CLAS1300 The Greek World

GLOSSARY OF NAMES AND TERMS

SOME IMPORTANT GENERAL TERMS

Archaic: the period of Greek history down to c.480 BC; traditionally started in 776 (with the
foundation of the Olympic Games), but now better seen as beginning with the Geometric period
in the early 9th century BC.
Classical: the period of Greek history from c. 480 BC (i.e. the Persian Wars) to 323 BC (death of
Alexander the Great).
Hellenic: of or concerning Greece or the Greeks (e.g. ‘a Hellenic identity’);
not to be confused with:
Hellenistic: the period of Greek history from 323 to 31 BC (defeat of Cleopatra at the battle of
Actium and so end of the last of the kingdoms which followed Alexander’s reign).
Panhellenic: of or for all Greeks (e.g. sanctuaries); hence ‘Panhellenism’, policy of uniting all
Greeks against barbarians.
Polis (pl. poleis): the standard Greek community, normally translated ‘city-state’; better might be
‘citizen-state’ or ‘micro-state’.

PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS LECTURE BY LECTURE

Lecture 2: Out of the ‘Dark Age’
agora: ‘market-place’; people often mean specifically the Athenian Agora, but remember, every
polis had one (the same goes for acropolis [= ‘citadel’]).
‘Dark Age’: term traditionally applied to the period c.1100-900 BC because of the relative lack of
evidence surviving; as archaeology adds to our knowledge of the period, scholars are
increasingly questioning the term (hence the quotation marks!).
Delphi: inter-state sanctuary of Apollo in central Greece, active from at least the 9 th century BC;
home of the oracle, and of the Pythian Games, traditionally founded 586 BC.
Dipylon cemetery: burial ground just outside Athens’ Dipylon (‘two-tower’) Gate.
Geometric: describes a style of pottery decoration, consisting of ‘geometric’ patterning, and more
generally the period c.900-700 BC in which it was made.
heroön: grave/sanctuary of hero.
Hesiod: early archaic poet, author of Theogony and Works and Days.
Homer: early archaic poet, author of Iliad and Odyssey (though there’s much debate about him!).
Lefkandi: Dark Age site on W. coast of Euboea (modern Evvia) with rich graves and heroön c.950
BC.
Olympia: inter-state sanctuary of Zeus in the E. Peloponnese, active from at least the 11 th century
BC; home of the Olympic Games, traditionally founded 776 BC.

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Pendent semi-circle skyphos: characteristic Euboean Geometric pottery, exported around the
Mediterranean.
Pitthecusae (also Pitthekousai): Greek settlement in modern island of Ischia (bay of Naples),
early 8th century BC.
sanctuary: place dedicated to a particular god or hero: a small sanctuary might be little more than
an altar surrounded by a sacred area (the temenos) marked out by a wall or boundary-stones;
large sanctuaries usually included one or more temples, each housing a statue of the god(-dess) in
question, altars, treasuries (small temple-like buildings housing the offerings of a particular polis),
and many statues and reliefs dedicated by worshippers.
Xenia: ‘guest-friendship’ or ‘ritualised friendship’, a hereditary link between elite households in
different poleis, including ties of hospitality.

Lecture 3: The Greek expansion

Al Mina: Levant coast settlement occupied by Greeks c.825.
apoikia: Greek for ‘home from home’ i.e. colony, new settlement.
Byzantium: = modern Istanbul; with Chalcedon, controls access to Black Sea through the
Bosporos.
Cyrene: colony in Libya, N. Africa.
emporion: Greek for ‘trading post’.
Euboea: large island extending along E coast of Greece.
Magna Graecia: Latin for ‘Great Greece’, i.e. the area of S. Italy colonised by Greeks.
Metapontion: modern Metaponto, Greek colony in ‘instep’ of S. Italy.
Miletus: major polis on Asia Minor coast and mother-city of up to 60 colonies.
Naucratis: Greek trading post in the Nile Delta.
oikistês: leader/founder of a colony; sometimes transliterated as ‘oikist’; venerated as a hero after
death (archêgêtês is another term for the same person).
Orientalising: describes a style of pottery decoration, and more generally the period c.700-600 BC
in which much of Greek culture was influenced by ideas from the East.
Rhegium: polis on toe of Italy; with Zancle in E. Sicily, controls Straits of Messina.
Taras: = modern Taranto; Spartan colony.
Tarsus: city in S. Turkey (a.k.a. Tarshish).
Tell Sukas: Levant coast settlement occupied by Greeks c.800.

