HIST 3052 Ancient Civilization Greece

Aristoi

"best men", highest ranking members of society, wealthy, aristocracy

Eupatridai

"good fathered people", elites, aristocrats, judges

Metropolis

"mother city", colony is somewhat independent but still has ties to mother city with military protection and religious practices

Seisachtheia

"shaking off of burdens", cancels the debt of people who have debt, cancels debt bondage, makes slavery illegal, forgives all debt

Draco

1st Athenian law maker, severe penalties, death penalties, "self help" justice system - victim's family can kill condemned murderer with no penalty, stops cycle of killing

Crypteia

A "secret service" in which young Spartiate males served; its purpose was to spy on and control Helots

tribute

A "tribute" - a tax paid by a dependent community (e.g., by a member of the First Athenian League to Athens, or by a Greek city to a foreign power such as Lydia or Persia)

Polis (pl. poleis)

A city in the physical sense; a specific form of state in the Greek world - the "city-state" (its counterpart in this sense was the ethnos - see Box 4.1); or, loosely, just "state."

Mycenae

A city on the Peloponnese; an important Bronze Age archaeological site where a Linear B archive was found. In some versions of Greek myths, Agamemenon reigns in Mycene

Indo-European

A family of languages consisting of most of the languages of Europe as well as those of Iran, the Indian subcontinent, and other parts of Asia

Lydia

A kingdom in western Anatolia which Cyrus the Great conquered for the Persian Empire in 546 bc. The last five kings were Gyges, Ardys, Sadyattes, Alyattes, and Croesus. Croesus was famous for his wealth; under him, the kingdom reached its greatest extent encompassing all of western Asia Minor with the exception of Lycia

Ethnos (pl. ethnē)

A people or tribe; a specific form of state in the Greek world - the "tribe-state" or "league." In the latter sense its counterpart in the Greek world was the polis (see Box 4.1). Although of little importance during the fifth century, ethne gain in importance during the fourth. In the third and second centuries two large ethne , the Achaian and the Aetolian Leagues dominate Greece. Ethne are frequently termed "leagues" or "federal leagues" or "federal states."

Temenos

A plot of land which in Mycenaean times the damos awarded to the wanax and the lawagetas. In the Iliad, a community can award a temenos to a king or other benefactor.

trittyes (sg. trittys)

A political unit in Athens above the deme and below the tribe (phyle). There were ten trittyes in each of the three regions of Attica (the city of Athens itself, the coasts, and the interior) to make thirty trittyes in all. The trittyes were of roughly equal size by population and were composed of varying numbers of demes. After Cleisthenes' reforms, an Athenian tribe (phyle) was composed of three trittyes, one from each of the three regions

Satrapy

A province and/or the title of a client kings of the Persian Empire. Based on the system where conquered territory would maintain much of their identity and sovereignty within the Persian Empire.

Alphabet

A script in which the signs represent individual phonemes. The Greek alphabet was unique in the ancient world in that it consistently wrote vowels in addition to consonants

Phylē (pl. phylai)

A subdivision of a group of people such as the inhabitants of a state - in general, a "tribe." A Greek state was generally divided up into phylai. In fifth-century Athens, there were ten such phylai. The word was also applied to the three main groups into which the Greeks themselves divided themselves up (Aeolians, Dorians, and Ionians) as well as to the three groups into which the Dorians themselves were divided up

Linear B

A syllabary, developed from Linear A and used by the Mycenaeans for writing Greek in the Late Bronze Age

Gyges

Advisor of old king of Lydia, peeper of kings wife (with permission from him), wife orders Gyges to kill king, becomes king - actual king

Lefkandi

An important Dark Age archaeological site on Euboea, largest 10th century building, a megaron

Linear A

An undeciphered script in use on Bronze Age Crete. See also Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear B.

Argive Heraion

Ancient temple in Argos dedicated to Hera, far away from city, helped give claim over more land

Cylon

Athenian, attempted to siege power for himself, he and all his allies were brutally murdered

Plataea

Battle on Salamis by Spartans, Greek hoplites wreck Persians, change course of the war in favor of the Greeks

Persepolis

Center of Persian Empire, large palace complex of the king, visual representation of the order of the society with reliefs on the structure

Oecist

Central leader/founder of a colony, The man who led colonists from their mother-city out to the colony and settled it. In the earlier period, remained in the colony until his death, after which the colonists honored him as a hero

Messenia

Conquered by the Lacedaemonians over course of 2 wars - First Messenian War 690-670 BC; Second Messenian War 630-600 BC

Royal Road

Created by Darius the Great, travel across land safely and easily, easier communication, mail system

Pylos

Crete, In the Late Bronze Age this city was the center of a kingdom conventionally named after it.

Xerxes

Darius's son and successor, goes to Greece to launch full scale land invasion as punishment, large army, hubris - whipped the sea and made a useless canal, beat the Athenians at Thermopylae, defeated at Salamis

Orientalizing period

Denoting a type of Greek pottery (named after the "oriental" motifs, such as lions, used to decorate it) from the eighth century bc

Syncretism

Different forms of the gods in different places but still the same gods

Lelantine plain

Fertile plain, The place where a war was waged by the Euboean cities of Chalcis and Eretria over this. It lasted, off and on, from the late eighth to the mid-seventh century.

