Greek Literature Glossary
25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Greek Literature.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
A narrative that explains the origin of a custom, name, or natural phenomenon, common in Greek myth and literature.
The moment of recognition or discovery in a dramatic plot, when a character moves from ignorance to knowledge.
Excellence or virtue, especially the ideal of fulfilling one's potential. A central value in Greek epic and philosophical literature.
The emotional purification or purgation experienced by the audience of a tragedy through pity and fear, as described by Aristotle.
A group of performers in Greek drama who sing, dance, and comment on the action, serving as a collective voice representing the community.
A plot device in which a god or unexpected event suddenly resolves an apparently unsolvable problem, often by means of a crane (mechane) in the theater.
A choral hymn sung and danced in honor of Dionysus, from which Athenian tragedy is believed to have evolved.
A poem composed in elegiac couplets (hexameter followed by pentameter), used for themes ranging from love to war to political exhortation.
A collection of early Greek epic poems (now mostly lost) that together narrated the full story of the Trojan War and its aftermath.
A formulaic descriptive phrase attached to a character or thing, used as a mnemonic device in oral poetry.
A tragic hero's error of judgment or character flaw that contributes to the reversal of fortune and downfall.
Excessive pride, arrogance, or overstepping of boundaries that provokes divine retribution (nemesis).
Glory or renown, particularly as won through heroic deeds and preserved through poetic song.
Reason, argument, or discourse. In literary context, a prose speech or rational account, as opposed to mythos (story or myth).
The imitation or representation of reality in art and literature, a central concept in Aristotle's Poetics.
Story or plot. In Aristotle's Poetics, the arrangement of incidents in a tragedy, which he considered the most important element.
Divine retribution or righteous indignation directed against those who succumb to hubris or violate the natural order.
The theme of homecoming, especially the return of Greek heroes after the Trojan War. Central to the Odyssey.
A section in Old Comedy where the chorus directly addresses the audience, often expressing the playwright's personal views.
A sudden reversal of fortune or circumstances in a dramatic plot, especially from good to bad in tragedy.
The art of persuasive speaking and writing, systematized by Greek thinkers including Aristotle, Isocrates, and the Sophists.
A dramatic technique in which two characters exchange single alternating lines of verse, creating rapid, tense dialogue.
A section of a choral ode, sung as the chorus moved in one direction, followed by the antistrophe as they moved in the other.
A drinking party at which Greek men engaged in conversation, entertainment, and poetic performance; also the title of a famous Platonic dialogue.
The Greek concept of hospitality and guest-friendship, a sacred obligation enforced by Zeus. A major theme in the Odyssey.