Greek Society: A Brief Glossary
polis = city-state
Structure of the polis: (roughly in ascending order)
-
Barbarians: non-greeks.
-
Slaves
-
Helots (state-slaves, particularly in Sparta)
-
Debt-serfs (except where prohibited by law, like post-Solon Athens)
-
Metics (merchants, foreigners and freedmen)
-
Free people (men, women and children).
-
Citizens (usually wealthiest land- and slave-owner men).
Features of the polis:
-
Acropolis (high ground, for defense and worship of chief deity)
-
Agora (meeting-place and market)
-
Stoa (colonnades/porticos; gathering spots)
-
Gymnasiums and Stadiums
-
theaters
-
shrines (eventually temples)
-
No palaces
-
few formal streets
-
no city planning to speak of.
Political features: (no single standard; description is of Athens, which is both leader and typical)
-
isonomia (Equality before the law)
-
demos (masses)
-
aristoi (”the best”)
-
oligoi (the few)
-
tyranny (rule by an illegitimate dictator instead of a legitimate monarch)
-
ostrakon (pottery shards on which ostracism votes were taken)
Daily Life:
-
pedagogue (educational slave for older boys)
-
symposium (drinking party, with lots of poetry and philosophy; competitive)
-
hetaerae (slave-courtesans, often educated and entertaining)
-
Hoplite (soldiers in Greek armies, heavily armed and armored, close formation tactics)
-
Oikos (household)
-
gynaeceum (women’s quarters)
© 2003 — Jonathan Dresner
Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
Comments»
no comments yet - be the first?