Ancient Greece - Introductory

You don't need an oracle to tell you that it would be a tragedy to miss out on this list of terms related to ancient Greece. Learn about the geography of Greece, government and politics, philosophy, drama, and more. Review this list and you'll never confuse an agora with an amphora!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. acropolis
    the citadel in an ancient Greek city, usually on a hill
  2. Aegean
    of or relating to or bordering the Aegean Sea
  3. Aesop
    Greek author of fables (circa 620-560 BC)
  4. agora
    the marketplace in ancient Greece
  5. amphora
    an ancient jar with two handles and a narrow neck
  6. aristocracy
    a privileged class holding hereditary titles
  7. Aristotle
    one of the greatest of the ancient Athenian philosophers
  8. assembly
    a group of persons gathered together for a common purpose
  9. Athens
    the capital and largest city of Greece; named after Athena
  10. citizen
    a native or naturalized member of a state
  11. city-state
    an independent nation comprised of a single town
  12. classical
    characteristic of the ancient Greek and Roman cultures
  13. colony
    a geographical area controlled by a distant country
  14. column
    a tall vertical cylindrical structure standing upright
  15. comedy
    light and humorous drama with a happy ending
  16. deity
    a supernatural being worshipped as controlling the world
  17. democracy
    a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
  18. discus
    an athletic competition in which a circular object is thrown
  19. drachma
    formerly the basic unit of money in Greece
  20. drama
    the literary genre of works intended for the theater
  21. epic
    a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
  22. fable
    a short moral story
  23. frieze
    an ornament consisting of a horizontal sculptured band
  24. Homer
    ancient Greek epic poet who is believed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey (circa 850 BC)
  25. isthmus
    a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas
  26. javelin
    a spear thrown as a weapon or in competitive field events
  27. monarchy
    autocracy governed by a ruler who usually inherits authority
  28. mythology
    the body of stories associated with a culture or institution
  29. oligarchy
    a political system governed by a few people
  30. Olympics
    an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years
  31. Olympus
    a mountain peak in northeast Greece near the Aegean coast
  32. oracle
    an authoritative person who divines the future
  33. oration
    an instance of formal speaking
  34. orator
    a person who delivers a speech
  35. peninsula
    a large mass of land projecting into a body of water
  36. Pericles
    Athenian statesman whose leadership contributed to Athens' political and cultural supremacy in Greece; he ordered the construction of the Parthenon (died in 429 BC)
  37. phalanx
    a body of troops in close array
  38. philosophy
    the rational investigation of existence and knowledge
  39. Plato
    ancient Athenian philosopher
  40. polytheism
    belief in multiple gods
  41. slavery
    the practice or system of owning people as property
  42. Socrates
    ancient Athenian philosopher; teacher of Plato and Xenophon
  43. Sparta
    an ancient Greek city famous for military prowess
  44. symposium
    a meeting for the public discussion of some topic
  45. temple
    a place of worship
  46. tragedy
    drama exciting terror or pity
  47. tyrant
    in ancient Greece, a ruler who had illegally seized power
Created on Wed Jan 11 13:30:04 EST 2017 (updated Mon Apr 03 16:17:26 EDT 2017)

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