w.h. chapter 4

Terms	Definitions
epic poem	long poem that tells the deeds of a great hero
arete	The highest virtue in Homeric society; the manliness, courage, and excellence that equipped a hero to acquire and defend honor
polis	Greek city-state
acropolis	A fortified hilltop in an ancient Greek city-state.
agora	a central area in Greek cities used both as a marketplace and as a meeting place
hoplite	a heavily armed Greek foot soldier
phalanx	formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack or defense)
tyrant	in ancient Greece, a ruler who had seized power without legal right to it
democracy	Rule by the people
oligarchy	government by a privileged few
helot	Spartan slave
age of pericles	the period between 461 and 429 B.C. when Pericles dominated Athenian politics and Athens reached the height of its power (a.k.a. - the Golden Age of Athens)
direct democracy	a form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives
ostracism	the act of excluding someone from society by general consent
oracle	a sacred shrine where the future was revealed in obscure or allegorical ways through a priest or a priestess.
tragedy	A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character
philosophy	the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics
socratic method	way of teaching developed by Socrates that used a question-and-answer format to force students to use their reason to see things for themselves
hellenistic	the blending of Greek cultures with those of Persia, Egypt, and Central Asia following the conquests of Alexander the Great
Mr. Witsell	A Fantastic world history teacher and an all around good guy