8 Grade Spring Semester History Final

Question 1

Augustus

Answer 1

First Roman emperor

Question 2

Did the Byzantine Empire fall or continue after the death of Justinian?

Answer 2

It carried on

Question 3

What land did Rome gain as a result of the Punic Wars?

Answer 3

Sicily, part of Italy

Question 4

St. Benedict

Answer 4

A Christian Saint who is venerated in all Churches and is the patron saint of Europe. He wrote a strict yet practical set of rules for monasteries and founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, Lazio, Italy.

Question 5

Confucianism

Answer 5

The teachings of Confucius, largely embraced by the Han. Teaches that good relationships between ruler to subject, father to son, husband to wife, elder to younger, and friend to friend. Also a belief in yin, all things dark, soft, cold, and mysterious, and all things bright, hard, warm, and clear

Question 6

Legalism

Answer 6

A philosophy that taught that a ruler should provide rich rewards for people who carried out their duties well. The disobedient should be harshly punished. Punishment was stressed more than rewards

Question 7

Qin Shi Huangdi

Answer 7

Founder of the Qin Dynasty, embraces Legalism

Question 8

Liu Bang

Answer 8

Founder of the Han Dynasty, created a centralized government, moved away from Legalism

Question 9

Xiongnu

Answer 9

Fierce nomads from the steppes to north and west of China known for their deadly archery skills from horseback

Question 10

Ban Zhao

Answer 10

Daughter of Ban Biao, sister of Ban Gu, helped write the novel History of the Former Han Dynasty, along with her father and brother. Ban Zhao wrote Lessons for Women, teaching women to be humble and obedient, but also industrious

Question 11

Emperor Wudi

Answer 11

Reigned over the Han Empire from 141-87 B.C., the longest time that a Han emperor had ruled, given the title “Martial Emperor” because, unlike previous Han Emperors, he expanded the Chinese borders through war, colonized Manchuria, Korea, and Vietnam

Question 12

Julius Caesar

Answer 12

Part of a triumvirate that ruled Rome from 59-69 B.C., along with Crassus, a wealthy Roman, and Pompey, a popular general. As tradition, Caesar only remained consul for 1 year, but then appointed himself governor of Gaul. Caesar led a grueling but successful campaign to conquer all of Gaul from 58-50 B.C. Pompey, Caesar’s current rival, told the Senate to order Caesar to disband his legions and return home. Caesar defied them, chased away Pompey, and, by the support of his army and the masses, he was named dictator for life

Question 13

Pax Romana

Answer 13

Period of peace and prosperity in Rome, in which Rome was at its peak

Question 14

Punic Wars

Answer 14

A series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage, one of the largest wars of its time. It rose from conflicting interests between the two empires. Rome arose as one of the dominant Mediterranean powers

Question 15

“Bread and Circuses”

Answer 15

A grain ration given to the many unemployed Romans and shows in which Roman people, both rich and poor, would gather into the colosseum to watch games, races, mock battles, and gladiator contests

Question 16

Augustus Caesar

Answer 16

Julius Caesar’s adopted son Octavian, who banded together with Mark Antony, an experienced general, and Lepidus, a powerful politician. They ruled for ten years as the second triumvirate. However, it was Octavian who ended up ruling the empire and he was later given the title of Augustus, meaning “exalted one”

Question 17

Roman citizenship

Answer 17

People of Roman birth were not the only ones granted citizenship. All people who lived within the Roman Empire were considered a Roman citizen

Question 18

Christianity (in Roman Empire)

Answer 18

A religion which offered a personal connection to god, unlike the other Roman religions of that time. It was started by a Jew named Jesus, who many people believed to be the Messiah. According to the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, Jesus was born in Nazareth. Christianity promised a kingdom after death for those who truly seemed forgiveness for their sins. Some of the Gospels were written by 12 of Jesus’s disciples, later called apostles. Jesus was crucified in 29 A.D.

Question 19

Constantine

Answer 19

A Roman Emperor who accepted Christianity. When Constantine was fighting three rivals for leadership of Rome, he prayed to God that he would gain victory before a battle with his greatest rival. He credited his victory to the Christian God. In 313 A.D., Constantine announced an end to the persecution of Christians. In the Edict of Milan, Constantine declared Christianity to be one of the religions approved by the emperor.

Question 20

Justinian I

Answer 20

High-ranking Byzantine nobleman who succeeded his uncle to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire. Justinian, in 533 A.D. sent his best general, Belisarius, to recover North Africa from the invading Germanic tribes. Belisarius succeeded and then seized Rome from a group known as the Ostrogoths. Justinian has ruled almost all of the territory Rome used to possess. The Byzantine emperors ruled with absolute power. A panel of legal experts combed through 400 years of Roman law and eventually wrote a uniform law code known as the Justinian Code. Later when a Hippodrome fan group started a riot and Justinian wanted to flee, his wife convinced him otherwise.

Question 21

Hagia Sophia

Answer 21

A church built by Justinian. Translates to “Holy Wisdom”. A previous Hagia Sophia had been destroyed in riots that swept Constantinople and many visitors hailed Justinian’s Hagia Sophia as the most splendid church in the Christian world.

