Ancient Greek Vocab

Question 1

Greek, high city, means a rugged, raised rock; site of the city’s most important temples

Answer 1

acropolis

Question 2

sculpture in the round placed on a rock

Answer 2

acroterion

Question 3

an open space or square used for public meetings or business in ancient greece

Answer 3

agora

Question 4

having for columns both in the front and rear of a temple

Answer 4

amphiprostyle

Question 5

silhouetting of dark figures against a light background of natural, reddish clay, with linear details incised through the silhouettes

Answer 5

black-figure

Question 6

the main shrine room of a temple where a cut statue is housed

Answer 6

cella

Question 7

a graceful arrangement of the body based on the tilted shoulders and hips and bent knees

Answer 7

contrapposto

Question 8

paint made of pigment mixed with wax

Answer 8

encaustic

Question 9

lintel above the columns; contains the architrave and the frieze

Answer 9

entablature

Question 10

slight bulging or curve in the shaft of a column to correct the visual illusion of concavity

Answer 10

entasis

Question 11

shallow vertical grooves running along the long, narrow cylinder that comprises the majority of the column

Answer 11

fluted shaft

Question 12

a broad horizontal band of decoration and/or sculpture on architecture

Answer 12

frieze

Question 13

battle between gods and giants on greek mythology

Answer 13

gigantomachy

Question 14

tradition of depicting head of figures on the same level; implies a single ground line

Answer 14

isocephalism

Question 15

an oven used for making pottery

Answer 15

kiln

Question 16

an archaic greek sculpture of an idealized standing youth

Answer 16

kouros/kore

Question 17

a large ancient greek bowl used for mixing water and wine

Answer 17

krater

Question 18

a sculpture is carved out of clay and dipped into wax; the sculpture is put into a clay casing and heated, so that the wax will drip out of a hole at the bottom; as a result, spaceis left between the clay casing and clay interior; molten metal is then poured into the space; after cooling, the case is cracked so that the now-metal scuplture can be release

Answer 18

lost-wax casting

Question 19

space between two triglyphs in a Doric frieze; often decorated with low relief carving

Answer 19

metopes

Question 20

a style represented by a characteristic design of the columns

Answer 20

order

Question 21

a ceremonial road for a procession built to honor Athena

Answer 21

panathenaic way

Question 22

low protective wall or barrier

Answer 22

parapet

Question 23

virgin, used to refer to Athena as Athena Parthenos

Answer 23

parthenos

Question 24

the triangular top of a classical building; typically on top of an entablature and a portico

Answer 24

pediment

Question 25

a garment worn by a women in ancient greece, usually full length and tied at the waist

Answer 25

peplos

Question 26

colonade aorund the perimeter of the building

Answer 26

peristyle

Question 27

in later greek pottery the silhouetting of red figures against a black background, with painted linear details; the reverse of black-figure painting

Answer 27

red-figure

Question 28

covered walkway atteched to a building; used as a framing device for the structure

Answer 28

stoa

Question 29

the floor of a temple

Answer 29

stylobate

Question 30

part of a Doric entablature frieze; has three vertical grooves

Answer 30

triglyph

Question 31

deeply incised drapery that is clingy and tight, so that it reveals the shape of the body

Answer 31

wet drapery