Lecture 4: Early Greek politics I

Alcaeus: also ‘Alkaios’, poet and aristocrat from Lesbos.
Astu/asty: urban centre of a polis; the territory is its chora.
Bacchiadai: also ‘Bacchiads’, dominant aristocratic clan at Corinth.

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Cleisthenes: tyrant of Sicyon.
Cypselos: tyrant of Corinth.
Demokratia: power (kratos) of the people (demos).
epinician: (poetry) written to celebrate athletic victory (cp. Nike, personified goddess of Victory).
Gyges: king of Lydia, established by a coup; probable prototype for Greek tyrant.
Homoioi: ‘equals’ or (better) ‘similars’; Spartan citizens’ name for themselves.
Megara: polis on Saronic Gulf near Athens.
Messenia: region to W. of Sparta, annexed in later 8th century.
Mytilene: polis on island of Lesbos.
Orthagoras: tyrant of Sicyon.
Peisistratus: Athenian tyrant.
Penthelidai: badly-behaved aristocratic clan of Mytilene.
Periander: tyrant of Corinth, son of Cypselos.
Pheidon: tyrant of Argos.
Pittacus: aesymnetes (= elected tyrant) of Mytilene.
Sarpedon: Lycian king in Homer’s Iliad (see 12.307-28 for the passage mentioned).
Sicyon: polis in NE Peloponnese.
Solon: Athenian poet, lawgiver and reformer.
Theagenes: tyrant of Megara.
Theognis: poet, from Megara.
tyrant: non-constitutional monarch (turannos is a loan-word from Lydian); no moral overtone (cp.
tyranny, the regime); cp also palmus, another Lydian word for ‘potentate’ found in Greek poetry.
Tyrtaeus: also Tyrtaios, Spartan poet.

Lecture 5: Early Greek politics II

Alcmaeonidai: Athenian aristocratic (‘Eupatrid’) family; members included Megacles and
Cleisthenes.
Archon Basileus: ‘King’ magistrate at Athens – duties mainly religious.
Archon Eponymos: Athenian magistrate whose name was given to Athenian administrative year
(which started in July, hence dates like ‘431/0 BC’) – duties particularly concerned with family.
Areopagus: ‘hill of Ares’, meeting-place of Council of ex-archons who became life members
(sometimes simply referred to as ‘the Areopagus’, though more properly ‘Council of the
Areopagus’).
Boule: Council. At Athens, 400 elected members from the time of Solon, 500 elected members
after Cleisthenes.
Boulomenos, ho: ‘the one who wants’, i.e. volunteer prosecutor in graphai (q.v.).
Deme: local community in Athens or Attica.
Ekklesia: also ecclesia, assembly.

