| A | B |
|---|
| plot | the actions and events in a story |
| conflict | a struggle between opposing characters or opposing forces |
| external conflict | a conflict outside of a character, such as with another character or a force of nature |
| internal conflict | a conflict inside of a character |
| foreshadowing | use of hints or clues to suggest events that will happen later in the story |
| complications | problems that arise as the characters in a story take steps to resolve the conflict |
| climax | the story’s most emotional or suspenseful moment; this is the point at which the conflict is decided one way or the other |
| resolution | the last part of the story; this is where the loose ends of the plot are tied up and the story is closed |
| sentinel | guard; person keeping watch |
| sabotage | obstruct or destroy |
| rural | characteristic of the country, country life, or country people; rustic |
| onomatopoeia | use of words whose sounds echo their sense |
| hyperbole | figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or for a humorous effect |
| setting | the time and place of the action of the story |
| simile | a comparison of two unlike things in which a word of comparison (“like” or “as”) is used |
| suspense | the uncertainty or anxiety a reader feels about what will happen next in a story |
| monotonous | lacking in variety; tedious |
| horde | a large group; a mass or crowd; a moving pack or swarm of animals |
| cease | to stop; to come to an end |
| suffice | provide enough |
| receding | moving back |
| fathom | understand |
| dominate | to rule over; to overshadow |
| incessantly | continuing without interruption; ceaseless |
| distinguish | to recognize as distinct or different |
| maniacal | suggestive of or afflicted with insanity |
| edible | fit to be eaten |
| multitude | a great number; numerousness |
| derisive | scornful and ridiculing |
| predominating | to be the stronger or leading element or force |
| mingle | to mix or combine |
| imagery | descriptive words and phrases that appeal to the senses |
| personification | figure of speech in which human characteristics are given to a nonhuman |
| developed | countries with greater overall wealth; they tend to be more industrialized, bringing in money from manufacturing more goods; also called “more developed” countries |
| developing | countries with a low level of overall wealth, but with greater wealth than underdeveloped countries |
| underdeveloped | poorer countries that do not manufacture as many of their goods as more developed countries; also called “less developed” countries |
| birth rate | the yearly number of births per 1,000 people |
| death rate | the yearly number of deaths per 1,000 people |
| life expectancy | the average number of years someone is expected to live based on current health trends |
| infant mortality | the annual number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births in a given year |
| literacy rate | the percentage of adults who can read and write |
| population doubling time | the number of years it takes for a country's population to double |
| arable | refers to land that is able to be farmed |
| emigrate | to leave one’s country to live in another country |
| export | to send items to another country for sale or trade |
| finite | limited amount |
| gender | male or female |
| illiterate | unable to read |
| import | to receive items from another country to buy or trade |
| malnourished | receiving less than the minimum amount of food for good health and growth |
| megacities | cities with populations of ten million or more |
| migrate | to move from one place to another |
| persecution | causing people to suffer because of their beliefs or origin |
| resources | money, or any property that can be converted into money; assets |
| status | position or rank in relation to others |
| inference | something that is figured out by reasoning |
| transfixed | very still, as if nailed to the spot |
| intelligible | understandable |
| assent | agreement |
| intimidated | frightened with threats |
| defiant | boldly resisting |
| idiosyncrasy | peculiarity |
| menace | danger; threat |
| converging | closing in |
| explicit | definate; clearly stated |
| variations | differences |
| Communist | related to a system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, with ownership belonging to the community or to the state |
| McCarthyism | the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, especially of pro-Communist activity, often unsupported by proof |
| science fiction | kind of writing usually set in the future in a world different from our own but based on scientific laws |
