Ancient Greek Vocab

Question 1

Mycenaeans

Answer 1

A group of indo-european people who settled on the Greek mainland around 2000 B.C.

Question 2

Trojan War

Answer 2

a war fought around 1200 BC, in which an army led by mycenaean kings attacked the independent trading city of troy in anatolia

Question 3

Dorians

Answer 3

A group of Greek-speaking people who migrated into mainland Greece after the destruction of the Mycenaean civilization

Question 4

Myths

Answer 4

traditional stories about gods, ancestors, or heroes, told to explain the natural world or the customs & beliefs of a society.

Question 5

Polis

Answer 5

a Greek city-state – the fundamental political unit of ancient Greece after about 750 BC

Question 6

Acropolis

Answer 6

a fortified hilltop in an ancient Greek city

Question 7

Monarchy

Answer 7

a government in which power is in the hands of a single person

Question 8

Aristocracy

Answer 8

a government in which power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility

Question 9

Oligarchy

Answer 9

a government in which power is in the hands of a few people – especially one in which rule is based upon wealth

Question 10

Tyrants

Answer 10

a powerful individual who gained control of a city-state’s government by appealing to the poor for support

Question 11

Democracy

Answer 11

a government controlled by its citizens, either directly or through representatives

Question 12

Helots

Answer 12

a subjugated population group that formed the main population of Laconia and Messenia, the territory controlled by Sparta.

Question 13

Phalanx

Answer 13

a military formation of foot soldiers armed with spears and shields

Question 14

Persian Wars

Answer 14

a series of wars in the fifth century BC, in which Greek city-states battled the persian empire

Question 15

Direct Democracy

Answer 15

a government in which citizens rule directly rather than through representatives

Question 16

Classical Art

Answer 16

the art of ancient Greece & Rome, in which harmony, order, & proportion were emphasized

Question 17

Tragedy

Answer 17

a serious form of drawing dealing with the downfall of heroic or noble character

Question 18

Comedy

Answer 18

a humorous form of drama that often includes slapstick & satire.

Question 19

Philosophers

Answer 19

thinkers who use logic and reason to investigate the nature of the universe, human society, and morality.

Question 20

Hellenistic

Answer 20

Greek culture which blended with Egyptian, Persian and Indian influences

Question 21

Epics

Answer 21

long poems that tell the deeds of legendary or traditional heroes

Question 22

Homer

Answer 22

A great, bilnd storyteller who wrote iliad

Question 23

Pelopnneisian War

Answer 23

The war between Athens and Spartain 431 B.C

Question 24

Socrates

Answer 24

One of the sophists who believed that absolute standards did exist for truth and justice

Question 25

Plato

Answer 25

A student of Socrates, and he wrote The Republic in 370B.C.

Question 26

Aristotle

Answer 26

the teacher of Alexander, son of king Philip II and questioned the nature of the world and of human belief

Question 27

Philip II

Answer 27

The king of Macedonia who dreamed of taking control of Greek

Question 28

Macedonia

Answer 28

A kingdom located just north of Greece, had rough terrain and a cold climate.

Question 29

Darius III

Answer 29

The Persian king who ruled the Persian Empire when Alexander attack Persia.

Question 30

Alexander the Great

Answer 30

The king of Macedonia who made the biggest empire at ancient time.

Question 31

Hellenistic

Answer 31

Greek culture blended with Egyptiam, Persian, and Indian Influences.

Question 32

Alexandria

Answer 32

An Egyptian city which was the foremost center of commerce and Hellenistic world.

Question 33

Euclid

Answer 33

A highly regarded mathematician who taught in Alexandria and wrote “Elements”

Question 34

Archimedes

Answer 34

A Scientist who study at Alexandria and accurately estimated the vale of pi.

Question 35

Colossus of Rhodes

Answer 35

The largest known Hellenistic statue was created on the island of Rhodes, a statue of the Greek sun-god Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes