Note: most of these topics are covered more fully in the Oxford Classical Dictionary
acropolis the citadel or high point of a Greek city; often the site of the original settlement, and in historic times well stocked with temples and sacred sites
aegis Athena’s shield or short cloak, with a fringe of snakes and device of Medusa’s head
archon literally ‘leader’, but in Athens the title of the most important civic office; nine archons were elected annually; one, the eponymous archon, gave his name to the year
chthonian deities the nether or earth gods, regarded as dwelling in or under the earth
cithara a stringed instrument similar to a lyre
deme a township in Attica, but then, after Cleisthenes’ reforms (c.508/7 BCE) a municipal subdivision: for political and identificatory purposes every Athenian citizen was born into one of 139 demes
diecplous a naval manoeuvre in which a ship of one line aimed to sail between two enemy ships, damaging the enemy’s oars (and, presumably, oarsmen), before circling round to take the crippled ship in the rear and board it
dithyramb a choral hymn sung at festivals in honour of Dionysus
Ephor in Sparta, the most important civic office; five Ephors (‘overseers’) were elected annually, and had supreme administrative power, even over the two kings
hecatomb originally, as the name implies, a sacrifice of one hundred oxen (hekaton, bous); then any particularly large number of victims destined for public sacrifice
helots the original inhabitants of Laconia and Messenia, now held in serfdom by their Spartiate masters, whom they outnumbered
hoplite a heavily armed Greek citizen foot-soldier, fighting in a phalanx formation
Iacchus the cry of the initiates into the Eleusinian mysteries, often personified as an associate of Demeter
naucrary forty-eight early subdivisions of the Athenian tribal system, until being supplanted by the demes (q.v.)
ostracism at Athens, a vote with potsherds (ostraka) for the expulsion of a political leader. Exile was for ten years, unless recalled, and involved a certain stigma but no loss of status or property
paean a hymn or cry of praise to Apollo, originally, but later with wider application
penteconter a type of ship with fifty oars
perioeci ‘dwellers round Sparta’, inhabitants of neighbouring towns, who were Spartan citizens, though of lesser status than full Spartiates
polemarch ‘war leader’, one of the archons in Athens, and in Sparta the commander of a mora, the largest unit in the Spartan army, of which there were originally five and later six
rhapsode a professional reciter/chanter of epic poetry, especially that of Homer, on public occasions such as festivals
satrapy in the huge Persian empire, a district ruled with some autonomy by a satrap or governor
silenus a satyr-like creature from Greek mythology, associated with the god Dionysus
Spartiate a full citizen of Sparta; numbers were limited by strict regulations as regards qualifications, which included lineage and submission to the famous Spartan upbringing
triaconter a thirty-oared ship
trireme the classic deckless Greek galley, with about 170 rowers, probably in three banks, allowing a ramming speed of up to four knots