Ancient Greek History Lecture Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from lecture notes on Ancient Greek History, spanning from the Mesolithic Period through the Hellenistic Age, with a focus on early civilizations, major historical periods, social structures, gender roles, and athletic festivals.

Cycladic Islands

Islands located between East and Greece, notable for being an early area where bronze spread; includes Melos, Naxos, Syros, and Delos.

Delos

An island in the Cycladic group, mythologically known as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.

Mesolithic Period

An ancient Greek period approximately 20,000 years ago, known for early human habitation sites like Franchthi Cave.

Franchthi Cave

A significant archaeological site in the Gulf of Argos, identified through radiocarbon dating as one of the oldest places where humans lived in Ancient Greece.

Neolithic Revolution

A period approximately 10,000 years after the Mesolithic, marked by major advancements from the Middle East (Mesopotamia) including settlements, agriculture, animal domestication, pottery, and writing, which eventually spread to the Greek world.

Bronze Age

A period in Ancient Greece beginning around 3000 BCE, lasting about 2000 years, characterized by the creation and use of bronze, which spread from the East.

House of the Tiles

A 'Corridor House' found in Lerna, a large, two-storey building with corridors, considered architecturally impressive for Ancient Greece.

City of Troy

The legendary city-state where the Trojan War is believed to have taken place around 1200 BCE.

Minoans

An ancient civilization that emerged in Crete (ca 1900-1700 BCE), known for building elaborate palaces (e.g., Knossos) that functioned as administrative and redistributive centers, and for their use of hieroglyphics.

Pithoi

Large storage jars commonly used by the Minoans.

Hieroglyphics (Minoan)

A writing system used by the Minoans, showing influence from Egypt.

Keftiu

The name given to Minoans by Ancient Egyptians.

Labyrinthos

A term associated with Minoan culture, meaning 'Double-headed Axe'.

Akrotiri

An ancient city on the island of Thera (Santorini), significant for its well-preserved Minoan art and its role in the end of Minoan civilization after a volcanic eruption.

Ship Procession

A fresco painting found in Akrotiri depicting Minoan naval power and influence over the Cycladic islands.

Anemospilia

An archaeological site (ca 1700 BCE) where evidence suggested Minoans practiced ritual child sacrifices during a period of decline preceding the Thera eruption.

Thera Eruption

A massive volcanic explosion around 1700 BCE that destroyed Minoan fleets and farmland, contributing to the decline of Minoan power.

Mycenaeans

The people of mainland Greece who gained power after the decline of the Minoans, known for their fortified cities and the use of Linear B script.

Linear A

The writing system primarily used by the Minoans, which remains undeciphered.

Linear B

The writing system used by the Mycenaeans, successfully decoded by Michael Ventris and John Chadwick.

Michael Ventris and John Chadwick

The two individuals credited with decoding the Mycenaean Linear B script.

Potnia

A Mycenaean term meaning 'Lady or Mistress,' found in their tablets and referring to a goddess.

Theseus

A mainland Greek hero whose myth of killing the Minotaur is interpreted as symbolizing the rise of Mycenaean power over Minoan influence.

Minotaur

A mythical composite creature from Minoan legend, often associated with King Minos and the Labyrinth.

Tiryns

A prominent Mycenaean citadel known for its formidable 'Cyclopean' walls.

Mycenae

The eponymous capital city of the Mycenaean civilization, a major center of power characterized by heavily fortified structures.

Ashlar Masonry

A building technique characterized by smooth, finely dressed stone, typical of Minoan architecture.

Cyclopean Masonry

A building technique characterized by massive, roughly cut stones fitted together without mortar, as seen in Mycenaean fortifications like Tiryns.

Pausanias (2nd CE writer)

A Greek traveler and geographer who commented on the size and impression of Mycenaean Cyclopean walls, attributing their construction to Cyclops due to their immense scale.

Lions Gate

The monumental entrance to the Mycenaean citadel of Mycenae, featuring two lionesses carved in relief above an upside-down column.

Grave Circle A

An important Mycenaean burial site featuring a series of shaft graves with rich grave goods, suggesting the burial of elite individuals, possibly kings.

Warrior Vase

A Mycenaean krater (bowl for mixing wine) depicting heavily armed soldiers, indicative of the Mycenaean martial culture, found in the Warrior Vase House.

Mask of Agamemnon

A gold burial mask discovered by Heinrich Schliemann at Mycenae; though its authenticity and connection to Agamemnon are debated, it symbolizes the wealth of Mycenaean rulers.

Wanax

The title for an all-powerful, supreme ruler or king during the Mycenaean period.

Mycenaean Collapse

A period around 1200-1100 BCE marked by the sudden disappearance of Mycenaean civilization, whose widespread causes are still debated by historians.

