Greek Gods
What was the name for the 12 most important Greek gods?
The Olympians
Why did the Greeks create myths and tell stories about the Gods and Heroes?
They used these stories to explain the world around them, and to teach people how to live their lives.
What are the main areas of Ancient Greece?
European Greece, the Greek Islands, Asia Minor.
What was the famous form of government that the Athenians invented?
Democracy
Where did the Greek gods live?
They lived on Mount Olympus
Who is one of the most famous Greek heroes, who had to do 12 tasks for forgiveness for killing his family?
Heracles/Hercules.
What are the main periods of Greek history before the Dark Ages called?
The Minoan period, the Mycenaean period, and the Greek Dark Ages.
Were all Greek city-states democratic?
No, many were oligarchies, which were states ruled by a group of elite citizens, tyrannies, ruled by once person who seized power, or kingdoms. It was rare for the Greeks to be ruled by kings, with Sparta being the most well known.
Who were the Titans? What happened to them?
The Titans were the race of gods who were defeated by the Greek gods.
What two gods fought over what the city of Athens should be called?
Athena and Poseidon.
What are the main periods of Greek history after the Dark Ages called?
The Archaic Age, the Classical Age, and the Hellenistic Age.
What are some of the important characteristics of the Minoans?
They lived on Crete between 3100 - 1100 BCE, large palaces are some of the most important structures they left behind, with the most well-known being at Knossos, and they were one of the first advanced civilisations to develop in Ancient Greece.
Why was Zeus not eaten by his father, Cronus?
What is the name of the man who was punished and had to roll a rock up a hill?
Sisyphus
What is a Greek city-state?
A city-state was the ancient Greek form of a state that was focused mainly on the capital city and it's surrounding areas.
What are some important characteristics of the Mycenaean Greeks?
They came from the Greek mainland and their capital was at Mycenae. They were like the Minoans, with much of society centred around temples. They were involved in the Iliad where they defeated the Minoans at Troy. They are known for Cycolpean masonry and famous structures such as the Tholos tombs and the Lion Gate.
Was Hades one of the Olympian gods?
What happened to Eurydice in the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice?
She was bitten by a snake and sent to the Underworld. When Orpheus tried to rescue her, he was told he could bring her back to life if she walked behind him to the exit and he did not look back. However, he looked behind him when he reached the exit and she disappeared forever.
Can you name any famous Greek city-states?
Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth.
What caused the Greek Dark Age, and what happened to Greece during this period?
The Greek Dark Age came after the Bronze Age Collapse, which saw many civilisations in the Eastern Mediterranean fall, such as Egypt and the Hittites.
The collapse can be blamed on natural disasters and climate change, and conflict between the palaces and the people they ruled. Another cause is the invasion by the Sea Peoples.
Greece saw the collapse of the Mycenaeans and the end of the use of the alphabet in writing for hundreds of years. Cities and towns were also a lot smaller as a result of famine and war.