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Ancient Greece - The Classical Age Flashcards

1
Q

The Achaemenid Dynasty

A

Ruling family of the Persian Empire during the Persian Wars.

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2
Q

Cyrus

A

Founded the Persian Empire. Positive reputation in Greek and Persian sources.

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3
Q

Cambyses

A

Persian ruler. Conquered Egypt.

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4
Q

Darius

A

First Persian War. Largest extent of Persian Empire.

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5
Q

Behistun Inscription

A

Biography of Darius. Shows him defeating rival usurper.

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6
Q

Xerxes

A

Persian Ruler during Second Persian War. Hated by Greek sources.

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7
Q

Ionian Revolt

A

Ionians rebelling against ruling Persians. Seeks Athenian and Spartan support. Athens agrees, Sparta refuses.

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8
Q

Satrap

A

Persian Governor.

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9
Q

Persepolis

A

One of the Persian capitals. Situated in modern Iran. Filled with relief sculptures.

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10
Q

Immortals

A

10,000 elite heavy infantry. Called immortal because constantly replaced.

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11
Q

Proskynesis

A

Greek term for prostrating yourself.

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12
Q

Zoroastrianism

A

Religion of Persian elite. Monotheistic dualism. Ahura Mazda = Creator, Ahriman = Devil

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13
Q

Syncretism

A

Drawing equal signs from Gods between other cultures.

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14
Q

The Classical Age

A

Begins with Persian Wars.

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15
Q

Medize

A

Working with the Persians.

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16
Q

Marathon

A

Initial battle between Persians and Athens. Athens emerges victorious. They quickly return to Athens to defend against landing Persian cavalry.

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17
Q

Thermopylae

A

Entrance to all of Greece. Site of the final stand of the 300 Spartans.

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18
Q

Salamis

A

Location of final naval battle between Athens and the Persians. Themistocles tricks both sides into fighting - Athens emerges victorious.

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19
Q

Plataea

A

Final land battle of the Second Persian War. Greeks led by the Spartiate Pausanias. Greek victory.

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20
Q

Themistocles

A

Persuaded the Greeks to defend in Thermopylae, otherwise the rest of Greece will medize.

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21
Q

Leonidas

A

King of Sparta who fought in battle of Thermopylae and died.

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22
Q

Epialtes

A

Betrayed the Greeks in the Battle of Thermopylae.

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23
Q

Pausanias

A

Led the Greeks at the Battle of Plataea.

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24
Q

Orientalism

A

Stereotyped view of Easten Cultures. Roots in the Persian Wars.

