1. Greek 4 Vocabulary

2. Pericles He ruled over Athens for more than 30 years. The “Age of Pericles” was Athens’ Golden Age and the city blossomed. He made Athens a centerpiece of art, philosophy, and democracy.

3. Oracle A sacred shrine where priests or priestess spoke for gods or goddesses. Greeks visited an oracle to find out about the future.

4. Epic The earliest Greek stories, were poems about heroic deeds. The first great epics were the Iliad and the Odyssey.

5. Homer A poet who wrote the Iliad and the Odyessy during the 700s B.C. He based his stories on a war between Greece and the city of Troy.

6. Iliad An epic written by Homer that told about a prince of Troy who kidnaps the wife of the king of Sparta. This kidnapping causes a great war between the Greeks and Troy.

7. Odyssey An epic written by Homer that tells the story of Odysseus, another Greek hero. It describes his 10 year journey home from the Trojan War, where he faces storms, witches, and giants.

8. Drama A story told by actors who pretend to be characters in the story. In dramas, actors speak, show emotion, and imitate the actions of the characters they represent. Today’s movies, plays, and tv shows are examples of dramas.

9. Comedy A type of drama that has a happy ending. Today, we use the word comedy to describe a story filled with humor.

10. Sophocles A well-known writer of Greek tragedies or drama. He used three actors to tell his stories instead of one or two, and used painted backdrops on stage. His most famous plays are Oedipus Rex and Antigone.

11. Euripides A well-known Greek writer who tried to take Greek drama beyond heroes and gods. His characters were more down-to- earth and involved real-life situations.

12. Fable A short tale that teaches a lesson.

13. Aesop A Greek slave who made up fables in 550 B.C. His fables included animals that talked and acted like people. His fables often told about human strengths and weaknesses and taught life lessons.

14. myth Myths are traditional stories about gods and heroes. Greek mythology typically expressed the Greek people’s religious beliefs.

15. Mt. Olympus The 12 most important gods and goddesses lived on Mt. Olympus. It is the highest mountain in Greece

16. Zeus The chief god who lived on Mt. Olympus. He was also the god of the sky, rain, and lightning.