Question 22

Constantinople

Answer 22

Byzantium, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, after it was re-named in Constantine’s honor

Question 23

Greek fire

Answer 23

Flammable liquid, most likely some form of napalm, which could adhere to the surface of water. In other words, it couldn’t be extinguished with water. It was the ultimate weapon in navy battles for the Byzantine Empire. The formula was a closely guarded secret.

Question 24

Franks

Answer 24

A Germanic people who held power in the Roman province of Gaul. Their leader was Clovis, who would later bring Christianity to the region because his wife, Clothilde, urged him to convert to her faith.

Question 25

Battle of Tours

Answer 25

Battle fought by Charles Martel, the most powerful person in the Frankish kingdom in 700 A.D., but he was mayor of the palace and not the king. The battle was fought by Charles against Muslim raider from Spain. This battle was very important for Christians because Western Europe might’ve become part of the Muslim Empire.

Question 26

Charlemagne

Answer 26

Son of Pepin the Short and grandson of Charles Martel. Charlemagne built an empire greater than any since Ancient Rome. By 800, Charlemagne’s Empire was larger than the Byzantine Empire. He regularly visited every part of his kingdom. He strongly encouraged learning. For his children and the other children of the court, he opened a palace school. He also ordered monasteries built to train future monks and priests.

Question 27

Mohammed

Answer 27

A man born into a powerful Meccan family. He was orphaned at the age of 6 and raised by his grandfather and uncle. At the age of 25, he became a trader and business manager for Khadijah, a wealthy business woman of about 40. Mohammad later married Khadijah. When he was 40, Mohammad heard the voice of the angel Gabriel while he was meditating in a cave outside Mecca. Mohammad believed that this angel was a messenger of Allah. Many Mexicans believed that his beliefs would lead to the abandonment of the current Arab gods. After some of his followers had been attacked, Mohammad moved to the town of Yatrib. This migration would later be called the Hijrah. yatrib was later renamed Medina. Mohammad returned to Mecca with 10,000 of his followers in 630 A.D.

Question 28

Five Pillars of Islam

Answer 28

The five duties all Muslims must carry out. These duties are faith, prayer, alms, fasting, pilgrimage.

Question 29

Umayyads

Answer 29

A powerful family who succeeded Mohammad’s son-in-law, Ali, to the throne of the Muslim empire. They moved the Muslim capital to Damascus. This made controlling conquered territories easier. The Umayyads abandoned the simple lives of previous caliphs. This led to a fundamental divide in the Muslim world.

Question 30

Abbasids

Answer 30

The rebel group that succeeded the Umayyads. They ruthlessly murdered the remaining members of the Umayyad family, except for a prince named Abd-al-Rahman, who fled to Spain. In 762 A.D., to solidify power, the Abbasids moved the capital of the Muslim empire to Baghdad. This city was located on key trade routes. The Abbasid caliphate lasted from 750-1258 A.D.

Question 31

“People of the Book”

Answer 31

A Muslim term for Jews, Christians, and people of other religions.

Question 32

House of Wisdom

Answer 32

A combination library, academy, and translation center in Baghdad where scholars of different cultures and beliefs worked side by side translating texts from Greece, India, Persia, and elsewhere into Arabic.

Question 33

Simony

Answer 33

The act of selling Church offices or roles.

Question 34

Urban II

Answer 34

A pope who was previously a Bishop of Ostia under the name Eudes. He initiated the first crusade.

Question 35

Central Asian Steppe

Answer 35

A vast belt of dry grassland. It served as a land trade route connecting the East and the West. It was divided into two parts. The western steppe runs from Central Asia to Eastern Europe. It was home to the Hittites. The eastern steppe was the first home of the Huns, the Turks, and the Mongols. Historically, people have tended to move towards the west and the south because the climate is more mild and rain is more plentiful in the west.

Question 36

Genghis Khan

Answer 36

A Mongol clan leader named Temujin who was given the title of Genghis Khan, or “universal ruler”. Genghis Khan launched a campaign of terror against Central Asia. He destroyed many cities and slaughtered many inhabitants. Genghis Khan’s stunning success as a conqueror was due to several factors, He was a brilliant organizer, a gifted strategist, and he used cruelty as a weapon.

Question 37

Pax Mongolica

Answer 37

The mid-1200s to the mid-1300s, when the Mongols imposed stability and law and order across much of Eurasia.

Question 38

Ogedei Khan

Answer 38

Son of Genghis Khan and ruler of Mongolia and China.

Question 39

100 Years War

Answer 39

The war that Edward III launched for the throne of France one and off from 1337-1453 A.D.

Question 40

Humanism

Answer 40

The belief in material fact rather than concept of religious faith.

Question 41

Shi’a

Answer 41

Group that thought that a caliph had to be descended from Mohammad.

Question 42

Sunni

Answer 42

A group that didn’t resist the rule of the Umayyads

Question 43

Sufi

Answer 43

Group that rejected the luxurious life of the Umayyads