Dorians

A group of people believed to have migrated into Greece from the north after the Mycenaean collapse, eventually settling in areas like Sparta.

Tawagalawa Letter

A Hittite diplomatic text from the late Bronze Age that describes a conflict between the Hittite king Hattusili and the Achaeans, possibly referring to mainland Greeks.

Sea Peoples

A confederation of seafaring raiders mentioned in ancient Egyptian records, hypothesized by some to include displaced Mycenaeans seeking refuge during the Bronze Age Collapse.

Dark Age (Greece)

A period in Greek history (ca 1000-800 BCE) following the Mycenaean collapse, characterized by a decline in population, literacy, monumental architecture, and cultural complexity, particularly evident in simpler pottery.

Basileus

A title for a local chieftain or king that emerged during the Dark Age, replacing the more powerful Mycenaean 'wanax'.

Archaic Period (Greece)

The period in Greek history beginning around 800 BCE, marking the end of the Dark Age and the emergence of the polis (city-state), along with new forms of government and cultural revival.

Polis

The fundamental political and social unit of Ancient Greece during the Archaic and Classical periods, an autonomous and independent city-state.

Historia

A Greek word meaning 'Inquiry,' referring to the method of historical investigation pioneered by figures like Herodotus.

Herodotus

A 5th-century BCE Greek historian, often called the 'Father of History,' known for his seminal work 'The Histories'.

First Olympic Games

An athletic festival first recorded in 776 BCE, where Koroibos won the stadium race, marking the beginning of the Greek calendar system.

Koroibos

A baker from Elis who won the stadium race at the first recorded Olympic Games in 776 BCE.

Homer

The legendary ancient Greek epic poet, traditionally credited with authoring the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey' around 750 BCE.

Ekklesia

The sovereign assembly of Athenian citizens, where free adult men could vote and speak on political matters.

Kurios

A male guardian (father, husband, brother, or other male relative) who legally represented a woman's interests in ancient Greek society.

Pericles’ Citizenship Law

An Athenian law that recognized the status of 'Athenian woman,' making women essential for citizenship through their birthright, and highlighting their role in certain religious festivals.

Thesmophoria

An ancient Greek, multiday religious festival celebrated exclusively by married women in honor of Demeter and Persephone.

Masculinity (Ancient Greek Ideal)

Characterized by active participation, self-control, rationality, dominance, and leadership in ancient Greek societal norms.

Femininity (Ancient Greek Ideal)

Characterized by passivity, a perceived lack of self-control (leading to irrationality), and a submissive role in ancient Greek societal norms.

Pederasty

A socially accepted relationship in ancient Greece between an older male (erastes) and a younger male (eromenos), often including mentorship and education.

Sappho

An Archaic Greek lyric poet from the island of Lesbos, renowned for her poetry about love and sexuality, often involving women, which provides rare female perspectives.

Veils (Greek Women)

Cloth coverings worn by women in public to signify modesty and protect them from male gaze, symbolizing their 'under control' status in ancient Greek society.

Moicheia

In ancient Athens, a serious legal offense defined as sexual relations with another citizen's wife, daughter, or sister, carrying severe penalties.

Lysias (Speechwriter)

An Athenian logographer (speechwriter) who, in his 'On the Murder of Eratosthenes,' suggests that seduction (moicheia) was considered a more serious offense than rape.

Phaedra (Hippolytus)

A character in Euripides' play 'Hippolytus' who controversially removes her veil to express her forbidden lust for her stepson, symbolizing a release from social constraint.

Kinaidos

A derogatory term in ancient Greek for an effeminate man or one who took the passive role in sexual acts, similar to 'cinaedus' in Latin.

Andron

The men's quarter or dining room in an ancient Greek house, specifically designated for symposia (drinking parties) and male socialization.

Sophrosyne

An ancient Greek ideal for women emphasizing demureness, self-control, and the suppression of their sexuality, meant to ensure appropriate behavior.

The Abduction of Europa

A Greek myth where Zeus abducts Europa in the form of a bull, illustrating aspects of divine power and the normalization of abduction in myth.

Kalon Kakon

A Greek phrase meaning 'beautiful evil,' notably used by Hesiod to describe women, particularly Pandora, implying their seductive danger and role as a punishment to men.

Aphrodite of Knidos

A highly influential ancient Greek statue by Praxiteles, famed for its nude depiction of Aphrodite, which was said to 'undo the reason of men' and cause infatuation.

Aphrodite Kallipygos

A statue of Aphrodite literally meaning 'Aphrodite of the beautiful buttocks,' depicting the goddess admiring her rear.

Athlon

The ancient Greek word for 'contest' or 'prize,' from which the word 'athlete' is derived.

Stadion (Race/Track)

Both the name of the oldest Olympic running race (a sprint of 192.27 meters) and the track upon which it was run; also a unit of measurement corresponding to this distance.

