Cuneiform the first known written writing created by the Sumerians which used

symbols to represent nouns and verbs.

Sumerians A people a first these settlers did a number of things before everyone
else, overachievers From silly stuff like poetry to more important things like beer,
which might be why they counted in a sexagesimal system, these people were
urbanizes not imperialists. These creators of cuneiform started their so called
civilization in ca 2300CE.
Akkadians These evil people were the first to start warring with other cities kicking
off a fade that still has not yet gone out of style. Akkadians lost power in 2000BCE.
Sargon
-- Sargon was the Akkadians best leader was in charge from 2330-2280
BCE, and was very wrinkly when he died.
Epic of Gilgamesh A legend of one man who wanted to become a God and his
friend a very hairy wild man. Allot of what we read in this Epic allows us to
understand life in Ancient times
Code of Hammurabi Having nothing do with pigs at all this code gives the first
unified law for all Babylonian peoples in ca 1750. Naturally richer people have less
to worry about than those smelly slaves.
Nile The life giving water source for all of Egypt, this river flowed down from upper
Egypt to lower Egypt south to north and flooded each year depositing a fresh layer
of silt providing a rich growing environment for many Egyptian farmers. The saving
power of the Nile was also its downfall as it only allowed for the Egyptians to farm
for about 1/3 of the total year leaving plenty of time to work on state sponsored
projects like five sided three dimensional triangles.
Pharaoh The big kahuna of the Egyptian world ruling from ca 3100BCE 109 BCE.
This man or woman claimed to be an embodiment of the god Ra. Thankfully this god
man was good enough to his subjects to allow them days off of work and a working
mail service.
Hebrews a Jewish sort of civilization which determined that the worship of one God
was much more efficient.
Monotheism The idea that the might only be one God in the universe. This not only
cut down the amount of incense and libations it took to secured your good fortune
but also created a star a cross and a moon.
Phoenicians These people took everything that had been developed and made the
best out of everything. A sea fairing civilization these peoples lived in Carthage.

Minoan Crete Known in Greek myths for its monstrous Minotaur this island was a
center of trade and was well protected from and enemies by high elevation and a
very large moat.ca 5000BCE
Knossos this city also known as the labyrinth (from the legend) was a maze of
buildings a residences where the Minoans held residence
Mycenaean Civilization A fancy name for the early Greeks these people set up
shop in the early ca-1900 and their civilization lasted for 800 years
Greek Dark Ages besides not having any light bulbs these Mycenaean/Greek times
meant that there was much disruption as different tribes eventually came together
to form a polis force.
Homer This man was a blind poet who may or may not have existed in ancient
Greece sometime after the Trojan War. He wrote or rather spoke some average tale
about a man with a bad heel and a man who had no sense of nautical direction as
seen by his long journey home.
The Iliad: Written by Homer in 700s BCE, this epic poem tells the story of the Trojan
War. Paris, a prince of Troy, kidnaps Helen, wife of the king of Sparta. This begins a
ten year long war that ends with the sack of Troy by the Greeks. Homer also tells of
the wrath of Achilles and shows how this leads to the destruction. Moreover, The
Iliad includes universal truths, which were used for centuries to educate young
Greeks. This work is significant because it was one of the standard texts for Greeks,
and it taught values accepted by the Greek society. Homer made history with this
work.
Hesiod: A Boeotian poet of the Archaic Age who lived around 700BCE. He was a
farmer, and wrote about the daily life of Greeks. He distrusted the aristocrats and
deemphasized war. His goal was to demonstrate that work led to success. He is
important because he allows historians to see the daily life of average Greek
citizens.
Works and Days: An epic poem written by Hesiod in the 8thcentury BCE. This work
gives historians insight into the daily life of Greek farmers. Hesiod writes of the
intense labors of the farmer his early rising, the amount of work but he also tells
of the rewards. It is an important source to understand how Greeks in the Archaic
Age lived.
Thetes: Thetes were freemen and farmers. They were part of the social hierarchy of
Ancient Greece (beneath the aristocrats, but above slaves). They made up most of
society, and this was the social class Hesiod wrote about in Works and Days. They
were important to Greek society, as they made up the army. They are significant
because represent the majority of the Greek people.

