History

• Mycenaean


  People who lived on the Greek mainland around 2,000 BC
• Trojan War


  A war, fought between 1,200 BC. Mycenaeans attacked the independent trading city of Troy in Anatolia
• Dorians


  Greek-speaking people who, according to tradition, migrated to mainland Greece after the destruction of the Mycenaean civilization
• Homer


  Greek poet who wrote epic poems (Iliad and Odyssey) that tell stories set during and after the Trojan War
• Epic


  A long narrative poem celebrating the deeds of legendary or traditional heroes
• Myth


  A traditional story about gods, ancestors, or heroes, told to explain the natural world of the customs and beliefs of a society
• Polis


  A Greek city-state, the fundamental political unit of ancient Greece after about 750 BC
• Acropolis


  A fortified hilltop in an ancient Greek city
• Monarchy


  A government in which power is in the hands of a SINGLE PERSON
• Aristocracy


  A government in which power is given to a hereditary ruling class or nobility
• Oligarchy


  A government in which power is in the hands of a few people, especially one in which rule is based upon wealth
• Tyrant


  In ancient Greece, a powerful person who gained control of a city-state´s government by appealing to the poor for support
• Democracy


  A government controlled by its citizens, either directly or through representatives
• Helot


  In the society of ancient Sparta, a peasant was bound to the land
• Phalanx


  A military formation of foot soldiers armed with spears and shields
• Persian war


  A series of wars in the fifth century BC, in which Greek city-states battled in the Persian empire
• Direct democracy


  A government in which citizens rule directly rather than through representatives
• Peloponnesian War


  A war, lasting from 431 to 404 BC, in which Athens and its allies were defeated by Sparta and its allies
• Classical art


  The art of ancient Greece and Rome, in which harmony, order, and proportion were emphasized
• Lyric poetry


  Poetry that describes emotions and desires, rather than tells stories
• Tragedy


  A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character
• Comedy


  A humorous form of drama that often includes slapstick and satire
• Philosopher


  A thinker who uses logic, and reason to investigate the nature of the universe, human society, and morality
• Socrates


  Greek philosopher of Athens, his teaching style was based on asking questions. He wanted people to question their own beliefs. He was arrested and condemned to death for challenging authority
• Plato


  Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, he started a school in Athens called The Academy. In the republic, he describes the ideal society run by philosopher-kings
• Aristotle


  Greek philosopher and student of Plato, he taught that logic was the tool for any necessary inquiry. His work later became the basis for medieval scholasticism
• Philip II


  King of Macedonia who conquered Greece in the 300s BC and was father to Alexander the Great
• Macedonia


  An ancient kingdom north of Greece, whose ruler Philip II conquered Greece in 338 BC
• Alexander The Great


  King of Macedonia and conqueror of much of Asia, he is considered one of the greatest generals of all time
• Darius II


  Persian King (ruled from 336 BC to 330 BC) who was defeated by Alexander the Great
• Hellenistic


  Relating to the civilization, language, art, science, and literature of the Greek world from the reign of Alexander the Great
• Alexandria


  An Egyptian city that became the foremost center of Hellenistic civilization
• Euclid


  Greek geometer, he created practical books on geometric forms and mathematics. His work formed the basis for later European studies in geometry
• Archimedes


  Greek mathematician and inventor, he was known for his work in geometry, physics, and mechanics
• Colossus of Rhodes


  An enormous statue Hellenistic that formerly stood near the harbor of Rhodes