| awe | an overwhelming feeling of reverence or admiration, produced by something grand or powerful |
| Fertile Crescent | a large arc of fertile farmland that extended from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea |
| Mesopotamia | a region that means "between the rivers" in Greek |
| civilization | an advanced state of society, in which a high level of culture, science, and government has been reached |
| hunter-gatherer | a member of a society in which people live by hunting game and gathering edible plants only |
| silt | a mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks |
| fertile | rich in material that plants need to grow |
| irrigation | a way of supplying water to an area of land |
| canal | a human-made waterway |
| basin | a depression in the surface of the land |
| surplus | more than is needed |
| division of labor | when each worker specializes in a particular task or job |
| Sumerians | invented the world's first writing system |
| city-state | a political unit that included a central city and the surrounding countryside |
| urban | relating to a city |
| Gilgamesh | one of Uruk's kings who became a legendary figure in Sumerian literature |
| Sargon | an Akkadian emperor who was the first ruler to have a permanent army |
| empire | land with different territories and peoples under a single rule |
| polytheism | the worship of many gods |
| priests | people who performed or led religious ceremonies |
| social hierarchy | the division of society by rank or class |
| impact | effect, result |
| cuneiform | the world's first system of writing |
| pictographs | picture symbols |
| scribe | writer |
| epics | long poems that tell the stories of heroes |
| architecture | the science of building |
| ziggurat | a pyramid-shaped temple |
| cylinder seals | when rolled over clay, these would leave a distinct imprint |
| Babylon | an ancient city that was near modern-day Baghdad, Iraq |
| Hammurabi's Code | a set of laws that dealt with almost every part of daily life that was developed by one of Babylon's kings |
| chariot | a wheeled, horse-drawn cart used in battle |
| Hanging Gardens of Babylon | one of the Seven Wonders of the World that were at Nebuchadnezzar's palace, according to legend |
| Phoenicians | a wealthy trading society that was located in modern-day Lebanon; they were expert sailors |
| alphabet | a set of letters that can be combined to form words |
| utopia | an ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects |
| palpable | obvious; evident; capable of being touched or felt |
| inconveniencing | bothering; causing discomfort or trouble |
| ritual | an established procedure for a religious or other rite |
| apprehensive | uneasy or fearful about something that might happen |
| nurturer | someone who helps someone or something to grow and develop |
| disposition | personality; emotional outlook |
| sympathetically | showing kindness, tenderness, or compassion |
| essential | absolutely necessary; indispensable |
| capacity | the ability to receive or contain |
| prominent | standing out so as to be seen easily; conspicuous; particularly noticeable |
| transgression | wrongdoing; misbehavior |
| enhance | to raise to a higher degree; intensify |
| adherence | the quality of staying attached or devoted in support (adhering) |
| acquired | got, received |
| aptitude | ability, talent |
| chastise | punish |
| remorse | deep and painful regret for wrongdoing |
| bewildered | puzzled or confused |
| nondescript | plain, dull, ordinary |
| Chang Jiang | also known as the Yangzi River |
| Huang He | also known as the Yellow River |
| mandate of heaven | idea that heaven chose China's ruler |
| Great Wall | a barrier that linked earlier walls near China's northern border |
| Zhou | longest dynasty |
| Qin | shortest dynasty |
| Shi Huangdi | first emperor |
| sundial | device that uses the sun to tell time |
| seismograph | device that measures the strength of earthquakes |
| acupuncture | practice of inserting needles through the skin to treat illness or pain |
| Liu Bang | this peasant became an emperor of the Han dynasty |
| Wudi | this emperor made Confucianism the official government philosophy |
| Confucianism | teaches the importance of ethics and moral values |
| innovation | a new idea, method, or device |
| pictograph | a character that is a drawing of the word it represents |
| ideograph | a character that is a drawing of an idea a word represents |
| radicals | small drawings that are used to make up characters in Chinese |
| Silk Road | a long trade route that stretched across the heart of Asia |
