Megaron
main reception hall of a Mycenaean palace, consisting of a rectangular hall with a central hearth, fronted by an open, columned porch
Labyrinth
originally from the Greek word for "double axe," this term commonly means a maze
Tholos
in Mycenaean architecture, a beehive-shaped tomb with a circular plan
Dromos
a passageway into an ancient tomb
Minotaur
half-man, half-bull creature from ancient myth
Naos
the principle room in a temple or church (often referred to as the cella in ancient architecture)
Peripteral
(of a building) having a single row of pillars on all sides in the style of the temples of ancient Greece
Kore
(literally "maiden") an Archaic Greek statue of a young woman
Kouros
(literally "youth") an Archaic Greek statue of a young man or boy
Gigantomachy
the battle between the gods and the giants in Greek mythology, often symbolic of the struggle between the cosmic order of the Greeks and the forces of chaos and/or "barbarian" outsiders
Contrapposto
the Classical convention of representing human figures with opposing alternations of tension and relaxation on either side of a central axis to give figures a sense of the potential for movement (the asymmetrical balancing of the human body)
Chryselephantine
a statue made of gold and ivory
Symmetria
the visible harmony of definable parts within a unified whole (commensurability of parts)
Ethos
inner character, habit or self-discipline
Panathenaic Festival
a festival held every 4 years in Athens where a new peplos was presented to an ancient wooden statue of Athena
Tessera
a small block of stone, tile, glass, or other material used in the construction of a mosaic
Mausoleum
a building, especially a large and stately one, housing a tomb or tombs
Pathos
your immediate personal reaction to an experience
Mausolos
A provincial governor for the Persian Empire, this person is best remembered for his monumental tomb, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, the name of which is used in general terms today.
Praxiteles
This sculptor created the first monumental nude statue of a goddess in the Greek world.
Lysippos
This sculptor was so favored by Alexander the Great that no other artist was allowed to make his portrait.
Alexander the Great
This ancient Macedonian ruler exacted revenge on the Persian Empire, and then continued his conquests, ultimately establishing the largest empire the ancient world had ever seen.