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25
Chorus
Group all doing the same thing. Dancing and singing.
26
City of Dionysia
Site of religious festival featuring tragedies.
27
Liturgy
Public funding of religious festivities at Dionysia.
28
Aristotle
Philosopher. Wrote "Poetics", trying to understand the nature of tragedy and other literature.
29
Catharsis
Purging negative emotions by safely experiencing them in theater.
30
Helios
God of the Sun.
31
The Argo
Legendary ship that carried Jason, Hercules, and other heroes to search for the Golden Fleece.
32
Deus ex Machina
God from the machine. Character saved by "divine intervention".
33
Medea
Ex-wife of Jason. Witch. Helped him secure the golden fleece, and tried to kill everybody when he left her for a princess.
34
Jason
Hero of Argonautica who went on quest to find the golden fleece so that he may become king of Iolcus.
35
Pelias
Jason's uncle. Sent Jason away so that he may become king. Sent Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece and refused to allow him to become king upon his return.
36
Kreon
The king of Corinth who sheltered Jason and Medea. Married his daughter to Jason.
37
The Pentecontaetia
50 year period of peace between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars.
38
Delian League
New alliance to fight against Persia. Led by Athens. Goal to liberate Ionia.
39
Athenian Empire
Eventual outcome from Athens being hegemon of the Delian League.
40
Long Walls
Walls protecting Athens' port and the city from land assault.
41
Thucydides Trap
Spartans were influenced more by growing Athenian power than their allies.
42
Peace of Nicias
Peace between Athens and Sparta. Athens remains leader of Delian League.
43
Mutilation of the Herms
Penises hacked off the statues the night before the Sicilian Expidition.
44
The Thirty Tyrants
Sparta backed oligarchy in Athens.
45
Oliganthropia
People shortage (particularly for Sparta, declining citizen population)
46
The King's Peace
Persia brokered peace outlawing the conquering of other poleis and outlawing the formation of another league.
47
Themistocles
Argues that Sparta is the real threat. Rebuilds Athens walls. Later ostracized and became Persian satrap.
48
Pericles
Alcmaeonid. Devised Athens' winning strategy (defensive). Later dies of plague.
49
Cleon
Athenian politician. New money. Favored aggressive strategy. Unintentionally became general during battle of Sphacteria.
50
Alcibidades
Athenian aristocrat, playboy. Betrayed just about everybody (Spartans, Athenians, and Persians).
51
Pausanias
Led Sparta during battle of Plataea. Wants to abandon Ionia and avoid war. Considered a tyrant.
52
Sphacteria
Spartans trapped on island trying to pursue Athenian forces. 400 remaining Spartiates surrendered.
53
The Sicilian Expedition
Alcibiades convinces Athens to invade Sicily. Athens loses, Athenians are sold into slavery. Sicily joins on the side of Sparta.
54
Presocratics
Philosophers before Socrates. Originated in Ionia. Rational explanations for natural world, not experimental.
55
Natural Philosophy
Proto-science. Rational explanations for natural world. Not experimental.
56
Pythagoras
Taught proportions (music, geometry), veganism, and about the soul (transcends the body, reincarnation).
57
Sophist
"Wise man". Not considered real philosophers by Socrates and his successors. Fell out of favor, few writings left, centered in Athens.
58
Hippocrates
Wrote about medicine. Hippocratic Corpus.
59
Socrates
Athenian. Went around asking questions. Rejected relativism, wrote nothing, executed.
60
Plato
Student of Socrates. Wrote dialogues from Socrates' perspective. Taught distrust of democracy, theory of forms, allegory of the cave.
61
Theory of Forms
Understanding ideas and materials from their abstract "form"/essence.
62
Allegory of the Cave
We are all sitting in a cave watching shadows from what is really happening behind us.
63
The Apology
Aristophanes accuses Socrates of natural philosophy (atheism), being a sophist, and corrupting the youth. The Apology examines the court case relating to this.
64
Aristotle (again)
Wrote about many different topics. Catharsis in tragedy and types of regimes in politics (and why they succeed/fail). Metic. Student of Plato. Tutor to Alexander the Great.
65
Geometry in Pottery
Protogeometric - Dark age, non-figural. Geometric - Dark age into archaic. Repetitive scenes, geometric anatomy, iconography (battles, funerals)
66
Black Figure
Additional layer of clay to form black pattern once heated.
67
Red Figure
Layer is outline of figure (clay turns outline black). Figure appears red.
68
White Figure
Color from white clay slip. Very fragile. Typically grave good.
69
Kouros
Statue of a man.
70
Kore
Statue of a woman.
71
Contrapposto
Pose of weight on one leg and spine curved.
72
Attribute
Object that distinguishes statue (ex: bow for Artemis)
73
Temples
Buildings dedicated to particular Gods
74
Pediment
Triangle bit under the roof. Decorative, common to all orders.
75
Column
Typically has base, shaft, and capital (top).
76
Capital
The top of a column.
77
Base
The bottom of a column
78
Shaft
The middle of a column
79
Orders of Architecture
Ionic, Corinthian, Doric
80
Doric
Came first, developed in the Peloponnese. Column had simple/no base, thick shaft, simple capital.
81
Doric Frieze
Alternating metopese and triglyphs.
82
Metopese
Space for statuary.
83
Triglyph
Decorative pattern.
84
Ionic
Developed in Ionia. Column had distinct base, thin shaft, elaborate capital.
85
Ionic Frieze
Continuous sculptural space.
86
Corinthian
Variant of Ionic. Very elaborate column capitals. Mostly used for temple interiors (especially sacred?)
87
Parthenon
Dominates Athenian acropolis. Funded by Delian league. Primarily Doric, with Ionic behind it and Ionic capitals in key places.

Classics (3 decks)

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