Greece Flashcards
Greek religions
Gods & goddesses
Main ones: Zeus(god of sky) Athena(wisdom) Poseidon(water)
Effect of Greece’s geography
Mountains = separate city states
Rivers = large navy, food from water
Not fertile soil= Small population
Minoans
Lived in Greece, specifically CRETE at very beginning
Mycenae
City of Mycenaeans, that migrated as indo-European travelers into Greece and fought a war against Troy
Crete
Large island on the edge of the Aegean Sea (under Greece) occupied by Minoans for a while
Dorians
Came into Greece after Mycenaean civilization ended, lacked language and art, but included Homer (famous poem storyteller)
Homer
Lived during the Dorian conquest, greatest storyteller, told epics
Epics
Long narrative poems including heroic deeds
Trojan war
Mycenaeans (Greek) vs. Trojans
According to legend, a Greek army besieged and destroyed Troy because a Trojan prince had kidnapped Helen, the beautiful wife of a Greek king.
Greek give Trojans- Trojan horse
Greeks win
Acropolis
Marketplace on a hill Greeks would hang out and talk politics
Why have acropolis ? Because geography- mountainous
Hoplites
During Dorian rule, and Persian wars, Foot soldiers that were in a phalanx (16x16 Greek formation)
Phlantax
During unites Greeks, during the Persian war , the army had a deadly powerful fighting force that included 16x16 hoplites with spears
Tyranny
Powerful noble or wealthy citizens, that appeal to the common people for support and seize control of the land
Oligarchy
A government ruled by a few powerful people
DO NOT HAVE TO BE RICH OR NOBLES, CAN BE TRADERS
Oracle of Delphi
Was a girl that was said to predict the future from the god Apollo (god of music, and prophecy)
Sparta
Located in Peloponnesus (southern part), military based
Gov: council of elders: proposed laws
Assembly: voted on issues
Five elected officials: carried out laws
Athens
Northern city of Greece that valued art and physical appearance
Gov: direct democracy
Persian war
Greece vs Persia: some athenians settled in northern Greece, the Persians came and took over, so the Athenians sent aid, they had a battle, the Athenians won, they sent back Pheidippides (first marathon) to tell there city to flee because it was defenseless, the Athenians came back and blocked the Persians, Xerxes fought 300 Spartans in mt pass, Athenians and Persians fought on water, alliance- Delian league, after a while they drove Persians back & ended all threats of future attacks
Darius
First Persian leader during Persian war
Xerxes
Second King of Persia during Persian wars, Darius’s son
Pheidippides
After first Persian vs Greek battle, the city was defenseless because all the men were fighting so they send Pheidippides back 26.2 miles and said “Rejoice, we conquer” and then died.
HE SAID WE NEED TO KNOW
Marathon
First Persian war battle was at marathon(northern plain) so when Pheidippides ran 26 miles they call it a marathon now
PERSIAN VS GREEKS
Story of Thermopylae and the 300 Spartans
Xerxes gathered a huge army to pummel the Greeks. 7000 Athenians & 300 Spartans held them at a pass in Thermopylae. They held off for 3 days. But a traitor told them a secret tunnel through the mountains, so the Athenians got scared and ran off. But the Spartans stayed and fought and all 300 died.