Vocabulary Terms for Ancient Greece

Starting a unit or lesson with the key vocabulary that students will see in their readings or presentations aids in overall comprehension and retention. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary related to the study of Ancient Greece.

Students will preview the terms and definitions and use whole class or small group discussion to demonstrate their understanding of each meaning. Then, they will create a spider map of 3-5 terms at the teacher's discretion. When students define and illustrate each term, they master the application of it and retain it as part of their lexicon.

Suggested Vocabulary for Ancient Greece

acropolis: the hill above a Greek city on which temples were built

agora: a marketplace in ancient Greece

assembly: a group of citizens in an ancient Greek democracy with the power to pass laws

Athens: current capital of Greece and the ancient Greek city-state that is considered the birthplace of democracy

chiton: a type of clothing worn by the Greeks made from a single piece of cloth with a belt at the waist

city-state: also called polis, an early city that was like a small, independent country with its own laws and government

democracy: a form of government where citizens have a say in how they are ruled including choosing their leaders and deciding on laws

drachma: a silver coin that was a form of currency in ancient Greece. One of the earliest known currencies

ephors: five leaders in Sparta who were chosen annually to oversee the Spartan kings.

helots: the majority of the people in Sparta, they were slaves without any rights, who served the aristocracy of Sparta

hoplite: citizen-soldiers of ancient Greek city-states

Macedonia: a region in northern ancient Greece and home to Greek kings Philip II and Alexander the Great

oligarchy: a type of government where the power is held by a few people

Olympics: an athletic event held by the ancient Greeks every four years

Peloponnese: a large peninsula located in southern Greece where the Greek city-states of Sparta, Argos, and Corinth were located

stadion: the original Olympic event, the stadion was a running race that is the equivalent to the modern 200m dash. The word stadium, or stadion in ancient Greek, referred to the measurement of distance as well as the place where the race was held.

titans: in Greek mythology, the Titans were the first Greek gods and were giants. They were overthrown by their children, the Olympians who ruled afterwards led by Zeus

trireme: a type of boat used by ancient Greeks (as well as Phoenicians and Romans) with three rows of oars on each side

tyrant: the ruler of a Greek city-state, a tyrant was like a king with absolute power. In today’s meaning, it describes a ruler who abuses their power and is unjust