Chapter 4 Ancient Greece

Citizen

a native or resident of a town or city

Shrine

altar, chapel, or other sacred place dedicated to the honor of gods and goddesses

Knossos

an ancient Minoan city on the island of Crete

Polis

city-state

Athens

city-state in Attica; just north of the Peloponnesus. As in many Greek city-states, government evolved from a monarchy into an aristocracy. By 700 B.C., noble landowners held power. They chose the chief officials, judged major court cases, and dominated the assembly.

Sparta

city-state in ancient Greece; The government included two kings and a council of elders who advised the monarchs. An assembly made up of all citizens approved major decisions. Citizens were male, native-born Spartans over the age of 30. The assembly also elected five ephors, or officials who ran day-to-day affairs

Fresco

colorful painting completed on wet plaster

Aristocracy

government headed by a privileged minority or upper class

Monarchy

government in which a king or queen exercises central power

Oligarchy

government in which ruling power belongs to a few people

Democracy

government in which the people hold ruling power

Acropolis

high city

Trojan War

in Greek epic poems and myths, a ten-year war between Mycenae and the city of Troy in Asia Minor

Phalanx

in ancient Greece, a massive tactical formation of heavily armed foot soldiers

Tyrant

in ancient Greece, ruler who gained power by force

Legislature

lawmaking body

Strait

narrow water passage

Summarize how Mycenaeans ruled the sea trade and started the Trojan War.

o For trade, they reached out beyond the Aegean to Sicily, Italy, Egypt, and Mesopotamia o The Trojan War took place around 1250 BC due to conflict caused by economic rivalry between Mycenae and Troy, a rich trading city in present-day Turkey, that controlled the vital straits, or narrow passages, connecting the Mediterranean and Black seas o In Greek legend, the Trojan War started after the Trojan prince, Paris, kidnaps Helen, the beautiful wife of a Greek king; the Mycenaeans sail to rescue her

Understand how geography influenced the Greek city-states.

o Greece is part of the Balkan peninsula, which extends southward into the eastern Mediterranean Sea o Mountains divide the peninsula into isolated valleys o Beyond the rugged coast, hundreds of rocky islands spread toward the horizon o The Greeks built many small city-states, cut off from one another by mountains or water

Define three types of government that developed in the Greek city-states.

o Monarchy is a government in which a hereditary ruler exercises central power (king) o Aristocracy is rule by a hereditary landholding elite o Oligarchy is a government in which power is in the hands of a small, wealthy elite

Explain how Sparta and Athens differed.

o Sparta had a brutal system of strict control; the Spartan government included two kings and a council of elders who advised the monarchs; their daily lives were ruled by discipline o Athens government evolved from a monarchy into an aristocracy where landowners held power; they chose the chief officials, judged major court cases, and dominated the assembly; eventually moved towards democracy; citizens shared power and wealth

Describe the works of Homer and their influence on Greek culture.

o The epic poems of the Iliad and the Odyssey are both credited to Homer o The Iliad is the chief source of information about the Trojan War o The Odyssey tells of the many struggles of the Greek hero Odysseus o Both of these epic poems reveal much about the values of the ancient Greeks

Identify the influences on Minoan culture and how the civilization prospered.

o They absorbed many ideas from the older civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia o Their success was based on trade, not conquest o Through their contact with Egypt and Mesopotamia, they acquired ideas and technology in fields such as writing and architecture that they adapted to their own culture

Identify the culture and values shared by Greeks.

o They spoke the same language, honored the same ancient heroes, participated in common festivals, and prayed to the same gods

Homer

poet, credited with the great epic poems, the Illiad and the Odyssey; from these poems, we learn about the Trojan War and life during this period. According to tradition, Homer was a blind poet who wandered from village to village, singing of heroic deeds. Like the great Indian epics, Homer's tales were passed on orally for generations before they were finally written down.