Greek and Roman Literature Vocabulary Terms

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Atē

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a mental aberration causing irrational behavior that leads to disaster; moral blindness and the self-destruction that results; a hero’s atē is often brought about through psychic intervention by a divine agency, usually Zeus, but can also be physically inflicted. 

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Catharsis

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according to Aristotle, it was the cleansing, purifying, and purging of feelings—such as pity and fear—in an audience through its vicarious participation in an aesthetic context, particularly a theatrical performance. 

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City Dionysia

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an Athenian festival devoted to Dionysus where tragedies and comedies were performed. It developed out of earlier rural Dionysian festivals. 

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Hamartia

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literally “flaw or error,” especially in judgment; but also an archery term that means “to miss the mark.” According to Aristotle’s Poetics, it is some flaw in the character of the tragic hero that leads to his downfall. 

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Hubris

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literally “insolence or affront”; it also refers to excessive pride or self confidence in defiance of the gods, often resulting in the trampling of the rights of others or in violence against the innocent. 

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Nostos (plural, nostoi)

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literally “a return home”; a homecoming tale, specifically any poem describing the return voyages of the Greek heroes from the Trojan War. 

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Orchestra

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literally “a dancing space”; it is the space—usually circular in shape—in front of the skenē where the chorus would dance and sing in a tragedy. 

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Skenē

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literally “tent”; the stage building in Greek theatre that stood behind the stage and orchestra and that usually represented a palace, temple, or house in Greek tragedy; it was also used for costume changes, the storage of props and scenery, etc. 

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Strophe (and antistrophe)

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song (and answering song) delivered by separate halves of the chorus; literally “a winding,” probably referring to the dance movement performed by the chorus while delivering their songs. 

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Xenia

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the law of hospitality or guest-friendship; a bond of trust, imitating kinship and reinforced by rituals, generating affection and obligations between individuals belonging to separate social units. The individuals joined by the bond (usually men of the same social status) are said to be each other’s xenos. It was a bond protected by Zeus himself; you risked incurring his wrath if you broke such a bond.