acropolis
a large hill in ancient Greece where city
residents sought shelter and safety in times of
war and met to discuss community affairs
agora
a central area in Greek cities used both
as a marketplace and as a meeting place
astronomer
A scientist who studies the stars
and other objects in the sky
citizen
a person with certain rights and
duties under a government
city-state
A city and its surrounding lands
functioning as an independent political
unit.
colony
a body of people who settle far from
home but maintain ties with their
homeland
comedy
light and humorous drama
with a happy ending
constitution
law determining the fundamental
political principles of a government
democracy
a political system in which the supreme
power lies in a body of citizens who can
elect people to represent them
direct democracy
Government in which citizens vote
on laws and select officials directly
drama
A circumstance in which the audience or
reader knows more about a situation
than a character.
epic
A long narrative poem that records
the adventures of a hero.
fable
A brief story that leads to a moral,
often using animals as characters
Hellenistic
a word meaning to "imitate Greeks"; Greek-speaking
civilization which spread through many lands of the
eastern Mediterranean and beyond following the
conquests of Alexander the Great.
helots
Slaves to the Spartans that revolted and
nearly destroyed Sparta in 650 B.C.E.
island
a land mass (smaller than a continent)
that is surrounded by water
myths
A symbolic story expressing ideas
about reality or spiritual history.
oligarchy
government by a privileged
few
oracle
A sacred shrine where a priest or
priestess spoke for a god or goddess.
peninsula
land surrounded by water on
three sides
philosopher
thinker who seeks wisdom and
ponders questions about life
philosopher
A thinker who uses logic and reason to
investigate the nature of the universe,
human society and morality
philosophy
An organized system of thought,
from the Greek for "love of wisdom"
polis
a city-state in ancient Greece
representative democracy
A system of government in which citizens
elect representatives, or leaders, to make
decisions about the laws for all the people.
satrap
official who ruled a state in the
Persian Empire under Darius
satrapies
provinces in the Persian
Empire
tragedy
A serious form of drama dealing with
the downfall of a heroic or noble
character
tyrant
person who takes power by force
and rules with total authority
Zoroastrianism
Persian religion founded by Zoroaster; taught that
humans had the freedom to choose between right
and wrong, and that goodness would triumph in the
end