Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils establish broad knowledge of ancient Greek civilisation. They learn about the geography and location of the ancient Greek city-states, Athens and Sparta's rivalry, and evaluate what ancient Greek myths can tell us about Ancient Greek culture.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to name some of the city-states of Ancient Greece and describe some of the similarities and differences between them.

Key Notes

• Ancient Greece was made up of many city-states (polises) like Athens, Sparta and Corinth.
• All the Greek polises spoke the same language and worshipped the same gods; they had a shared culture.
• Although all polises were different, they had some similarities such as the agora, a big marketplace.
• In each polis, a temple was built at the highest point of the city (the acropolis).
• Each polis also had a gymnasium for men to exercise in, and a theatre where plays were performed.

Vocabulary To Learn

• city-state: a city-state is a city that rules itself and the land around it
• polis: a polis is the Ancient Greek word for a city-state
• culture: culture is the language, customs, ideas, and art of a particular group of people
• temple: a temple is a building where a god or gods are worshipped

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The city-states had only differences; they had nothing common with each other.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Ancient Greece's location and history Study Guide
• Sparta's rivalry with Athens Study Guide
• The city-state of Athens Study Guide
• What Greek myths can tell us about Ancient Greece Study Guide
• What we know about Ancient Greece Study Guide