1. Ancient Greece
Vocabulary

2. Geography Strait -A narrow water passage
City-state -A central city and its surrounding villages who collectively follow a similar way of life
Polis -A term used to denote a city-state in ancient Greece such as Athens or Sparta
Acropolis -The fortified center of a city-state, often found on elevated ground
Athens -City-state in ancient Greece focused on education and creativity
Sparta -City-state in ancient Greece focused on war

3. Geography
Crete – an island southeast of mainland Greece where a pre-Greek civilization grew between 2600 – 2000 BCE
Colony-an area that is controlled by or belongs to a country and is usually far away from it

4. Religion (Mythology) Polytheism - Belief in many gods
Zeus - Father of the Gods
Athena -Goddess of wisdom and warfare and guardian of Athens

5. Accomplishments (history)
Trojan War -A ten-year long conflict between the people of the ancient cities of Sparta and Troy about which the Illiad is written. The authenticity of this conflict and the myth it inspired (the Trojan Horse) have been in doubt for thousands of years. Recently, ruins of what many believe to be the ancient city of Troy were discovered along the Turkish coast.
Peloponnesian War – A war between Athens and Sparta – 431 – 404 BCE
Olympics -Athletic competitions held between various city-states to honor Zeus

6. Accomplishments (Architecture)
Doric, Ionic and Corinthian - The three orders of the classic style of architecture famously used in ancient Greece
Doric Ionic Corinthian
Parthenon -Temple on the Acropolis dedicated to the goddess Athena

7. Accomplishments (Literary)
Homer -An ancient Athenian who lived in the dark ages and is credited with writing the Odyssey and the Illiad
Tragedy - a serious drama that has a sorrowful or disastrous ending.

8. Political
Monarchy - Rule by a king or queen, often kept within a particular family, passed down from father to son
Aristocracy - Rule by a wealthy elite class. In the case of ancient Athens, this consisted of landholding, wealthy, adult Athenian males.
Oligarchy - Rule by a small business class
Democracy - System of government where all individuals have a say in the decisions that affect them.
Assembly-a group of people who make and change laws for a government or organization
Tyranny-government ruled by a tyrant

9. Economic
Agora – a large open market place found in all ancient Greek city-states.
Trade-the activity or process of buying, selling, or exchanging goods or services

10. Social
Philosopher – people who studied the processes that governed thought, perception and morality
Socrates - Athenian who is widely considered the father of Western philosophy
Plato - Student of Socrates, writer of philosophy, and founder of the Academy in Athens
Aristotle - Student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great who helped organize the thoughts that led to the foundation of Western philosophy

11. Social
Oracle – a prophetess – who was thought to be the human voice of Apollo
Tyrant – a person with absolute supreme power that ruled the city-states
Alexander the Great - Macedonian king who created one of the largest empires of the ancient world