History Midterm Terms, People, and Places
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131 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Prehistory | the period of time prior to the development of writing |
| Anthropology | the study of early human beings and the ways societies and cultures originate and are organized |
| Archaeology | the scientific study of the physical remains of ancient societies to learn about past ways of life |
| Radiocarbon Dating | the method of determining the age of a fossil by measuring the amount of carbon found in the object |
| Potassium Argon | a method used to determine the age of a fossil by determining the age of inorganic material found at a site |
| Culture | the complex whole of a particular people's way of life, their activities, their institutions and their beliefs |
| Paleolithic | the "Old Stone Age" |
| Mesolithic | the "Middle Stone Age" |
| Neolithic | the "New Stone Age" |
| Civilization | an advanced culture characterized by written language, formal government, and urban centers |
| Artisan | a person who is skilled in a craft |
| Herodotus | Greek historian; named Egypt, "Gift of the Nile" |
| Menes | also known as Narmer, he is credited with uniting Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt c. 3100 B.C. |
| Hyksos | the "Highland Rulers" who conquered Egypt c. 1785 B.C.; Egyptian literature laments the destruction and disorder that they caused |
| Amon-Re | chief Egyptian god, sun god |
| Jean Francois Champillion | the French scholar who deciphered the written language of the Ancient Egyptians |
| Anu | god of heaven; ruler of all gods |
| Wicked Udugs | in the Sumerian pantheon, the lowest of all demons; they caused disease, misfortune, and all types of human problems |
| Hammurabi | sixth king of Amorites, united most cities of Mesopotamia under his control; created code of 282 laws |
| Shang Dynasty | the oldest known dynasty to rule China (1706-1028 B.C.) |
| Cataracts | rapids and waterfalls that are located along the Nile River |
| Shadoof | a beam with a bucket at one end that was used in ancient Egypt to lift water out of the Nile River and to irrigate fields |
| Pharaoh | the title held by the rulers of ancient Egypt; derived form the word "Per-O", meaning "Great House" |
| Mummification | the lengthy and expensive process of preserving the dead in ancient Egypt |
| Stele | in ancient Egypt, this was a stone slab or pillar that bore an inscription |
| Hieroglyphics | the term means literally "sacred writing"; the term that Greeks often used in reference to the language of the ancient Egyptians |
| Ziggurat | in Sumerian cities, a high, terraced pyramid that was dedicated to the city's chief deity |
| Cuneiform | the "wedge-shaped " system of writing that was developed by the ancient Sumerians |
| Lex Talionis | in Latin, the term for the "law of revenge(vengeance)" |
| Oracle Bones | Shang priests inscribed questions to the gods on these objects which were then baked at high temperatures; cracks caused by the intensive heat were interpreted as answers form the gods |
| Mandate of Heaven | a political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source |
| Mesopotamia | first civilization located between the Tigris & Eurphrates Rivers in present day Iraq; term means "land between the rivers;" Sumerian culture |
| Babylon | during the reign of Hammurabi, this city became the political, economic, and cultural center of the Middle East |
| Indus River | this river, which the cradle of Indian civilization, rises in the Himalayas and empties into the Arabian Sea |
| Ganges River | the holy river of the Hindus that rises in the Himalayas and empties into the Bay of Bengal |
| Mohenjo-Daro | large city found along the Indus River that provided archaeologists with a great deal of physical information about early Indian civilization |
| Mount Everest | the highest mountain in the world |
| Yellow River | originates in eastern fringe of Tibetan Plateau; carries tons of sediment; nicknamed "China's Sorrow" |
| Yangtze River | also called Chang Jiang; surrounding regions have a lot of farming and dense population |
| Confederation | a loose alliance or union of several states or groups; such an alliance was formed by the Hebrew tribes |
| Murex | a sea snail that produces a purple/red dye that was highly valued in the ancient Near East |
| Covenant | the Hebrews believed that they had a special "binding agreement" with God in which obedience to Him would bring blessings and disobedience would cause adversity |
| Diaspora | the term for the "scattering" of communities of Jews outside their original homeland after the Babylonian Captivity |
| Pentateuch | the term that is used in reference to the first five books of the Old Testament |
| Satrap | the title held by a provincial governor in the Persian Empire |
| Decalogue | another name for the Ten Commandments |
| Ark of the Covenant | the portable shrine to God built under the direction of Moses and carried by the Hebrew during their years of wandering through the Sinai |
| Phoenicians | they migrated form the Arabian Peninsula and settled in the northern part of Canaan; their territory consisted of four small city states; they became the great sailors and navigators of the ancient world |
| Hittites | they settled in the rugged highlands of modern day Turkey and by 1650 B.C. had built a well organized empire; their army was formidable because of its weaponry and mobility |
| Assyrians | the "Spartans of the Near East"; these people are among the most warlike people in history; their army was very powerful; their name is synonymous with brutality |
