Midterm World History Flashcards
Cunieform
Wedge shaped marks on clay tablets used to pay taxes, record laws, prayers, myths, and business contracts.
Silt
A rich deposit that helps fertilize land. The Nile’s yearly floods helped by giving the land silt.
Amenhotep IV
A pharaoh that challenged powerful priests. He worshipped only one god, Aton. He changes the religion in Egypt so after he died everyone went back to their old beliefs.
Papyrus
A paper like material that came from a plant that grew along the banks of the Nile River.
Ramsees II
A pharaoh that ruled for 66 years and is best known for his conquests.
Vizier
A chief minister, to supervise the government. Pharaoh a depended on a vizier.
Monsoons
Seasonal winds that blow from a certain direction for part of the year.
Mohenjo Daro
Possible twin capitals with Harrapa or ruled the area one after the other. Mohenjo Daro had a hilltop structure but no one knows for what purpose. Had an organized city layout and the houses were made out of baked clay. Was abandoned 1900 B.C.
Aryans
Aryan civilization developed during the Vedic Age 1500 - 500 B.C. These people were a group of nomads from Central Asia. These nomads inter-married with local Indus people and called themselves Aryans.
Vedas
A collection of hymns, chants, ritual instructions, and religious teachings. The Vedas contains most of what is known about the Aryans.
Brahman
Single spiritual power that exists beyond their many gods and lives in all things. Aryan beliefs later changed into a notion of Brahman. The r legions that came about later in India were influenced by the notion of Brahman.
Sanskrit
The written language that priests used by 500 B.C.
Etruscans
Were another group of people who migrated to Italy and mainly settled north of Rome.
Mahabharata
A long epic poem that Aryans had a tradition of reciting. Tells of battles and their religious beliefs about the souls immortality and the importance of ones duties.
Dictator
A dictator will have complete control but only for six months. In a time of war, the senate will appoint a dictator.
Patricians
300 members of the senate who were all patricians. Land-holding upper class. Each year, senators nominated 2 consuls from the patrician class.
Ramayana
A long epic poem that Aryans had a tradition of reciting. Teaches values of behavior.
Legion
A basic military unit made up to 5,000 men.
Latifundia
Huge farming estates that were bought from a new class of wealthy Romans that came about from fortunes made in taxes and commerce. Prisoners of wars worked as slaves in the latifundias. This started riot and hurt the small farmers who were then unemployed.
Augustus
Octavian which was Julius Caesar’s grandnephew defeated Antony, Julius Caesar’s chief General, and the senate gave him the name Augustus. Augustus means “exalted one”. He ruled from 31 B.C. - A.D. 14.
Caligula
One of the incompetent rulers. He was considered insane, he appointed his horse as consul.
Nero
One of the incompetent rulers. Considered evil. He persecuted Christians and was blamed for setting a huge fire that destroyed most of Rome.
Marcus Aurelius
One of the good emperors. Was close to being what Plato considered an ideal philosopher/king to be.
Karma
One of the teachings of the Hindu’s. Refers to all the actions of a persons life that affect his or her fate in the next life.
