Ancient Greece Study Guide

Name______Ancient Greece Study Guide

Section 1—pp. 74-78

1. How is ancient Greek civilization different than that of river valley civilizations?

2. What percentage of the land is farmable in ancient Greece?

3. How do people there survive with so little farmland?

4. What was the effect of Greece’s mountainous terrain?

5. Were Greeks warlike peoples? Explain.

6. What was the primary activity of the Minoans?

7. Why didn’t the Minoans have defensive walls?

8. Who eventually invaded Crete?

9. Where did the Achaeans come from?

10. How did the Achaeans build on Minoan civilization?

11. What war took place around 1500 B.C. and who won?

12. Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey?

13. What sparked the war with Troy, according to Homer? Do you believe the story?

14. Who found evidence of the existence of Troy? 15. What caused a “Dark Age” in Greece?

16. What type of Greek civilizations grew out of the Dark Age?

17. Define polis:

18. Define acropolis:

19. Define aristocracy:

20. Why did Greek peoples set out to colonize various areas outside of their city- states?

21. What was the effect of this colonization?

22. What was the duty of every citizen of Greek city-states?

23. What new form of warfare replaced chariots on the battlefield?

24. Define debt slavery:

25. Define tyranny:

26. How did tyrants maintain control of the government?

27. What is democracy and where did it reach its greatest height? 28. Define archons:

29. What Athenian was appointed to draw up law codes?

30. Was the law code successful? Why or why not?

31. List 5 reforms set in motion by Solon.

32. Despite Solon’s reforms, who continued to dominate Athenian society?

33. What tyrannical leader took land from the nobles and gave it to peasants?

34. List 5 reforms of Cleisthenes:

35. Describe the peculiar practice of ostracism in the Athenian Assembly:

36. Describe the training of an Athenian male citizen:

37. Describe how women were seen in Greek society and what their life was like:

38. What group settled in Sparta during the Dark Age?

39. Define helot:

40. Why did Sparta create such a strong military state? 41. How was the leadership of Sparta structured?

42. Define ephors:

43. Describe the major components of the regimented life of a Spartan citizen:

44. Describe the lives and role of Spartan women:

45. Did Sparta use coined money or explore new ideas? Explain.

46. Where did the Athenians win a stunning upset against Persia in 490?

47. What city-state was chosen to lead Greek forces?

48. What did Xerxes watch from the cliffs above the Aegean Sea?

49. What city-state emerged from the Persian Wars as the leader of Greece?

50. What was the name of the alliance formed by various Greek city-states in 477 B.C.?

51. Who controlled the Delian League and what was the effect of this control?

52. Describe the program undertaken by Pericles and its effect on Greece.

53. What did Pericles do for Athenian democracy?

54. What did Athenian democracy look like? 55. Why was Athenian democracy far from complete?

56. Who led an alliance called the Peloponnesian League and why was it formed?

57. Describe the events that led to 1/3rd of Athenians dying in Athens.

58. Who won the Peloponnesian War and what was the net effect of it on Athens.

59. How many gods met in a council on Mt. Olympus?

60. How many days were set aside each year for religious celebrations?

61. What Greek god was connected to drama and poetry?

62. Describe the structure and look of Greek plays.

63. Define tragedies:

64. List the three great playwrights of ancient Greece.

65. Define comedies:

66. Which playwright mocked every aspect of Athenian life?

67. Define lyric poem: 68. What famous Greek woman was a lyric poet?

69. What did Greek sculptors believe existed in the natural world?

70. Who did Greek art and architecture later influence?

71. Define philosopher:

72. What important breakthrough was made by Thales?

73. What important relationship was found by Pythagoras?

74. What was named after Hippocrates and why?

75. What was the main concern of the Sophists and what did they teach?

76. Why did many Athenians criticize the Sophists?

77. How did Socrates think knowledge could be gained?

78. What technique did Socrates develop?

79. Describe the events which lead to the death of Socrates.

80. Name the school created by Plato. 81. What was Plato’s Republic concerned with?

82. Who was the most brilliant student of the Academy?

83. Who did Aristotle teach and what did he create with the money he was given?

84. What did Aristotle think to be the best type of government?

85. Why is Herodotus called the founder of history?

86. What important example was set by the historian Thucydides?

Section 5—The Spread of Greek Civilization

87. What was the dream of Philip of Macedon?

88. What methods did Philip use to take control of ancient Greece?

89. How did Demosthenes feel about Philip?

90. Once in control of Greece, what did Philip begin to plan?

91. How old was Alexander when he inherited the kingdom from Philip?

92. Describe the story of the Gordian knot. 93. What city did Alexander found in Egypt?

94. What happened once Alexander reached India?

95. What happened after the death of Alexander?

96. What was Alexander’s most lasting achievement? How was this accomplished?

97. Name the new culture that emerged after Alexander’s death and describe it?

98. How many scrolls were stored at the Alexandria library?

99. What scientific advances were made during the Hellenistic Period?

100.Describe the philosophy of Epicurus.

101.Describe the philosophy of the Stoics.