| A | B |
|---|
| epicureanism | school of thought developed by the philosopher Epicurs in Hellenistic Athens; it held that happiness is the chief goal in life, and the means to achieve happiness was the pursuit of pleasure |
| Socratic method | the method of teaching used by Greek philosopher Socrates--it employs a question-and-answer format to lead pupils to see things for themselves by using their reason |
| Hellenistic era | the age of Alexander the Great; period when the Greek language and ideas were carried to the non-Greek world |
| 1900 BC | Minoan civilization on Crete Peaks |
| 1300 BC | Mycenaean civilization reaches its height |
| 1250 BC | According to Homer, Greeks sack Troy |
| 750 BC | Dark Age of Greece ends |
| 700 BC | Athens becomes a unified polis |
| 500 BC | Classical Greece flourishes |
| 431 BC | Great Pelopennesian War begins |
| 405 BC | Athenian Empire is destroyed |
| 323 BC | Alexander the Great dies at age 32 |
| epic poem | a long poem that tells the deeds of a great hero, such as the Illiad and the Odyssey of Hoemr |
| arete | in early Greece, the qualities of excellence that a hero strives to win in a struggle or contest |
| polis | the early Greek city-state, consisting of a city or town and its surrounding territory |
| acropolis | in early Greek city-states, a fortified gathering place at the top of a hill which was sometimes the site of temples and public buildings |
| agora | in early Greek city-states, an open area that served as a gathering place and as a market |
| hoplite | in the early Greek military system, heavily armed foot soldiers |
| phalanx | a wall of shields created by foot soldiers marching close together in a rectangular formation |
| democracy | "the rule of the many;" government by the people, either directly or through their elected representatives |
| oligarchy | "the rule of the few;" a form of government in which a small group of people exercies controls |
| helot | in ancient Sparta, captive peoples who were forced to work for the conquerors |
| ephor | one of the five men elected each year in ancient Sparta who were responsible for the education of youth and the conduct of all citizens |
| Age of Pericles | the period between 461 and 429 BC when Pericles dominated Athenian politics and Athens reached the height of its power |
| direct democracy | a system of government in which the people participate firectly in government decision making through mass meetings |
| ostracism | in ancient Athens, the process for temporarily banning ambitious politicians from the city by popular vote |
| ritual | a ceremony or rite |
| oracle | in ancient Greece, a sacred shrine where a god or goddess was said to reveal the future through a priest or priestess |
| tragedy | a form of drama that portrays a conflict between the protagonist who is brought to ruin or extreme sorrow, especially as a result of a fatal flaw |
| philosophy | an organized system of through, from the Greek for "love of wisdom" |
| stoicism | a school of though developed by the teacher Zeno in Hellenistic Athens; it says that happiness can be achieved only when people gain inner peace by living in harmony with the will of God and that people should bear whatever life offers |
