Geography of Greece
This large body of water surrounds Greece on three sides and helped Greeks become skilled sailors.
The Mediterranean Sea (also acceptable: the Aegean Sea or the Ionian Sea)
What is the term for an ancient Greek city-state, a central town and its surrounding land?
Polis
What is an oligarchy? (short answer)
A government ruled by a small group of people (often wealthy or powerful elites)
This famous temple on the Acropolis in Athens was built to honor the goddess Athena.
The Parthenon
What do we call the body of stories about gods and heroes that explain how the world works?
Myth or mythology
The land of Greece is mostly this type of terrain, with many mountains and rocky areas.
Mountainous terrain (mountains)
What is an acropolis? (short answer)
A high, fortified hill in a city-state that usually held important buildings and temples (the most famous is the Acropolis of Athens)
A leader who uses force to hold power is called a _______.
Tyrant
Greek statues were admired because they showed the ideal human form and focused on _______ and _______ (two words).
Proportion and realism (or balance and idealized form)
The Parthenon was built in honor of which goddess?
Athena
These fertile flat areas near coasts allowed Greeks to grow crops and support larger populations.
Plains (coastal plains, valleys)
Name the fortified high area in many city-states that often held temples and government buildings.
Acropolis
What does the term democracy mean? (short answer)
Rule by the people; a system where citizens participate in government decisions (directly or through representatives)
Name one architectural feature the Greeks used that is common on temples (hint: three classical orders).
Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian
Name two major gods or goddesses from Greek mythology.
Zeus and Hera; Poseidon and Athena; Apollo and Artemis (any two major Olympians)
Because of many islands and peninsulas, Greek communities developed mostly as separate ________ (one word).
City-states (poleis)
Which Greek city-state was best known for its warriors and strict military training?
Sparta
In ancient Athens, who had the right to participate in government?
Male citizens who were free and born in Athens (adult native-born men)
Who was the greatest Greek doctor often called the “father of medicine”?
Hippocrates
Why did Greeks tell myths about gods and heroes? Give one reason.
To explain natural events (like seasons), teach moral lessons, preserve cultural values, or explain how the world and human behavior work.
Explain how Greece’s geography affected trade, colonization, and the development of independent city-states (short response).
Greece’s many mountains and separated islands made overland travel and political unity difficult, so communities developed into independent city-states. The long coastline and many islands encouraged seafaring, trade, and colonization across the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas.
Describe two ways Sparta and Athens were different in government, daily life, or values (short answer).
Examples — Sparta: oligarchy/military-focused, boys trained for war, strict discipline, few rights for helots (slaves). Athens: early democracy with citizen assemblies, valued education, arts, philosophy, and trade.
Explain why many Greeks were proud to be citizens and one responsibility of a citizen in a Greek democracy (short answer).
Greeks were proud because citizenship allowed participation in public life and decision-making. A citizen’s responsibility included attending assemblies, voting, serving on juries, and participating in civic duties.
Give one example of a Greek scientific or medical idea that influenced later civilizations (short answer).
Hippocratic emphasis on careful observation and record-keeping in medicine; Euclid’s work on geometry; Archimedes’ principles in physics and engineering (e.g., lever, buoyancy).
Choose one Greek myth or hero and briefly explain how that story taught a lesson or explained something about the world.
Example — The myth of Persephone explains the seasons: Persephone’s time in the underworld causes winter (plants die), and her return brings spring (plants grow). (Other acceptable examples: Hercules’ labors teach perseverance; Prometheus explains why humans have fire.)