History Quiz 2 Flashcards
Compare & contrast the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. What made these differences appear? (pages 97-100)
Minoan:
On island
Used bronze
No Greek language or religion
Influence w/ Greeks
Palace 4 royals w/ plumbing
Society collapsed for undetermined reason. Maybe natural disaster, maybe invasion.
Both: Trade w/ Egypt
Mycenaean:
Subset of Greeks
Multiple monarchies
Palaces on hills surrounded by large stone walls
Probably formed loose confederacy of independent states, Mycenae the strongest.
Warrior people
Large trading routes
Possibly conquered
Earthquakes and outside attack, then was set on fire caused collapse.
Who was Homer? What history can we obtain from Homer’s writings? How is this possible? (pages 99-100)
“One of the greatest poets of all time.” Wrote Iliad and Odyssey. Not a person, probably, but an alias by multiple people (though book not say this, so maybe don’t worry about it?) Can learn of the history of the conditions of the transition from Bronze to Iron age.
Define polis. How did they arise? Why didn’t a unified state appear in Greece? (pages 101-102)
Polis means city-state. Developed slowly. People were very loyal to their own city-states, and distrustful of others, so a unified state didn’t appear.
Particularly strong polis was megapolis.
Describe the various types of government during this time. Why did they take hold? (page 103)
Monarchy, Oligarchy, Republic,
Dictator: In Rome, appointed someone essentially as king for a length of time in situations where decisions needed to be made quickly, after which they were to step back down.
Tyranny: like a monarch but appeared in unconventional manner, not necessarily terrible like word connotes today.
Compare and contrast Sparta and Athens. Why did each polis embrace their philosophy/way of life? (pages 103-105)
Sparta: Boys sent to train in extreme conditions at seven.
Women extra freedom and right to own land, as men were rarely home.
Oligarchy. Two kings (from different families) and five men elected for education of youth and conduct of all, and council of elders for the kings and twenty eight male citizens over sixty. Did not debate on laws, just voted on them.
Athens: Was monarchy, then ruled primarily by aristocrats. Was council of average citizens (though had little influence) and a board of nine archeons to assist the nobles in their decisions.
Why did the Peloponnesian War begin? Who fought? What was the outcome? (pages 108-109)
Athens was becoming too powerful. Sparta and their allies fought them, Athens was looking to have the advantage though they eventually fell to a plague before beating Sparta.
What were the outcomes of the Persian War(s)? (pages 106-108)
Greeks beat Persians twice.
Describe the various outlets of Greek culture. Be sure to include history, drama, and visual arts. (pages 109-114)
Plays (generally tragic trilogies, then political comedies, then comedies).
Many statues and sculptures, art based around symmetry, beauty, movement instead of stiffness in statues, and humans.
Architecture, especially of temples, included pillars of marble and open plans. Most famous building was the Parthenon, a temple to Athena.
Philosophy and rhetoric.
Discuss the role of Greek philosophy on the Greeks. Why are they so important to our understanding of the world today? Be sure to describe the various schools of thought. (pages 111-114 & 124-126)
Athens had Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato.
Socrates: “the only thing I know is that I know nothing”, was assassinated, and taught Aristotle.
Aristotle: believed women and men should be educated the same, taught Plato.
Plato: did not believe women and men should have the same education, taught Alexander the Great.
What was the basis of the Greek economy? How was citizenship central to life in Greece? (page 115)
Religion. Citizenship somewhat told of who could compete in Olympics, who could vote, and who had the responsibilities/privileges of a citizen.
How did Alexander come to power? Describe his conquests and changes to Greek society. Why is he such an important figure in history? (pages 117-119)
His father was king and then assassinated. Conquered many places before his army mutinied and refused to fight anymore, when going into India, causing the force to turn back. United all those conquered places under his rule, then they collapsed into infighting when he died.
How did each of the Hellenistic Kingdoms change over time? Why? How were these changes tied with trade? (pages 119-122)
Four major kingdoms emerged.
Seleucid rulers fought the Indians, but then became trading partners.
Compare & contrast the founding of Rome to that of Greece. Be sure to describe the early history of Rome as well as the birth of the Republic. (pages 129-131)
Rome started as a small town mythologically made by Romulus, while Greece was a large collection of towns started by a group of Indo-Europeans.
Early history included tying themselves to Greeks, allowing some conquered people to become citizens, and made vast systems of roads.
The Republic was created after the overthrowing of the monarchs, allowing most male citizenry the right to vote on various laws and policies.
How was the Roman state organized? Why? (pages 131-133)
Most male citizens could vote on laws and policies. Some groups of people involved were the senate (made of ~300 men who served for life), and the council of the plebs (a group made of non-aristocrats who made their own council to get more political power).
The most important assembly was the centuriate assembly, which was organized by class.
Only patricians were allowed to hold governmental office.
Discuss some of the differences between the patricians and the plebeians. (page 132)
Patricians were aristocrats, descendants of the original senators, and allowed to hold governmental office, and plebians were lower-class farming citizens that could not hold governmental office.