Franchthi Cave

Goes back 17,000 years, series of occupations, lots of archaeological information, diet and people, not isolated, hunter gathering, some later pastoralism and small amount of agriculture

Hecataeus

Greek genealogist and geographer of the late sixth and early fifth centuries bc. BNJ 1.

Miletus

Greek/Ionian polis on outskirts of Persian empire; beginning site of revolts (499) and Athenian aid (498); Persian reconquer and begin Persian war in 494; closest link to Babylonian ideas, place that brings Babylonian math principles to Greece; open mindedness because connected with many different cultures

Persephone

Hades's wife, Demeter's daughter, reason for winter, goddess of flowers, Rape of Persephone - creation story

Homeric Society

Homer's epic focused only on the higher class individuals; chieftain and retainers; common folk were left out, though lived in the country; didn't understand chariots and archers but knew about Mycenaean armor; shame culture of getting gifts associated with reputation

Pythos (pl. pythoi)

Huge storage pots for collecting and holding grain, Crete civilization (Minoan), had huge amount of food

Phratry

In Athens, a traditional clan association. An Athenian boy was accepted by vote into his father's phratry - the clan's vote to accept proved the boy's legitimacy. This took place before the boy was enrolled in his father's deme at age 18

Trojan War

In Greek mythology, a war which the Greeks waged for ten years against the city of Ilium (see Troy) in northwestern Anatolia.

Knossos

In the Bronze Age, this Cretan city was a center of the Minoan civilization and later the chief city of a Mycenaean kingdom; palace site

Cyrus the Great

King of Persia, took over Media, Babylon, Lydia; charismatic leader, not "conquering" but "freeing" the locals

Cleisthenes

Law maker in Athens, father of Athenian democracy, changed government in complicated ways, new tribes, trittyes, random lottery boule

Squash and Mint (kolokynthē and minthē)

Linguistic remains, words that carried thru present and are older than Greek

Pentacosiomedimni

Literally "500-Bushel-Men." The highest census class in Athens from the time of Solon onwards. They held property valued at 500 bushels of grain or higher; after the introduction of coinage, the amount was 500 drachmas or higher

Hippeis

Literally "Horsemen," this word commonly denoted a social class (e.g., at Eretria), as the horse was a status symbol that only the wealthy could afford. It could also denote a college of officials (e.g., at Sparta or on Crete). In Athens, the Hippeis were the second highest census class from the time of Solon onwards; they held property valued at between 500 and 300 bushels of grain. After the introduction of coinage, it was between 500 and 300 drachmas.

Zeugitai

Literally "Yokemen" - i.e., originally people wealthy enough to keep two oxen. In Athens from the time of Solon onwards, were the third highest census class with property valued at between 300 and 200 bushels of grain, for the census

Colonization

Making a settlement founded abroad by a Greek community; unlike an emporion, was an independent, fully functioning political entity.

Aeschylus, Persians

One of the three great Athenian tragedians of the fifth century, he took part in the battles of Marathon and Salamis; tragedy from Persian POV, emphasized that the rowers, everyday people, were the ones to win against the Persians

Darius

Persian king, "restored" order to the empire, claimed support of gods and Ahura Mazda, first written records of the Persian's successes and conquering

Phoenicians

Primary people trading overseas, set up emporiums and colonies abroad, writing system (Phonetics) - alphabet, far superior to previous writing systems instead of representing objects in hieroglyphs, individual letters rep sounds, only consonants

Olympia (sanctuary)

Sanctuary on border of a city state that allowed for movement control, religious sanctuary, site of Olympic games

Marathon

Site of the famous battle fought between the armies of Persia and the outnumbered Athenians. Athens was victorious and a messenger was sent to run the 26 miles back to the city with the news; defeated Persians at a run, ran as fast as possible to ships to stop and corner the cavalry, big source of pride

Thales of Miletus

Sixth-century philosopher from Miletus, math guy and science guy, predicted solar eclipse, measured the pyramids, used inherited ideas of Babylonians but also developed his own ideas

Periander

Son of Cypselus, takes over as tyrant of Corinth, seen as a really bad guy, killed wife and did bad things to the body, end of the tyranny

Cypselus

Son put in box to survive persecution, comes back to take revenge, establishes that he has some connection to old aristocracy, start of the dynasty of tyrants which ruled Corinth from ca. 620- 550 bc ("low" chronology) or 657- 584 bc (traditional "high" chronology).

Return of the Heraclidae

Sons of Heracles from trials, exiled and came back to take over the Peloponnese, Dorians

stasis

Standoff between aristocracy and the masses, conflict of interests

Panhellenism

The "all-Greek" culture that allowed ancient Greek colonies to maintain a connection to their homeland and to each other through their shared language and heritage

Enneakrounos

The "nine heads (or spouts)" - the name of Athens' main public fountain house, built by the Peisistratids, part of increase in public works by Alcaeus of Mytilene

Pithecusae

The Cup of Nestor, first Greek writing after collapse of Linear B, cup of good fortune, nod to Homer

Great Rhetra

The Great Rhetra at Sparta was a constitutional text, probably from the late eighth century, which among other things regulated the membership of the Gerousia as well as meetings of the Assembly.

