Ancient Greece Study
Guide
Define the term city-state.
Political units made up of a city and all the
surrounding areas.
2) What are some things that would be found in
a city-state?
acropolis, temples, homes, agora, citizens,
government buildings, surrounding land
1)
3) Why did the Greeks form city-states?
They needed protection from invaders.
4) What form of government is Athens famous for
developing?
Democracy
5) Who could participate in Athens’ government?
Only citizens of Athens could participate in
government. The citizens were men who were
free, born in Athens and over 18 years old.
6) Describe the geography of Ancient Greece.
Greece is mainly mountainous and surrounded
by water on three sides (peninsula)
7) What about Greece’s geography allowed
for the formation of the city-states?
Because of the mountains, the Greek citystates formed in the isolated valleys.
8) What are the three types of columns that
the Greeks were first to design?
Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian
9) What are some ways the United States
uses Greek architecture today? (list two
other examples besides columns)
Stadiums, domes, modern day sewage
systems
10) What was the Parthenon?
The Parthenon was a temple built in Athens which
housed the statue of the goddess Athena.
11) Who was Pericles and why is he important to
Athens?
Pericles was a leader and politician in Athens. He
helped to encourage the arts and philosophy in
Athens during the Golden Age.
12) Describe the Golden Age.
The Golden Age is a period of great achievement in
a society.
13) What were three important things happening
(achievements) in Athens during the Golden
Age?
Athens’ Golden Age was marked with great
achievements in arts, sciences, drama,
government, and philosophy.
14) Who were the three famous philosophers who we
discussed and what were they each famous for?
Socrates- encouraging students to question the world around
them
Plato – creating the first Academy in Athens where others
could learn philosophy
Aristotle- teacher of Alexander the Great who studied
science and explained things through observation
15) What events weakened Greece and left it open for attack?
The war between Sparta and Athens left Greece in ruins and
left them open for attack by Alexander the Great.
16) Who was Alexander the Great and what did he do?
Alexander the Great was a Macedonian King who conquered
Greece and the eastern world. He spread Greek culture
all over the ancient world.
17) How did Alexander the Great spread Greek
culture?
He conquered other areas and forced them to live like
the Greeks did.
18) Who were Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, and Hades?
They were all Greek gods and goddesses. Zeus was
god of the heavens, Poseidon was god of the seas,
Athena was goddess of wisdom and Hades was the
god of the underworld.
19) Was Greece a monotheistic or polytheistic society?
Explain your answer.
Greece was polytheistic because the Greeks believed
in more than one god.
20) What is the relative location of Greece in relation
to Asia? West in relation to North America? east
21. Where were the first modern Olympics held?
In Athens, Greece 1896.
22. Where did the gods live?
Mount Olympus
23. What are myths?
Stories told to teach a lesson and explain natures
origin.
24. On what continent can you find Greece?
Europe
25. Athens and Sparta are different. Describe their
differences in three ways:
a. Military - Athens had a strong navy Sparta had a
strong Army. Boys had to join at the age of seven.
b. Cultural – Athenians were more intellectual – arts,
literature (poetry and drama), architecture, math,
science and medicine. The Spartans did not place
any importance on those things and instead valued
physical athleticism and military.
c. Government - Athens was a democracy Sparta
was an Oligarchy