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Greek Vocabulary

Here is a list of Greek vocabulary that I have found very useful in my design purposes for naming places or things.

Acropolis - Meaning "high city," the ancient Greeks placed temples, shrines, and other important buildings on hills above their cities.

Agora - The open space in the middle of a Greek city used for meetings and markets.

Ambrosia - The food of the gods and goddesses that made them immortal and prevented them from growing old.

Amphitheater - An oval area, surrounded by a seating area, for mass entertainment.

Amphora - A large pottery jar with a narrow neck. Goods such as wine, olive oil, and fish sauce were transported in these vessels.

Cenotaph - From the Greek word meaning "empty tomb." A tomb built for ceremonial purposes that was never intended to be used for the interment of the deceased.

Citizen - A freeborn Greek or Roman man entitled to take part in the goverment of his city-state.

Ichor - The blood of the gods and goddesses, described as a golden, ephemeral liquid.

Nectar - The drink of the gods.

Necropolis - The Greek word meaning "city of the dead," normally describes large and important burial areas that were in use for long periods.

Nymph - A spirit of nature in Greek myth. There are many subcategories of nymphs.

Order - A style of architecture. The three ancient Greek orders were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Each is very distinct from the other.

Sphinx - A figure with the body of a lion and the head of a human, hawk, or ram.