| feudalism | government in which land is given to local rulers in exchange for loyalty and military service |
| vassals | people granted land in return for services |
| filial obedience | a child obeying his or her parents |
| merchants | bought and sold goods; lowest social class under Confucianism |
| Grand Canal | manmade waterway that linked northern and southern China |
| porcelain | a thin type of pottery |
| woodblock printing | a form of printing in which an entire page is carved into a block |
| movable type | type of printing in which carved letters could be rearranged and reused to print different messages |
| gunpowder | mixture of powders used in guns and explosives |
| compass | uses the Earth's magnetic field to show direction |
| bureaucracy | a body of unelected government officials |
| civil service | service as a government official |
| scholar-official | an educated member of the government |
| function | work or perform |
| Neo-Confucianism | taught proper behavior as well as emphasized spiritual matters |
| incentive | something that leads people to follow a certain course of action |
| Genghis Khan | organized the Mongols into a powerful army |
| Kublai Khan | an emperor of the Yuan dynasty |
| Yuan | a dynasty ruled by the Mongols |
| Marco Polo | an Italian merchant who served in Kublai Khan's court and wrote about his experiences |
| Beijing | capital of China |
| Zheng He | led grand sea voyages during the Ming dynasty |
| diplomacy | negotiating without causing hostility |
| tribute | payment to a ruler or nation by another |
| Forbidden City | huge palace complex that common people were not allowed to enter |
| isolationism | policy of avoiding contact with other countries |
| consequences | effects of a particular event or events |
| Empress Wu | a female ruler of China |
| dynasty | series of rulers from the same family line |
| one-child policy | modern government policy that limits the number of children a family may have |
| People's Republic of China | China's modern name |
| epitaph | a brief poem or other writing in praise of a deceased (dead) person |
| monopoly | complete control by one group of a product or service |
| sericulture | silk farming |
| self-esteem | positive self-image |
| rebel | opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler |
| transition | movement from one position to another |
| insecure | lacking self-confidence |
| captivate | to attract and hold the attention or interest of |
| inspiration | a thing or person that motivates |
| refugee | a person who flees for safety |
| prestigious | having a high reputation |
| dependent | relying on someone or something for aid, support |
| navigator | someone who walks or finds his/her own way |
| illustrate | to make clear or explain, as by using diagrams |
| ovation | an enthusiastic response, often with loud applause |
| harass | to disturb; to pester |
| encounter | to come upon or meet with |
| ally | a person or group that joins another for a common cause |
| bleak | without hope; depressing |
| pact | an agreement |
| potential | possibility; something that can develop or become a reality |
| immigrants | people who leave one country and settle in another |
| proverb | a wise saying |
| oppression | when authority or power is used in a cruel or unjust way |
| cultural bias | when people have a particular way of looking at something based on their upbringing in their society |
| unify | to bring or combine together; to become one |
| communism | an economic system where wealth is distributed equally to everybody |
| capitalism | an economic system where everybody competes to make money |
| primary source | an artifact, document, or other source of information that was created at the time under study; if created by a person, then the person had direct knowledge of the events being described |
| morale | emotional conditional of cheerfulness or zeal, especially during hardship |
| transformation | change in form, appearance, nature, or character |
| devour | eat greedily; enjoy with enthusiasm |
| uproot | pull up as if by the roots; destroy completely |
| venture | proceed somewhere despite risk of danger |
| despair | complete loss of hope; anguish |
| adversity | a state of hardship; an unfortunate event |
| anguish | terrible suffering or pain |
| ethnicity | a particular racial or national group |
| opposition | something that goes against |
| fundamental | being an essential part of; underlying |
| verge | the edge, rim, or margin of something |
| representatives | people who serve as examples for others |
| perseverance | a steady persistence in something, despite discouragement |
