian invasion of Greece.

What were the Persian Wars?

A series of wars between the Greeks (mainly Athens) and the Persians where the Greeks were usually victorious.

What is the Parthenon?

A large temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, built during Athens’ golden age.

What were the Olympics?

Greek athletic competitions held to celebrate the gods and rivalries between city-states.

What was the Peloponnesian War?

The war between Athens and Sparta (431-404 BCE) that ended with Sparta's victory.

What is hubris?

Excessive pride or arrogance that leads to the downfall of a tragic protagonist.

Who were the Sophists?

Greek teachers of philosophy, reasoning, and public speaking.

What is Macedonia known for?

An ancient kingdom north of Greece, whose ruler Philip II conquered Greece.

What does Hellenistic refer to?

Culture influenced by the Greek Empire, typically after the conquests of Alexander the Great.

What is Alexandria?

A city in Egypt founded by Alexander the Great, known as a center of commerce and Hellenistic civilization.

What is Stoicism?

An ancient Greek philosophy that emphasized ethics and emotional self-control.

What is Epicureanism?

A philosophy founded by Epicurus that teaches happiness through the pursuit of pleasure.

Name the three types of columns in Greek architecture.

Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

What is a phalanx?

A formation of soldiers carrying shields close together for defense.

What is the Aegean Sea?

A body of water that surrounds Greece and Asia Minor, containing many islands including Crete.

What is the Peloponnesus?

The peninsula forming the southern part of the mainland of Greece.

What is the Balkan Peninsula?

A large peninsula in southeastern Europe containing the Balkan Mountain Range.

What contributions did the Phoenicians make to writing?

They developed the alphabet from which many modern languages have evolved.

What did Prometheus do?

He stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans.

Who is Zeus?

The king of the gods in Greek mythology.

Who is Hera?

The goddess of marriage; Zeus's wife.

What is Athena the goddess of?

Wisdom and war.

Who is Apollo?

The god of music, poetry, prophecy, and medicine.

What domain does Poseidon govern?

The sea and earthquakes.

What does Hades rule?

The underworld.

Who is Aphrodite?

The goddess of love and beauty.

What is Artemis known for?

The goddess of the hunt and the moon.

Who was Achilles?

The greatest Greek warrior whose only vulnerability was his heel.

Define Hector in Greek mythology.

The noble Trojan prince and greatest warrior of Troy in the Iliad.

Who is Odysseus?

The protagonist of the Odyssey, known for his long journey from Troy to Ithaca.

Who was Draco?

An Athenian lawmaker known for his harsh legal code.

What reforms did Solon implement?

He eased the burden of debt on farmers and forbade enslavement for debt.

Who is Cleisthenes?

An aristocrat who created a council of 500 and helped form Athenian democracy.

Who was Phidias?

An Athenian sculptor who supervised the building of the Parthenon.

What was Pericles known for?

An Athenian leader who advanced democracy and ordered the construction of the Parthenon.

Who is Herodotus?

A Greek historian considered the father of history.

What is Aeschylus known for?

He is referred to as the father of tragedy.

Who was Sophocles?

A Greek writer of tragedies, author of Oedipus Rex.

What is Aristophanes famous for?

An ancient Greek dramatist known for his comedies.

Who was Euripides?

A playwright known for including strong female characters in his tragedies.

What are the key ideas of Socrates?

He believed in leading an honest life and that honor was more important than superficial attributes.

Who was Plato?

A disciple of Socrates known for his theory of Forms.

What contributions did Aristotle make?

He was a Greek philosopher who studied under Plato and taught Alexander the Great.

Who was Alexander the Great?

The son of Philip II, a great leader and conqueror of much land including Asia Minor and Egypt.

What did Aristarchus discover?

He was the Greek scientist who stated that the Earth revolved around the Sun.

Who is Hippocrates?

The founder of medicine who believed diseases had natural causes.

What did Euclid contribute to mathematics?

He is considered the father of modern geometry.

Who was Archimedes?

A scientist/inventor known for his inventions like the lever and the pulley.

What is Pythagoras famous for?

The Greek philosopher and mathematician who proved the Pythagorean theorem.

Who was Cyrus the Great?

King of Persia and founder of the Persian Empire.

What did Darius accomplish?

He organized the Persian Empire into provinces and established a uniform money system.

Who is Xerxes?

The son of Darius and Persian king who invaded Greece with a large army.