Social Studies: Greeks

Question 1

What is oligarchy?

Answer 1

A type of government where a small group of powerful people rule.

Question 2

What was a phalanx?

Answer 2

A military formation of heavily armed foot soldiers who moved together as a unit

Question 3

What is tyranny?

Answer 3

Unjust use of power, or in ancient Greece, a government run by a strong ruler

Question 4

What is democracy?

Answer 4

A type of government where citizens hold political power

Question 5

What is citizenship?

Answer 5

Membership in a state or community which gives a person civil and political rights and obligations

Question 6

What is direct democracy?

Answer 6

A form of democracy where citizens take part directly in the day-to-day affairs of government

Question 7

What is representative democracy?

Answer 7

A form of democracy where citizens elect people (representatives) to make the nation’s laws

Question 8

What is maintain?

Answer 8

To keep and support

Question 9

What is a lecturer?

Answer 9

A person who gives informative talks to students

Question 10

What is ephor?

Answer 10

A man responsible for day-to-day operation of the government in Sparta

Question 11

Who were the helots?

Answer 11

Messenian person forced to work as a lowly farmer by Sparta

Question 12

What is military state?

Answer 12

A society organized for the purpose of waging war

Question 13

What are barracks?

Answer 13

Military housing

Question 14

What is authority?

Answer 14

Control

Question 15

What is innovation?

Answer 15

New ways of doing things

Question 16

Who was allowed to vote and participate in the government in ancient Athens?

Answer 16

Only adult male citizens who were born in Athens. Women, enslaved people, and foreigners could not vote.

Question 17

How did citizens make decisions in Athenian democracy?

Answer 17

They gathered in an assembly to vote directly on laws and important issues.

Question 18

What was the main assembly in Athens called?

Answer 18

The Assembly (or Ecclesia)

Question 19

What was the purpose of a jury in Athens?

Answer 19

Citizens served on large juries to decide court cases.

Question 20

Who was Draco and what was he known for?

Answer 20

An early Athenian aristocratic leader known for creating a legal code with harsh punishments for all offenses

Question 21

How did the phalanx allow more people to participate in Greek militaries, and how did this influence the form of government?

Answer 21

The phalanx formation meant that ordinary citizens (not just wealthy nobles) could serve as foot soldiers, because no horses were required to be purchased.

Some historians believe that this gave more men a voice in government.

Question 22

Who was Solon and what was he known for?

Answer 22

An Athenian lawmaker who made important reforms to ease the tension between the rich and poor. He ended the practice to selling poor people who could not pay their debts into slavery, and gave some non-aristocratic men the right to vote for officials.

Question 23

Who was Cleisthenes and what reforms was he known for?

Answer 23

An Athenian leader who reduced the power of the rich.

He increased the number of citizens who could vote, including from lower classes, and increased the power of the assembly.

Question 24

How did citizen juries give more power to the people of Athens?

Answer 24

Citizens served on large juries to decide court cases. This meant that legal judgments were made by ordinary citizens, not just a few powerful officials, giving more people a direct role in justice.

Question 25

What major reforms did Pericles implement?

Answer 25

Pericles made reforms like paying citizens who served on juries or for other civic duties, which helped poor people participate in government, making Athenian democracy more accessible.

Question 26

What was the role of education in promoting Athenian democracy?

Answer 26

Education in Athens aimed to create well-rounded citizens, although most education was reserved for boys. Higher education also evolved where a lecturer taught students subjects such as math and public speaking.

Question 27

How did Athenian democracy work? What were the main governing bodies?

Answer 27

The most important bodies were the assembly, the counciil and the courts. The main political body was the assembly, which all free male citizens could attend and have the right to speak. The Boule (500-person council) decided which issues could come to the assembly. Members were chosen by random lot from among the citizens. Athens had many courts which decided on different kinds of cases. Juries made up of decided on cases by majority vote.

Question 28

How did the Areopagus evolve under Athenian democracy?

Answer 28

The Areopagus was an older governmental body. It was a council of advisers that decided some court cases. But over time, as democracy grew, its political power was reduced, and its role was limited to judge murder cases.

Question 29

How is oligarchy different from tyranny?

Answer 29

An oligarchy is when a small group of powerful people rule (like in Sparta). A tyranny is when one single ruler has absolute power.

Question 30

What are key differences between direct democracy and representative democracy?

Answer 30

Direct Democracy: Citizens vote directly on every law and decision. Representative Democracy: Citizens elect representatives (people to speak for them) to vote on laws and make decisions.

Question 31

What are key differences between Sparta and Athens in terms of the form of government?

Answer 31

Athens had a democracy, while the government in Sparta was a mix of monarchy, oligarchy and democracy

Question 32

Describe Sparta's government, its key bodies, and how it functioned.

Answer 32

Sparta was ruled by two kings who served as military leaders. The kings led the Council of Elders, Spart's governing body, which included 28 men over the age of 60. There was an assembly made up of free adult males, but it had little power. It could pass laws but the laws had to be approved by the council. Its most powerful function was selecting 5 ephors who were responsible for the day-to-day operations of the government.

Question 33

How did Sparta get the resources that it didn't have and that it could not get through trade?

Answer 33

Sparta often acquired resources, especially food, by conquering neighboring lands and enslaving their people (helots) to farm the land for them.

Question 34

What role did helots have, and how did this impact Spartan culture?

Answer 34

Helots were the enslaved people who farmed the land and provided food for the Spartans. This allowed Spartan men to dedicate their lives entirely to military training and serving as full-time soldiers, without having to worry about farming or other labor.

Question 35

What was helot revolution, and how did this impact Sparta?

Answer 35

Helots outnumbered the number of Spartans, and launched a violent revolt in 400 BC. The revolt was put down, and Spartans decided to strengthen their government control by becoming a military state. The laws also allowed any Spartan to kill a helot without fear of punishment.

Question 36

Describe Spartan education for boys.

Answer 36

Spartan boys were sent to military training at age 7. They lived in barracks, and spent most of their time exercising, hunting and training. They were taught to obedience to authority, how to endure hardships, and to gain victory in battle or to die. At 18, they began a 2-year military training and served until they were 30.

Question 37

How did a Spartan become a full citizen, and what happened if they could not?

Answer 37

To become a full citizen, a Spartan male had to complete his military training and gain entry into a men's club of soldiers. If they failed to gain entry, they would never become citizens and be treated as an outcast.

Question 38

What was the role of women in Sparta?

Answer 38

Spartan women were raised to be strong and vigorous. They stayed fit and participated in sports, as their main role was to raise strong, healthy Spartan soldiers. They had freedom and responsibility because Spartan men spent almost their entire lives in the military. They had greater independence than women in other Greek city-states. Spartan women could also own property.

Question 39

Describe the differences in culture, lifestyle, what was valued in its people, and the economy between Athens and Sparta.

Answer 39

Society and culture: Spartan society feared individual differences and change, and valued people who fit in and not stand out. Athenians valued individual expression and innovation, which allowed Athenian democracy to evolve over time while Spartan government and society changed very little over time. Economy: neither had much natural resources to produce food for its people. Athens had vast amounts of silver and used trade to obtain food and other things that they needed. Sparta relied on conquest and slave labor from conquered territories for its food.