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Ancient Greece I
Study Guide
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Geography & its effect on Greek settlement and life | - High Mountains - Made travel & communication difficult - Isolated City-States - Limited access to good farmland - Traded to get the goods and resources |
| Colonization: reasons and process | - Colonized due to lack of good farmland and resources, such as, more food, metal and wood. - Process was very important to them ~ Ask Oracle if trip would be successful ~ Gathered Food and Supplies ~ Lit a torch from the sacred flame ~ Started the journey on sea which was very long ~ Found a safe place with good farmland to colonize |
| Agora | - A marketplace in the center of each city-state |
| Monarchy | - Ruled by one person called a king (never a queen) with absolute power - Made laws, acted as judges, led the army - Lawful right to be king, power goes to family member when he dies |
| Tyranny | - One ruler who gains power by force, - Comes from military, and must have support of population - Eventually he has to control people through fear, loses support but population can't get rid of him |
| Spartan Oligarchy | - Council of Elders held more power & was made up of 2 kings and 28 wealthy Spartan men over the age of 60. They debated laws and proposed them for vote in the Assembly - The Assembly is made up of all Spartan Men who passed their military test. They are allowed to vote on the laws proposed by the Council of Elders. |
| Aristocrat | - Rich social class aka "nobles" - Advised and provided resources to the king (monarch) -They became the ruling group called oligarchs. |
| Athenian Democracy | - The smaller Council of 500 was selected annually from the Assembly to take care of the day to day decisions of Athens. - The Assembly was made up of all Athenian born male citizens 18 years or older. The assembly held the real power, debating on laws and voting on them, deciding to go to war, who to ally themselves with etc. |
| Phalanx | - Military formation -Rectangular block of soldiers equipped most often with shields and spears. |
| The Trojan War | - A ten year siege of Troy (ilium) by a team of Greek city-states over control of the trade route between the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea called the Hellespont. - Homer wrote about this war in The Iliad. |
| Hellespont | - The waterway/strait that connected the Black Sea to the Aegean - Major trade route - Site of the siege of Troy during the Trojan War. |
| Homer | - A famous traveling performer (bard) from ancient Greece - Author of epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey - These were some of the first stories written after the Greek Dark Ages. |
| Persian Wars | - Ionian colonists rebelled against Persian control and were assisted by Athens. - Persian King Darius wanted revenge. - Three battles followed: Marathon (MD - Greek victory), Thermopylae (XL - Persian victory) and Salamis (XT - Greek victory). - Greeks win, save Greek legacy (democracy) -Ushers in "Golden Age of Athens" |
| Battle of Marathon | - Persian King Darius wanted to punish the Athenians for helping the Ionians during their rebellion. - Greeks, led by Miltiades, used geography to force Persians into small battlefield, rushed Persians & purposely weakened center of his lines. |
| Darius | - Persian King - Leader of the Persians at the Battle of Marathon. |
| Miltiades | - Greek leader - During the Battle of Marathon used "natural geography of the land" to create the strategy - Defeated the Persians despite being outnumbered. |
| Battle of Thermopylae | - Persians won BUT many Greeks considered it a victory. - Greeks led by Leonidas, used the "natural geography"- a narrow pass -Against the Persians, led by Xerxes |
| Xerxes | - King of Persian Empire - Son of King Darius - Led Persians at Thermopylae and Salamis |
| Leonidas | - Spartan King - Led Greek land forces against Xerxes at Thermopylae - Was severely outnumbered |
| Battle of Salamis | - Greek victory - Forced Persians home - Athenian leader Themistocles used "natural geography " - Forced the larger Persian fleet, led by Xerxes, to fight in a narrow straight (narrow waterway) |
| Themistocles | - An Athenian politician and general - Naval leader during the Battles of Thermopylae & Salamis |