NAMES AND TERMS:

 

1.        Agon – competition

2.        Alcibiades – charming, unscrupulous aristocrat who convinced the Athenians to reopen the Peloponnesian War with a foolish attack on Syracuse, Sicily.  Thousands were lost and it greatly demoralized the demos, and the citizens voted democracy out of existence for the time.

3.        Archon – one of the nine principal magistrates of ancient Athens

4.        Arete – excellence

5.        Aristocracy – hereditary ruling class; nobility

6.        Carthage – Phoenician city in modern-day Tunisia; ultimately rose to be a powerful Mediterranean nation which brought it into conflict with Rome later (Third Punic War destroys it, Julius rebuilds it)

7.        Civil law, natural law - doctrine that society should be governed by certain ethical principles that are part of nature

8.        Cleisthenes – Brings beginnings of direct democracy to Athens.  Spartans tried to put aristocrats in power but Athenians overthrow them in name of democracy under the aristocrat Cleisthenes (he had served the demos well).  He extended democracy to local levels and introduced ostracism.

9.        Delian League – alliance of Greek polis led by Athens; later Athens profits from it greatly and forces its members to do as it wishes

10.     Dictator – An ancient Roman magistrate appointed temporarily to deal with an immediate crisis or emergency

11.     Gracchi brothers – Tiberius Gracchus proposes a limit on land per family and to distribute the leftover to the poor (wants to help the poor and increase number of available soldiers [had to be landowners]).  His is killed when he runs for reelection for fear of a dictator.  His brother, Gaius, becomes a tribune after Tiberius’ law is passed and he tries to do more (public grain holders to stabilize prices, a role of equestrians in checking administrators, etc) but he is killed after proposing citizenship to many Italian slaves.

12.     Julius Caesar – he and Pompey rose for the people’s cause and at first worked together but later went separate ways to gain popularity.  Pompey is appointed consul and declares Julius an outlaw.  Julius marches on Rome and eventually fights Pompey’s army and wins.

13.     Helots – serf in ancient Sparta

14.     Hoplite Phalanx – heavily armed Greek foot soldier in a tight formation with overlapping shields

15.     Hubris – excessive pride

16.     Imperator – one who possess imperium; authority to raise troops, make war and peace, raise money, punish citizens, and rule Rome

17.     Imperium – the right and power to command, civilian administrative and judicial authority and military authority

18.     Monarchy – a form of government in which the power is vested in hereditary kings and queens

19.     Octavian /Augustus Caesar – ruled with complete power but made it look like the Republic still operated and instituted a number of lasting reforms; conquered more land than any other Roman

20.     Oligarchy – a form of government in which the right to participate is always conditioned on the possession of wealth, social status, military position, or achievement

21.     Optimates – aristocracy of Rome

22.     Ostracism – exile of a politician for ten years; done once a year by Athenians

23.     Patrician – noble Roman; exclusive right to serve as magistrate or Senator before 3rd century BCE

24.     Plebeian – commoner in ancient Rome

25.     Patron/client relationship -

26.     Pax Romana – period of peace in the Roman empire

27.     Pericles – advanced Greek democracy and built the Parthenon; died in a plague while under siege by the Spartans

28.     Pietas/dignitas/gravitas – weight, importance

29.     Pisistratus – Athenian tyrant who promoted athletic competition and literary efforts

30.     Polis – Greek city-state organized around an urban center (an asty); around that was the land (khora)

31.     Populares – people’s party of ancient Rome

32.     Socrates – great philosopher who sought to challenge conventional thinking and assumptions; was put to death and never wrote anything (his student recorded dialogues of Socrates).

33.     Praetorian Guard – elite bodyguard of a Roman emperor; legion-sized (3,000-6,000 infantry + 100-200 cavalry)

34.     Princeps – First Citizen; the title Octavian preferred to be called (set better with the people)

35.     Solon – elected as archon as a compromise (he was born an aristocrat but made his wealth as a merchant).  He instituted a number of political reforms that would lead to democracy later.  He outlawed debt slavery, encouraged cash crops and urban industry, and gave more citizens a say in government.

36.     Sophist – professional Greek 5th century philosopher known for being superficial and false

37.     Stoicism – philosophy of Stoics; believe the universe had a certain order and that all had a plan in life; believed in “right reason”

38.     Strategos – general; elected to command both land and sea forces

39.     Twelve Tables – the codified Roman laws in 450BC that were brought about after a plebeian uprising

40.     Tyranny – Absolute power, often exercised unjustly or cruelly