Epic Poem
a long poem that tells the deeds of a great hero
Arete
the qualities that a great hero strives to win in a struggle or contest
Dark Age
time in Greece (1100-750 B.C.) where the population declined, food production dropped, and had few records to say what actually happened during this time period
Polis
the early Greek city-state, consisting of a city or town and its surrounding territory
Acropolis
a fortified gathering place at the top of a hill, which was sometimes the site of temples and public buildings
Agora
an open area that served as a gathering place and as a market
Hoplite
in the early Greek military system, a heavily-armed foot soldier
Phalanx
a wall of shields created by foot-soldiers marching close together in a rectangular formation
Democracy
the rule of many," government by the people, either directly or through their elected representatives
Oligarchy
the rule of the few," a form of government in which a small group of people exercises controls
Helot
in ancient Sparta, captive peoples who were forced to work for their conquerors
Ephor
one of the five men elected each year in ancient Sparta who were responsible for the education of youth and the conduct of all citizens
Age of Pericles
the period between 461-429 B.C. when Pericles dominated Athenian politics and Athens reached the height of its power
Direct Democracy
a system of government in which the people participate directly in government decision making through mass meetings
Ostracism
in ancient Athens, the process for temporarily banning ambitious politicians from the city by popular vote
Oracle
in ancient Greece, a sacred shrine where a god or goddess was said to reveal the future through a priest or priestess
Tragedy
a form of drama that portrays a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force and having a protagonist who is brought to ruin, or extreme sorrow, especially as a result of a fatal flaw
Trilogy
a set of three plays
Philosophy
an organized system of thought, from the Greek for "love of wisdom
Socratic Method
the method of teaching used by the Greek philosopher Socrates, it employs a question-and-answer format to lead pupils to see things for themselves by using their own reason
Hellenistic Era
the age of Alexander of Great ; period when the Greek language and ideas were carried to the non-Greek world
Epicureanism
school of thought developed by the philosopher Epicurus in Hellenistic Athens; it held that happiness is the chief goal in life, and the means to acheive happiness was the pursuit of pleasure
Stoicism
a school of thought developed by the teacher Zeno in Hellenistic Athens; it says that happiness can be acheived only when people gain inner peace by living in harmony with the will of God, and that people should bear whatever life offers
Delian League
defensive alliance formed between the Athenians against the Persians whose main headquarters where located on the island of Delos; used to make Athens an empire
Illiad and Odyssey
two epic poems written by Homer about the Trojan War
Aristocrat
an upperclassman whose wealth was based on land and whose power was passed on from one generation to another
Tyrant
rulers who seized power by force from the aristocrats
Trojan Horse
a big, wooden horse used as a gag gift to the Trojans during the war to help the Greeks win the war; hid the best Mycenaean soldiers inside the horse