LO3 notes Athens and Sparta

CITIZENS AND COMMUNITIES: THE GREEK CITY-STATES 

acropolis: the high fortified citadel and religious center of an ancient Greek town

CITY-STATES AND CITIZENS
- the notion of citizen participation seems to have originated partly in geography. 

caption: The Athenian Owl:
- that was the slang name of this tetradrachma because of the owl, the sacred bird of Athena, on the reverse. 

hoplite: a heavily armed and armored citizen-soldier of ancient Greece
phalanx: a unit of several hundred hoplites, who closed ranks by joining shields when approaching the enemy 
monarchy: a state in which supreme power is held by a single usually hereditary ruler
oligarchy: a state in which supreme power is held by a small group
triremes: massive fighting vessels which three banks of oars used to ram of board enemy ships
tyranny: rule by a self-proclaimed dictator (a tyrant)
democracy: in ancient Greece, a form of goverment in which all adult male citizens were entitled to take part in decision making

MONARCHY, OLIGARCHY, TYRANNY, DEMOCRACY
- in the earliest times of classical Greek civilization, the communities that would have become city-states were ruled by kings and their leading companion warriors as described in the epics of Homer. 

SPARTA: THE MILITARY IDEAL
- the Spartans were the descendants of Greeks who had conquered part of the southern mainland, the territory of Laconia.

THE SPARTAN WAY OF LIFE
-Along with this government system there went a way of life that dedicated male citizens entirely to the service of the state. 

aristocrats: members of prominent and long-established Athenian families 

ATHENS: FREEDOM AND POWER
- To the Athenians, the Spartan life was not worth living. 
-One of their favorite jokes was that the life led by the Spartans explained their willingness to face death. 

ARISTOCRATS AND COMMONERS
- the Athenian homeland was the peninsula of Attica in the central region of mainland Greece 
-In the period of renewal of Greek civilization about 800 BC, many old-established communities in Attica merged to form a single city-state that was known by the name of the most important community, Athens.