Acropolis An elevated point within a city on which stood temples, altars, public monuments and various dedications to the gods of the polis. (p. 60)

Aegean Basin The territory surrounding Greece proper including the Aegean Sea and Greek islands. (p. 55)

aristocracy a type of Greek government in which only the top members of society exercise authority. The word translates "power in the hands of the best." (p. 61)






boule Part of a larger legislative body (with the ecclesia), it is a council composed of five hundred members. (p. 68)






Common Peace one of two political concepts created by Greeks in the 4th century in an attempt to prevent war. It is the idea that the states of Greece should live together in peace and freedom, each enjoying its own laws and customs. (p. 84)






Delian League a grand naval alliance aimed at liberating Ionia from Persian rule created by the Athenians and led by Aristides. (p. 70)

deme a local unit that served as the basic of Cleisthenes’ political system. (p. 68)

democracy a type of Greek government in which all citizens, without regard to birth or wealth, administered the workings of government. It translates "the power of the people." (p. 61)






ecclesia an assembly of all citizens that serves as the other legislative body with the boule. (p. 68)






federalism one of two political concepts created by Greeks in the 4th century in an attempt to prevent war. It uses the idea that security can be gained through numbers. Greek leagues would band together and marshal their resources to defend themselves from outside interference. (p. 84)






hegemony a political ascendancy over other states. (p. 85)

hoplites the heavily armed infantry which were the backbone of the Greek army. (p. 61)






isonomia a word meaning limited political equality under the law, this was the ideal used by wealthy Corinths to govern. (p. 62)






Linear B the script of Mycenaean Greeks derived from Linear A. It was used to keep records of the king’s possessions and account taxes. (p. 56)






Minoan a flourishing and vibrant culture on Crete around 1650 B.C., named after King Minos. The symbol of their culture was the palace and its surrounding buildings, the most important one being Cnossus. (p. 56)

monarchy derived from the Greek for "the rule of one man," it was a type of Greek government in which a king represented the community. (p. 61)

Mycenaean a society created from a union between native inhabitants and the powerful group centered at Mycenae; it was named after the most famous site of this new culture. (p. 56)






oikist the leader of a band of people who set out to establish a new colony on the order of the polis. (p. 64)

oligarchy "the rule of a few," a type of Greek government in which a small group of wealthy citizens, not necessarily of aristocratic birth, ruled. (p. 61)






polis generally interpreted as "city-state," it is the basic political and institutional unit of Greece. (p. 58)






tyranny rule by a tyrant, a man who used his wealth to gain a political following that could take over the existing government. (p. 61)