Ancient World Flashcards
Early Civilizations, Mesopotamia & Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome
What were the key periods in early human history?
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.
What significant even occurred around 3,100 B.C.E.?
Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
What is the significance of Sargon in Mesopotamian history?
He established the Akkadian Empire around 2,331 B.C.E., becoming the first known “world conqueror.”
What technological and social changes were brought by the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution?
Permanent settlements,trade development, technological advances such as writing, negative effects were gender inequality, land disputes, and social stratification
What does “Mesopotamia” mean?
Land between the rivers (Tigris and Euphrates).
What were the primary religious beliefs in Mesopotamia?
Polytheistic with gods tied to natural elements
What is the Epic of Gilgamesh about?
It explores themes of immortality, human suffering, and the relationship between gods and humans.
Describe the significance of Hammurabi’s Code.
-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
How did the Nile shape the Egyptian civilization?
-Regular flooding ensured fertile soil for agriculture
-The Nile’s predictability allowed for stability, and centralized control under the pharaohs
Who were some of the Egyptian gods, and what did they represent?
-Ra: Sun god
-Osiris: God of the Underworld
-Anubis: God of mummification and the dead
What were the major periods in Greek History?
-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.)
What were the key differences between Athens and Sparta?
-Athens: Democracy, focus on arts, philosophy, and education
-Sparta: Oligarchy, militaristic society with rigorous training
What was the significance of the Persian Wars?
-United Greek city-states against the Persian Empire
-Famous battles included Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis
What was the outcome of the Peloponnesian War?
-A long conflict between Sparta and Athens
-Led to the decline of Athenian power and weakened Greek unity
-Sparta occupied Athens in the end
Who were the key philosophers of Classical Greece?
-Socrates: Emphasized questioning and ethics
-Plato: Wrote the “The Republic” and “Allegory of the Cave”
-Aristotle: Focused on logic, empiricism, and natural sciences
According to Roman myth, who were the founders of Rome?
-Aeneas: A Trojan hero.
-Romulus and Remus: Twin brothers raised by a she-wolf; Romulus later founded Rome in 753 B.C.E.
What was the Conflict of Orders?
-A struggle between the Patricians (aristocrats) and Plebeians (commoners).
-Resulted in reforms like the Twelve Tables (first written code of Roman law).
What were the Punic Wars, and why were they significant?
-A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 B.C.E.).
-Marked Rome’s rise as a dominant Mediterranean power.
How did Julius Caesar change the Roman Republic?
-Expanded Rome’s territories and centralized power.
-Declared himself dictator for life but was assassinated in 44 B.C.E.
What was the Pax Romana?
-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.
