Social Studies: Greeks Flashcards
Vocab: Polis
Greek city state
Vocab: Citizen
A legal member of a country or city-state
Vocab: Acropolis
“High city” in Greek: the upper part of an ancient Greek city, where public buildings and the city’s defenses were located
Vocab: Politics
Art and practice of government
Vocab: Aristocracy
Hereditary class of rulers, Greek for “rule by the best people”
Vocab: Eventual
Final
Vocab: Exclude
To shut out, to keep from participating
True or false: in ancient times, there was not a country called Greece
True.
Instead of a country, there were a collection of communities that spoke Greek scattered across islands and coasts.
Where is modern Greece?
On a peninsula that juts into the Mediterranean Sea.
What is a peninsula?
A land area surrounded by water on 3 sides.
What is name of the largest Greek peninsula?
Peloponnesian Peninsula
Describe the geography of ancient Greece
On the mainland, there are mountain ranges with narrow valleys and small ranges between them. This was good for raising sheep and goats, but not very suitable for farming.
The mainland was surrounded by sea, and many Greek communities also settled on islands in the Aegean Sea. So Greeks were good sailors, and were engaged in fishing and trading across the Mediterranean Sea to the South, the Aegean Sea to the East, and Ionian Sea to the West.
How did mountains impact ancient Greek culture?
Mountains made Greek communities isolated from each other, and made them fiercely independent. These communities never united under a single government and in fact they were often at war with each other.
How did Greeks become exposed to both European and Asian cultures?
Ancient Greece was located between Europe and Asia, and because they were good sailors and traveled by sea to trade, they came into contact with different cultures in Europe (to their West), Asia (to their East) and North Africa (to their South).
What is the climate like in Greece? How did this impact their way of life?
Greece enjoys a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
This made it difficult to grow crops and grains that needed frequent watering, so the Greeks conducted trade to obtain grains.
But this climate was good for growing olive trees and grape vines, so the Greeks produced olive oil and wine that they used for trading.
Who were the Minoans?
Minoans lived on Crete, an island south of mainland Greece. They were an older and advanced civilization. Their culture spread across the Aegean Sea and influenced Greek culture around 2000 B.C.
In What way was Minoan culture highly advanced?
They had a writing system, built large palaces with running water, and conducted trade throughout the Mediterranean.
How did Minoan culture decline?
Most historians believe that mainland Greeks destroyed Minoan palaces and towns.
Who were the Mycenaeans?
They were a civilization that developed on mainland Greece around 1600 B.C., who were heavily influenced by the Minoans.
Describe Mycenaean culture.
Each town was ruled by a monarchy headed by a king, and the rulers lived in fortresses on hilltops overlooking their towns.
They were good at making pottery and bronze weapons, which they used to trade for copper, ivory and luxury goods.
How did Mycenaean culture decline?
They became weak and were destroyed around 1100 B.C. by Dorians from the north.
What happened to Greek culture after the Mycenaeans were destroyed?
Greek culture declined and entered the dark ages from 1100 to 750 B.C., where people lost the ability to read and write.
During this period, Greek speaking people migrated and settled on islands in an area that became known as Ionia. They brought their Greek culture to this new area and remembered the Mycenaean “heroic age” through stories and songs.
What is the Trojan War?
It’s a legend passed down in Greek culture through songs, where Mycenaean warriors fought a 10 year war with a city called Troy, a city in Anatolia (in modern day Turkey). The war ended when the Mycenaeans tricked the enemy by getting them to accept a large wooden horse. Greek soldiers hid inside the horse and snuck out after they entered Troy. They opened the city gates which allowed the Greek army to enter and burn down the city.
What were the Iliad and Odyssey?
These were books written by the poet Homer based on the legend of the Trojan War.
The Iliad tells the story before the war, and the Odyssey tells the story after the war ended. Both stories imagine a world of fearless Mycenaean warriors, and were influential in shaping Greek culture that emphasized bravery, strength and honor, and to seek glory through courageous acts.