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Elaious: Athenian colony on the Hellespont.
Eupatridai: also ‘Eupatrids’, Athenian aristocrats.
Graphê: pl. graphai, public prosecutions which could be brought by any citizen (~ dikai, private
suits, which could only be brought by interested parties).
Hektêmoroi: ‘sixth-parters’ – Athenian peasants apparently in a feudal relationship to local
aristocrats.
Heliaia: Court of appeal established by Solon, perhaps identical with the assembly.
Hippeis: ‘Knights’ or ‘horsemen’, the second economic tier (300 bushels p.a.) established by
Solon.
Isagoras: Athenian aristocrat, supported by Sparta after fall of the Peisistratid tyranny.
Isêgoria: ‘equality in speech’: popular slogan of the time of Cleisthenes.
Isonomia: ‘equality in/under the law’: another Cleisthenic slogan, but not always populist.
Lycurgus: also Lykourgos. Athenian aristocrat, opponent of Peisistratus (not to be confused with
his descendant, the statesman of the time of Alexander the Great, or the Spartan lawgiver of the
same name).
Megacles: Athenian aristocrat, opponent of Peisistratus.
Nomothesia: ‘passing of laws’, esp. by Solon.
Pallene: site of abortive battle between Peisistratus’ followers and other Athenians prior to firm
establishment of Peisistratus’ tyranny.
Peisistratidai: the sons of Peisistratus, Hippias and Hipparchus, who succeeded to the tyranny
after his death.
Pentakosiomedimnoi: ‘five-hundred bushel men’, the top economic tier established by Solon.
Phye: statuesque girl dressed up as Athena by Megacles and Peisistratus.
Polemarch: Athenian commander-in-chief, one of the three archons from early times; after 501/0
supplemented by strategoi, tribal generals.
Probouleusis: ‘prior debate’, the preparation of business for an assembly.
Seisachtheia: ‘shaking off of burdens’ – name given to Solon’s economic reforms.
Sigeion: Athenian colony on the Hellespont.
Skolion: pl. skolia, Athenian drinking song; the collection preserves memories of aristocratic
opposition (mostly unsuccessful) to the tyranny e.g. Cedon, Leipsydrion.
Sortition: selection by lot.
Thesmothetai: six of the nine Athenian archons, probably from late 7th century; functions mainly
judicial.
Thetes: ‘labourers’, the lowest economic tier established by Solon.
Trittys: pl. trittyes, a ‘third’ of an Athenian tribe; after Cleisthenes these were drawn from the three
regions (City, Coast, Plain).
Zeugitai: ‘yoke-men’ (i.e. farmers with a yoke of oxen), the third economic tier (200 bushels p.a.)
established by Solon.

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Lecture 6: Interaction between the city-states
Amyklai: settlement just south of Sparta, showing some continuity across the ‘Dark Age’ from the
Mycenaean period; site of an ancient sanctuary of Apollo, one of the principal deities of Sparta.
Artemis Orthia: ‘Upright’ Artemis; one of the principal deities of Sparta.
Athena Chalkiokos: Athena ‘of the bronze house’; another important Spartan deity, called after
her temple on the Spartan akropolis, which was decorated with bronze reliefs.
Corcyra: modern Corfu or Kerkyra; colony of Corinth
Delos: island in the Cyclades, famous for inter-state sanctuary of Apollo, active from at least the
9th century BC.
Ethnos: pl. ethnê. Alternative form of political organisation to the individual polis, in which
individual communities also collaborated in shared activity based on a notional kinship, initially
mainly religious and later political and military.
Eunomia: ‘good order’; term often applied by ancient writers to Sparta’s political system.
Hegemon: ‘leader’, often of the dominant state in an alliance (hence ‘hegemonic league’)
Isthmia: sanctuary of Poseidon on the Isthmos of Corinth, with Games established in the early 6 th
century.
Naucratis: trading post in the Nile Delta, where Greeks active from the late 7th century.
Nemea: sanctuary of Zeus not far from Corinth, with Games established in the early 6th century.
Panathenaia: Annual Athenian festival celebrating the goddess Athena’s birthday. The Greater
Panathenaia, established in the 560s, happened every 4 years and included Games.
Pisa: small polis in W. Peloponnese which initially controlled the sanctuary of Olympia (nothing to
do with the Leaning Tower!).
Selinus: also Selinous, modern Selinunte; Greek colony in Sicily.
Sybaris: Greek colony on the Gulf of Taranto, southern Italy.
Synoikism: formation of a community (usually a polis) by the union or merger of smaller units
(opposite is dioikism).