Gymnasion

The training ground for ancient Greek athletes, where they often exercised naked (from 'gymnos' meaning naked), leading to the modern term 'gymnasium'.

Pausanias (Description of Greece)

The travel writer whose comprehensive work 'Description of Greece' provides valuable information about ancient athletic festivals, including specific events and rules of the Olympics.

Lucian (Anacharsis)

A Hellenistic author whose dialogue 'Anacharsis' explores the philosophical debate about the importance and value of athletic training and physical education in ancient Greek society.

Epinicia

Celebratory poems commissioned to honor victorious athletes in the ancient Greek games, often equating them with heroes and highlighting the social value of their triumphs.

Panhellenic Competitions

The most prestigious athletic festivals in ancient Greece, open to all Greeks, held at sanctuaries, including the Olympic, Isthmian, Nemean, and Pythian Games.

Stephanitic Games

Another term for the Panhellenic competitions, indicating that the prize was a simple crown made of perishable materials (e.g., olive, pine, celery, laurel) rather than material wealth.

Periodonikes

An honorary title bestowed upon an athlete who had achieved victories in all four of the major Panhellenic (crown) games.

Olympic Games (Prize)

The most famous Panhellenic games, held every four years at Olympia, where the victor received a wild olive crown as their only prize.

Isthmian Games

One of the Panhellenic games, held every two years near Corinth in honor of Poseidon, with the victor receiving a pine crown.

Nemean Games

One of the Panhellenic games, held every two years in Nemea, with the victor receiving a wild celery crown.

Pythian Games

One of the Panhellenic games, held every four years at Delphi in honor of Apollo, with the victor receiving a laurel crown.

Sacred Truce

An ancient Olympic tradition where a cease-fire was declared across all Greek city-states for the duration of the games, ensuring safety for athletes and spectators traveling to Olympia.

Olympiad

A four-year period between Olympic Games, used by the Greeks as a unit of time to date events, with the first Olympiad marking their 'year 1'.

Heraea Games

Ancient athletic competitions held at Olympia exclusively for unmarried girls, in honor of the goddess Hera, featuring running races and Spartan women often excelling.

Kallipateira

A woman who famously disguised herself as a male trainer to watch her son compete at the Olympics; her discovery led to the rule requiring trainers (and later all attendees) to be naked.

Cynisca

A Spartan princess who became the first woman to be listed as an official Olympic victor in 396 and 392 BCE, as her chariot (which she owned and financed) won the races.

Epigraphic Evidence

Historical or cultural information derived from ancient inscriptions, texts carved or etched onto durable surfaces like stone, metal, or pottery.

Pheidias

A renowned ancient Greek sculptor responsible for the monumental chryselephantine Statue of Zeus at Olympia, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Gymnos

The ancient Greek word for 'naked,' giving rise to the term 'gymnasium,' where athletes trained publicly without clothes.

Euphronius

A famous Athenian vase painter from the Archaic period, known for his depictions of nude male athletes preparing for contests, often on kraters.

Kynodesme

A practice among ancient Greek athletes where they would tie up their foreskin to prevent exposure during naked exercise, reflecting social modesty despite public nudity.

Stephantic

Pertaining to the crown (stephanos); describes games where the prize was a crown of leaves, symbolizing prestige over material wealth.

Emperor Nero

A Roman Emperor (54-68 CE) who greatly admired Greek culture and compelled the Olympic Games to hold all four Panhellenic festivals in a single year so he could compete, even rigging results.

Hetacomb

A large-scale public sacrifice, typically of one hundred oxen, performed before major athletic festivals like the Olympic Games as an offering to Zeus.

Hoplitodromos

An ancient Greek running race where competitors wore full hoplite armor, serving both as an athletic event and practical military training.

Numismatic Evidence

Historical information derived from the study of coins, medals, and tokens, often providing clues about ancient art, economy, politics, and depictions of athletes.

Wrestling (Olympics)

Introduced to the Olympic Games in 708 BCE, where competitors were primarily divided by age, not weight.

Boxing (Olympics)

Introduced to the Olympic Games in 688 BCE, featuring specialized heavy gloves and strict rules against certain illegal blows.

Kleomedes of Astypalaia

A boxer who was stripped of his Olympic victory for killing his opponent with an illegal blow, leading to a breakdown, rampage, and eventual controversial rehabilitation.

Pankration

A brutal combat sport introduced in 648 BCE, combining wrestling and boxing with very few rules (no biting, eye-gouging, or attacks to the genitals).

Arrichion

A legendary Pankration champion who famously won his third Olympic title in 564 BCE even as he died, by dislocating his opponent's toe, causing the opponent to surrender.

Oikos

The ancient Greek concept of the household, encompassing family members, property, and servants, central to social and economic life.