| predicament | an unpleasantly difficult or dangerous situation |
| vibrant | exciting; stimulating; lively |
| barrier | anything that bars passage, like a railing or fence |
| dejected | disheartened; low-spirited |
| dwell | to linger over |
| amateur | characteristic of an inexperienced person |
| nouns | words that name a person, place, thing or idea |
| verbs | words that show action or state of being |
| adjectives | words that describe a noun or pronoun. They often tell us which one, whose, what kind or how many |
| adverbs | words that describe a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. They mostly tell us "where," "how," or "when" |
| pronouns | words that can be used instead of a noun |
| conjunctions | words that connect other words or groups of words |
| prepositions | words that show how a noun is related to some other words in the sentence |
| interjections | words used to show emotion or surprise |
| free verse | verse that does not follow a fixed rhythmic pattern |
| synonym | a word having the same or nearly the same meaning |
| couplet | a pair of lines of verse, esp. a pair that rhymes; lines are usually the same length |
| diamante | a poem in the shape of a diamond; each line uses specific types of words |
| cinquain | a short poem of five lines |
| haiku | a poem written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables |
| analysis | an investigation of the component parts of a whole and their relations in making up the whole |
| plot | the actions and events in a story |
| theme | the central idea or message in a work of literature |
| stanza | an arrangement of lines in a poem that form a division of the poem |
| thesis statement | a formal statement of a supportable opinion that serves as the basis of an essay’s argument |
| personification | a figure of speech in which human characteristics are given to a nonhuman |
| sensory | relating to the senses—see, smell, hear, touch, taste |
| imagery | descriptive words and phrases that appeal to the senses |
| embrace | to hug; to take in willingly |
| simile | a comparison of two unlike things in which a word of comparison is used |
| deferred | postponed or delayed |
| fester | to rot |
| onomatopoeia | use of words whose sounds echo their sense |
| alliteration | use of the same consonant at the beginning of a word in a line of verse |
| metaphor | a comparison of two unlike things in which a word of comparison is not used |
| equivocal | subject to two or more interpretations; open to question |
| barren | empty, non-producing |
| reverently | with feelings of deep respect or devotion |
| succulence | the state of being juicy and tasty |
| banish | to drive away |
| docile | easily managed |
| omnipotent | all-powerful |
| dappled | having spots; spotted |
| famished | extremely hungry |
| daunting | discouraging with fear |
| sleek | smooth and graceful |
| Indus River Valley | site of the ancient Harappan and Aryan civilizations; in modern-day Pakistan |
| Harappa | city in modern-day Pakistan that is near the ruins of the ancient Harappan civilization |
| Mohenjo Daro | one of the largest cities of the ancient Harappan civilization |
| archaeologist | person who studies prehistoric people and their culture |
| Aryan | people from Central Asia who migrated to the Indus River Valley whose civilization thrived after the Harappan civilization |
| migration | movement of people from one location to another |
| Vedas | collection of religious writings including poems, hymns, myths, and rituals that were written by Aryan priests |
| nomad | someone with no permanent home who travels around |
| raja | leader who ruled a village and the land around it |
| Sanskrit | most important language of ancient India; not spoken today |
| varnas | social divisions in Aryan society |
| Brahmins | priests; highest rank in the caste system |
| caste system | divided Indian society into groups based on a person's birth, wealth, or occupation |
| untouchable | person who didn't belong to any caste |
| Brahmanism | religion practiced by the Aryans |
| Hinduism | largest religion in India today; a blending of many religious traditions of Central Asia and India |
| polytheism | belief in many gods |
| Brahman | single universal spirit in Hinduism; Brahma, Siva, and Vishnu are important aspects |
| reincarnation | process of rebirth; Hindus believe souls are born and reborn many times |
| karma | effects that good or bad actions have on a person's soul |
| Ganges River | sacred pilgrimage site in northeast India |
| Jainism | religion based on four principles: injure no life, tell the truth, do not steal, and own no property |
| nonviolence | avoidance of violent actions |
