Polis: A Greek city-state with its own government Acropolis: High hill in a Greek city with temples; the Parthenon is on Athens's Parthenon: Temple to Athena in Athens, built in the 400s BCE Agora: Open marketplace and meeting place Athens: City-state known for democracy, art and learning Sparta: City-state known for its strong military Democracy: Government by the people; began in Athens Cleisthenes: Athenian leader who set up reforms that began democracy, about 508 BCE Citizen (Athens): Free adult male born to Athenian parents; women and enslaved people could not vote Assembly: Athenian meeting where citizens voted on laws Pericles: Athenian leader in the Golden Age who sponsored the Parthenon Golden Age of Athens: The 400s BCE, rich in art, theater and ideas Oligarchy: Rule by a few people, as in Sparta Tyrant: A ruler who took power without a legal right Helots: Enslaved people who farmed for Spartans Spartan training: Boys left home around age seven to train in the military school called the agoge Persian Wars: Greek city-states fought Persia from 499 to 449 BCE Battle of Marathon (490 BCE): Athens defeated a Persian force Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE): 300 Spartans and allies held a narrow pass against Persia Battle of Salamis (480 BCE): Greek ships won a sea battle against Persia Delian League: Alliance of Greek city-states led by Athens Peloponnesian War: War between Athens and Sparta, 431-404 BCE; Sparta won Socrates: Philosopher who taught by asking questions Socratic method: Learning by asking and answering questions Plato: Student of Socrates who founded the Academy Aristotle: Student of Plato and teacher of Alexander; studied nearly every subject Philosophy: Greek for 'love of wisdom' Hippocrates: Physician called the father of medicine Euclid: Mathematician who wrote Elements, a famous geometry book Pythagoras: Greek thinker famous for the relationship of the sides of right triangles Archimedes: Greek scientist and inventor from Syracuse who explained levers and buoyancy Herodotus: Writer called the father of history Thucydides: Historian who wrote about the Peloponnesian War Homer: Poet traditionally credited with the Iliad and the Odyssey Iliad: Epic poem about the Trojan War Odyssey: Epic poem about Odysseus's long trip home Trojan Horse: Giant wooden horse in the myth used to enter Troy Aesop: Storyteller linked with fables like the Tortoise and the Hare Sophocles: Playwright who wrote Oedipus Rex Greek tragedy: Serious plays about heroes and their downfall Greek comedy: Funny plays; Aristophanes was a famous writer Amphitheater: Open-air theater with seats in a curve Olympic Games: Contests held at Olympia every four years, starting in 776 BCE by tradition Olympia: Site of the ancient Olympic Games Marathon (race): Named for a legendary run from Marathon to Athens Zeus: King of the gods Hera: Queen of the gods, goddess of marriage Poseidon: God of the sea Hades: God of the underworld Athena: Goddess of wisdom and crafts; patron of Athens Apollo: God of music, light and healing Artemis: Goddess of the hunt and the Moon Ares: God of war Aphrodite: Goddess of love and beauty Hermes: Messenger of the gods Demeter: Goddess of the harvest Dionysus: God of wine and theater Hephaestus: God of fire and metalwork Hercules: Roman name for Heracles, a hero known for twelve labors Perseus: Hero who defeated Medusa Mount Olympus: Tallest mountain in Greece, home of the gods in myth Oracle of Delphi: Priestess who gave advice thought to come from Apollo Myth: Traditional story about gods and heroes Hoplite: Greek foot soldier with shield and spear Phalanx: Tight formation of soldiers with overlapping shields Trireme: Greek warship with three rows of oars Greek columns: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles Amphora: Tall clay jar with two handles Alphabet: Greeks adapted the Phoenician alphabet and added vowels Philip II: King of Macedonia who united Greece Alexander the Great: Philip's son who conquered Persia and reached India by 326 BCE Hellenistic Age: Era after Alexander when Greek culture spread across his lands Alexandria (Egypt): City Alexander founded; later a center of learning Library of Alexandria: Famous ancient library in Egypt Colossus of Rhodes: Giant statue of the sun god, one of the Seven Wonders Roman conquest of Greece (146 BCE): Rome took control of Greece Women in Athens: Could not vote; most worked at home Slavery in Greece: Enslaved people did much of the labor in many city-states Ostracism: Vote to send a citizen away from Athens for ten years Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/world-ancient-greece