Ancient World

Question 1

What were the key periods in early human history?

Answer 1

Paleolithic Period (400,000 - 11,000 B.C.E.): Primitive stone tools, nomadic lifestyle.
Neolithic Period (11,000 - 4,000 B.C.E.): Development of agriculture, domestication of plants and animals.

Question 2

What significant even occurred around 3,100 B.C.E.?

Answer 2

Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt

Question 3

What is the significance of Sargon in Mesopotamian history?

Answer 3

He established the Akkadian Empire around 2,331 B.C.E., becoming the first known “world conqueror.”

Question 4

What technological and social changes were brought by the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution?

Answer 4

Permanent settlements,trade development, technological advances such as writing, negative effects were gender inequality, land disputes, and social stratification

Question 5

What does “Mesopotamia” mean?

Answer 5

Land between the rivers (Tigris and Euphrates).

Question 6

What were the primary religious beliefs in Mesopotamia?

Answer 6

Polytheistic with gods tied to natural elements

Question 7

What is the Epic of Gilgamesh about?

Answer 7

It explores themes of immortality, human suffering, and the relationship between gods and humans.

Question 8

Describe the significance of Hammurabi’s Code.

Answer 8

-One of the earliest legal codes emphasizing justice
-Laws varied based on class and gender
-Eye for an eye approach among equals, with harsher penalties for lower classes

Question 9

How did the Nile shape the Egyptian civilization?

Answer 9

-Regular flooding ensured fertile soil for agriculture
-The Nile’s predictability allowed for stability, and centralized control under the pharaohs

Question 10

Who were some of the Egyptian gods, and what did they represent?

Answer 10

-Ra: Sun god
-Osiris: God of the Underworld
-Anubis: God of mummification and the dead

Question 11

What were the major periods in Greek History?

Answer 11

-Mycenaean Civilization (ca. 1659 B.C.E.)
-Dark Age (ca. 1100 - 800 B.C.E.)
-Archaic Age (ca. 800- 500 B.C.E.)
-Classical Age (500- 338 B.C.E.)

Question 12

What were the key differences between Athens and Sparta?

Answer 12

-Athens: Democracy, focus on arts, philosophy, and education
-Sparta: Oligarchy, militaristic society with rigorous training

Question 13

What was the significance of the Persian Wars?

Answer 13

-United Greek city-states against the Persian Empire
-Famous battles included Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis

Question 14

What was the outcome of the Peloponnesian War?

Answer 14

-A long conflict between Sparta and Athens
-Led to the decline of Athenian power and weakened Greek unity
-Sparta occupied Athens in the end

Question 15

Who were the key philosophers of Classical Greece?

Answer 15

-Socrates: Emphasized questioning and ethics
-Plato: Wrote the “The Republic” and “Allegory of the Cave”
-Aristotle: Focused on logic, empiricism, and natural sciences

Question 16

According to Roman myth, who were the founders of Rome?

Answer 16

-Aeneas: A Trojan hero.
-Romulus and Remus: Twin brothers raised by a she-wolf; Romulus later founded Rome in 753 B.C.E.

Question 17

What was the Conflict of Orders?

Answer 17

-A struggle between the Patricians (aristocrats) and Plebeians (commoners).
-Resulted in reforms like the Twelve Tables (first written code of Roman law).

Question 18

What were the Punic Wars, and why were they significant?

Answer 18

-A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 B.C.E.).
-Marked Rome’s rise as a dominant Mediterranean power.

Question 19

How did Julius Caesar change the Roman Republic?

Answer 19

-Expanded Rome’s territories and centralized power.
-Declared himself dictator for life but was assassinated in 44 B.C.E.

Question 20

What was the Pax Romana?

Answer 20

-A period of peace and stability from 27 B.C.E. to 180 CE initiated by Emperor Augustus.
-Marked the height of Roman territorial expansion and internal prosperity.