Greek 4 Vocabulary

Greek 4 Vocabulary

Pericles• He ruled over Athens

for more than 30 years. The “Age of Pericles” was Athens’ Golden Age and the city blossomed. He made Athens a centerpiece of art, philosophy, and democracy.

Oracle• A sacred shrine

where priests or priestess spoke for gods or goddesses. Greeks visited an oracle to find out about the future.

Epic• The earliest Greek

stories, were poems about heroic deeds. The first great epics were the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Homer• A poet who wrote

the Iliad and the Odyessy during the 700s B.C. He based his stories on a war between Greece and the city of Troy.

Iliad• An epic written by

Homer that told about a prince of Troy who kidnaps the wife of the king of Sparta. This kidnapping causes a great war between the Greeks and Troy.

Odyssey• An epic written by

Homer that tells the story of Odysseus, another Greek hero. It describes his 10 year journey home from the Trojan War, where he faces storms, witches, and giants.

Drama• A story told by actors

who pretend to be characters in the story. In dramas, actors speak, show emotion, and imitate the actions of the characters they represent. • Today’s movies, plays,

and tv shows are examples of dramas.

Comedy• A type of drama that

has a happy ending. Today, we use the word comedy to describe a story filled with humor.

Sophocles • A well-known writer of

Greek tragedies or drama. He used three actors to tell his stories instead of one or two, and used painted backdrops on stage. His most famous plays are Oedipus Rex and Antigone.

Euripides• A well-known Greek

writer who tried to take Greek drama beyond heroes and gods. His characters were more down-to-earth and involved real-life situations.

Fable• A short tale that

teaches a lesson.

Aesop• A Greek slave who

made up fables in 550 B.C. His fables included animals that talked and acted like people. His fables often told about human strengths and weaknesses and taught life lessons.

myth• Myths are traditional

stories about gods and heroes. Greek mythology typically expressed the Greek people’s religious beliefs.

Mt. Olympus• The 12 most

important gods and goddesses lived on Mt. Olympus. It is the highest mountain in Greece

Zeus• The chief god who

lived on Mt. Olympus. He was also the god of the sky, rain, and lightning.