LE FINALE Flashcards
(80 cards)
Who were the Minoans
Minoans, whose name comes from the legendary King Minos, they were a civilization native to the island of Crete. Their culture was very connected to nature, and they were an agricultural communal society who built very large palace complexes for their upper classes.
Who were the Mycenaeans
The Mycenaeans were the first culture on mainland Greece. They wiped out the Minoans, but took a lot of influence from them in their lifestyles. They ruled over mainland Greece until the Bronze age collapse.
When did Mycenean civilization begin?
1600 BC, and then existed until the Bronze Age Collapse.
When did Minoan civilization begin?
Around 3000 BC. They were wiped out by a tidal wave and subsequent invasion from the Myceneans.
What is the Iliad, what happens in it?
The Iliad is an epic written by the Greek poet Homer, which tells the story of Achilles and the Trojan war. The king Agamemnon has his wife Helen stolen by Paris of Troy, and so declares war on them. Achilles refuses to fight after being offended, but he is eventually convinced by the gods.
What is the Odyssey. What happens in it?
The Odyssey is an epic written by Homer, that is a sequal to the Iliad. It follows Odysseus, who fought with Achilles, on his way back home. He encounters multiple delays in the form of monsters and gods that cause his short trip home to take ten years, as he loses all of his men and returns alone.
Describe heroes in Greek epics
Greek heroes were not like modern day ones. They were often selfish, cruel, and childish. They were only concerned with their own glory, and would take what they wanted from the world, which made them heroes.
What is the Parthenon and who built it?
The Parthenon is a temple to Athena, commissioned by Pericles using taxpayer funds. It’s famous for it’s larger than average 8:17 pillar ratio, and multiple architectural tricks used to make the structure look straighter than it actually is. The temple is meant to communicate the connection between the people of Athens and their gods.
What are Black and Red figure pottery?
Black and Red figure pottery were two kinds of pottery that came out of Greece. Black figure came from Corinth and involves making intricate carvings on the pot and filling them with paint, then firing it so that the rest of the kiln turns black, while Red figure came from Athens and involves firing it black first, and then painting on a specific area kept orange.
What were Kouros and Kore?
Kouros and Kore were early Greek sculptures. They typically depicted young men or women in the nude, either standing straight or with one leg extended to indicate motion. Their faces were often smiling, though more to indicate life than emotion.
What were the Persian Wars?
The Persian wars were a series of conflicts between the Persian empire and the Greek city states from 490 to 479. First the Persians conquered Ionia, and then a misunderstanding led them to believe the rest of Greece had surrendered. A series of battles broke out including the last stand at Thermopylae and the battle of Salamis, and after the Persian fleet was largely wiped out, the Greeks managed to push them back entirely. The conflict was important in forming a unified Greek identity.
What were the Peloponnesian wars?
The Peloponnesian wars were an off and on conflict between Sparta and Athens, and their allies from 432 to 404 BC. The war was caused by a series of trade disputes involving the city of Megara, and a pre-existing rivalry. The wars saw Athens sieged and many of it’s leaders killed, and although who was winning changed multiple times, it ended with the defeat of Athens and the establishment of a puppet government for a period.
Who were the Delian and Peloponnesian league?
The Delian league was a league of Athens aligned states, who pooled their wealth to fund Athens navy, until Athens gradually became the ruling member of the league and used force to get what they wanted. The Peloponnesian league was a league of Spartan aligned states. The conflict between these two groups would be known as the Peloponnesian war.
Who were the Pre-Socratics? name three
The Pre-Socratics were philosophers who came before Socrates. They were primarily concerned with Metaphysics, or the nature of reality. There was Democritus the atomist, Pythagoras, and Empedocles who thought the universe was made up of four elements.
Who was Socrates? what did he believe? how did he die?
Socrates was a philosopher in classical Greece. He is famous for his Socratic method, which involved interrogating ones beliefs and presuppositions to get closer to the truth. He was also concerned with justice and right behavior. He was eventually convicted of corrupting the youth and disrespecting the gods for his controversial beliefs, and was sentenced to commit suicide by consuming hemlock.
Who was Aristotle? what did he believe?
Aristotle was a student of Plato and studied at his academy. He was less interested in metaphysics and more in observable things. He wanted to know what humans purpose was, and defined them as “the rational animal” meaning he thought their purpose was to use their minds to think.
Who was Plato? what did he believe? how did he die?
Plato was a student of Socrates. He is known for his work with Idealism, and the idea that the things we see in the physical world are mere reflections of a perfect “world of forms.” His famous allegory of the cave was how he communicated this idea. He was also concerned with justice and how the perfect government should work.
what is Stoicism?
Stoicism is a moral philosophy first created by Zeno of citium. It preaches wisdom, courage, moderation, and fairness, and control over ones emotions. The philosophy was made famous by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who was a devout follower.
Who was Pericles? how did he die?
Pericles, also called “the first citizen”, was an Athenian statesmen. He was famous for improving the economic and political condition of Athens, and for investing in it’s arts, therefore creating the Athenian Golden Age. His military decisions often weren’t smart though, and he was one of the primary instigators of the Peloponnesian war.
Describe Greek Tragedy
Tragedy derives from the Greek words for goat and song. It was orignally a type of story feautring suffering and conflict, which would be resolved in the end only after great damage had been done.
What is the Acropolis?
The Acropolis is a group of buildings on a hill overlooking central Athens, dedicated to the gods. The most famous of these structures was called the Parthenon. It was built out of respect for the gods, and to inspire love for the city in the hearts of the Athenians.
Describe the Spartan political system
Sparta was an oligarchy ruled by two kings from different bloodlines, and five ephors (wise men). Only Spartans themselves were considered citizens, while merchants and helots (slaves) were not. The helots outnumbered to Spartans roughly 7:1. Helots did all the manual labor so that Spartans could spend their days training.
Describe the Athenian political system
Athens was a democracy that was either direct or representative depending on the period of time. During the later years, men over 30 were selected at random to hold government positions. To protect said democracy, people could also vote to exile one person a year for ten years if they felt they were getting too powerful.
What were Draco’s laws?
A series of laws involving debt and land ownership that gradually caused more and more land to be accumulated by wealthy farmers, and forced the poorer farmers without land into debt slavery.