Polis: The polis was the center of Greek life from its emergence in 8th century BCE
to its downfall in the 4th century BCE. The word polis refers to a hilly spot; however,
the word became synonymous with the city and the surrounding countryside. The
valuable buildings, such as the temples and the treasury, were on the hill, while the
market below was used for selling goods as well as sharing ideas. Greeks identified
with their polis, calling themselves Athenians or Spartans. The polis is significant
because it was the leading political structure for Ancient Greece for 400 years.
Olympic Games: Begun circa 776 BCE, the Olympic Games were dedicated to Zeus.
The religious aspect of the games was very important, and time was taken to honor
Zeus. The games only had one race at first, but over time more events were added.
War ceased during the Olympic Games. The winners were seen as immortal and
praised by their polis. At first, only the upper class participated, but as time went
on, poleis sponsored lower class citizens so they too could participate. The Olympic
Games are significant because they were an important religious festival that
demonstrates the pan-Hellenistic culture of the Greek society.
Hoplite Phalanx: The hoplites were the armed infantry men of the Greek army. They
wore helmets, breastplates and shin guards called greaves. Each also had a shield,
a sword and a 9 foot long spear. In battle, the hoplites used a formation known as
the phalanx. The soldiers would stand shoulder to shoulder and would move in
unison. This formation made it difficult for the enemy to penetrate. This is
significant because it was the accepted form of warfare throughout much of Ancient
Greece.
Herodotus: A Greek historian most famous for his history of the Persian War. He
tells of the struggle of the Greek society to defend itself against the invasion of the
Persians, and at times, his bias is obvious. He is significant because his work
provides historians with one of the only written records of the Persian Wars.
Lycurgus: This set of reforms adopted by Sparta in 7th century BCE established a
military state. This was done to maintain control over their helots, or slaves. The
Lycurgus Reforms declared that at age seven, boys must be taken from their
parents and trained to fight. They were disciplined harshly, and encouraged to steal
their food. This is significant because it gives insight into the life of Spartans, just
as Hesiods Works and Days gave insight into the life of the thetes.
Peloponnesian League: An alliance made up of Sparta, Corinth, Megara and other
minor city states. It was created to check the power of the Delian League, an
alliance between Athens and her allies. The Great Peloponnesian Wars pitted the
Peloponnesian League against the Delian League. It is significant because it led to
the Peloponnesian Wars, like the alliances of Europe in the early 20th century led to
WWI.
Pisastratus: An Athenian aristocrat and tyrant who seized power from Solon in
560BCE. He allowed the institutions of government to continue, but put his

supporters in the leading roles. His policies were appealed to the people; he offered
land and loans to small farmers, beautified the city with his building program and
encouraged trade. While he was popular, his son was not. Pisastratus is significant
because he was the first tyrant of Athens, and his policies provided order to the
chaotic city.
Cleisthenes: An Athenian aristocratic political reformer who lived from 570-501BCE.
He assisted with the overthrow of Hippias and led to the establishment of Athenian
democracy in 508BCE. He divided the city into demes, and he deemphasized class.
He is significant because he is the father of democracy, and his reforms led to
Athenian democracy.
Cyrus the Great: Ruler of the Persian Empire from 559-521BCE. He overthrew the
Medes and expands the Persian Empire into modern day Turkey, Greece, India and
Pakistan. He governed his empire by using satrapies. Each satrapy was ruled by a
governor, called a Satrap, who was usually related to the Great King, and ultimate
authority in his region. Cyprus the Great is significant because his expansion
brought him into close contact with the Greeks, eventually leading to the Persian
Wars.
Persian Wars: Two consecutive conflicts between the Greeks and the Persian, one in
490 BCE and the other from 480-479BCE. The first conflict began with the rebellion
of the Ionians, who were under control of the Persians. In response to Spartan aid,
the Persians invade Greece. Darius, King of Persia, is defeated at Marathon by the
Athenians, ending the conflict. Xerxes invades again in 480BCE, but is defeated by
the alliance of the Greek poleis. The Persian Empire withdraws from Greece, but
remains involved in Greek affairs. These conflicts are significant because they
diminish the power of Persia, increase the prestige of Athens and leads to the
formation of the Delian League.
Xerxes: Son of Darius and grandson of Cyrus the Great, Xerxes reigned from 486465BCE. He planned to avenge his fathers defeat, and assembled an army of
120,000-150,000 troops, along with a navy. Nevertheless, he is defeated by the
alliance of the Greek poleis. He is significant due to his involvement in the Persian
Wars.
Battle of Salamis: A key battle of the Persian Wars, fought in 480BCE. This is the
first battle in which Athens used the trireme. With this new battleship, Athens and
her allies were able to destroy the Persian transports, forcing Xerxes to withdraw
from Greece. This battle was significant because it was the defining battle that
brought about the end of the Persian Wars.
Delian League- (formed 478-477 BCE) formed after the defeat of the Persians. Was a
defensive alliance of the Athenians, Ionians, and Aegean Greeks. This was primarily
dominated by the Athenians; all its chief officials and most of the warships were
Athenian; they suppressed allies who wanted out of the alliance (such as Naxos in