| Moses | (Old Testament) the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites from Egypt across the Red sea on a journey known as the Exodus |
| David | the ruler of the who united the tribes of Israel c. 1000 B.C.; his rule became the model for all rulers of the Israelites; during his rule, the Hebrew people enjoyed economic prosperity |
| Yahweh | the God of the Hebrews |
| Zoroaster | the religion that was founded by this prophet from the sixth century B.C. was dualistic, emphasized righteous conduct and has influenced Judeo-Christian thought |
| Ahura Mazda | in the religion of the Persians, this force (deity) represented goodness, truth, and light |
| Ahriman | in the religion of the Persians, this force (deity) represented evil, deceit, and darkness |
| Tyre | of the four city-states that constituted ancient Phoenicia, this was the largest; it was located on a small island, making it highly defensible |
| Canaan | the "Promised Land" where the Hebrews settled c. 1900 B.C. |
| Carthage | colony established in 814 B.C. by Tyre; rivaled Rome for control of Mediterranean world |
| Jerusalem | known as the "City of David," it was the political and religious capital of the ancient Hebrews |
| Persepolis | one of the four capital cities of the Persians; it was built during the reign of Darius I and was the most magnificent city in the empire; it was situated in the southern part of present day Iran |
| Crete | island where Minoan civilization was centered |
| Knossos | the capital city of the ancient Cretans and the site of the palace of the Cretan rulers |
| Ionia | the region of southwestern Asia Minor to which many Greeks immigrated during the period 1100-800 B.C. |
| Hellas | the term ancient Greek used in reference to their homeland |
| Delphi | the site of the most famous sanctuary in Greece where gods spoke to mortals |
| Laconia | the region of southern Greece where the polis of Sparta is located |
| Attica | the region of the Greek peninsula where Athens is located; the term means "cliff" |
| Marathon | at this battle in 490 B.C., the Athenians attacked and defeated a much larger Persian force at a site located just of twenty miles outside of Athens |
| Thermopylae | the Persian advance down the Greek peninsula in 480 B.C. was delayed for three days at "Hot Gates"; ultimately the Greeks were defeated after being betrayed by a local shepherd |
| Cyclopean | of or relating to a style of stone construction marked typically by the use of large irregular blocks without mortar |
| Oracles | sanctuaries where gods and goddesses spoke to mortal man through priests or priestesses |
| Polis | the term for a Greek city-state; it was the basic political unit of Hellenic civilization |
| Agora | the public square that was common to most Greek cities; it served as a market place, center of the political life of the city and social gathering place |
| Acropolis | the "high city"; the upper fortified part of an ancient Greek city; it frequently was the site of temples dedicated to the gods |
| Oligarchy | a form of government in which a small group holds political power |
| Hoplite | a heavily armed infantry soldier in ancient Greece equipped with a sword, helmet, and greaves |
| Laconic | using and involving the use of a minimum of words |
| Draconian | in its modern context, an adjective that can be used to describe an action or a law that is particularly cruel or severe |
| Ostracism | the process through which the Athenians could exile a citizen for ten years from the polis; each year, citizens could write the name of an undesirable politician on a piece of pottery; if a person received a majority of votes cast, he could be exiled |
| Sophists | in the fifth century B.C., higher education was provided by these professional teachers; the term itself means "knowers"; many Greeks criticized these teachers for accepting money and what they taught young men |
| Minos | the legendary king after whom the civilization that flourished on the island of Crete is named |
| Sir Arthur Evans | the British archaeologist who discovered the ruins of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete c.1900 A.D. |
| Mycenaeans | these were an Indo-European people who settled in the Balkan Peninsula c. 2000 B.C. and dominated the Aegean world from 1400-1200 B.C. |
| Heinrich Schliemann | the German industrialist who used his wealth to locate the ruins of the ancient city of Troy |
| Lycurgus | the legendary lawmaker who gave the Spartans their constitution; after he wrote their laws, he left the city warning the Spartans not to change their laws until he returned |
| Draco | in 621 B.C., he was commissioned to codify Athenian laws; the legal code he developed was noted for its harsh punishments; capital punishment was meted out for many offenses |
| Darius I | following an unsuccessful rebellion by the Ionian Greeks in 499 B.C. in which Athens had sent 25 ships, this Persian ruler decided to conquer Greece and its people |
| Leonidas | at the battle of the "hot gates", this Spartan king led 300 men in battle for three days against the Persians; all but two of his men died |
| Pericles | the Athenian general and statesman who oversaw the reconstruction of Athens after the Persian Wars; he used money from a "defensive" alliance to build the Parthenon; he died during the Peloponnesian Wars as a result of a plague that broke out in Athens |
| Parthenon | the temple dedicated to Athena in Athens that represents the ideal of "nothing in excess"; it is the most famous and most recognizable of all Greek temples |
| Capital | in architecture, the uppermost part of a column, which bears the weight of the entablature |
