Classics 36A Final Flashcards

Front 1

Glaucus

Back 1

a Lycian prince that assisted Priam in the Trojan War. When he found himself opposed in combat to this hereditary friend, Diomedes, they ceased fighting and exchanged armour.

Front 2

Briseis

Back 2

a mythical queen in Asia Minor at the time of the Trojan War. Her character lies at the heart of a dispute between Achilles and Agememnon in the plot of Homer’s Illiad.

Front 3

Tyrtaeus

Back 3

poet that led the Spartan troops during the Second Messenian War (c. 650 B.C.). He is known for his political and military elegies, exhorting Spartans to support the state authorities and fight bravely against the Messenians.

Front 4

Xenia

Back 4

ancient Greek concept of hospitality, generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home or associates of the person bestowing guest-friendship. Described in the Illiad, how the Trojan war was a violation of Xenia

Front 5

Priam

Back 5

the last king of Troy during the Trojan War. In the Iliad, he is described as a powerless old man, but the father of great Trojan warriors such as Hector.

Front 6

Boule

Back 6

in cities of ancient Greece, it was used to describe a council of nobles advising a king; characteristic political structure of the early polis

Front 7

Odysseus

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also known as Ulysses, a legendary Greek king and hero of Homer's epic, the Odyssey. He also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad as an Achaean warrior.

Front 8

Hector

Back 8

A son of King Priam, Hector is the mightiest warrior in the Trojan army. He mirrors Achilles in some of his flaws but is not as bloodthirsty as him. He is devoted to his wife, Andromache, and son, Astyanax, but resents his brother Paris for bringing war upon their family and city.

Front 9

timē

Back 9

Honor, esteem, and respect; Personal timē can conflict with the timē of one's community (such as Achilles); used in Illiad

Front 10

Shame Culture

Back 10

the primary device for gaining control over children and maintaining social order is the persistent teaching of shame and the complementary threat of ostracism.

Front 11

Guilt Culture

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concept that the primary method of social control in a given society is the persistent teaching of feelings of guilt for behaviors that the individual believes to be undesirable

Front 12

Perses

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is the brother of Hesiod. In Works and Days, Hesiod advises his brother about all the moral issues because Perses bribed the corrupt judges to deprive Hesiod of his already small inheritance.

Front 13

Geras

Back 13

Used in Iliad, it is defined as prize of honor or booty. This is what Briseis is to Achilles

Front 14

Synoecism

Back 14

the process of political unification that resulted in a city-state. It is when all villages and towns are brought together within a specific region under the control of a main/predominant city. (i.e. Athens or Attica)

Front 15

Hoplite

Back 15

are heavily armored foot soldiers from the Archaic Period that were used as soldiers in Sparta; citizens-soldiers of Ancient Greek city-states who were primarily armed as spearmen

Front 16

Andromache

Back 16

used in Illiad; is Hector’s loving wife. She begs Hector to withdraw from the war and save himself before the Achaeans kill him

Front 17

Hesiod

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is a didactic poet that wrote in dactylic hexameter, the same as the Homeric epics. He wrote Theogony and The Works and Days, and his composition dates c. 700 BCE.

Front 18

Polis

Back 18

is a specific geographical region made up of a main city and all of the surrounding area. The city state has a defined political organization and shared religious practices. Members consider themsevles to be members of this group and recognize their rights and responsibilities as members.

Front 19

Philia

Back 19

translates into Greek as affectionate regard or friendship; used to describe the scene of Achilles and Phoenix when they discuss the heroic code and how Achilles will not battle

Front 20

Diomedes

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character in Illiad; The youngest of the Achaean commanders. After Achilles withdraws from combat, Athena inspires Diomedes with such courage that he actually wounds two gods, Aphrodite and Ares.

Front 21

Phoenix

Back 21

character in Illiad; A kindly old warrior, Phoenix helped raise Achilles while he himself was still a young man. Achilles deeply loves and trusts Phoenix, and Phoenix mediates between him and Agamemnon during their quarrel.

Front 22

Oikistēs

Back 22

When a Greek polis chose to settle a new colony, an individual - the oikistes - was chosen as leader and invested with the power of selecting a settling place. It is usually defined as the founder or colonizer.

Front 23

Metropolis

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refers to the mother city of a colony; the first of the process of colonization where the metropolis selected a site, obtained divine approval and chose an oikistes

Front 24

Assembly

Back 24

a characteristic political structure of the early polis; basic political structure was an assembly of male citizens

Front 25

Archon

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translates into Greek as ruler or lord;

Front 26

Agamemnon

Back 26

character in Iliad; he is the king of Mycenae and leader of the Achaean army. Arrogant and often selfish, he provides the Achaeans with strong but sometimes reckless leadership. When he takes Achilles’ war prize, the maiden Briseis, he creates a crisis for the Achaeans when Achilles feels insulted and withdraws from the war.

Front 27

Menelaus

Back 27

a character in the Iliad; he is the younger brother of Agamemnon, but not one of the mightiest Achaean warriors. The abduction of his wife, Helen, by the Trojan prince Paris is what sparks the Trojan War.

Front 28

Astynax

Back 28

Hector and Andromache’s infant son; when Hector dies towards the end of Illiad, Andromache explains her son’s unfortunate fate as he will never reach manhood

Front 29

Tyrant

Back 29

: in Greek: Tyrannos, is a ruler that rewarded supporters by offering offices, conducted their rule within the consitution and customary laws of the city-state, and encouraged civic consciousness. They were able to break the traditional hold on power by established aristocrat. In the 7th and 6th centuries, many city-states experienced the rule of a tyrant.

Front 30

Chryses

Back 30

character in Illiad; A priest of Apollo; the father of Chryseis, whom Agamemnon takes as a war prize; tries to give ransom money for the return of his daughter; he prays to Apollo to send plague upon the Greeks

Front 31

Mēnis

Back 31

translates as anger, wrath, and rage; referred to here is specifically that of Achilles in Iliad; the first word of the poem

Front 32

Archilocus

Back 32

born in 680 BCE, he is a a Greek lyric poet in the Archaic period. his heroic values in Greek Lyric contrasted with those of Homeric epics; He focuses on personal emotion by writing elegiac, iambic, and trochaic lyric.

Front 33

Five Ages

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from Hesiod’s Work and Days (the myth of five ages); list is Golden Age (men lived like gods), Silver Age(takes 100 years to mature and did not properly serve the immortals), Bronze Age(only cared about fighting and war; lacked humanity), Heroic Age(divine race of heroes, died fighting great wars), and Iron Age(present day; trouble for man constantly; some good mixed with evil)

Front 34

Pandora

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the first human woman created by the gods, specifically by Hephaestus and Athena on the instructions of Zeus; comes from Hesiod’s poem Works and Days

Front 35

Atē

Back 35

the spirit of delusion, infatuation, blind folly, rash action, and reckless impulse who led men down the path to ruin; originated from Hesiod’s Theogony; is one of Nyx's children

Front 36

Heroic Code

Back 36

a hero is one who willingly and eagerly confronts death; translated as aristos, arête, and aristeia; used in Iliad when Achilles withdraws from battle