Key Terms in Ancient Greek and Roman History

Epic poem

a long poem that tells the deeds of a great hero, such as the Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer

Polis

early Greek city-state consisting of a city or town and its surrounding countryside

Acropolis

fortified gathering place at the top of a hill that was sometimes the site of temples and public buildings

Agora

an open area that served as a gathering place and as a market

Tyrants

rulers who seized power by force from aristocrats

Democracy

"the rule of many," government by the people, either directly or through their elected representatives

Oligarchy

"the rule of law," a form of government in which a select group of people exercises control

Age of Pericles

height of Athenian power and brilliance, Pericles dominated Athenian politics

Direct democracy

a system of government in which the people participate directly in government decision making through mass meetings

Oracle

in ancient Greece, a sacred shrine where a god or goddess was said to reveal the future through a priest or priestess

Philosophy

organized system of thought, from the Greek for "love of wisdom"

Socratic Method

method of teaching used by Greek philosopher Socrates, involves a question/answer format to reason out answers

Hellenistic Era

the age of Alexander the Great, period when the Greek language and ideas were carried to the non-Greek world

Republic

a form of government in which the leader is not a king and certain citizens have the right to vote

Triumvirate

a government by three people with equal power

Dictator

an absolute ruler

Imperator

commander in chief, where the word emperor comes from

Paterfamilias

in the Roman social structure, the dominant male head of the household, which also included his wife/sons/spouse/children

Prefect

in the Roman Empire, an official in charge of a province

Clergy

religious leaders in the Christian Church

Plague

an epidemic disease

Inflation

a rapid increase in prices

Aqueducts

A man-made channel for moving water, typically in the form of a bridge across a valley or other gap

Rule of Law

A political ideal that all citizens and institutions are accountable to the same laws, including lawmakers and leaders

Judeo-Christianity

Shared heritage of Jews and Christians