Notes for Greece Test

Things to Know for Greece Test 5.1

  • Minoan civilization was established on Crete.

  • Snakes, bulls, and dolphins were often depicted on Greek paintings.

  • Mycenaeans replaced the Minoans.

  • Troy was a wealthy trade city in modern-day Turkey.

  • Shrine: place of worship, altar, or chapel.

  • Fresco: a painting done on wet plaster.

  • Homer wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey.

    • Achilles is the main character in The Iliad.

    • Odysseus is the main character in The Odyssey.

5.2

  • Strait: narrow water passage between two larger land areas.

  • Dorians replaced the Mycenaeans, and written language was lost during this time.

  • Thermopylae:

    • Narrow mountain pass where the Greeks held off the Persians for 3 days.

    • The Greeks were betrayed by a traitor who showed the Persians a way around the pass.

    • The Persians surrounded and killed all of the Greeks.

  • Strait of Salamis:

    • The Greeks lured larger, less mobile Persian ships into the strait.

    • The smaller, more mobile Greek ships destroyed the Persian navy.

  • Polis: Greek city-state.

  • Acropolis: the highest point in a polis, used for shelter and worship.

  • Forms of government:

    • Monarchy: rule by a king or queen.

    • Oligarchy: power held by a few.

    • Aristocracy: rule by a wealthy upper class.

    • Democracy: rule by the people/citizens.

  • Helots: conquered slaves in Sparta.

Spartan Society

  • Boys entered Spartan barracks at age 7 and lived there until 30.

  • Women had more rights in Sparta than in Athens.

Persian War

  • The Persian War was fought twice, once versus Darius and then versus Xerxes.

  • Marathon marked the end of the first Persian War.

Athenian Citizenship

  • Citizens: property-owning Greek men aged 30 or over.

  • Non-citizens: women, slaves, foreigners.

Peloponnesian War

  • The Peloponnesian War ended with a siege of Athens.

    • The siege prevented goods/people from entering or leaving Athens.

    • A plague wiped out 1/3 of Athens’ population.

5.3 Philosophy and Culture

  • Philosophers: lovers of wisdom.

  • Rhetoric: the art of skillful speaking.

  • Socrates:

    • A philosopher who asked questions to seek truth and self-knowledge (Socratic Method).

    • His questions were seen as a threat to the government, and he was executed by hemlock at age 70.

  • Plato:

    • A student of Socrates.

    • He opposed democracy and believed three levels were best for society:

      1. Workers to produce necessities.

      2. Soldiers to defend.

      3. Philosophers to rule.

    • Plato opened a school called the Academy, and focused on reason.

  • Aristotle:

    • A student of Plato.

    • Favored a single strong ruler over democracy.

  • Sculpture:

    • Sculptors moved from stiff, lifeless poses to statues showing people in graceful form/actions.

  • Satire and Humor:

    • Used satire and humor to criticize society and people.

  • Historical Writing:

    • Herodotus taught the importance of research.

    • Thucydides stressed the need to avoid bias.

5.4 Alexander the Great

  • Assassination: murder of a public figure.

  • Alexander the Great:

    • Became ruler at age 20 and died at age 32.

  • Philip II:

    • Conquered Greece and hoped to conquer Persia.

  • Alexander spread Greek goods, language, mythology, events, and art.

  • Hellenistic: Greek-like.

  • Pharos: the name of the lighthouse in Alexandria.

  • Alexander's conquests:

    • Alexander reached India before his troops demanded to turn back.

  • Museum in Alexandria:

    • Contained labs, lecture halls, a zoo, and a library.

  • Astronomy advancements:

    • The understanding that Earth rotated on its axis and orbits the Sun.

  • Hippocrates:

    • Looked for the cause of the issue and a cure for it when treating a patient.