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AP World History Greece Flashcards

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5273874968Archaic Period in GreecePeriod of time in Greece after the Greek dark ages0
5273874969PolisThe Greek term for a city-state, an urban center and the agricultural territory under its control. It was the characteristic form of political organization in southern and central Greece in the Archaic and Classical periods. Of the hundreds of city-states in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions settled by Greeks, some were oligarchic, others democratic, depending on the powers delegated to the Council and the Assembly. (p. 132)1
5273874970AcropolisFortification in the center of the city, was elevated and the city surrounded it.2
5273874971AgoraA courtyard in the center of the town where political officials went to discuss laws,policies, and issues. Merchants also were present.3
5273874972Hoplite-SoldierA heavily armored Greek infantryman of the Archaic and Classical periods who fought in the close-packed phalanx formation. Hoplite armies, militias composed of middle- and upper-class citizens supplying their own equipment were for centuries superior to all other military forces. (p. 133)4
5273874973Phalanx- their formationA close rank formation made of intertwining shields and spears. Each solider had a round shield covering his left side and the solider beside him's right side.5
5273874974anthropomorphicGods that appear in human form6
5273874975oraclesPriestesses of the god Apollo who were said to be able to tell the future.7
5273874976TyrantThe term the Greeks used to describe someone who seized and held power in violation of the normal procedures and traditions of the community. Tyrants appeared in many Greek city-states in the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E., often taking advantage of the disaffection of the emerging middle class and, by weakening the old elite, unwittingly contributing to the evolution of democracy. (p. 134)8
5273874977Democracysystem of government in which all "citizens (however defined) have equal political and legal rights, privileges, and protections, as in the Greek city-state of Athens in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.E. (p. 135)9
5273874978Sacrificegift given to a deity, often with the aim of creating a relationship, gaining favor, and obligating the god to provide some benefit to the sacrificer, sometimes in order to sustain the deity and thereby guarantee the continuing vitality of the natural world. The object devoted to the deity could be as simple as a cup of wine poured on the ground, a live animal slain on the altar, or, in the most extreme case, the ritual killing of a human being. (p. 135)10
5273874979Herodotusca. 485-425 B.C.E.) eir to the technique ofhistoria?"investigation?developed by Greeks in the late Archaic period. He came from a Greek community in Anatolia and traveled extensively, collecting information in western Asia and the Mediterranean lands. He traced the antecedents of and chronicled the Persian Wars between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire, thus originating the Western tradition of historical writing. (p. 136)11
5273874980PericlesAthenian leader that expanded Athens and advanced Democracy.12
5273874981Persian WarsConflicts between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire, ranging from the Ionian Revolt (499-494 B.C.E.) through Darius's punitive expedition that failed at Marathon (490 B.C.E.) and the defeat of Xerxes' massive invasion of Greece by the Spartan-led Hellenic League (480-479 B.C.E.). This first major setback for Persian arms launched the Greeks into their period of greatest cultural productivity. Herodotus chronicled these events in the first "history in the Western tradition. (p. 138)13
5273874982Delian LeagueA group of Greek city-states led by Athens, with the purpose of defeating Persia14
5273874983TriremeGreek and Phoenician warship of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.E. It was sleek and light, powered by 170 oars arranged in three vertical tiers. Manned by skilled sailors, it was capable of short bursts of speed and complex maneuvers. (p. 139)15
5273874984SocratesAthenian philosopher (ca. 470-399 B.C.E.) who shifted the emphasis of philosophical investigation from questions of natural science to ethics and human behavior. He attracted young disciples from elite families but made enemies by revealing the ignorance and pretensions of others, culminating in his trial and execution by the Athenian state. (p. 140)16
5273874985Peloponnesian WarA protracted (431-404 B.C.E.) and costly conflict between the Athenian and Spartan alliance systems that convulsed most of the Greek world. The war was largely a consequence of Athenian imperialism. Possession of a naval empire allowed Athens to fight a war of attrition. Ultimately, Sparta prevailed because of Athenian errors and Persian financial support. (p. 142)17
5273874986AlexanderKing of Macedonia in Northern Greece. Between 334-323 BCE, Conquered Persian Empire, Reached Indus River Valley, Founded Greek Style cities and spread Greek culture18
5273874987Hellenistic AgeHistorians' term for the era, usually dated 323-30 B.C.E., in which Greek culture spread across western Asia and northeastern Africa after the conquests of Alexander the Great. The period ended with the fall of the last major Hellenistic kingdom to Rome, but Greek cultural influence persisted until the spread of Islam in the seventh century C.E. (p. 144)19
5273874988PtolemiesThe Macedonian dynasty, descended from one of Alexander the Great's officers, that ruled Egypt for three centuries (323-30 B.C.E.). From their magnificent capital at Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast, the Ptolemies largely took over the system created by Egyptian pharaohs to extract the wealth of the land, rewarding Greeks and Hellenized non-Greeks serving in the military and administration. (p. 145)20

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