Ancient Greece: Key Terms and Definitions

Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in History

Here are some key terms and definitions related to Ancient Greece:

  • Acropolis: A fortified gathering place at the top of a hill, which was also the site of temples and public buildings.
  • Aegean Sea: The sea between the peninsula of Greece and Asia Minor, containing thousands of islands.
  • Age of Pericles: The period between 461 and 429 B.C. when Pericles dominated Athenian politics and Athens reached the height of its power.
  • Agora: An open area that served as a gathering place and as a market.
  • Alexander the Great: King of Greece and Macedonia who conquered the Persian Empire with his great military skill.
  • Alexandria: Greek capital of Egypt.
  • Archimedes: Famous Greek scientist of the Hellenistic period, important for establishing the value of the mathematical constant pi.
  • Arete: The qualities of excellence that a hero strives to win in a struggle or contest.
  • Aristotle: Greek philosopher, a student of Plato’s, who identified three good forms of government: monarchy, aristocracy, and constitutional. He favored constitutional government for most people.
  • Asia Minor: A peninsula bordered by the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean, where Ionian Greek cities were located on its Aegean coast.
  • Assemble: To gather.
  • Athens: Greek city-state that created the foundations of democracy.
  • Black Sea: Sea northeast of Greece and the Balkan peninsula, which Greek seafarers sailed to, making contact with the outside world.
  • Bronze Age: Period during which the Minoans had a civilization on Crete; 2700 B.C. to 1450 B.C.
  • Byzantium: City that later became Constantinople and is now Istanbul.
  • Classical: Authoritative, traditional; relating to the literature, art, architecture, or ideals of the ancient Greek and Roman world.
  • Cleisthenes: An Athenian statesman and reformer who gained power in 510 B.C. He is generally regarded as the founder of Athenian democracy, as he established a more democratic constitution.
  • Crete: Island south of the Greek mainland where the Minoan civilization was located.
  • Darius: Persian ruler who was defeated by an outnumbered Athenian army on the plain of Marathon in 490 B.C.
  • Debated: Discussed by considering opposing viewpoints.
  • Delian League: Defensive alliance against the Persians.
  • Delos: Greek island that was used as the headquarters of the Delian League.
  • Delphi: Location of a sacred shrine in Greece where the famous oracle of Apollo was consulted.
  • Democracy: “The rule of the many,” government by the people, either directly or through their elected representatives.
  • Direct Democracy: A system of government in which the people participate directly in government decision-making through mass meetings.
  • Ephor: One of the five men elected each year in ancient Sparta who were responsible for the education of youth and the conduct of all citizens.
  • Epic Poem: A long poem that tells the deeds of a great hero.
  • Epicureanism: School of thought developed by the philosopher Epicurus in Hellenistic Athens; it taught that happiness is the chief goal in life, and the means to achieve happiness was the pursuit of pleasure.
  • Eratosthenes: Important astronomer during the Hellenistic Age who determined that Earth was round and calculated Earth’s circumference within 185 miles.
  • Ethics: Moral principles; generally recognized rules of conduct.
  • Euclid: Important mathematician of the Hellenistic Age who wrote Elements, a textbook on plane geometry.
  • Euripides: Famous Greek playwright who showed greater interest in real-life situations than with gods.
  • Hellenistic Era: The age of Alexander the Great; period when the Greek language and ideas were carried to the non-Greek world.
  • Hellespont: Strait between the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea.
  • Helot: Captive people who were forced to work for their conquerors.
  • Ionia: Territory located along the western shore of Asia Minor where many Greeks settled during the Dark Age.
  • Macedonia: Powerful kingdom north of Greek city-states that emerged by the end of the fifth century B.C.
  • Minoan: Rich culture on Crete 2700-1450 B.C.; far-ranging sea empire with palace complex at Knossos; influenced the peoples of the Greek mainland.
  • Mycenaean: Indo-Europeans on mainland Greece who dominated most of Greece and invaded Crete, helping to destroy the Minoan civilization; flourished between 1600 B.C. and 1100 B.C.
  • Oligarchy: “The rule of the few,” a form of government in which a small group of people exercises control.
  • Olympus: Highest mountain in Greece that was believed by the Greeks to be the home to the 12 chief Greek gods and goddesses.