Glossary

Aristocrat

Aristocrats belonged to a ruling class of nobles.  Nobles are people with high status within a society.  For example, at times ancient Greece was ruled by wealthy families who formed an aristocracy.

Children in ancient Athens were taught to always be obedient.  They were well loved, and had many toys and pets.  Wealthy boys went to school, while girls were taught household skills at home.

Citizen

A citizen in ancient Greece was a male over the age of 18 who was born in a city-state and so had voting rights there.  Slaves and people not born in the city-state were not considered citizens.  For example, a male over 18 years old who was born in Athens was a citizen of Athens and could vote there.

Class Structure

Class structure is the organization of classes within a society. (For example, upper class, middle class, lower class.)

Deity

A deity is a god or goddess.  For example, Zeus and Athena were two deities of ancient Greece.

Democracy

A democracy is a government elected and controlled by the people.

Dignity

To have dignity is to be worthy of respect or shown appreciation by others.

Empowerment

Empowerment is when we are given power or authority over something. (enabling or permitting; allowing)

First Person Narration

First person narration or first person point of view means that one of the characters is telling the story.  For example, “In my potter’s studio, I made pots, jars, vases, cups, and toys for the festival.”

Metic

A metic was an alien resident of an ancient Greek city who paid a tax for the right to live there.  They held a lower social status, but it was not based on how much money they had.  Some were poor artisans, and ex slaves, and others were some of the wealthiest inhabitants of the city.

Slave

In Athens, anyone could become a slave.  You could be kidnapped by pirates at sea, or captured in war. Slaves in families were well treated, but slaves who worked in difficult jobs, like the silver mines, often suffered harsh lives.  Slaves could save up to buy their freedom.

Status

Status refers to position or rank within a group.  For example, statesmen had the highest status in ancient Athens.

Women

The status of women in Athenian society was minimal. They were wives, mothers, and homemakers married to Greek citizens.  They had few civic rights or responsibilities.  Mostly they stayed in the home, where they managed the household.  Some Athenian women were slaves.