Unit 5, Part 1 Study Guide
Mr. Davis
Warrior Social Studies
January 2015
Vocabulary (p. 1 of Interactive
Notebook)
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Polis = a city-state
Classical = a period marked by great achievements
Acropolis = a high hill, usually with a fortress on top
Democracy = a type of government where people rule themselves
Aristocrats = wealthy landowners
Oligarchy = a type of government where a small council of
aristocrats rule
Citizens = people that have the right to participate in government
Tyrant = a leader who gets and keeps power through force
Mythology = a body of stories to explain how the world works
Fables = stories that teach the reader a lesson
Geography of Ancient Greece
• Greece is a mountainous peninsula with many
natural harbors
• A rugged, jagged coastline
• Surrounded by islands, but the Greek
mainland is a PENINSULA.
Effects of Geography
• Because travel by land was so difficult, the
Greeks had to turn to the seas for travel and
trade.
• They became expert shipbuilders
Minoans
• The Minoans created an ancient civilization on
the island of Crete.
• Historians don’t consider the Minoans to be
Greek because they did not speak Greek. The
Mycenaeans did speak Greek and lived on the
Greek mainland.
• The Minoans were destroyed by a volcanic
eruption and its effects: the ash buried crops
and a giant wave flooded the island of Crete
The Dark Ages
• After invading armies destroyed Mycenaean
civilization, Greece had a period of warfare
and disorder known as the Dark Ages.
The agora
• The agora served as a market place for
farmers to bring in goods
• A meeting place for political and religious
assemblies
• Shops were located there
Democracy in Ancient Greece
• Athens was a democracy for about 170 years and
reached its height under Pericles.
• Pericles encouraged people to take pride in their
city and participate in government—he paid
people to serve in offices or on juries.
• Athenian democracy is DIRECT DEMOCRACY—
where every citizen votes and debates on every
law to be passed.
• Only males who owned property were
considered to be citizens—people who could
participate in government.
Democracy in the U.S.
• The U.S. has a REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY. A
direct democracy wouldn’t work in the U.S.
because our population is too large—it is not
practical for all citizens to debate and vote on
every single law to be passed.
• Citizens elect representatives to debate and vote
on issues for them.
• Some officials create laws (legislative), enforce
laws (executive), and others are judges (judicial)
• Men and women (over the age of 18) have the
right to vote
Juries in Athens
• Juries in Athens often had an odd number of
people serving on them to prevent ties.
Outside Meetings in Greece
• Since Athenians wanted to be sure all citizens
could attend, and because it took 6,000
people to create an assembly, meetings would
be held outside.
• Every citizen had the right to speak and
debate on issues as they wanted.
Greek Myths
• The Greeks created a body of mythology to
help explain how the world worked.
• For example, the Greeks believe there are
different seasons because Demeter is
separated from her daughter, Persephone for
six months. When Persephone is with Hades,
it is fall and winter, when she is reunited with
her mother Demeter, it is spring and summer.
Greek Myths in Our Culture
• Colleges and pro sports teams are named for
characters in Greek mythology (USC Trojans,
MSU Spartans, Tennessee Titans)
• The Olympics, originally held to honor Zeus,
are still held every 4 years.
• Phrases such as “Achilles Heel” and “Titanic”
are still part of the English language.
Homer
• Homer wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey.
• His epic poetry was the basis for much of the
Greek education system.
Lyrical Poetry
• Lyrical poetry is poetry set to music.
• Named for the LYRE—a common Ancient
Greek instrument
• Sappho was a famous lyric poet in Ancient
Greece
Aesop
• Aesop was a Greek writer known for his fables
• Fables are stories that teach lessons to the
reader.
• Animals are typically the main characters
(personification)
Obvious Influence of Greek Culture
• Our language—many of the root words in our
language come from the Greeks.
• “Democracy,” = Remember “dem people” 
Greek Gods and Goddesses (p. 20 in
your Interactive Notebook)
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Zeus = king of the gods
Hera = queen of the gods
Poseidon = sea
Hades = Underworld
Demeter = agriculture
Hestia = hearth
Athena = wisdom
Apollo = sun
Artemis = moon
Ares = war
Aphrodite = love
Hephaestus = metalworking
Dionysus = celebration & wine
Hermes = messenger
Three Key Greek Heroes
• Theseus = killed the minotaur in the labyrinth
• Jason = sailed the Argo with his sailors, the
Argonauts. Basis of Homer’s Odyssey
• Hercules = Most famous—killed the Hydra as
well as performed many other “impossible
feats.”