Download Herodotus glossary.

Herodotus Glossary
Acropolis. Literary ‘high city’ – high point of a city employed as a citadel refuge
and/or sacred place. Eg. The acropolis of Athens.
Aeschylus. (c525-456 BC). Athenian playwright who wrote the Orestia trilogy,
including the Agamemnon.
Agora. Market place.
Attica. Region of central Greece north of the Isthmus that contains the city of Athens.
Archon. Athenian magistrate. One of a board of nine. Originally the pre-democaracy
rulers.
Areopagus. Hill in Athens used as official assembly place for meeting of the council.
Aristagoras. Tyrant of Miletus, son-in-law of Histaeus. Incited Ionian Revolt.
Aristiedes. Archon of Athens, opponent of Themistocles. Ostracised from Athens in
482.
Arthaphernes. Satrap of Lydia, regional governor within Persian Empire.
Boetia. Area of central Greece where Thebes and Delphi are located.
Callimachus. Athenian general at Marathon, killed in the battle.
Chians. Citizens of Chios.
Darius I. Aka ‘Darius the Great’. King of Persia 521-486BC.
Delphi. Cult centre dedicated to Apollo and considered to be the most holiest and
most sacred site in Greece. The Oracle was considered to be the most important
and the most reliable.
Democracy. The rule of the people, in theory. Political and judicial power in the
hands of a popular assembly, usually administered by elected officials.
Ecclesia. The assembly of Athenian citizens.
Ephesians. Citizens of the Ionian city-state of Ephesus.
Ephor. Spartan magistrate, One of a board of five.
Euripides. (c485-406 BC). Athenian playwright who wrote the tragedies Medea,
Electra and Hippolytus.
Halicarnassus. Greek colony on the Ionian coast. Birthplace of Herodotus.
Hellespont. Straits between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Herodotus. (c485 – 425 BC). Author of the Histories (Aka The Persian Wars)
Hoplites. Heavily armed Greek infantry.
Ionians. Citizens of Ionia, the Greek colonies of the eastern Mediterranean islands
and the west Asian (mod. Turkish) coast.
Isthmus. Narrow neck of land between Attica and the Peloponnese.
Laurium. Silver mines of southern Attica that provided Athens with mineral wealth.
Leonidas. King of Sparta 490-480. Supreme Commander of Greek forces against
Xerxes invasion. Leads Greek stand at Battle of Thermopylae, fighting to the
death.
Lydians. Citizens of Lydia, province of Persian empire in central western Asia.
Capital at Sardis.
Mardonius. Commander of Persian army under Darius during the suppression of the
Ionian revolt, and under Xerxes at the Battle of Platea.
Miletians. Citizens of Miletus, city on Ionian coast. Capital Miletus.
Militiades. c550-489BC. Athenian general during Darius’ invasion. Commanded
Greek forces at Battle of Marathon. Lead Athenian expedition to Paros where he
suffered fatal wounds.
Monarchy. The rule of one person. E.g The Persian empire.
Naxians. Citizens of Naxos, Ionian Greek Mediterranean island.
Oligarchy. The rule of more than one person. Sparta, ruled by two kings was
technically an oligarchy.
Oracle. Message believed to come from a god, dictated through the medium of a
priest or priestess, in answer to a question or as advice on an issue. The Oracle of
Apollo at Delphi was the most famous and most revered.
Ostracism. Athenian procedure where an Athenian citizen could be banned from
Attica for 10 years by public vote. The system was intended to prevent any one
individual becoming too powerful. The ostracised citizen only received physical
temporary banishment.
Pausanias. Spartan Regent (in place of under-age king) (480-459) and commander of
Greek forces at Platea.
Peloponnese. Greece south of the Isthmus. Contains cities of Corinth, Sparta and
Argos.
Phlanx. Close-order rank of Hoplite soldiers. Standing in a line, their shields
overlapped forming an impenetrable shield wall, behind which they could press
their enemy forwards with spears and javelins.
Phoceans. Citizens of the Ionian city of Phocaea.
Phoenicians. Peoples of the coastal settlements of the east Mediterranean (in the area
of Lebanon and Syria) noted for their maritime and mercantile skills. Later great
colonisers, during this period they were allied to Persia and featured strongly in
the Persian navy.
Samians. Citizens of Samos, Ionian Greek Mediterranean island.
Sardis. Provincial capital of Lydia.
Satrap. A Persian provincial governor.
Sophocles. Athenian playwright (c495-406 BC) who wrote the tragedies of Electra,
Oedipus Rex and Antigone.
Strategos. Greek general. Ten elected annually in Athens.
Themistocles. c524-460 BC. Athenian politician and admiral during Xerxes’
invasion. Commanded Greek fleet at Battle of Artemisium and Battle of Salamis.
Thrace. Kingdom on the north shore of the Aegean, regarded as uncivilised and
barbaric.
Thucydides. (c460-400 BC). Author of the Peloponnesian War
Trireme. Main Greek warship with three banks of oars. The principle weapon was
the ships ram, intended to crack oars and punch holes in opposing ships. A
compliment of hoplites provided a defence as well as an assault force for ship-toship fighting.
Tyrant. Sole ruler of a city-state, usually coming to power without hereditary right
(unlike a king). The term identifies only a dictator, but not one who is necessarily
‘tyrannical’ in the modern sense.
Xerxes I. King of Persia 486-465 BC. Son of Darius I.
Greek terms
Historiê = enquiry
Hybris = overweening pride.
Logopoios = fable-monger
Mimesis = literary imitation.
Moira = Fate
Nemesis = Destruction as a result of hybris.
Tisis = justice.
Tuchê = chance