| Siddhartha Gautama | a spiritual teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism |
| Kshatriya | a member of the warrior class in the caste system |
| enlightenment | in Buddhism, the highest spiritual state that can be achieved |
| fasting | going without food |
| meditation | the focusing of the mind on spiritual ideas |
| Buddha | founder of Buddhism; the “Enlightened One” |
| Buddhism | a religion growing out of the teaching of Gautama Buddha that suffering is inherent in life and that one can be liberated from it by mental and moral self-purification |
| Four Noble Truths | four guiding principles at the heart of Buddhism [1. Suffering and unhappiness are a part of human life. 2. Suffering comes from our desires for pleasure and material goods. 3. People can overcome their desires and ignorance and reach nirvana. 4. People can overcome ignorance and desire by following an eightfold path.] |
| nirvana | In Buddhism, a state of perfect peace that frees a person’s soul from suffering and from the need for further reincarnation |
| Eightfold Path | in Buddhism, eight right ways leading to the ending of sufferings |
| moderation | an avoidance of extremes |
| Middle Way | in Buddhism, a path of moderation between human desires and denying oneself any pleasure |
| Asoka | a powerful king in India who worked to spread Buddhism outside of India |
| missionaries | people who work to spread their religious beliefs |
| metallurgy | the science of working with metals |
| alloys | mixtures of two or more metals |
| Hindu-Arabic numerals | the numbers we use today |
| inoculation | the practice of injecting a person with a small dose of a virus to help him or her build a defense to a disease |
| astronomy | the study of stars and planets |
| mercenaries | hired soldiers |
| edicts | laws |
| establish | to set up or create |
| metallurgy | the science of working with metals |
| alloys | mixtures of two or more metals |
| Hindu-Arabic numerals | the numbers we use today |
| inoculation | the practice of injecting a person with a small dose of a virus to help him or her build a defense to a disease |
| astronomy | the study of stars and planets |
| subcontinent | a large landmass that is smaller than a continent |
| Himalayas | enormous mountains that stretch along the northern border of the Indian Subcontinent |
| tectonic plates | the dozen or so plates that make up the surface of the Earth (two massive one collided to form the Himalayas) |
| Mount Everest | highest mountain in the world (29,035 ft.), on the border between Nepal and China |
| delta | a landform at the mouth of a river created by sediment deposits |
| monsoons | seasonal winds that bring either moist or dry air to an area |
| primary source | an artifact, document, or other source of information that was created at the time under study; if created by a person, then the person had direct knowledge of the events being described |
| Abraham | he believed in monotheism; after God told him to leave his home in Mesopotamia, he traveled to Canaan where his descendents the Hebrews lived for many years |
| Canaan | a land on the Mediterranean Sea where the Hebrews settled |
| pharaoh | a leader of Egypt |
| Moses | he led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt |
| Exodus | the journey of the Hebrews out of Egypt |
| Ten Commandments | a code of moral laws that God gave to Moses on two stone tablets |
| Diaspora | the scattering of Jews outside of Israel and Judah |
| monotheism | belief in one God |
| justice | in terms of Judaism, kindness and fairness in dealing with other people |
| righteousness | doing what is proper |
| Mosaic law | a system of laws that guide many areas of Jews’ daily lives |
| principle | basic belief, rule, or law |
| Torah | the most sacred text of Judaism; the first of three parts of the Hebrew Bible |
| synagogue | Jewish house of worship |
| prophets | people who are said to receive messages from God to be taught to others |
| rabbis | religious teachers |
| Talmud | a set of laws, commentaries, stories, and folklore important to Judaism |
| Hanukkah | a Jewish holiday that celebrates an event when lamp oil miraculously lasted for eight days |
| Passover | a Jewish holiday that honors the Exodus |
| seder | a Passover meal |
| High Holy Days | the two most sacred Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur |
| Rosh Hashanah | Jewish New Year; a High Holy Day |
| Yom Kippur | Day of Atonement; a High Holy Day |
| Messiah | a great leader the ancient Jews predicted would come to restore the greatness of Israel; Christians believe that this was Jesus |
| Bible | the holy book of Christianity |
