CHAPTER 8 STUDY GUIDE ANSWERS
VOCABULARY
• Aristocrat: Rich landowners in Greece
• Dark Age: Nothing was developed; disaster and raids; warfare and disorder; nothing got done during
this time. No history
• Tyrant: A leader who held power through the use of force.
• Polis: The Greek word for a city-state
• Classical Age an age marked by great achievements; architecture, inventions, basically everything is
stable (government) so people can work on improving society
• Citizens: People who had the right to participate in government
• Acropolis – A high hill around which most city-states were built
• Agora – city center – market place of city-states
KEY CONCEPTS
• Democracy: Type of government in which people rule themselves.
o Cleisthenes created the first democracy
o Pericles paid people to be involved
o Government is based on the votes of its free citizens
o People were encouraged to speak
o “Rule by the People”
• Oligarchy: A government in which only a few people have power
o Rich land owners or aristocrats took power
o Common people had little say
o How early Athens was ruled
o “Rule by Few”
• Tyranny: a leader gains power (and holds it) through the use of force
o Ancient Tyrants were normally good rulers
o Tyrants were able to stay in power because they had strong armies and people supported them.
o Peisistratus was a respected tyrant
o “Rule by One”
PEOPLE TO KNOW
• Minoans: Not considered Greek because they did not speak the language. Lived on the Island of Crete, they
were excellent ship builders. Destroyed by a volcano and tsunami wave that destroyed the civilization. In the
1600’s BC, they suffered a volcano eruption that may have led to the end of their civilization.
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• Mycenaean: Considered the first Greeks; attacked others and built fortresses around Greece. They built
fortresses all over Greek mainland. They took over Crete when Minoans declined. Mycenaean society began to fall
apart in the 1200’s BC when invaders from Europe swept Greece. Earthquakes also destroyed many cities and
Greece slid into the Dark Age.
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• Pericles – A leader in Athens during the time of democracy. Wanted people to participate in the government –
and created paying jobs for this (pay for jury duty and some elected officials)
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• Cleisthenes: Father of Democracy; developed and created the first democracy. Didn’t want the aristocrats to run
the government anymore. Became powerful ruler around 500 BC…and he DID NOT want aristocrats to run the
government.
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• Draco – an aristocrat who created very harsh laws after the common people tried to revolt.
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• (add) Peisistratus: Part of tyranny. Brought peace and prosperity.
SHORT ANSWER
1.Who are considered to be the first Greek civilization? Why?
Mycenaean because they spoke Greek.
The Minoans were first periodically; however they didn’t speak Greek and thus were not considered the
first Greeks
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2.How did the Minoan civilization end?
Not 100% sure – however, most think that in the 1600s BC a huge volcano erupted north of Crete. This
caused a tsunami that flooded much of Crete.
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3. Explain the voting process in Athens.
For many issues 6,000 people were needed to vote. Slaves would sometimes have to round up more people.
Speeches would be made – people would be encouraged to speak. Citizens might vote by show of hands
or by dropping a black or white stone into a container.
SHORT ANSWER
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4. Describe the geography of Greece.
Mountains covered much of Greece, it was a peninsula-water on 3 sides, rocky shorelines, made up of
hundreds of islands making it difficult to sail. The climate is Mediterranean. The summers are warm (mid
80s for a high) and on the dry side, while the winters are cool (40s) and moist (more precipitation.)
5. Compare Greek Tyrants to modern day tyrants.
Greek tyrants were strong leaders with strong armies and supported/respected by their people.
Modern day tyrants rule by force and are not supported/respected by people.
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6. Explain the difference between a direct democracy and a representative democracy.
Direct: citizens who vote have a direct impact on the decision they are trying to vote on (meaning they all have to
vote on everything-6,000 + citizens to do so)
*Representative: We vote for representatives (senators, governors) to vote for us in national and local matters
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7. Give 1 positive to the democracy of Athens and 1 negative.
Positive – All citizen’s have their voice heard & in charge of government
Negative – Women not considered to be citizens – so not all voices heard