Ancient Greece Definitions

Question 1

A large fortified rock formation above Athens, akros - highest, polis - city

Answer 1

Acropolis

Question 2

Greek alphabet has 24 letters, comes from the letters “alpha” and “beta”

Answer 2

Alphabet

Question 3

Greek marketplace. Center for social, religious, political, and business activities

Answer 3

Agora

Question 4

Greek philosopher, Plato’s student. Believed that no city-state should be so large that you could not recognize others

Answer 4

Aristotle

Question 5

A portable heater which is made up of a pan or stand for holding coal

Answer 5

Brazier

Question 6

A long tunic made of wool, which was worn by both men & women in ancient Greece

Answer 6

Chiton

Question 7

A self-governing unit made up of a city and its surrounding land. It had religion, government, laws, and farmland

Answer 7

City-state

Question 8

A form of government where decisions are directly made by the majority of people. Was said to have originated in Athens

Answer 8

Democracy

Question 9

A racecourse where Spartan warriors train

Answer 9

Dromos

Question 10

Athens had a democratic government, held assemblies where decisions were made

Answer 10

Government

Question 11

A men’s social club, an educational center, and a place to meet for conversation

Answer 11

Gymnasium

Question 12

Originally meant “research” or “inquiry”, and eventually came to mean “knowledge”

Answer 12

Historia

Question 13

A heavily-armed foot soldier in ancient Greece. Comes from the word “haplon”

Answer 13

Hoplite

Question 14

A blind poet who authored the Iliad and the Odyssey

Answer 14

Homer

Question 15

The pouring of a beverage, which is done as an offering to a deity

Answer 15

Libation

Question 16

A syllabic form of writing which was used by the Mycenaeans. It was written on clay tablets, and consisted of symbols and pictures

Answer 16

Linear B

Question 17

A stringed U-shaped instrument which was used in ancient Greece

Answer 17

Lyre

Question 18

A mountain which was said to have been the home of many Greek deities

Answer 18

Mount Olympus

Question 19

A story which usually has something to do with trying to explain a certain phenomenon. They usually contained a “superhuman” being

Answer 19

Myth

Question 20

A priestess who predicted the future. Greeks often consulted her for advice. They could supposedly speak to the gods

Answer 20

Oracle

Question 21

An ancient Greek sport which combined boxing with wrestling

Answer 21

Pankratium

Question 22

A person who studies ideas about knowledge, truth, nature, and the meaning of life. Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates were famous ones

Answer 22

Philosopher

Question 23

An ancient Greek philosopher who is known for things such as his founding of Platonism, as well as some of the books that he wrote. He was the teacher of Aristotle, and believed that the ideal polis population should be 5K

Answer 23

Plato

Question 24

An ancient Greek city-state. This word is the origin of the word “politics”

Answer 24

Polis

Question 25

The act of killing someone or something as an offering to a deity

Answer 25

Sacrifice

Question 26

An Athenian philosopher, regarded as the wisest man in Athens. He was sentenced to death for his anti-theism, and died by drinking a poison called Hemlock. He lived from 409-399 BCE

Answer 26

Socrates