| Old Testament | the first part of the Bible; it is largely the same as the Hebrew Bible |
| New Testament | the second part of the Bible; it is an account of the life and teachings of Jesus and of the early history of Christianity |
| Bethlehem | a small town where Jesus was born |
| crucifixion | a type of execution in which a person was nailed to a cross |
| Resurrection | Jesus’s rise from the dead three days after he was crucified |
| disciples | followers |
| Easter | a Christian holiday that celebrates the Resurrection |
| Christmas | a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus |
| miracle | an event that cannot normally be performed by a human, such as when Jesus fed a crowd with a few loaves of bread and a few fish |
| parables | stories that teach lessons about how people should live |
| Jesus’ message | Jesus taught people to love God and other people, even enemies and about salvation |
| salvation | the rescue of people from sin; Jesus taught that people who were saved from sin would enter God’s kingdom when they died |
| denomination | a group of people who hold mostly the same beliefs |
| Sermon on the Mount | a speech by Jesus in which he said that people who love God will be blessed |
| Apostles | twelve men whom Jesus chose to receive special teaching |
| Gospels | accounts of Jesus’s life and teachings; there are four in the New Testament by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John |
| Paul | a man who converted to Christianity and traveled widely to spread Christian teachings |
| Trinity | a central Christian belief that God is made up of three persons, God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit |
| persecution | the act of harassing or punishing, especially for religious beliefs; some Roman leaders arrested and killed Christians who refused to worship the gods of Rome |
| Pope | the bishop of Rome; now the head of the Roman Catholic Church |
| Constantine | a Roman emperor who became a Christian; this helped spread Christianity |
| Arabia | a region in Southwest Asia with hot and dry air and limited water |
| oasis | a wet, fertile area in a desert |
| nomad | traveler; in Arabia, they lived in tents and raised animals |
| sedentary | settled; in Arabia, some people settled in oases which became towns along trade routes |
| Muhammad | a man from Mecca who founded Islam |
| Mecca | the birthplace of Muhammad |
| Muslims | people who follow Islam |
| Qur’an | the holy book of Islam that contains the collected messages that Muhammad received from God |
| Allah | “the God” in Arabic |
| Medina | a city Muhammad and his followers moved to; “the prophet’s city” |
| hegira | journey; Muhammad’s departure from Mecca, which marks the first year of the Islamic calendar |
| mosque | building for Muslim prayer |
| explicit | fully revealed without vagueness; for example, the Qur’an specifically tells Muslims how to prepare for worship and that they are not allowed to eat pork or drink alcohol |
| implicit | understood though not clearly put into words; for example, the Qur’an implies that slavery should be abolished |
| jihad | the inner struggle people go through in their effort to obey God and behave according to Islamic ways; it has also been translated to “holy war” |
| Sunnah | refers to the way Muhammad lived, which provides a model for the duties and the way of life expected of Muslims |
| Five Pillars of Islam | five acts of worship required of all Muslims |
| statement of faith | one of the Five Pillars of Islam in which Muslims state that there is only one God and Muhammad is his prophet |
| Ramadan | holy month; Muslims fast during this time |
| hajj | a pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims should complete at least once in their lives |
| Kaaba | in Mecca, Islam’s most sacred place; it is a structure with a black stone inside it; according to Islamic tradition |
| Shariah | Islamic law based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah as well as human reason |
| Sunni | a branch of Islam that forms the majority of the world’s Muslims |
| Shia | a branch of Islam; although the smaller branch, countries with large populations of this branch include Iran, Iraq, and Yemen; adherents are called Shi'ites |
| religions | sets of beliefs that try to answer questions about human existence, such as, who are we, how did we get here, what do we do with ourselves now that we are here, and what happens to us when we die? |
| Achilles/Achilles heel | His heel was his one mortal place after being held by his heels and dipped in the River Styx; vulnerable spot or weakness |
| Adonis | Loved by Venus; handsome man |