467 and Thasos in 465). The treasury was moved to Athens and used to rebuild and
reinforce the city.
Sappho- Greek female lyric poet. Lyric poetry was shorter than epic poetry and
focused on personal emotions (such as the power of love and its impact on human
life). Sappho lived during the 7th century and lived on the island of Lesbos. Sappho
believed that both homosexual and heterosexual feelings could exist in the same
person- she was a wife and mother, but many of her poems were love songs to her
female students.
Ostracism- Athenian ostracism was a ten year mandatory exile. This practice started
around 480 BCE. This would be conducted by an annual vote- any citizen could
motion to exile another citizen. At least 6,000 votes were needed for an exile to
occur. It helped to prevent the concentration of power (it worked much like
impeachment does today).
Pericles- general of Athens from 458-430 BCE, he is known as the leader of the
democratic faction. He sponsored the buildings of temples such as the Parthenon.
During his rule, Greece had an age of artists, sculptors, and philosophers. He had a
son with a prostitute named Aspasia (under his radical democracy his son by her
cannot be a citizen of Athens because Aspasia was not a citizen). Under Pericles,
Athens expanded democracy, severed its ties with Sparta, and expanded its new
empire abroad.
Radical Democracy- Pericles policies in Athens. There were no property
qualifications to hold public office. The state paid officeholders, including those on
jury duty which means even poor citizens can become involved in government. This
encouraged all citizens to become involved in the democracy. To be a citizen of
Athens, both parents have to claim Athenian citizenship.
Pericles Funeral Oration- a eulogy given by Pericles in the winter of 431-430 BCE to
honor the Athenians killed in the first campaigns of the Peloponnesian war. It is
included in Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War. Highlights the greatness of
the Athenian democracy and how their way of life makes them better than their
opponents in the war.
Thucydides- (c. 460-c.400 BCE) an Athenian general who was ostracized in 425
BCE. He is considered by many to be the greatest historian of the ancient world. He
was the author of History of the Peloponnesian War. The moral of his writings is
that Athenian pride and self-interest lead to their downfall. Did not believe the gods
were the cause of all things; rather he saw war and politics as the activities of
human beings. His book also explained the immediate and long term effects of the
Peloponnesian War.
Invasion of Sicily- In 415-413 BCE, during the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians
decided to invade Sicily. However, the Athenians failed to take Syracuse and were

captured during their retreat. All of the Athenians involved in this were killed or sold
into slavery. While in Sicily, the prisoners were tortured. This greatly weakened the
Athenian democracy, and the Athenians soon were defeated by the Spartans.
Thirty Tyrants- In 404 BCE, the Spartans won the Peloponnesian War. They replaced
democracy in Athens and left thirty people in charge. They became known as the
thirty tyrants because they executed 1500 Athenians. Athens was forced to tear
down its walls , and their navy and city were crushed.
Socrates - (469-399 BCE) Greek philosopher. He was a stonemason by trade, but
taught philosophy to many pupils for free. Socratic method= question and answer
method to force people to see things for themselves using their own reason.
Socrates was accused and convicted of corrupting the youth of Athens because he
questioned authority. He was sentenced to death, was given the chance to escape,
but refused to out of loyalty to his country. He never wrote any of teachings down.
Plato- (c. 429-347 BCE) one of Socrates students. He wrote out many of Socrates
dialogues, including Apologia, a posthumous defense of Socrates. He was the author
of the Republic and the founder of the Academy. He believed that women could also
be rulers and focused on the needs of the community as a whole, rather than the
individual. He justified the polis, and believed that the ideal polis includes order,
harmony, and justice.
The Republic- Platos ideas of government were written down in this dialogue. He
believed in an ideal state in which the population was divided into three basic
groups. The ruling elite was at the top- they were philosopher-kings. The second
group was the courageous; the warriors that would protect society. The bottom rung
was those driven by desire, not wisdom or courage; these people were the artisans,
tradesmen, and farmers.
The Academy- Plato founded this school in Athens. It was founded about 387 BCE.
The academy remained a prominent school for about 1000 years. Aristotle studied
under Plato at the academy.
Aristotle- philosopher who studied under Plato at the academy. Was the tutor of
Alexander the Great. He founded a school called the Lyceum. He pursued scientific
explanations and loved to collect, catalogue, and categorize knowledge. He wrote
The Politics and identified three good forms of government: monarchy, aristocracy,
and constitutional government. He believed that in politics you want to create the
best state possible and he defended the polis. His ideas played an important role in
the development of Western thought during the Middle Ages.
The Lyceum- school founded by Aristotle around 335 BCE. The lyceum was known
for its literary and historic study.

Philip II of Macedon- After the Peloponnesian War, Phillip II of Macedon takes over
and forms the league of Corinth in 338 BCE. The League of Corinth was when all
Greek states joined in an alliance and pledged an oath to Phillip. He recognized the
importance of an army, and used gold from his gold mines to pay soldiers and
establish a standing professional army. His infantry was more lightly armed than the
Greek hoplites, and their spears were twice as long. He also went about making
technological improvements in warfare-engineered catapults to destroy the enemys
fortifications. He strengthened the bonds between the army and its leaders by
actively partaking in the battles. In 338 BCE, he defeated the Athenians at the
Battle of Chaeronea. Before he could go on, he was assassinated and replaced by
his son, Alexander the Great. In his lifetime, Phillip unified Macedonia, created a
powerful military, and subdued the Greeks.