wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Identify main ideas, Classic Greece

Total questions: 37

Worksheet time: 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Identify the main idea of the following text


Building on the discoveries and knowledge of civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia, among others, the Ancient Greeks developed a sophisticated philosophical and scientific culture. One of the key points of Ancient Greek philosophy was the role of reason and inquiry. It emphasized logic and championed the idea of impartial, rational observation of the natural world.

The Greeks made major contributions to math and science. We owe our basic ideas about geometry and the concept of mathematical proofs to ancient Greek mathematicians such as Pythagoras, Euclid, and Archimedes. Some of the first astronomical models were developed by Ancient Greeks trying to describe planetary movement, the Earth’s axis, and the heliocentric system—a model that places the Sun at the center of the solar system.

a)

The philosophical view of Ancient Greeks

b)

The scientific and philosophical contributions of ancient Greece

c)

The first astronomical models

d)

Ancient Greek mathematicians

2.

Identify the main idea of the following paragraph


Hippocrates, another ancient Greek, is the most famous physician in antiquity. He established a medical school, wrote many medical treatises, and is— because of his systematic and empirical investigation of diseases and remedies—credited with being the founder of modern medicine. The Hippocratic oath, a medical standard for doctors, is named after him.

a)

The contributions of Hippocrates

b)

The Hippocratic oath

c)

The systematic investigation of diseases

d)

Modern medicine

3.

Identify the main idea of the following paragraphs


Literature and theatre, which were very intertwined, were important in ancient Greek society. Greek theatre began in the sixth century BCE in Athens with the performance of tragedy plays at religious festivals. These, in turn, inspired the genre of Greek comedy plays.


These two types of Greek drama became hugely popular, and performances spread around the Mediterranean and influenced Hellenistic and Roman theatre. The works of playwrights like Sophocles and Aristophanes formed the foundation upon which all modern theatre is based. In fact, while it may seem like dialogue was always a part of literature, it was rare before a playwright named Aeschylus introduced the idea of characters interacting with dialogue. Other theatrical devices, like irony, were exemplified in works like Sophocles’ Oedipus the King.

a)

The contributions of Ancient Greek literature and theater

b)

The work of Sophocles and Aristophanes

c)

The foundation of modern theater

d)

The introduction of dialogue in theater

4.

identify the main idea of the following passage


Greek artists reached a peak of excellence which captured the human form in a way never before seen and much copied. Greek sculptors were particularly concerned with proportion, poise, and the idealized perfection of the human body; their figures in stone and bronze have become some of the most recognizable pieces of art ever produced by any civilization.


Greek architects provided some of the finest and most distinctive buildings in the entire Ancient World and some of their structures— including temples, theatres, and stadia—would become staple features of towns and cities from antiquity onwards.


In addition, the Greek concern with simplicity, proportion, perspective, and harmony in their buildings would go on to greatly influence architects in the Roman world and provide the foundation for the classical architectural orders which would dominate the western world from the Renaissance to the present day.

a)

The main focus of Greek art, sculpture and architecture

b)

The influence of Greece in the Roman world

c)

Perspective, proportion, simplicity and harmony

d)

Greek architecture

5.

Identify the main idea of the following passage


The civilization of ancient Greece was immensely influential in many spheres: language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, science, and the arts. It had major effects on the Roman Empire which ultimately ruled it. As Horace put it, "Captive Greece took captive her fierce conqueror and instilled her arts in rustic Latium."

Via the Roman Empire, Greek culture came to be foundational to Western culture in general. The Byzantine Empire inherited Classical Greek culture directly, without Latin intermediation, and the preservation of classical Greek learning in medieval Byzantine tradition exerted strong influence on the Slavs and later on the Islamic Golden Age and the Western European Renaissance. A modern revival of Classical Greek learning took place in the Neoclassicism movement in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe and the Americas.

a)

The legacy of Ancient Greece

b)

European Renaissance

c)

19th century Europe

d)

The strong influence of Slavs and the Islamic Golden Age

6.
What were the two main city-states of Ancient Greece?
a)
Rome & Alexandria
b)
Corinth & Olympia
c)
Thebes & Argos
d)
Sparta & Athens
7.
What was the primary focus of much of the culture of the city-state of Sparta?
a)
Food & parties
b)
War & fighting
c)
Music & books
d)
Painting & sculpture
8.

The Greeks believed in many gods such as Zeus, Poseidon, & Hades. This means the Greeks were _______________.

a)

Monotheistic

b)

Democratic

c)

Islamic

d)

Polytheistic

9.

Athens is credited with the development of _________________, a form of government where the people choose how they are ruled.

a)

Monotheism

b)

Anarchy

c)

Monarchy

d)

Direct Democracy

10.

Which describes a time of great cultural growth, mainly taking place in Athens?

a)

Bronze Age

b)

Golden Age

c)

Stone Age

d)

Middle Ages

11.

