Western Civilization Semester 1 Review

Question 1

What is meant by the term “Hellenistic Period”?

Answer 1

The period of time between Alexander’s conquest and the beginning of the Roman Empire

Question 2

Who are the Diadochi? What were they fighting over?

Answer 2

The Diadochi are Macedonian generals named Seleucus Nicator, Antigonus, Ptolemy, and Cassander who fought over the empire after Alexander the Great’s death.

Question 3

Who was the Phoenician princess that Zeus kidnapped?

Answer 3

Europa

Question 4

What is described as a method of producing art?

Answer 4

frescoes

Question 5

What are Mycenaean warrior kings that controlled city-states from the palace called?

Answer 5

wanax

Question 6

What is a city-state that controls a large area around it that might include other small villages and towns?

Answer 6

A polis

Question 7

What is a place where citizens came together to share ideas/ can be called open market?

Answer 7

An agora

Question 8

What type of government is described as a form of government where power is held by the nobility?

Answer 8

An aristocracy

Question 9

What are athenian elected leaders that had a lot of authority over laws called?

Answer 9

Archons

Question 10

What do we call a large group of people within the society who were essentially slaves?

Answer 10

Helots

Question 11

Define philosophy.

Answer 11

the study of fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence

Question 12

Who expanded the Thales school of thought to include the individual’s moral and ethical obligations?

Answer 12

Socrates of Athens

Question 13

What is the remains of the Persian army against an alliance of Greek city-states led by General Mardonius called?

Answer 13

Hellenic League

Question 14

Who is a famous Athenian Archon who led the Delian League?

Answer 14

Pericles

Question 15

Who is Philip II of Macedon?

Answer 15

The King of Macedonia in 356 BC and the father of Alexander the Great

Question 16

Who is Cleitus the Black?

Answer 16

One of Alexander’s officers/ generals who saved Alexander’s life in the Battle of Granicus

Question 17

What is Alexandria?

Answer 17

A new city Alexander the Great founded in Egypt prior to the Battle of Gaugamela.

Question 18

Which battle was between Alexander the Great and King Porus that historians say this was Alexander’s best war as he defeated an army that was much larger and had over 200 war elephants

Answer 18

Battle of Hydaspes

Question 19

Define regent.

Answer 19

a person selected to rule a kingdom until the real king or queen is old enough to take over

Question 20

What term refers to the diffusion of Greek culture throughout the known world after Alexander the Great’s conquest?

Answer 20

Hellenistic culture

Question 21

What is an institution dedicated to pursuit of knowledge in all subject areas?

Answer 21

A museum

Question 22

What was the known part of the museum stored with knowledge and foundation of academic institution of Greek philosophy?

Answer 22

The Library of Alexandria

Question 23

What was a giant limestone lighthouse on the coast which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?

Answer 23

The Lighthouse of Alexandria

Question 24

Define bazaar.

Answer 24

A market in a Middle Eastern or Asian country

Question 25

What were the Cyclopean Walls?

Answer 25

Great walls so large and impressive that surrounded Mycenaean cities that later Greeks thought were built by mythical cyclops

Question 26

What is the largest Bronze age archaeological site on Crete that has been called Europe’s oldest city?

Answer 26

Knossos

Question 27

Why was the Trojan War fought? What evidence do we have that this actually happened?

Answer 27

One reason the Trojan War was fought seemed to be because the Mycenaeans were already collapsing. However, the mythical reason suggests that after Helen of Sparta and Paris eloped, Helen’s first husband, Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to retrieve her. Despite which story we believe, the city of Wilusa(Troy) had been destroyed around the 1100s which lines up with the Greek historians prediction of the war.

Question 28

Compare and contrast the deaths of King Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great.

Answer 28

Contrast: King Philip was assassinated and Alexander the Great died of either malaria or typhoid fever.
Compare: They both died after their campaigns. Philip died after his Laconia campaign and Alexander died after his Indus River Valley campaign.

Question 29

Describe the cultural and governmental differences between Athens and Sparta.

Answer 29

The Athens had an aristocracy with Democratic principles and had a cultural emphasis on: philosophy knowledge, and trade.
Spartans had an oligarchy with two kings and had a cultural emphasis on military, agriculture, and discipline.