Part 1 Flashcards
What 5 characteristics does a civilization need to have?
- complex institutions
- advanced cities
- advanced technologies
- record keeping
- specialized workers
What is Prehistory?
The time before anyone wrote anything down
What is an empire (or what does it do)?
bring together people, nations, or independent states under one rule
What is Civil Service?
paid workers that managed government affairs
What is the Mandate of Heaven?
the belief that a just ruler had the divine approval of the gods
What is a dynasty?
a series of rulers from a single family
What was the Hammurabi Code?
series of laws that helped organize Sumer
What is Confucianism?
a religion that believed in harmony and good relationships
What is Daoism?
“the way”; a religion based on nature
What was Legalism?
group of political thinkers who believed that strict rules and strict punishment is the way to govern and live
What were the differences between Sumer, Assyria, Persia, and China?
Assyria treated conquered people like ass; Persia treated conquered people nicely; Sumer was the very first civilization; and China had different religious beliefs and had dynasties
Name three waterways that influenced China or Sumer
- Chang Jiang
- Yangtze
- Mediterranean Sea
- Red Sea
- etc.
Who was Darius and what did he do?
Important leader of Persia who expanded the empire, organized the government, and established a currency
What was the significance of the Xian Dynasty?
it was the beginning of the Silk Road
What was the significance of the Qin Dynasty?
It unified China
i.a.e. established currency and laws
What is a polis?
a greek city-state
What is an example of a polis?
Athens or Sparta
What is a democracy?
a government controlled by its citizens either directly or through its citizens
What is an example of a democracy?
Athens
What is monarchy?
a government in which all power is held in a single person’s hands
What is an example of a monarchy?
Corinth
What is an aristocracy?
a type of government in which the power is in the hands of a small, hereditary group
What is an oligarchy?
a government in which the power is in a few people’s hands
What is an example of an oligrachy?
Sparta
What is cultural diffusion?
the process in which new ideas products are spread from one culture to another
What was one famous source of cultural diffusion between China and Europe (or other countries in the Middle East)?
The Silk Road
How did Greece’s location help the society?
Since Greece was surrounded by water, it led to access to new ideas, innovations, and trade
What are two main differences between Sparta and Athens?
Sparta was based on military while Athens was based on creativity and intellect; Sparta was an oligarchy and Athens was a democracy
Who were the two nations fighting in the Persian wars?
Persia and Greece
What were they fighting for in the Persian Wars?
Persia wanted to control Greece
Who were the major generals for Greece and Persia?
Persia-Darius and Xerxes(Darius’ son)
Greece-Leonadis
Who won the Persian Wars?
Greece
What were three major battles in the Persian Wars?
Thermopylae, Marathon, and Salamis
What was two positive outcome for Greece after the Persian Wars?
- all the greek city-states were united under one rule
- athens was launched into the Golden Age of Athens
Who was Alexander the Great and What did he do?
He was a leader of Macedonia; he conquered Egypt, Persia, Greece, India, and Asia; started Hellenistic culture
What is hellenistic culture?
The blending of Egyptian, Persian, and Indian culture
What are two examples of Hellenistic contributions to visual arts?
- Nike
- Colossus of Rhodes
What are two examples of hellenistic contributions to philosophy?
- Stoicism
- epicurism
What is Stoicism?
religion that encouraged living in harmony with god’s will and laws of nature
What is Epicureanism?
religion that taught gods had no interest in human beings; focused on the 5 senses; encouraged living a life of pleasure
What is one example of how hellenistic culture contributed to history?
The Alexandria library in Alexandria, Egypt
Who are two hellenistic scientists and what did the contrbute?
- archimedes - pi
- Pythagoras - Pythagorean theorem
