Unit 2.1-- The Classical Era Flashcards
What is autocracy?
An autocracy is a system of government where one person has absolute power over everyone else. Persia was a major example of an autocracy.
What are satraps?
In Persia, the empire was large enough that it wasn’t going to be effective to rule the entirety of the land from one location; even if it was centrally placed, the spot would be too far away from some areas to fully rule them. So, the Persians had satraps– people directly under the king who ruled select portions of the empire.
Who was Hippocrates?
Hippocrates was a Greek physician who revolutionized ancient medicine. He founded the Hippocratic School of Medicine and separated medicine from philosophy and religion, consequently creating a profession exclusively for medicine.
What is a direct democracy?
A direct democracy is a type of government where each person has an equal vote and their votes all immediately influence the verdict of the vote. This is unlike a representative democracy, where people vote and popular assent determines how peoples’ representatives are supposed to vote.
What is a representative democracy?
A representative democracy is a type of government where people vote and popular assent determines how peoples’ representatives are supposed to vote. This is unlike a representative democracy, where each person has an equal vote and their votes all immediately influence the verdict of the vote.
Define endemic.
Something that is endemic is confined to a specific culture, country or area. For instance, in ancient times, democracy was endemic to certain states of Greece.
What is a tyrant?
A tyrant is an excessively oppressive ruler. Cleisthenes was a classic Greek tyrant.
What is Anatolia?
A small region of Asia bound to the North by the Black Sea and the South by the Mediterranean. It makes up most of modern-day Turkey.
What does Hellenistic mean?
Hellenistic is a word used to generally describe Greek culture, but it specifically refers to the time between the death of Alexander the Great and the defeat of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. In this period of time Greek culture grew and prospered, spreading far and wide throughout the old world.
What is a despotism?
Despotism is characterized by a government where one person has absolute power, particularly when it is used in a cruel or oppressive way. Persia was despotic at times, but its kings also had their kind rulings. More characteristic of despotism would be the Greek tyrants, such as Cleisthenes and others.
How did Cyrus convince the Persians to revolt against the Medes?
Cyrus had his subjects first spend a day clearing ground and doing backbreaking manual labor. Then, the next day, they used the ground they had cleared to host a huge banquet, with much good food and extensive partying. On the third day, Cyrus asked his men which they liked more– the first or the second day? The answer was unanimous; the second day was much better in their eyes. Cyrus told the men that if they were able to conquer the Medes, they could spend the rest of their lives like the second day. However, if they did not, they would live out their days as emulations of the first.
What are some pros and cons of reading a description of a culture written by a foreigner?
When a foreigner describes a culture, you get an account of it unbiased by the views of the culture itself. For instance, if someone is raised in a culture where they are taught that it’s just fine to sacrifice humans to the gods in prayer of a nice day, then they won’t think anything of this ritual. However, an outsider might look upon this and think it obscene, and label it thus in their account. However, foreigners also rarely get to glimpse the inner workings of a culture. There’s a stigma against allowing them to view the most sacred, secret parts of the society, and therefore may limit their report of the culture.
Where was Zoroastrianism from, and what was it characterized by?
Zoroastrianism was begun by the prophet Zoroaster, in early Persia. It was monotheistic, centered around one male deity, and its worship was done through complex rituals.
Prior to democracy, what were Athenian politics like?
Athens was ruled by the strongest man, strictly in terms of physical strength. When one man ruled, any who were able to kill him were awarded with leadership. Women were excluded from this process, but the background of the man (poor, rich, foreign, native, etc.) did not matter.
How did Athenian democracy work?
Every week or so, Athens would hold a vote on everything pertaining to the city-state; from the price of olive oil to the number of ships sent to war, everything was voted on. These voted would directly influence the outcome of the vote, making it a direct democracy.
