Ancient Greece Flashcards
Ancient Greece Timeline
- Dark Age
- Archaic Age
- Classical Period
Dark Age
(1050 - 750 B.C)
A time of depopulation, poverty, and backwarness that was after the destruction of the Mycenaean palace-sates
Archaic Age
(800 - 480 B.C)
Known for its art, architecture and philosophy. Advances in art, poetry and technology, but is known as the age in which the polis, or city-state, was invented
Classical Period
(510 - 323 B.C)
An era of war and conflicts but also an era of unprecedented political and cultural achievement
Between Persian Wars and the death of Alexander the Great
Hellenistic Period
(323 - 33 B.C)
Time between the death of Alexander the Great and the emergence of the Roman Empire
Polis
City-Sate that consisted of urban center and rural territory nad usually were constructed near the sea
Acropolis
It was the top of the city and it was used as religious, military settlements or political centers
Alter
The most important and present architectural expression of Greek religion, where animals were sacrificed
Greek Religion
A public performance for good of the community
Oracle
A person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful predictions
Form of divination
Agora
A public open space for diverse activities of the citizens
Sacrifice
Central religious ritual perfomed in altars in front of the temples of the Gods/Goddess
Apeturia
A ritual initiation where boys were prepared and then introduced by their father/uncle into a religious brotherhood
Tesmophoria
A three-day festival where women of Athens lived together and managed their own affairs
Athens
One of the two perminent Greek city-states in the late Archaic and Classical Period
Athena
Thee Goddess of battle strategy and wisdom
All Athens Festivals
(Panathenaia)
An annual festival where people went in procession to the Acropolis to do sacrificies and rituals in cult of Athena. Eventually they included competitions and celebrated it every four years.
Antropomorphic
Homer’s idea of humanlike appearences of deitities, though they were taller, more beutiful and powerful
Mystery Initiation/Rites
Provided a private relationship with the spirit world
Ex. Hades and Persephone
Demeter
Kore
Literally means “Demeter’s daughter”. Demeter is the goddess of agriculture (Persephone is her daughter)
It refers to the myth of how the seasons were created
Persephone
Queen of the underworld.
Goddess of agriculture and daughter of Zeus.
Hades
God of the underworld and the dead. Brother of Zeus
Artemis
Goddess of fertility
Dionysus
God of wine and ecstasy. Fruitfulnes and vegetation
Zeus
The God of the sky.
He is considered as the ruler, protector and father of all Gods and humans
Apollo
God of balance, healing, prophecy, truth. He is also considered as the Sun God.
Delphi
Apollo’s sanctuary where sacrificies were made hoping the God was present to provide them anwers
A City-State
Enthusiasmos
A form of divination where Apollo infused himself into his priestess and spoke through them answering their question
Agon
A contest or competition in athletics that was very influencial in the Greek culture.
Ex. Olympic Games
Olympic Games
A series of atlhetics competitions amoung representatives of city-states, in honor to Zeus. Some of these competitions were heavy games, running and athletic events, chariot races.
Pythian Games
A long set of games and musical competitions dedicated to Apollo
Delphic Council
Was a religious fraternity like a simplify form of the UN
Tyrant
A ruler who seized power without legal right
Barbaroi
Someone who is consider uncivilized. The term was used as an insult to distinct “freak people” from the royal family
Hellenes
Someone native from Greek. It was used to distinguish the royal family from the Barbori. They were the one who participated on Agon and religious celebrations.
Hoplites
Heavily armed infantry who fought in close formation, protected with a helmet, breast-plate, leg guards, a shield, a spear and a sword
Phalanx
Tactical-close formation consisting of a block of heavily armed infantry in files several ranks deep
Close Formation
Military tactic where soldiers fought together creating walls of shields
Logographes
The Greek historiographers and chroniclers before Herodotus
Hesiod
Known as the first written poet. He wrote “The Theogony” (relating the myths of the gods) and “The Works and Days” (describing peasant life).
Same period as Homer
Homer
He is considered one of the most influential poets. His most famous works were “Iliad” and “Odyssey”
Dark Ages
Herodotus
Known as the father of history by his book “The Histories” where the Greco-Persian War is detailed described
Isis
The ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility, healing and rebirth. She is known to brought her houseband back to life
Persian Wars
Two Persian attacks on Greece in the early 5th century, in both Persia was defeated by Greece
Peloponnesian War
A conflict between Athens and Sparta, shifting the power from Athens to Sparta
