full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Robert Garland: A day in the life of an ancient Athenian

Unscramble the Blue Letters


The meeting takes place on a hill west of the acropolis known as the Pnyx. The word means “tightly pkcaed," and the cowrd of 5,000 citizens makes it clear why. The heralds puirfy the hill by sprinkling its boundary with pig’s blood and call for order. As everyone sits on bnceehs fiacng the platform, the presiding officer opens the meeting with the words: “Tis agoreuein buatuleoi?” “Who wishes to address the assembly?”

One by one, citizens speak, some advising mercy, others bent on vengeance. A motion is proposed to execute all the maelytniens and enslave their women and children because they betrayed their Athenian allies during a time of war. A mrotaijy raises their right hands in favor.

Open Cloze


The meeting takes place on a hill west of the acropolis known as the Pnyx. The word means “tightly ______," and the _____ of 5,000 citizens makes it clear why. The heralds ______ the hill by sprinkling its boundary with pig’s blood and call for order. As everyone sits on _______ ______ the platform, the presiding officer opens the meeting with the words: “Tis agoreuein _________?” “Who wishes to address the assembly?”

One by one, citizens speak, some advising mercy, others bent on vengeance. A motion is proposed to execute all the ___________ and enslave their women and children because they betrayed their Athenian allies during a time of war. A ________ raises their right hands in favor.

Solution


  1. majority
  2. mytileneans
  3. purify
  4. crowd
  5. facing
  6. packed
  7. benches
  8. bouleutai

Original Text


The meeting takes place on a hill west of the acropolis known as the Pnyx. The word means “tightly packed," and the crowd of 5,000 citizens makes it clear why. The heralds purify the hill by sprinkling its boundary with pig’s blood and call for order. As everyone sits on benches facing the platform, the presiding officer opens the meeting with the words: “Tis agoreuein bouleutai?” “Who wishes to address the assembly?”

One by one, citizens speak, some advising mercy, others bent on vengeance. A motion is proposed to execute all the Mytileneans and enslave their women and children because they betrayed their Athenian allies during a time of war. A majority raises their right hands in favor.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations




Important Words


  1. acropolis
  2. address
  3. advising
  4. agoreuein
  5. allies
  6. assembly
  7. athenian
  8. benches
  9. bent
  10. betrayed
  11. blood
  12. bouleutai
  13. boundary
  14. call
  15. children
  16. citizens
  17. clear
  18. crowd
  19. enslave
  20. execute
  21. facing
  22. favor
  23. hands
  24. heralds
  25. hill
  26. majority
  27. means
  28. meeting
  29. mercy
  30. motion
  31. mytileneans
  32. officer
  33. opens
  34. order
  35. packed
  36. place
  37. platform
  38. pnyx
  39. presiding
  40. proposed
  41. purify
  42. raises
  43. sits
  44. speak
  45. sprinkling
  46. takes
  47. time
  48. vengeance
  49. war
  50. west
  51. wishes
  52. women
  53. word