Lecture 7: The Persian Wars

Amasis: pharaoh of Egypt, died just before Persian conquest.
Aristagoras: of Miletus, leader of Ionian Revolt.
Artemisium: at N. end of Euboea, site of naval battles at same time as Thermopylai.
Cambyses: son of Cyrus, king of Persia 530-22 BC.
Caria: non-Greek region of SW Asia Minor.
Croesus: proverbially rich last king of Lydia, son of Alyattes, overthrown by Cyrus.
Cyrus (II): king of Persia 559-30 BC.
Darius (I): king of Persia 522-486 BC, restored control after empire-wide revolt.
Datis: a Mede, joint commander of Persian expedition of 490 BC.
Earth & water: requested by Persia as symbolic gesture of submission.

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Eretria: polis on Euboea, supported Ionian Revolt.
Hippias: last tyrant of Athens, accompanied Persian expedition of 490 BC.
Hybris: Greek concept of overweening pride, excess or resulting outrageous behaviour.
Lade: island near Miletus, site of decisive naval defeat of Greeks in Ionian Revolt.
Leonidas: Spartan king, commander of the Three Hundred at Thermopylai.
Magi: Persian priestly caste, supposedly rebels against Persia under Cambyses.
Mardonios: Persian commander in Greece 480-79 following withdrawal of Xerxes; killed at
Plataea
‘medizers’: hostile label for Greeks who supported Persia in 480-79 (not necessarily voluntarily).
Mermnads: also Mermnadai, Lydian royal dynasty from Gyges to Croesus.
Mycale: site of battle fought near Miletus, supposedly on same day as Plataea.
Naucratis: Greek trading post in the Nile delta
Plataea: site of decisive land battle in 479 BC.
Satrap: Persian provincial governor (of a satrapy).
Tempe: mountain pass in Thessaly, abortive first line of Greek defence in 480 BC.
Thermopylai: battlefield in east-central Greece.
Xerxes: son of Darius, Persian king 486-65 BC.

Lecture 8: The Athenian Empire

Amphipolis: Athenian-led colony established on river Strymon in N. Greece, 437/6 BC.
Areopagus: Athenian council composed of ex-archons with life membership.
Argos: Peloponnesian polis, neutral during Xerxes’ invasion, Athenian ally from 462/1.
Arist[e]ides: ‘the Just’, Athenian statesman responsible for initial assessment of allied
contributions in kind or money to Delian League.
‘Athenian Tribute Lists’: inscribed records of allied financial contributions to Delian League/
Athenian Empire (actually of the 1/60th tithe paid to Athena).
Autonomia: ‘having one’s own laws’, i.e. independence; infringed by provisions of Athenian
empire such as referral of certain lawsuits to Athens.
Cimon: son of Miltiades (the hero of Marathon), and conservative Athenian politician and general.
Cleruchy: settlement of individual holders of allotments (‘cleruchs’) in allied territory, some
punitive, others offset by reduced tribute.
Delian League: modern name for anti-Persian alliance headed by Athens formed in winter 478.
Demokratia: people-power (from Gk. Demos = people & kratos = power), radical slogan first
attested in 460s.
‘epigraphic habit’: practice of publishing information by inscribing it on stone.
Ephialtes: Athenian political leader, responsible for reform of the Areopagos in 462/1.
Episkopos: pl. episkopoi, ‘inspector’, Athenian travelling official

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Eurymedon: river in SW Asia Minor, scene of major Athenian victory over Persians in early 460s
(exact date uncertain)
Hellenotamiai: ‘Treasurers of the Greeks’, financial officers of Delian League supplied by Athens
Karystos: polis in S. Euboea compelled to join Delian League in 472.
Ostracism: Athenian ‘anti-election’, leading to expulsion (but with rights retained) for 10 years of
recipient of most votes (on ostraka = sherds of pottery).
Pericles: Athenian general and political leader (elected strategos 15 times during his life); d. 429.
Phoros: ‘tribute’.
Proxenos: citizen of an allied polis who voluntarily represented Athenian interests.
Themistocles: radical Athenian politician, architect of Athenian naval power and hence victory at
Salamis; ostracised in 472/1.
Thessaly: aristocratic region of N. Greece, medized during Xerxes’ invasion, Athenian ally from
462/1.
Thucydides son of Melesias: conservative politician and opponent of Pericles, ostracised in 446
[distinct from but relative of historian of the same name].
Thurii: also Thourioi. Athenian-led colony, established in S. Italy 443.