Megaron

The central hall in a Mycenaean palace during the Bronze Age

Basileus (pl. basileis)

The generic word for "king" in post Mycenaean Greece. The Mycenaean form of the word was gwasileus . Many Greek states in preclassical times were governed by basileis , and some states such as Sparta and the Greek cities on Cyprus continued under the rule of basileis through the classical period. The term basileus was freely used also for the monarchs of non-Greek peoples such as the Lydians , Thracians , and Persians ; the rulers of Macedonia were also called basileis , as were all the rulers of the Hellenistic kingdoms

Thetes

The lowest census class in Athens from the time of Solon onwards, who defined them as holding property worth less than 200 bushels of grain. After the introduction of coinage, it was less than 200 drachmas

Attic deme

The lowest level of political organization in Athens. In the city itself demes were neighborhoods; in the countryside they were villages or hamlets grouped together. Demes, according to their size, sent councillors to the Boule. A sufficient number of demes were grouped together to form a trittys;

Minoan Crete

The name (after the mythological king Minos) conventionally given to the Bronze Age civilization which flourished on Crete before the Mycenaeans conquered that island in the Late Bronze Age

Synoicism

The process whereby people living in two or more communities come to live together in one larger settlement. This larger settlement may be, but need not be, a fully new foundation (for example, in the case of two cities, the inhabitants of the smaller one might simply move to the larger)

Transhumance

The seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures.

Delphi

The site, in Phocis, of the most important Panhellenic shrine, dedicated to Apollo. The oracle here, besides its religious and cultural importance, had political significance as well, since by tradition the oracle sanctioned many state undertakings.

Helots

The third and lowest of the three main tiers of Lacedaemonian society, counted as between free and slave

Harmodius & Aristogeiton

Two men from ancient Athens. They became known as the Tyrannicides after they killed the Peisistratid tyrant Hipparchus, and were the preeminent symbol of democracy to ancient Athenians, the lovers that killed Hipparchus but tortured by Hipparchus's bro, Athenians angry so get Spartans to over throw tyrant, become symbol of central idea of Equal Rights - everyone is equal no matter wealth, Isonomia

Peisistratus

Tyrant who gets kicked out of Athens and tries to take it over with different allies multiple times, uses regional factions and their conflicts to get power, under his tyranny the state is more unified and standardized Athenian Coinage and temples

Heinrich Schliemann

Wanted to prove historical basis for Homer's myths; discovering "the site of Troy", didn't pay attention to what phases could have been THE TROY, went too far into layers and threw out the good stuff; went to Greece and tried to find Mycenae, found Linear B clay tablets

Ahura Mazda

Zoroastrian god, great god of light and good, order and goodness, role of people to maintain the feeling of order and goodness according to divine plan

Ionian Enlightenment

a set of advances in scientific thought, explanations on nature, and discovering the natural and rational causes behind observable phenomena, that took place in archaic Greece beginning in the 6th century BC; open mindedness and innovation, Greek Philosophy; occurred in Ionia because in between the Greek world of the Aegean and the ancient kingdoms of the Near East where a lot of innovations occurred

Cyclopean walls

a type of stonework found in Mycenaean architecture, built with massive limestone boulders, roughly fitted together with minimal clearance between adjacent stones and no use of mortar.

Kleros (pl. kleroi)

allotments of land for colonists offered by mother state to encourage colonization

Battus

founder of ancient Greek colony of Cyrene, has cult worship

Sea Peoples

group of people responsible for invading and destroying Egyptian and Hittite kingdoms in 13th century BC, terrifying all the peoples in civilized kingdoms, destruction, NOT Mycenaeans bc destroyed, in Homer's telling of Trojan War Greeks come home and see things are very bad

Oikos

household, shift in social organization, small forming communities coming together

Arētē

moral excellence

Salamis

naval battle where the Greek forces defeated the Persians, shortly after the failed battle at Thermopylae

Barbaros (pl. barbaroi)

people who do not speak Greek; barbarians

Cult sacrifice

scapegoat for problems, ritual killing of animals, offered to the gods by burning

Geography

study of earth, Hecataeus of Miletus - map of Europe and Asia (w/ Africa)

Apollo Archagetes

the "original leader" / the"founder", Cyrenians appeal to him, in Herodotus he forces the Cyrenians to establish a colony

Syssition

the collective mass of the army, each soldier has land and if fail to provide your share of crop/food for army can lose political social status, must assert power of helots

Lycurgus of Sparta

the legendary lawgiver of Sparta who established the military-oriented reformation of Spartan society in accordance with the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, "Great Rhetra", probs not real

Olympian gods

the most important gods of the Greek pantheon, who were believed by Greeks to inhabit Mount Olympus. Some of the Olympians include: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hermes, Demeter, Dionysos, and Ares. Other gods, such as, Hestia and Hades, were sometimes described as Olympians.

Cosmos

the universe as an ordered and harmonious system