Alexander the Great King of Macedonia from 336 to 323 BC. He was a great military commander and conquered an empire that stretched from Greece and Egypt in the west to Pakistan and Central Asia in the east.

Athens A city-state of Greece. In the 5th century BC, Athens was one of the world’s most powerful cities. It was named after its patron goddess, Athena.

Crete The largest of the Greek islands and the centre of the Minoan civilization.

Democracy A political system that gave citizens a say in how they were ruled by allowing them to vote on their laws. The word democracy comes from the Greek demokratia, which means “government by the people”.

Drama All large cities in Greece had a theatre, and drama was a popular form of entertainment. The main types of plays were comedies and tragedies.

Greece, ancient Three thousand years ago, Greece was not one country, but a land made up of many different city-states. They all shared the same language and religion but each state had its own laws, government and money. Greek cities had a theatre and a gymnasium, law courts and public forums where politics were discussed, and huge temples and shrines dedicated to the gods. The Greeks made great progress in science, philosophy, politics and the arts, and for this reason Greece is often called “the birthplace of Western civilization”.

Greek gods The ancient Greeks worshipped many gods and goddesses, whom they believed controlled every aspect of their lives. The 12 most important gods were said to live on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. Zeus was the chief of the Olympian gods.

Hellenistic Period The era between the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC) and the Roman conquest of Greece (30 BC).

Homer A famous poet, thought to be the author of the epic stories the Iliad and the Odyssey. Homer is thought to have lived in the 8th or 9th century BC.

Hoplites The foot soldiers of the Greek army. They were mainly armed with spears or swords. The soldiers were all citizens, who would work as farmers when they were not fighting.

Minoan civilization A civilization that developed on the Greek island of Crete. The Minoans had started building their towns and palaces by about 2000 BC. They made their wealth by trading with other Mediterranean centres.

Mycenaean civilization The first civilization to develop on the Greek mainland. The Mycenaeans were a warlike people who flourished between 1600 and 1100 BC.

Myths Tales about gods and heroes that were passed down from generation to generation. The word myth comes from the Greek word mythos, meaning “story”.

Olympic Games A series of sporting competitions held between the different city-states of ancient Greece. The games were of equal athletic and religious importance, with ritual sacrifices taking place alongside sporting events. Then as now, the games were held every four years.

Peloponnesian War The war fought between Athens and its empire and Sparta and its allies, known as the Peloponnesian League. The war lasted from 431 to 404 BC, when the Athenian Empire was defeated and the city of Athens overrun.

Persian Empire An empire that ruled much of the Middle East, Egypt and Central Asia from 550 to 330 BC. The Persian army made several failed attempts to conquer the Greek city-states. The empire ended in 330 BC after Alexander the Great invaded the Persian capital.

Philosophy The study of ideas. Philosophers ask questions such as “What are right and wrong?” and “How do we know we exist?” The word philosophy comes from the Greek philos, meaning “love”, and sophia, meaning “wisdom”.

Sparta The only Greek city-state with a full-time army. The Spartans had a reputation for strength and bravery. Boys were taught to fight in battle from the age of seven.

Trireme A Greek warship that was rowed into battle by three rows of oarsmen.

Trojan War The 10-year siege of Troy. It was waged by Menelaus, in order to retrieve his beautiful wife Helen, who had run away with Paris, a Trojan prince.

Consultant: Philip Parker