NCEA Level 3 Classical Studies flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Ekklesia

The Athenian assembly of all male citizens, which met regularly on the Pnyx to vote on laws, war, and foreign policy.

Boule

Council of 500 Athenian citizens, chosen by lot annually, that prepared the agenda for the Ekklesia and oversaw daily administration.

Heliaia

The large popular law court of Athens, with juries of hundreds or thousands of citizens chosen by lot, deciding cases by majority vote.

Delian League

Naval alliance founded in 478 BCE led by Athens against Persia; member states contributed ships or tribute, which Athens later used to build its empire.

Peloponnesian War

Conflict (431–404 BCE) between Athens and Sparta and their allies; ended with Athens' defeat after the battle of Aegospotami and a siege.

Kleos

Greek concept of glory or fame, especially the enduring renown won through heroic deeds in battle, a central value in Homeric epic.

Xenia

Greek institution of guest-friendship, a reciprocal bond between host and guest involving gifts, hospitality, and protection, often invoked in Homer.

Dactylic hexameter

The metre of Greek epic poetry, consisting of six feet, each usually a dactyl (long-short-short) or spondee (long-long).

Sophocles

Athenian tragedian (c. 496–406 BCE) who wrote Oedipus Rex and Antigone; known for tight plot structure and emphasis on fate and human agency.

Euripides

Athenian tragedian (c. 480–406 BCE) whose plays, such as Medea and The Bacchae, often questioned social norms and portrayed psychological complexity.

Aeschylus

Earliest of the three great Greek tragedians (c. 525–456 BCE), author of The Persians and the Oresteia trilogy; introduced the second actor.

Herodotus

Greek historian (c. 484–425 BCE) called the 'Father of History'; wrote The Histories on the Persian Wars, blending inquiry with anecdote and ethnography.

Thucydides

Athenian historian (c. 460–400 BCE) who wrote a critical account of the Peloponnesian War, emphasising power politics and human nature.

Socrates

Athenian philosopher (469–399 BCE) who used question-and-answer method (elenchus) to expose ignorance; tried and executed for impiety and corrupting youth.

Delphic Oracle

The sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, where the Pythia gave prophecies; city-states and individuals consulted it on war, colonisation, and personal matters.

Panathenaia

Athenian festival in honour of Athena, held annually and with greater splendour every four years; included sacrifices, a procession, and athletic contests.

Consul

One of two annually elected chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, holding imperium (military and judicial authority) and presiding over the Senate.

Senate

Roman advisory council composed mainly of ex-magistrates, influential in finances and foreign policy; membership was for life and dominated by patricians and wealthy plebeians.

Tribune of the plebs

Plebeian magistrate created in the 5th century BCE to protect plebeians; held sacrosanctity and could veto actions of other magistrates.

Twelve Tables

Rome's earliest written law code (c. 450 BCE), produced during the Struggle of the Orders; established legal procedures and patrician-plebeian rights.

Punic Wars

Three wars (264–146 BCE) between Rome and Carthage; the Second War featured Hannibal's invasion of Italy, ending with Roman victory at Zama.

Hannibal

Carthaginian general (247–183 BCE) who crossed the Alps with elephants during the Second Punic War and won major victories before defeat at Zama (202 BCE).

Scipio Africanus

Roman general (236–183 BCE) who defeated Hannibal at Zama, ending the Second Punic War; earned the agnomen Africanus for his victory.

Julius Caesar

Roman general and politician (100–44 BCE); member of the First Triumvirate, conquered Gaul, crossed the Rubicon, and was assassinated as dictator perpetuo.

First Triumvirate

Unofficial political alliance (60 BCE) between Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, formed to bypass Senate opposition and advance their careers.

Augustus

First Roman emperor (63 BCE–14 CE), originally Octavian; defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium and established the Principate, maintaining republican forms.

Actium

Naval battle in 31 BCE where Octavian's fleet, led by Agrippa, defeated Antony and Cleopatra, leading to Octavian's sole control of the Roman world.

Aeneid

Epic poem by Virgil (29–19 BCE) recounting Aeneas' journey from Troy to Italy, linking Rome's origins to Trojan legend and Augustan ideology.

Cicero

Roman orator and statesman (106–43 BCE); famous for speeches against Catiline and Mark Antony, and for philosophical works adapting Greek thought.

Pontifex Maximus

Chief priest of the Roman state religion, responsible for overseeing sacrifices and the calendar; the office was held by Julius Caesar and later emperors.

Opus caementicium

Roman concrete made from lime, volcanic ash, and aggregate, enabling large-scale structures like the Pantheon dome and aqueducts.

Via Appia

Major Roman road, begun in 312 BCE, connecting Rome to southern Italy; used for military movement and trade, and lined with tombs.