1. Ancient Greece Vocabulary Study Guide
Peninsula: an area of land bordered by land on three sides
Epic: a long poem that tells a story
Acropolis: a high, rocky hill on or near which early people built cities
City-state: a city with its own traditions and its own government
Aristocrat: a member of rich and powerful family
Tyrant: a ruler who takes power with the support of the middle and working classes; not necessarily cruel and violent
Democracy: a form of government in which citizens govern themselves
Tribute: a payment made by a less powerful state or nation to a more powerful one
Immortal: someone or something that lives forever

2. Philosopher: someone who uses reason to understand the world
Philosopher: someone who uses reason to understand the world. In Greece, the earliest philosophers used reason to explain natural events
Tragedy: a type of serious drama that ends in disaster for the main character
Agora: a public market and meeting place in an ancient Greek city
Plague: a widespread disease
Blockade: the cutting off of an area by enemy forces that closes it to travel and trade
Barbarian: person considered to be wild and uncivilized
Assassinate: murder for political reasons
Hellenistic: term that describes Greek culture after the death of Alexander the Great, including the three main kingdoms formed by the breakup of Alexander’s empire
Polytheism: the belief in many gods