Ancient History: Greece : Ancient History: Greece
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Ancient History: Greece
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Example Questions
Example Question #2 : Bronze Age (Minoan Age) (2000 1100 Bce)
Who were the aggressors in the Trojan War?
The Mycenaean Greeks
The Trojans
The Ionian Greeks
The Hittites
The Minoans
The Mycenaean Greeks
The aggressors in the Trojan War were the Mycenaean Greeks, who sailed across the Aegean Sea to invade the wealthy city of Troy (which was located in modern-day Turkey). The Mycenaeans were most likely motivated by the desire for plunder and personal gain (contrary to the popular account).
Example Question #3 : Bronze Age (Minoan Age) (2000 1100 Bce)
The Palace at Pylos is an important archaeological site used to understand the __________.
Mycenaeans
Macedonians
Ionian Greeks
Minoans
Cycladic civilization
Mycenaeans
The Palace at Pylos (sometimes called the Palace of Nestor) is the most extensive, and best preserved, archaeological site of a Mycenaean palace. The palace had many different rooms, serving different functions like storage, bathing, hosting, and sewage.
Example Question #1 : Legal And Social Structures
The terrain of ancient Greece did not lend itself well to farming and agricultural pursuits. The craggy mountains and stony land of most of the country was unfit for farming and made travel long and arduous. The land in the valleys, while fertile and more suited for farming, could not support a large population of a few million people and did not lead to a luxurious lifestyle. However, geography had an influence on political life. The mountains divided the country into different regions. There was no single form of government. The villages in the mountain valleys were small and independent. Ancient Greeks were extremely loyal to their own community. The ancient Greeks enjoyed a varied climate with temperatures at 48 degrees in the winter and 80 degrees in the summer. For the ancient world, this was a moderate climate conducive to an outdoor life. The outdoor events of the ancient Greeks influenced their world and world of the future.
The lifestyle and politics of the ancient Greeks were influenced by terrain and climate to the extent that it encouraged what activities that would have a future effect on Greece and the world?
Sheep and goat farming
Painting and creating sculptures of the gods
Building monuments to the gods
Seafaring and trade
Public and civic events to discuss public issues and news
Public and civic events to discuss public issues and news
The terrain and climate of the valleys was favorable to outdoor public events. The ancient Greeks, especially the men, were able to spend much of their time at these events discussing matters of importance to their community leading to the development of a democratic ideology. While the terrain did lead some of the ancient Greeks to a seafaring life, even sailors would gather to discuss news of their travels and issues of the community. The ancient Greeks did paint, sculpt and build monuments to their gods but this was not due to the climate or the terrain. Sheep and goat farming would be outdoor activities but were more of an occupation and source of food than an opportunity to meet and discuss public matters.
Example Question #21 : Mycenaean Age (1100 750 Bce)
The ancient Greek term “kleos” might most reasonably be translated as __________.
maternal responsibility
virtuous behavior
glorious reputation
battlefield conduct
hard-earned victory
glorious reputation
The ancient Greek term “kleos” is best translated as “glorious reputation.” It means something like, “What others hear being said about you.” It was of vital importance to the ancient Greeks of the Archaic Era and carried a similar sort of meaning as the word “honor” or “chivalry” in medieval European society. “Kleos” was the reason for doing heroic deeds and the motivation behind many “glorious” deaths in battle.
Example Question #22 : Mycenaean Age (1100 750 Bce)
After the Second Messenian War, most Messenians were enslaved by the Spartans and described collectively as _________________.
Paidia
Metics
Helots
Melians
Hoplites
Helots
After the Second Messenian War, most Messenians were enslaved as helots. helots were bound to a stretch of land and forced to till the soil. A large portion of the harvest was given to the Spartans. Without a need to farm the soil themselves, the Spartans devoted all of their time to training for war.
Example Question #4 : Bronze Age (Minoan Age) (2000 1100 Bce)
Ancient Greece was a collection of separate lands occupied by many cultures. One of these cultures were the Minoans. The Minoans were migrants from the Black Sea and Anatolia who settled on the island of Crete in the Aegean Sea. They flourished during the middle Bronze Age with a unique talent for art and architecture. Excavations at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros revealed a sophisticated culture. Complex palace structures of two or three stories covering several thousand meters acted as centers for local administration, trade, religious events and political centers in these cities. It is not clear if the palaces had a connection to the governing structure of the civilization; however, it is obvious that the palaces were utilized for local control of the gathering and storage of resources such as wine, oil, grain, precious metals and ceramics. Notably missing in the Minoan civilization were fortified settlements. Unlike other civilizations, the Minoan cities and towns did not have protective walls. While this suggests a peaceful civilization, it should not be interpreted as a lack of ability to defend their cities and towns. Archeological findings of swords, daggers, defensive armor and helmets indicate that battles and wars may have been fought.
What is a logical explanation for the lack of clarity in the relationship of palaces and power structure of the Minoan civilization?
There was no form of Minoan writing to substantiate the existence of powerful leaders
The Minoans were overrun by Mycenaean warriors who governed the cities
The religious leaders of the Minoan civilization governed from the temples
The Minoans had no governing structure; citizens worked together in a purely democratic manner
Lack of sufficient literary and archaeological evidence to explain the power structure
Lack of sufficient literary and archaeological evidence to explain the power structure
The Minoan palaces were sites of localized control and organization as is seen in the use of the palaces for storage of resources. It is safe to assume that someone organized and controlled this process. The Minoans were presumed to have been governed by the legendary King Minos, hence the name given to the civilization by historians. The leadership of King Minos has been passed down in oral history. The Minoans had an extensive system of writing and examples of their hieroglyphic and Linear A script on clay tablets have been found in archeological digs. Unfortunately, their writings have yet to be fully interpreted. The Minoans were not overrun by the Mycenaean civilization rather they were in and engaged in a cooperative seafaring trade with the Mycenaeans.
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