| Amazon | Race of female warriors; strong woman |
| Atlas | Titan who held up the earth; collection of maps |
| Cassandra | She foretold the fall of Troy and nobody listened; person whose predictions are never believed |
| Chaos | Mix of earth, air, and water before Gaea and Uranus; a state of extreme confusion or disorder |
| Chimera/chimerical | Lion, goat, serpent monster; strangely fantastic or foolish |
| Gorgon | Snake-haired goddess who turned onlookers to stone; ugly creature |
| Greeks bearing gifts | Greeks gave Trojan Horse to Troy which led to Troy’s destruction; don’t trust your enemies |
| Halcyon | Bird who calmed the water; calm |
| Harpy | Winged woman with sharp claws who snatched food, objects, or people; a malicious fierce-tempered woman |
| Labyrinth | Maze that held the minotaur (half-bull, half-man); maze |
| Mercury/mercurial | Fast messenger god; liable to sudden unpredictable change |
| Midas/Midas touch | King whose touch turned everything to gold; the ability to make money easily |
| Narcissus/narcissism | Youth who was cursed by falling in love with his own reflection; abnormal love of self |
| Nemesis | Goddess of vengeance; enemy |
| Nike | Goddess of victory; (sneaker company) |
| Odyssey | Epic poem about Odysseus’s 10 years to get home from the Trojan War; a long journey |
| Pandora's box | When this was opened, all the evils of the world were released; a source of troubles |
| Pan/panic | God of shepherds represented as a man with goat's legs, horns, and ears; an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety |
| Phoenix | Bird that periodically burned to death and emerged from the ashes anew; something renewed after suffering destruction |
| Proteus/protean | God who could change his shape and predict the future; able to change |
| Pyrrhus/Pyrrhic victory | He sustained staggering losses in order to defeat the Romans; a victory at great cost |
| Sirens/Siren song | Half woman-half bird creatures that lured sailors to their death with their song; seductive, dangerous woman |
| Sisyphus/Sisyphean task | His punishment was to roll a boulder up a hill over and over; pointless or tiresomely long activities; futile tasks |
| Damocles/Sword of Damocles | He switched places with a king for a great banquet, but left when he noticed the sword dangling by a thread above his head; the imminent and ever-present danger faced by those in positions of power |
| Tantalus/tantalize | He was punished by having food and drink just out of reach; to tease or torment with something just out of reach |
| Trojan horse | Trick horse that Greek soldier hid in to defeat Troy; something that appears desirable but actually contains something harmful |
| allusion | an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, thing, or a part of another text |
| peninsula | an area of land almost completely surrounded by water |
| acropolis | the fortified, or strengthened, hill of an ancient Greek city |
| aristocrat | a member of a rich and powerful family |
| tyrant | a ruler who takes power by force |
| democracy | a form of government in which citizens govern themselves |
| Iliad | Homer's epic about the Trojan War |
| oracle | a priest or priestess who spoke for the gods |
| philosopher | someone who uses reason to understand the world |
| tragedy | a type of serious drama that usually ends in disaster for the main character |
| Pericles | a leader who introduced reforms that strengthened democracy during Athens' Golden Age |
| tribute | a regular payment made to a powerful nation by a weaker one |
| Parthenon | an Athenian temple to the goddess Athena |
| Athens | a city-state in ancient Greece that is the modern-day capital of Greece |
| agora | a public market and meeting place in an ancient Greek city |
| vendor | a seller of goods |
| Sparta | a city-state in the southern part of ancient Greece |
| helot | a member of a certain class of servants in ancient Sparta |
| Peloponnesian War | a war fought between Athens and Sparta in ancient Greece, involving almost every other Greek city-state |
| plague | a widespread disease |
| blockade | an action taken to isolate an enemy and cut off its supplies |
| immortal | not subject to death |
| barbarian | a wild and uncivilized person |
| assassinate | to murder for political reasons |
| Alexander the Great | king of Macedonia who conquered Persia and Egypt and invaded India |
| Hellenistic | describing Greek history or culture after the death of Alexander the Great, including the three main kingdoms formed by the breakup of Alexander's empire |
| King Philip | king who united Macedonia and was father of Alexander the Great |
