Geography
This body of water is south of Greece and was important for travel and trade.
Mediterranean Sea.
During which war did Sparta and Athens unite to fight a foreign empire? Name the enemy empire.
The Persian Wars; Persia.
What do we call the stories about gods and heroes that explain the world for ancient Greeks?
Mythology.
Which Greek city-state is known for creating the first direct democracy?
Athens.
Name two products that Greeks grew well and often traded.
Olive oil and wine (or olives and grapes).
Name one geographic feature that made travel across Greece difficult and helped create independent city-states.
Mountains
Who became king of Macedonia and later began a large conquest that spread Greek culture? Give his name.
Alexander the Great.
Name the place in Athens that served as an open-air market and meeting place.
The Agora.
What type of government ruled Sparta (name the type) and give one feature of that government.
Oligarchy; ruled by a few powerful people (often upper class).
What economic change made trade easier across Greek city-states and helped Corinth grow wealthy?
The introduction of common coinage / coins (common currency).
Explain how being surrounded by seas affected Greek food and trade.
Being by the sea gave Greeks fish for food and ships to trade with other places.
List two major outcomes of the Peloponnesian War for Greek city-states.
Outcomes: Sparta ultimately won the Peloponnesian War; Greek city-states were weakened and democracy declined in many places.
What were the two types of Greek plays?
Tragedies (serious, sad endings) and comedies (funny, satirical); tragedies end unhappily, comedies make fun of people/events.
Define "tyranny" as used in ancient Greek history and say how tyrants often gained power.
Tyranny: one person took power by force, often supported by common people to remove oligarchs.
Explain how trade with colonies made some Greek city-states richer.
Colonies provided raw materials (metals) and traded goods; city-states exchanged olive oil and wine for metals and became richer, some becoming trade centers.
Describe what a peninsula is and explain why Greece is called a peninsula.
A peninsula is land surrounded by water on three sides; Greece is a peninsula because most of its land juts into the sea and has many islands.
Put these three Greek periods in the correct chronological order: Hellenistic, Archaic, Classical.
Archaic → Classical → Hellenistic.
Why were the original Olympic Games held every four years? Give two reasons from the notes.
To honor Zeus as a religious festival and to prepare men for war/athletics; also a truce allowed safe travel for athletes.
Compare how citizens participated in government in Athens versus how people participate in government in the United States.
Athens: direct democracy where citizens voted on laws themselves (only free-born men). U.S.: representative democracy where citizens elect officials to make decisions.
What was the Agora and what two functions did it serve in Athens?
The Agora was an open marketplace and meeting place for political discussion and trade (merchants sold goods there; people gathered and debated).
Give two reasons why Greek city-states established colonies around the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
1) To access resources not available at home (metals, farmland), (2) to control trade routes and spread Greek culture / create trade centers.
Explain in how Alexander the Great helped create Hellenistic culture.
Alexander founded cities modeled on Greek cities, spread Greek language and art, and encouraged blending of Greek and local customs, creating Hellenistic culture.
Describe how Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle influenced Greek thought.
Socrates asked questions to make people think; Plato started a school and believed educated people should lead; Aristotle emphasized science and reason — together they made people use logic and ask questions.
Explain one reason why many Greeks thought democracy was important.
Because citizens were expected to take part in public life and help run the state.
Ancient Greece had little fertile soil. Describe two economic strategies Greeks used to get needed resources because of this limitation.
Strategies: (1) Colonization — founding colonies to gain farmland and resources, (2) trade — using ships to trade olive oil, wine, and crafts for metals and food.