Homer
definition: ancient Greek epic poet who is believed to have written down the Iliad and the Odyssey
significance: Great Greek poet who is still read today
Solon
definition: Athenian reformer of the 6th century; established laws that eased the burden of debt on farmers, forbade enslavement for debt
significance: great leader of Athens, prevented rebellion
Perciles
definition: led rebuilding of Athens for more than 30 years from 461BCE to 429BCE
significance: Leader of the Peloponessian war
Philip of Macedon
definition: father of Alexander of Macedon, unified the warring Greek city-states
significance: unified Greece
Alexander of Macedon
definition: also known as Alexander the Great, by 331 BCE, controlled Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia; invaded Persian homeland and burned Persepolis; crossed the Indus by 327
significance: Created Bactria which influenced India, helped diffuse Greek ideas
Sappho
definition: Greek poet who wrote about human emotions, lived on island of Lesbos
significance: Classic example on the male dominance in Greece
Socrates
definition: philosopher who believed in an absolute right or wrong; asked students pointed questions to make them use their reason, later became Socratic method
significance: influence to Plato, and as a result, Aristotle
Plato
definition: considered the greatest philosopher, student of Socrates, known for his Ideas theory
significance: influence to Aristotle
Artistotle
definition: prominent Greek philosopher, noted for his philosophically based thoughts of "science"
significance: his ideas were used in the Catholic Church for years by Thomas Aquinas
Euripides
definition: writer of several tragedies involving war and its misery
significance: greek playwright
Aristophanes
definition: an ancient Greek dramatist remembered for his comedies
significance: greek playwright
Minoan society
definition: society that inhabited Crete, created an undeciphered script, fell to invaders around 1100 BCE
significance: beginnings of Greece, its fall led to poleis
Knossos
definition: prominent ancient town on Crete where Bronze Age culture flourished from about 2000 BC to 1400 BCE
significance: "capital" of Minoan society
Linear A
definition: an undeciphered writing system used in Crete in the 17th century BCE
significance: showed the intuitive ability of the early Indo-Eurpoeans
Mycenaean society
definition: Greek civilization created by Indo- Europeans that lasted from 1600- 1100 BCE, during which large palaces were made, wars fought, trade established; earthquakes and invaders caused it to finally collapse
significance: beginnings of Greece, its
Linear B
definition: the modern name for the script, composed of signs and pictures, in which Mycenaean Greeks kept records on tablets of clay
significance: shows influence of the Minoans and also demonstrates how society changed through time
Trojan War
definition: war (around 1200 B.C.), in which an army lead by Mycenaean kings attacked the city of Troy in Anatolia (trojan horse!)
significance: part of the epic the Illiad, led to the fall of the Myceanean Society
Polis
definition: general Greek city-state, including the city and the land around it
significance: brought about Sparta and Athens, two influential and powerful city-states
Sparta
definition: Greek city-state that was ruled by an oligarchy, focused on military, used slaves for agriculture, discouraged the arts
significance: encourage a powerful army that influenced Greece
Athens
definition: powerful city in Ancient Greece that was a leader in arts, sciences, philosophy, democracy and architecture
significance: encouraged a flexible government that influenced Greece and the world
Persian War
definition: conflict between Persia and Greece; Persia wanted to punish Athens for helping another city-state
significance: Led to the Delian league and the fall of Athens
Delian League
definition: alliance of city-states with Athens as leader, made to keep fighting Persia
significance: led to the fall of Athens
Peloponnesian War
definition: a war in which Athens and its allies were defeated by the league centered on Sparta
significance: led to the fall of Athens, and in the end, Sparta
Macedon
definition: ancient kingdom of Philip II and Alexander of Macedon in the southeastern Balkans
significance: origin of Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great
Hellenistic Age
definition: period between the death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE) and the conquest of Egypt by Rome (30 BCE), marked by migrations to the newly conquered areas
Antigonid empire
definition: the area of Macedon and Greece, the smallest of the Hellenistic empires; cities such as Athens and Corinth flourished during the Hellenistic age and cities were overpopulated
significance: center of Greece, most influential
Ptolemaic empire
definition: The empire in the Egyptian area after the breakup of Alexander's empire
significance: had the Megalopolis of Alexandria, many ports, helped trade
Seleucid empire
definition: the largest kingdom that came of the division of Alexander's empire
significance: helped diffuse Greek culture and ideas
Olympic games
definition: one of the panhellenic rituals observed by all Greek city-states; involved athletic competitions and ritual celebrations
significance: helped unify the many poleis
Forms or Ideas
definition: term used by Plato to refer to traits in physical objects, ex: manly, beauty, etc.
significance: part of the deviation from Socrates
Cult of Dionysus
definition: cult based on Dionysus, had many rituals involving orgies and drinking, later transitioned to a more civilized cult
significance: one of the cults that emerged with the Greek religion
Stoicism
defitinion: philosophical system of the Stoics (person who can tolerate pain) following the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno
significance: philosophical ideas influence Europe