Lecture 9: The Peloponnesian War

Aegina: island in Saronic Gulf near Athens.
Aigospotamoi: on the Bosphoros, site of Athens’ final defeat in 405.
Alcibiades: controversial Athenian politician active from c.420 BC
Amphipolis: (see lecture 8 above) site of significant victory for Sparta in 422.
Arginousai: on the coast of Asia Minor, site of Athenian naval victory in 406.
Brasidas: Spartan general
Dekeleia: deme in N Attica, fortified and occupied by the Peloponnesians from 413.
Kerkyra (a.k.a. Corcyra): modern Corfu, colony of Corinth
Kleon (Cleon): Athenian general and demagogue
Megara: small polis on the Saronic Gulf, object of Athenian sanctions
Potidaia: Corinthian colony in Chalkidiki; revolted from Athenian League 432.
Sphakteria: island off Pylos in the SW Peloponnese.
Stasis: internal political conflict, civil war.

Lecture 10: Fourth-century Greece

Agesilaos: king of Sparta 400-360 BC (died in Libya on mercenary service).
Archidamos: king of Sparta 360-338 BC (died in S. Italy on mercenary service).
Artaxerxes (II): king of Persia 405/4-359/8.
Cadmeia: citadel of Thebes, seized by Spartan Phoibidas in 382 BC (and liberated in 379/8).

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Chalcidian League: coalition of poleis in N. Greece (mod. Halkidiki) centred on Olynthus,
suppressed by Sparta in 379.
Clazomenae: Greek polis in Asia Minor claimed by Persia in King’s Peace.
Conon: Athenian general of later Peloponnesian War and after; led a Persian fleet to victory over
Sparta at Cnidus in 394 BC.
Corinthian War: conflict between Sparta and coalition of Athens, Boeotia, Corinth and (initially)
Persia, 395-86 BC.
Dekarchy: narrow oligarchy imposed by Sparta and Lysander on former Athenian allies after the
Peloponnesian War; the Thirty at Athens were a scaled-up version.
Elis: polis and region (including Olympia) in W. Peloponnese, often at odds with Sparta.
Epaminondas: Boeotian general and politician, killed at Mantineia in 362.
Imbros: island in NE Aegean ceded to Athens in King’s Peace.
Jason: initially tyrant of Pherae in Thessaly, then tagos (constitutional ruler) of federation of all
Thessaly.
Lemnos: island in NE Aegean ceded to Athens in King’s Peace.
Leuctra: decisive victory of Thebes over Sparta in 371 BC.
Lysander: leading Spartan commander and politician of the later fifth and early fourth century.
Mantineia: leading city in Arcadia, broken up into component villages by Sparta in 385; major
player in Arcadian confederacy of 360s BC and site of major battle in 362 between coalitions
headed by Sparta and Thebes.
Megalopolis: newly founded political centre of Arcadian Confederacy.
Pella: site of new Macedonian capital established by Philip II.
Pelopidas: Boeotian general and politician, killed in Thessaly in 364.
Peltast: light infantryman, named after the curved shield (pelta) which he carried: 4th-century
mercenaries were frequently peltasts.
Phalanx: infantry formation, often of hoplites but used particularly of the main Macedonian infantry
unit formed of spearmen.
Phocis: region in central Greece, opposed to Thebes and Delphic Amphictyony in Third Sacred
War (so called because fought for control of sanctuary of Delphi).
Plataea: Boeotian polis allied to Athens in 5th century; destroyed in 427 BC, refounded after
Peloponnesian War and destroyed again by Thebes in 373.
Potideia: site of Athenian cleruchy [see lecture 8] in 361.
Scyros: island in NW Aegean ceded to Athens in King’s Peace.
Syntaxis: ‘contribution’, euphemism for allied payments in 2nd Athenian Confederacy.
Tegea: with Mantineia, one of the two leading poleis of Arcadia.