| A | B |
|---|
| Trojan Wars | a war fought around 1200 B.C., in which an army led by the Mycenaean knigs attacked the independent trading city of Troy in Anatolia. |
| Homer | a blind man who was the greatest storyteller, according to Greek tradition |
| Epics | long, narrative poems celebrating the deeds of legendary or traditional heroes |
| Myths | traditional stories about gods, ancestors, or heroes |
| Polis a Greek city-state | the fundamental political unit of ancient Greece after about 750 B.C. |
| Acropolis | a fortified hilltop in an ancient Greek city |
| Aristocracy | a government in which power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility |
| Oligarchy | a government in which power is in the hands of a few people-esp. one in which rule is based upon wealth |
| Tyrant | in ancient Greece, a powerful individual who gained control of a city-state's government by appealing to the door for support |
| Democracy | a government controlled by its citizens, either directly or through representatives |
| Helots | in the society of ancient Sparta, a peasant bound to the land |
| Persian Wars | a series of wars in the 5th Century B.C., in which Greek city-states battled the Persian Empire |
| Direct Democracy | a government in which citizens rule directly rather than through representatives |
| Tragedy | a serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character |
| Comedy | a humorous form of drama that often includes slapstick and satire |
| Peloponnesian War | a war lasting from 431 to 404 B.C., in which Athens and its allies were defeated by Sparta and its allies |
| Philosphers | thinkers who use logic and reason to investigate the nature of the universe, human society, and morality |
| Philip II | a king who wanted to first taking control of Greece, then plan to move against Persia and seize its wealth, and hope to avenge Persian invasion of Greece in 480 B.C. |
| Alexander the Great | the son of King Philip who is well known for his accomplishments |
| Darius III | a persian king who vowed to crush the Macedonians for their victory at Granicius |
