Greek Final Vocab

Alexander the Great
King of Macedon who created one of the largest empires in history (336–323 BCE); spread Greek culture through conquest.

Antigonid Kingdom
Hellenistic dynasty founded by Antigonus I; controlled Macedon and parts of Greece after Alexander's death.

Anyte
Hellenistic poet from Tegea; one of the earliest female poets with surviving epigrams.

Apology
A defense speech; famously, Plato’s Apology recounts Socrates' defense at his trial in 399 BCE.

Archimedes
Greek mathematician and inventor from Syracuse; known for contributions to geometry, physics, and engineering.

Archon/Archontes (ἄρχων; ἄρχοντες)
Chief magistrates in Athens; the nine archons held religious, military, and judicial authority.

Areopagus Hill
A rocky outcrop in Athens used as a council site and court, especially for homicide cases.

Aristophanes
Playwright of Old Comedy; known for sharp political satire, including plays like Lysistrata and Clouds.

Assembly (ἐκκλησία)
The democratic citizen assembly in Athens; made major decisions on war, laws, and policy.

Attalid Kingdom
Hellenistic kingdom in Pergamon, founded by Attalus I; known for cultural patronage and the Great Altar.

Bacchae
A tragedy by Euripides exploring Dionysian rites, identity, and divine retribution.

Battle of Issus
333 BCE victory by Alexander the Great over Darius III of Persia; turning point in his conquest.

Clouds
A comedy by Aristophanes that criticizes Socratic thought and the Sophists.

Colonies vs. Cleruchies
Colonies were independent settlements; cleruchies were Athenian-controlled with citizens retaining Athenian ties.

Council (βουλή)
Athenian council of 500 citizens (drawn by lot) that prepared matters for the Assembly.

Delian League
An alliance led by Athens, originally formed against Persia; evolved into an Athenian empire.

Dikasts (δικασταί)
Jurors in Athenian courts, often drawn by lot; central to democratic justice.

Distaff
Tool for spinning wool; symbol of women’s domestic roles in Greek society.

Dying Gaul
Hellenistic sculpture of a wounded Gallic warrior; emphasizes emotion, realism, and dignity in defeat.

Dyskolos
A comedy by Menander; a prime example of New Comedy focusing on domestic life and character.

Ephialtes
Athenian reformer who reduced the Areopagus' power, empowering the Assembly and popular courts (~462 BCE).

Erinna
Female poet of the Hellenistic period, known for lamenting themes in short epigrams.

Euclid
Mathematician of the Hellenistic era; wrote Elements, foundational to geometry.

Euripides
Athenian tragedian known for psychological depth and strong female characters (Medea, Bacchae).

Great Altar of Pergamon
Massive Hellenistic monument featuring a frieze of the Gigantomachy; blends drama with art.

Hellenistic Art
Characterized by realism, emotional expression, and dynamic movement (e.g., Laocoön, Dying Gaul).

Kleroterion (κληρωτήριον)
Allotment machine used to randomly select jurors and officials in democratic Athens.

Lysistrata
Aristophanes’ comedy in which women withhold sex to force men to end the Peloponnesian War.

Macedon
Kingdom in northern Greece; rose to power under Philip II and Alexander the Great.

“Melian Dialogue”
Passage in Thucydides where Athens justifies dominance over Melos; illustrates realpolitik.

Melos (Athenian Massacre)
Island that resisted Athenian rule in 416 BCE; its male population was executed, women enslaved.

Menander
Greek playwright of New Comedy; works focus on daily life, love, and mistaken identity.

New Comedy
Greek comedic style post-400 BCE; focused on domestic situations, less political than Old Comedy.

Nossis
Hellenistic female poet from southern Italy; wrote epigrams on love and female experience.

Numismatics
The study of coins; helps historians understand economics, propaganda, and iconography.

Old Comedy
Early form of Greek comedy; bold political satire and fantastical plots (e.g., Aristophanes).

Parabasis
In Old Comedy, when the chorus addresses the audience directly, often to deliver commentary.

Peloponnesian League
Spartan-led alliance of Greek states opposed to Athenian expansion.

Peloponnesian War
Prolonged conflict (431–404 BCE) between Athens and Sparta; chronicled by Thucydides.

Pentekontaetia
Fifty-year period between Persian and Peloponnesian Wars marked by Athenian imperial growth.

Pericles
Athenian statesman during the Golden Age; promoted democracy, led during early Peloponnesian War.

Philip II
Father of Alexander; unified Macedon and reformed its military before conquering Greece.

Plague in Athens
Devastating epidemic (430 BCE) during the Peloponnesian War; killed many, including Pericles.

Plato
Philosopher, student of Socrates; founded the Academy and wrote dialogues like Republic.

Plutarch
Greek biographer and moralist; known for Parallel Lives, comparing Greek and Roman figures.

Pnyx
Athenian hill where citizens gathered to hold Assembly meetings.

Ptolemaic Kingdom
Egyptian dynasty after Alexander, founded by Ptolemy I; culturally Greek, centered in Alexandria.

Second Athenian League
Revived alliance led by Athens (378 BCE) to resist Sparta; more egalitarian than the Delian League.

Seleucid Kingdom
Hellenistic kingdom covering Syria and Persia; founded by Seleucus I after Alexander's death.

Socrates
Athenian philosopher focused on ethics and questioning; executed in 399 BCE.

Socratic Method
Dialectical questioning technique used by Socrates to expose contradictions and seek truth.

Sophists
Traveling teachers of rhetoric and philosophy; criticized by Plato and Socrates for moral relativism.

Thucydides
Historian of the Peloponnesian War; emphasized empirical evidence and human motivations.