| A | B |
|---|
| Democracy | rule by the people; developed in Athens this government flourished under the leader Pericles |
| Sparta | Greek city-state known for militaristic government and harsh lifestyle |
| Iliad | Homer's epic poem about the Trojan War |
| Odyssey | Homer's epic poem about Odysseus' 10-year journey home from the Trojan War |
| Homer | he was the blind poet who wrote the Iliad and Odyssey |
| city-state | the mountainous geography of Greece led them to develop many of these local centers of power rather than a large kingdom |
| polis | the Greek word for city-state |
| phalanx | Greek solciers marched in a rectangular formation holding their shields to form a wall around them |
| agora | the open area below the acropolis where people would assemble and where a market was located |
| acropolis | the fortified area on top of a hill in a Greek city-state; it was often a religious center |
| tyrants | series of Greeks who took control of Athens by force; they made changes that helped bring about democratic rule in Athens |
| arete | the Greek term for excellence--which heroes tried to attain |
| oligarchy | rule by the few--usually a small group, usually distinguished by nobility, wealth, military power, etc. |
