Redmond Vocab - Chapter 4, Section 2 & 3

Front 1

polis

Back 1

a Greek city-state (the general name for them)

Front 2

acropolis

Back 2

a fortified area at the top of the highest hill in a Greek city-state that served as a gathering point. It was used as a place of refuge during an attack and sometimes as a religious center (where temples and public buildings were built).

Front 3

agora

Back 3

it was an open area below the acropolis that served as a place where people could assemble and use as a market

Front 4

Athens

Back 4

main city-state of Thescaly whose god was Athena. They had a population of more than 300,000 by the 5th century BC (most other city-states had a few hundred - thousand people)

Front 5

haplites

Back 5

heavily armed infantry soldiers or foot soldiers.
Each carried a round shield, a short sword, and a thrusting spear about 9ft. long. They went into battle as a unit.

Front 6

phalanx

Back 6

a rectangular war formation that has the infantry shoulder to shoulder marching in a close formation. It created a wall of shields to protect the haplites.

Front 7

Hellespont

Back 7

a narrow strait that divides the Asian Minor and Thrace. It comes off of the Black Sea. Northeast of Bosporus.

Front 8

Bosporus

Back 8

a narrow strait that divides the Asian Minor and Thrace. It comes off of the Black Sea.
Southwest of Hellespont.

Front 9

Bosporus

Back 9

area of land that separated Greece and Persia. It was on the coast of the Black Sea near the beginning part of it.

Front 10

Byzantium

Back 10

Greek colony near Bosporus and later became Constantinople (now Istanbul)
It was the most notable city on the coast of the Black Sea.

Front 11

democracy

Back 11

government of the people or rule of the many (people vote on what city does)

Front 12

oligarchy

Back 12

rule by the few (example - Sparta had 2 kings who ruled and switched out between them)

Front 13

Sparta

Back 13

One of the two most famous and powerful Greek city-states. Located in Peloponessia and they were completely dedicated to war. Rivals = Athens.

Front 14

helots

Back 14

slaves captured by the Spartans to perform "menial tasks" - the Messenians and the Laconians.
Menial tasks = making food, building buildings, etc. - anything that wasn't war (war was for Spartans)

Front 15

ephors

Back 15

group of 5 men who were elected each year by the King and were responsible for the education of the youth and the conduct of all citizens.
Could discipline people who broke the law then and there in the streets.

Front 16

Cleisthenes

Back 16

ruler of Athens who created a new council of 500 men that supervised foreign affairs, oversaw the treasury, and proposed the that would be voted on by the Assembly.
His reforms created the basis for Athenian democracy.
The Athenian Assembly (male citizens) were given full authority to pass laws after free and open debate.

Front 17

Asia Minor

Back 17

the strip of land on the west side of present day Turkey were the Greeks started colonizing

Front 18

Darius

Back 18

Persian ruler who sought revenge on Athens because they colonized on Persian territory by them. He committed suicide in 480 BC, unsuccessful in revenge.

Front 19

Xerxes

Back 19

Persian ruler who came to power in 486 BC. He led 180,000 troops and thousands of warships and supply vessels. Later, he invaded Greece determined on revenge and was defeated in 479 BC.

Front 20

Delian League

Back 20

A defensive alliance against the Persians that came to rise in 478 BC. Their headquarters was on Delos and chief official was Athenian.

Front 21

Delos

Back 21

island where the Delian League's headquarters was

Front 22

Pericles

Back 22

the dominant figure in Athenian politics in 461 - 429 BC. With him, Athens expanded empire and democracy flourished.

Front 23

Age of Pericles

Back 23

named after the leader Pericles and when the Athenian had its height of brilliance and power.
Athens became a direct democracy during this.

Front 24

direct democracy

Back 24

people participate directly in government decision making through mass meetings

Front 25

ostracism

Back 25

banning people from a city
*In Athens, if 6000 people voted against someone, they were ostracized. They would be branded on their forehead and hand and no one would be allowed to talk to them.

Front 26

Great Peloponnesian War

Back 26

When Spartan disputes against Athens and vice versa led to a war in 431 BC.
The first year = about equal
2nd year = A plague erupted in Athens, killing many
Later, Athens surrendered, but even so, this weakened Greece.

Front 27

Theles

Back 27

a new Greek power that arose after the Peloponnesian War to fight with Sparta/Athens for power.

Front 28

Macedonia

Back 28

growing power to the north of Greece who conquered them.