The Hellenistic Period (323- 146 BCE) - AP European History

According to legend, the Olympic games were instituted to celebrate the funeral games of Pelops, the grandfather of Agamemnon. Pelops was renowned for sport in mythology. He won his wife, Hippodameia, during a chariot race at nearby Pisa. He then instituted regular athletic contests during his reign. More generally, athletic competitions were typically held at early Greek funerals.

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.

Homer is best known in the modern world for The Iliad and The Odyssey, so he would be the best choice. Ovid was the epic poet responsible for the Metamorphoses, but he was Roman, so he would not be the best choice. Virgil was also an influential Roman poet and he did not write the works in question, so he would not be a good choice. Lastly, Lord Byron and Samuel Taylor Coleridge were both famous poets, but they lived many thousands of years after the works in question were written, so they would not be good answers.

Linear B was the written script of the Mycenaean Greeks. It fell into disuse in the immediate aftermath of the decline of the Mycenaean civilization. Linear B was a complicated script and was probably known only by a few, privileged palatial scribes. This helps explain why it was so hastily lost to history during the Greek Dark Ages.

The Oracle of Apollo (sometimes called The Oracle at Delphi) was built in northern Greece sometime during the Dark or Archaic ages. It was a place of worship and ceremony for the ancient Greeks. It, along with other oracles, served a very important purpose in Greek religious life. Political and military leaders sought the advice of the holy men who worked and lived at Delphi to try and determine whether the Gods favored the actions they had taken or were considering. Greek rulers would consult the Oracle, for example, before declaring war.

Archilochus is a seventh century BCE lyric poet. Archilochus was one of the most widely esteemed and beloved poets in ancient Greek society. He has been frequently credited (although not definitively) with the invention of the elegy.

In the Greek mythology of Hesiod, Pandora is the first human woman. She is created by Zeus to punish mankind. Pandora opens the so-called “Pandora’s box,” which releases sin and evil into the world. You may notice how markedly similar this story is to the story of Adam and Eve, something worth thinking about.

In the Greek mythology of Hesiod, women are portrayed as evil beings sent by Zeus to punish man. This is a common trope of paternalistic societies, that women are portrayed as temptresses who can lure men into evil. Hesiod describes how the original woman, Pandora, opened a box which released evil and sin into the previously peaceful world of man. This idea was caused by the paternal nature of ancient Greek society, but also continued to reinforce and justify this paternalism.

Religious ceremonies in Archaic Era Greece were extremely communal events. The community would gather in a public place and an animal (or many animals) would be sacrificed. This was meant to demonstrate the community’s commitment to the Gods. The people would then sit together and share the sacrificed meat in a great feast. This was meant to demonstrate the community’s commitment to one another.

Hercules performed the Ten Labors and famously wore the skin of the Nemean Lion, so he would be the best choice. Apollo was the god of music and medicine - not a hero at all - so he would not be a good choice. Perseus and Jason were both Greek heroes of great renown but they did not perform the Ten Labors, so they would not be good answers. Lastly, Paris of Troy played an important role in The Iliad but he did not perform the Ten Labors, so he would not be a good choice either.

The Homeric epics (The Iliad and The Odyssey) were written during the waning years of the Greek Dark Ages or at the beginning of the Archaic Era (depending on how you define these periods). The Homeric epics tell the tale of a war that took place during the Mycenaean Era, but they nonetheless reflect the social values that were present at the time of writing, during the Greek Dark Ages. This is why the Homeric epics feature such an emphasis on honor and noble behavior.

Aeschylus is most famous for his contributions to drama. He is one of the most famous tragedians in ancient Greek history and his plays are the earliest surviving examples of Greek tragedy. His most famous work is Oresteia.

Theognis of Megara is a well-known Greek poet from the Archaic Era. It is not known exactly when he lived, but general historical consensus seems to fall around the sixth century BCE. Theognis wrote extensively (and poetically) on the nature of class struggles and the formation of city-states during his time period.

Theognis of Megara is a famous ancient Greek poet who, most likely, lived in the sixth century BCE. His poetry takes for its general theme the topic of class anxiety. Theognis writes from the perspective of an aristocrat who fears the consequences of social mobility. Specifically, Theognis decries those “new-money” types who are marrying into the social elite.

In the Homeric Epics, Zeus is shown to be highly concerned with the fate of his favorite warriors and seems to be openly rooting for certain humans to succeed. In the works of Hesiod, conversely, Zeus is presented as a far more circumspect and objective figure. The Zeus of Hesiod is primarily concerned with justice and with his duties as leader of the Gods.

The term Archaic Age means “Old-fashioned era.” The Archaic Age stretches from approximately 750 BCE to 500 BCE. The term “archaic” originates in scholars of art history. The artwork of the seventh and sixth centuries was deemed to be more “old-fashioned” and “less lifelike” than the artwork of the fifth and fourth centuries (the so-called Classical Age).

In the ancient Greek pantheon, Hephaestus was the God of blacksmiths and craftsmen. Hephaestus is generally presented as physically handicapped and is often mistreated by the other Gods as a result.

Corinth and Athens both developed flourishing industries around the sale of clay pots during the Archaic Era. These pots were exported widely across the Mediterranean and can be found in large numbers at archaeological sites in Italy, Spain, North Africa, Anatolia, and Egypt. It is not known whether these pots were primarily valued for their appearance or what was perhaps contained inside them (wine, olive oil).

The city-state of Corinth was situated at an extremely important strategic location. It was nestled in the isthmus that connects northern and southern Greece. Many merchants chose to move their goods through Corinth, rather than sail around the dangerous southern shores of Greece. This caused Corinth to grow very wealthy and made Corinth the biggest exporter in Greek society until the spectacular rise of Athens during the Classical Era.

During the Mycenaean Age and the Greek Dark Ages, most of the fighting was carried out by wealthy, elite bands of warriors and noblemen. Beginning in the Archaic Era, however, more and more common people began to form military units. Hoplites and militiamen formed the backbone of most Greek armies by the sixth century BCE. The emergence of these lower class fighting forces is primarily a result of the growing availability and affordability of iron during this time period.