land with water on three sides

Greece was a peninsula because it had water on 3 sides.

a long poem

Homer wrote the epic story of Illiad.

a high, rock hill on or near which early people built cities

The acropolis was the center of religious life.

a city which citizens govern them selves

Sparta was the strongest city-state in Greece.

a member of a rich and powerful family

Pericles was an aristocrat.

a form of government where citizens govern themselves.

Athens was became a democracy form of government.

a type of serious drama that ends in disaster for the main character.

Some of the most famous Greek plays were tragedies. 

to seize power by force

People of Greece were afraid of Alexander the Great because he was such a tyrant.

a payment made by a less powerful state or nation to a more powerful one.

Athens became wealthy by taking tributes from its allies.

to murder for political reasons

Alexander wanted to become king so he assassinated Philip. 

the cutting off of an area by enemy forces that closes it to travel and trade

The blockade kept the ships from coming into the harbor.

someone or something that lives forever

People thought the god were immortal and lived forever.

a public market and meeting place in an ancient Greek city.

The Agora was the center of Greek public life.

someone who uses reason to understand the world.  In Greece, the earliest philosphers used reason to explain natural events.

Philosophers used myths to explain why things happened like sickness.

a widespread disease

THe plague lasted 5 years and killed 1/3 of the people in Athens.

a person considered to be wild and uncivilized

People who kill other people are barbarians.

describing Greek culture after the death of Alexander the Great.  This includes the 3 main kingdoms formed by the breakup of ALexander's empire. 

Greek