How did Greece's physical geography affect their ability to get resources?

a)

More cities were inland making for easier travel

b)

Islands made it easy to grow a variety of crops

c)

The mountains allowed for easy cultivation of food

d)

Scarcity of farmland pushed them to trade with each other

12.

A century is _____ years.

a)

5

b)

10

c)

100

d)

1,000

13.

A decade is ______ years.

a)

5

b)

10

c)

100

d)

1,000

14.

A milennium is ______ years.

a)

10

b)

100

c)

1,000

d)

1,000,000

15.

True or False: Athens & Sparta women were both educated, at least to some extent.

a)

True

b)

False

16.
Which ancient Greek city-state would you find the majority of young men involved in the military? 
a)
Athens
b)
Sparta
c)
Crete
d)
Olympia
17.
Being able to navigate using the sun and the stars was something the Mycenaeans learned from the ___________
a)
Dorians
b)
Minoans
c)
Greeks
18.
People forgot how to read and write during the _________
a)
Apocalypse 
b)
Dark Age
c)
Golden Age
d)
New Kingdom 
19.
A great city in Greece that had a Democracy for government, traded with other city-states, and participated in the assembly.
a)
Athens 
b)
Sparta 
20.
A Government by the people
a)
Democracy
b)
Oligarchy 
c)
Monarchy
d)
Tyranny 
21.
A Government with the power in the hands of a few wealthy people.
a)
Oligarchy 
b)
Tyranny
c)
Monarchy
d)
Democracy
22.
A single ruler who passes their reign on to their son
a)
Monarchy
b)
Oligarchy
c)
Tyranny
d)
Democracy
23.
A military leader seizing military power illegally
a)
Tyranny
b)
Oligarchy
c)
Monarchy
d)
Democracy
24.

Identify the main idea of the following passage


The territory of Greece is mountainous; as a result, ancient Greece consisted of many smaller regions, each with its own dialect, cultural peculiarities, and identity. Regionalism and regional conflicts were a prominent feature of ancient Greece. Cities tended to be located in valleys between mountains or on coastal plains and dominated the countryside around them.

a)

Greek geography

b)

Regionalism

c)

Ancient city-states

d)

Valleys and mountains

25.

Identify the main idea of the following paragraph


This instability was the context for the emergence of Greek city-states. Without a powerful, centralized state, smaller governing bodies created political order. One such type of governing body was the city-state or polis. Initially, the term polis referred to a fortified area or citadel which offered protection during times of war. Because of the relative safety these structures afforded, people flocked to them and set up communities and commercial centers. Over time, poleis—the plural of polis—became urban centers whose power and influence extended to the surrounding agricultural regions, which provided resources and paid taxes.

a)

The birth of political order in Ancient Greece

b)

The creation of city-states

c)

The center of communities in Greece

d)

Agriculture, resources and taxes

26.
How did ancient Athenians participate in political decisions?
a)
Every person in the city had the right to vote on changes to the city’s fundamental laws.
b)
Citizens elected representatives to a permanent legislature.
c)
All male citizens had the right to attend meetings of the Athenian assembly.
27.
What was unusual about how free women were treated in ancient Sparta?
a)
They were bought and sold like slaves.
b)
They were able to obtain an education and physical training.
c)
They had their feet bound to enhance their beauty.
28.
How did the geography of Greece contribute to the rise of independent city-states?
a)
Navigable rivers made it easy to unite the Greeks under a single ruler.
b)
Neighboring Persia was able to conquer only part of Greece.
c)
Mountains and seas separated Greek centers of population.
29.
Which contribution did ancient Athenians make to the development of democratic-republican government?
a)
the first written bill of rights
b)
the first written set of laws
c)
the first democracy
30.
Which of the following is a long-lasting achievement of the Ancient Athenians?
a)
spreading Christianity
b)
establishing democracy
c)
ending citizenship
d)
creating a new religion
31.
Greece was surrounded by water on 3 sides.  What is this landform called?
a)
an island
b)
a peninsula
c)
a port
d)
a natural harbor
32.
What was the religion of ancient Greece?
a)
Polytheism
b)
Judaism
c)
Hinduism
d)
Christianity
33.
Ancient Greek city-states remained independent from each other due to which geographic features?
a)
many islands
b)
peninsulas
c)
rocky coastlines
d)
vast deserts
34.

What is a peninsula

a)

A piece of land

b)

A body of land surrounded by 3 sides water

c)

A body of land surrounded by 3 sides land

d)

Not a real word.

35.

Does have Greece have good land for farming?

a)

Yes

b)

No

36.

Which is the largest island in Greece?

a)

Italy

b)

Crete

c)

Argos

d)

Peloponnesus

37.

What geographical feature covers nearly 75% of Greece's mainland?

a)

rivers

b)

mountains

c)

valleys

d)

deserts