The Greeks Ch. 3

Sophists

wandering scholars and professional teachers in ancient Greece who stressed the importance of rhetoric and tended toward skepticism and relativism.

rhetoric

the art of persuasive speaking; in the Middle Ages, one of the seven liberal arts.

Homer

A poet, gave the Greeks a model of heroism, honor and nobility. Homer was an epic poet who lived around the end of the Dark Age and the beginning of the Archaic Age. The Greeks learned many values from Homer's works. Above all, Homer laid out the ideal nature that humanity should aspire to, giving the priority to heroism and the expression of honorable intentions and pursuits. In Homer's opinion, violence could (and sometimes should) be used to achieve these ideals, but men should be wary of violence descending into wrath—a destructive and counterproductive force. Women had, in Homer's mind, the same responsibility as men to be heroic and honorable, although they were seen to occupy a lower sociopolitical and cultural status.

Which of the following was a question posed by the Greek philosopher Plato? A. Where was there value in undertaking bold, even irrational, acts? B. What element of democracy was misguided? C. How should the aristocracy best be defeated?

B

Polis

an ancient Greek city-state encompassing both an urban area and its surrounding countryside; a small but autonomous political unit where all major political and social activities were carried out centrally.

delian league

Image result for define delian leaguestudy.com The Delian League (or Athenian League) was an alliance of Greek city-states led by Athens and formed in 478 BCE to liberate eastern Greek cities from Persian rule and as a defence to possible revenge attacks from Persia following the Greek victories at Marathon, Salamis, and Plataea in the early 5th century BCE

What answer did Plato suggest for the question he posed? A. Bold, even irrational, acts allowed one to access divine power. B. The aristocracy could be defeated if philosophers, like Plato, taught the peasantry how to lead. C. Democracy's lack of ability to bring about an ideal state was its weakness.

C

Which of the following statements accurately reflect Greek politics and society during the Classical Age? Check all that apply. A. Greeks adopted the Persian custom of the imperial, godlike ruler. B. Greeks overthrew the aristocracy and set up autonomous peasant communes instead. C. Greeks developed a system that mixed aristocracy and democracy. D. Greeks developed the foundations of democratic governance.

C, D The Greeks are considered the founders of the democratic tradition. Significantly, Greek politics displayed a balance between a powerful aristocracy and the involvement of citizens in policy decisions. The idea of democracy, which means "rule of the people" in Greek, is a Greek invention. So too was the idea that writing history was an exercise in research and objective analysis. Although Greeks told stories of humans achieving immortality, they generally rejected the idea that humans, even rulers, could be godlike in knowledge and power. This is not to say they rejected human hierarchies; a strong aristocracy remained in place throughout the period.

Greece's exceptionally flat topography meant that ancient leaders were able to meet often in large, open meetings to decide on issues related to intertribal relations. True False

False Even though Greece possesses fertile plains in certain areas, the peninsula is exceptionally mountainous. This limited contact between the various tribes that inhabited the valleys between the mountains, in turn limiting leaders of these tribes from being able to make definitive and lasting agreements and alliances. Thus Greece's many city-states found themselves often at war with one another, and even in cases where partnerships were formed, they were often short-lived or were in actuality a product of coercion by the most powerful states.

Oligarchy

Rule by a few

Phalanx

a rectangular formation of tightly massed infantry soldiers.

The emergence of the heavily armed hoplite soldier led to the erosion of democracy because hoplite leaders could easily take power as warlords and impose their will by force. False True

This statement is false. Rather than spell the destruction of democracy, the emergence of hoplites as Greek city-states' key military unit actually helped promote and solidify democratic ideals and systems. The previously most powerful military force, the cavalry, was closely associated with the aristocracy because only a nobleman could own and outfit horse-borne forces. Hoplites, on the other hand, included any free man who was able to afford their own armor and weapons, which were far cheaper than a horse. This meant that poorer farmers were able to serve alongside aristocrats, and because the product of their courage was equal (whether in victory or defeat), this meant that the political influence of non-nobles was raised to a higher position than it had been previously. Even though aristocrats continued to have more power and usually served as the military commanders, in theory all hoplites were equal in their service to the state and thus equally deserving of political rights and influence.

Socratic Method

a form of teaching that uses a question-and-answer format to enable students to reach conclusions by using their own reasoning.

Hoplites

heavily armed infantry soldiers in ancient Greece who entered battle in a phalanx formation.

hetairai

highly sophisticated courtesans in ancient Athens who offered intellectual and musical entertainment as well as sex.

Tyrant

in an ancient Greek polis (or an Italian city-state during the Renaissance), a ruler who came to power in an unconstitutional way and ruled without being subject to the law.

perioikoi

in ancient Sparta, free inhabitants but not citizens who were required to pay taxes and perform military service.

Metics

resident foreigners in ancient Athens who were not permitted full rights of citizenship but did receive the protection of the laws.

Helots

serfs in ancient Sparta who were permanently bound to the land that they worked for their Spartan masters.