| Kouros | in Greek sculpture, the statue of a male standing in a rigid, fixed position in the archaic style |
| Koure | an archaic Greek statue of a clothed, standing female |
| Hubris | in Greek drama, this is exaggerated self-pride or confidence, i.e. the fatal flaw that often results in retribution |
| Satire | the most popular form of comedy in Greek theater; the use of humor to criticize people and/or institutions |
| Dialogue | the dramatic form used by Plato to express his philosophic beliefs; in it, the central character, usually named Socrates, carries on a conversation with his fellow Athenians |
| Golden Mean | a concept developed by Aristotle promoting a moderate course between extremes; i.e. nothing in excess |
| Philippic | a discourse or declamation full of bitter condemnation |
| Hellenistic | the civilization that existed in the eastern Mediterranean region, Egypt, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia from 323-31 B.C.; it was a blend of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian influences |
| Homer | this blind poet is said to have described sunrise as "rosy-fingered dawn"; his most famous works are epic poems describing the tenth year of the Trojan Wars and the journey home by a Greek hero to his wife |
| Pindar | the greatest author of lyric poetry in ancient Greece; he wrote many works honoring victorious athletes |
| Aeschylus | the "Father of Greek Tragedy"; his most famous work is a trilogy that is most noted for the grandeur of its language; he wrote 90 plays but only 7 have survived |
| Aristophanes | the greatest writer of comedies in ancient Greece; on his works he made witty comments about the leading figures and issues of his day |
| Socrates | nicknamed "the Gadfly", he was always asking questions; his motto was "know thyself"; he was convicted of impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens because he told them to always ask questions |
| Plato | Greek philosopher who stated in one of his most famous works that men should do that for which they are best suited; he did not like Athenian democracy but preferred an oligarchy such as Sparta |
| Aristotle | the "Father of Logic"; this Greek philosopher wrote and edited over two hundred books; his work dominated scientific thought for centuries |
| Herodotus | the "Father of History" who described Egypt as the 'gift of the Nile'; he traveled extensively asking questions, recording answers, and checking the reliability of his sources; he sometimes created conversations and occasionally exaggerated |
| Hippocrates | the "Father of Medicine" who urged physicians to keep records and to exchange information; he was the first to view medicine as a science apart from religious belief or mythological explanation |
| Philip of Macedon | he was held hostage for three years in the polis of Thebes where he developed an admiration for Greek culture and military organization; he was killed in 336 B.C. by either a Persian agent or an assassin hired by his first wife |
| Alexander the Great | he came to power at age 20; for four years he was tutored by Aristotle and through him acquired a love of learning; by the time he died at 33, he had conquered the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and part of India |
| Pythagoras | created a2 + b2 = c2 |
| Fasces | the symbol of the king's authority in Etruscan civilization; it was an ax enclosed in a bundle of rods |
| Patricians | in Roman society, the upper class; they were the "fathers of the people" who in the early days of Rome controlled the government and much of the wealth |
| Plebians | majority of Roman population; merchants, shopkeepers, farmers, etc. |
| Dictator | this office in Roman government existed only during times of crisis; the term of office was six months during which time the person holding the office had absolute power |
| Tribunes | 10 protectors of the Plebians |
| Pyrrhic Victory | a victory gained at excessive cost |
| Indemnity | losing side pays winning side the cost of the war |
| Pater Familiaris | in Roman society, the oldest male in a family (usually the father) who had almost absolute authority in family matters |
| Law of the Twelve Tables | source of all civil and criminal law in Rome |
| Commentaries on the Gallic Wars | the correspondence sent by Julius Caesar to the Roman people through which he kept them informed of his accomplishments while he was the provincial governor of Gaul |
| Latins | early people that settled south of the Tiber River |
| Etruscans | early people that settled north of the Tiber River |
| Hannibal | the leader of the Carthagian forces in the Second Punic War; he defeated the Roman army in 216 B.C. but was unable to successfully lay siege to Rome's walled cities |
| Scipio | the Roman general who led the Romans to victory over Carthage in 202 B.C.; this victory marked the end of the Second Punic War |
| Cato the Elder | this man represented the interests of the wealthy in the Roman Senate in the 2nd century B.C.; he ended his speeches in the Senate with the phrase "Carthage must be destroyed" |
| Spartacus | the man who was the leader of a slave rebellion in southern Italy that lasted from 73-71 B.C. |
| Julius Caesar | made dictator for life in 45 B.C., after conquering Gaul, assassinated in 44 B.C. by the Senate because they were afraid of his power |
| Octavian | the grandnephew of Julius Caesar; he was a member of the Second Triumvirate and eventually became the first Roman emperor |
| Marc Antony | involved in second triumvirate, allied with Cleopatra and fought Octavian, killed himself when he receives news that Cleopatra has killed herself |
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