Vocabulary forAncient Greece

Credit: Katie Brown, Wendy Born Shuksan Middle School

Greece Description: A country

in Southeast Europe.

Sentence: My family is traveling to Greece this summer!

Example: The largest city in Greece is Athens.

GreekDescription: A person who is from Greece.Sentence: I am excited to go to Greece and see

how Greek people live!Example: People who live in the United States

are American. People who live in Greece are Greek!

Does this picture represent the word Greece or Greek?

Explain why.

Does this picture represent the word Greece or Greek?

Explain why.

BarbariansDescription: The name given by the

Greeks to any people are were not Greek.

Sentence: “If you are not Greek, you must be an uncivilized barbarian!”

Example: Today, people are who are considered fierce, brutal and primitive may be called a barbarian. In Ancient Greece, anyone who wasn’t Greek was a barbarian!

Which of the following people would the Greeks call a barbarian! Why?

ParthenonDescription: The main temple in Greece dedicated

to Athena (the Goddess of Wisdom)Sentence: The construction of the Parthenon

began in 447 BC in Athens, Greece.Example: Even though we’ve been studying it for

centuries, no one really knows how the Parthenon was built! How did they do it?

AcropolisDescription: A hilltop fortress in Ancient Athens

which included the Parthenon and other famous buildings.

Sentence: The acropolis is located on a high rocky hilltop outside of the city of Athens.

Example: The acropolis is one historic site you can’t miss if you go to Greece.

Complete these sentences:

The Parthenon and the Acropolis are alike because _____________________________.

HOWEVER…

The Parthenon and the Acropolis are different because _____________________________.

MonarchyDescription: A system of government in which a

king, queen, or emperor is the sole ruler. Sentence: A monarch is the head of a monarchy. Example: England is a monarchy and is ruled by

her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

DemocracyDescription: A system of government in which the

people rule, either directly or through elected representatives.

Sentence: People in America get to vote and elect their leaders because we live in a democracy.

Example: Many countries such as Australia, El Salvador, Peru and Greece live in a democracy.

What does this picture represent? Why?

(Use the words monarchy and/or democracy)

What does this picture represent? Why?

(Use the words monarchy and/or democracy)

Another word for _____ is______

Monarchy Democracy GreeceBarbarian

PolisDescription: A city and its surrounding villages and

farmland that govern themselves (also called a city-state).

Sentence: A polis was independent from other cities.

Example: All citizens participated in the government of a polis.

Which of these looks like a polis? Why or why not?

Think-Pair-ShareIn your opinion….

One advantage of living in a polis might have been _____________.

One disadvantage of living in a polis might have been _____________.

OstracizedDescription: Shunned or avoided; to exclude

someone from a society or groupSentence: I felt ostracized from my friends when

they just ignored me and I had to sit alone. Example: In Ancient Athens, people who were too

powerful or very unpopular were ostracized from the city.

Choose one!Word: OstracizedWhich one is an example of someone being

ostracized? Why?Judy was the only student not invited to the

class party that everyone else was going to.Fred wasn’t allowed to get his driver’s license

until he was 19.Carlos was the only boy nominated to be team

captain of his soccer team.

Clap to show your choice on the second read!

OracleDescription: A person who spoke directly to the

Greek Gods. Sentence: The oracle has great knowledge and

wisdom.Example: In Ancient Greece, the gods were

believed to communicate through an oracle named Pythia.

MythDescription: Legends or stories that a civilization

used to attempt to explain natural events.Sentence: The word “mythology” means the

study of myths. Example: One of the most popular heroes of

Greek myths is Hercules, son of Zeus, who was incredibly strong and powerful.

DrachmaDescription: The currency, or money, used in

Ancient GreeceSentence: Drachma was used to purchase and

trade in most Ancient Greek city-states.Example: The Drachma was used in Ancient

Greece, but today they use the Euro.

Another word for _____ is______

Myth Oracle Drachma OstracizedPolis

Use these words to fill in the blanks:Greece, Greek, Barbarian, Oracle,

Myths, Polis

Many stories, or ____________, have been written about Ancient ___________. One of these legends was about Hercules, the son of Zeus! Zeus was a Greek God. The Gods were known to communicate through a person called an _____________. Back then, if you lived in Greece, you most likely lived in a city-state, or ____________. You could travel from one to the other. If you were not from Greece, you were called a _______________ and thought to be uncivilized.