The era known as the Classical Era is considered to be the Greek "Golden Age." During this period which encompasses most of the 5th c. BCE, the Greek city states are feeling a rush of victory after defeating the massive Persian Empire. The time is a period of dominance for the city of Athens which in terms of power, wealth, military strength and culture is the dominating polis. However, this era of excellence will not last unfortunately as the following centuries will see a collapse of Greek power due to conflict between Athens and Sparta known as the Peloponnesian War. Wartorn Greece will be conquered by Alexander the Great in the early 4th Century putting a final end to the Greek Golden Age, but ironically through Alexander's conquest, Greek art and culture will spread like never before.
VOCABULARY LIST
Acropolis
Architrave
Bilingual Pottery
Blind porch
Canon
Cavea
Cella
Contrapposto
Corinthian
Cuneus
Doric
Entablature
Entasis
Frieze
Geometric
Humanism
Ionic
Kore, korai
Kouros, kouroi
Krater
Lost Wax
Megaron
Metope
Orchestra
Orientalizing
Pananthenaic
Peristyle
Phidias
Skene
Slip
Stylobate
Tholos
Triglyph
Volute
White ground
