Greece

The territory of Greece was about the size of

• Italy
• state of Louisiana
• the Peloponnesian peninsula
• Egypt

Why isn't it surprising that the Greeks became seafarers?

• The poet Homer praised the skills of seamen in his influential writings.
• They learned to build ships from the Egyptians.
• The territory occupied by the Greeks included many small islands as well as 8,500 miles of coastland.
• They took to the sea so that the would not have to cross the mountains in Greece.

The Mycenaean civilization was ruled by

• members of the military.
• philosophers
• tyrants
• powerful monarchies.

Why is the period between 1100 B.C. and 750 B.C. called the Dark Age

• During this time, there was an astronomical phenomenon that caused the days to be shorter.
• Little is known of what happened during this time because few records have survived.
• During this time, much of Greece was embroiled in violent civil wars.
• It is not known why the era is called the Dark Age.

What technological advance helped to bring the Dark Age to an end?

• The Greeks began to sail across the Aegean to settle in different lands.
• The Greeks began to make weapons and farming tools out of iron.
• The Greeks learned to build beehive shaped tombs in which to bury their kings.
• The epic poetry form was devised, which helped the Greeks to pass their leisure time.

The Iliad tells the story of

• the actions of the Greek hero Achilles during the Trojan War.
• the arrival of the Indo-European people who settled in Greece.
• the Greek hero Odysseus, and his journey home after the Trojan War.
• various adventures of Mycenaean warriors in battle.

According to Homer, a man wins arête by

• fighting in the Trojan War.
• memorizing all of Homer's works.
• engaging in a struggle or contest to protect his family and preserve his honor.
• embarking on a long sea voyage.

Why is the Greeks' adoption of the Phoenician alphabet considered a cultural innovation?

• It made it possible for Greeks to read the works of Homer, who wrote using the Phoenician alphabet.
• The alphabet was only known to the upper classes, so it ensured that works of literature were reserved for those who would provide money to the writers. 
• Using the alphabet allowed the Greeks to communicate more easily with the Phoenicians.
• .By reducing all words to combinations of 24 letters, the alphabet made it easier to learn to read and write.

The central meeting place in a polis was usually a hill called

• a phalanx
• acropolis
• an agora
• a helot

According to Aristotle, to whom did a citizen of a polis belong?

• To the adult male in the family.
• To him- or herself.
• To the king.
• To the state.