History Finial Exam Review

Polis

A Greek city-state; the basic political unit of ancient Greece.

Phalanx

A tight battle formation of foot soldiers armed with spears and shields.

Aristocracy

A government ruled by a small group of noble, land-owning families.

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people.

Citizen

A free native inhabitant of a city-state with legal rights and duties.

Battle of Thermopylae

A famous battle where 300 Spartans held off a massive Persian army before being defeated.

Battle of Gaugamela

The decisive battle where Alexander the Great defeated the Persian Empire.

Persian War

A series of wars between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire.

Delian League

An alliance of Greek city-states led by Athens to defend against Persia.

Hoplite

A heavily armed foot soldier of ancient Greece.

The Socratic Method

A way of teaching using question-and-answer to push people to think critically.

The Republic

A famous book by Plato outlining his vision for a perfectly governed society.

Acropolis

A fortified hilltop in a Greek city, often holding important temples.

Helot

A peasant forced to stay on the land and work as a slave in ancient Sparta.

Arête

The Greek ideal of excellence, courage, and reaching one's full potential.

Mycenaeans

An early Greek people who dominated the mainland before the Trojan War.

Minoans

A wealthy, seafaring civilization on the island of Crete that preceded the Greeks.

Sparta

A powerful Greek city-state known for its fierce military culture and strict way of life.

Tragedy

A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic character.

Comedy

A lighthearted form of drama that used humor and satire to mock politics or customs.

Alexandria

An Egyptian city founded by Alexander the Great that became a massive center of trade and learning.

Hellenism

The blending of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian cultures after Alexander’s conquests.

Tyrant

A powerful leader who gained control of a city-state by appealing to the poor for support.

Democracy

A government controlled by its citizens, either directly or through representatives.

Athens

A Greek city-state famous for its focus on education, the arts, and the birth of democracy.

Alexander the Great

The Macedonian king who conquered the Persian Empire and spread Greek culture.

Leonidas

The Spartan king who famously died leading his men at the Battle of Thermopylae.

Aristotle

A famous Greek philosopher who taught Alexander the Great and pioneered scientific thought.

Homer

The blind poet credited with writing the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey.

Xerxes

The Persian king who led the massive invasion of Greece during the Persian Wars.

Darius III

The last king of the Persian Empire, who was defeated by Alexander the Great.

Philip II

The king of Macedonia who conquered Greece before being assassinated; father of Alexander.

Republic

A form of government in which citizens elect leaders to vote on laws for them.

Gravitas

The Roman value of discipline, strength, loyalty, and seriousness.

Civil War

A war between opposing groups of people within the same country.

Inflation

A drop in the value of money combined with a rise in the prices of goods.

Satire

A style of writing that uses humor or exaggeration to mock human foolishness or society.

Veto

A political right to reject or block a decision or law.

Policy

A set of ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that is agreed upon by a government.

Civil Service

The administrative departments of a government, where employees are hired based on merit.

Succession

The sequence or process of passing political power from one ruler to the next.

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen.

Empire

A large group of states or territories controlled by a single absolute ruler.

Legion

The primary military unit of the Roman army, made up of about 5,000 foot soldiers.

Century

A smaller unit of the Roman army, originally consisting of 100 soldiers.

Twelve Tables

Rome's first written laws, which protected citizens' basic rights.

Aqueduct

A stone structure built to carry fresh water from distant hills into Roman cities.

Division of Labor

Breaking a job down into small tasks done by different people to increase efficiency.

Slavery

A system where people are owned by others and forced to work without pay.

Pax Americana

A modern term comparing American global dominance to the peaceful era of ancient Rome.

Fear vs Tolerance

Two different ways an empire rules its subjects—using threats versus accepting local customs.

Overextension

A state of weakness caused by expanding an empire too far for its military or budget to handle.

Legitimacy

The widespread acceptance of an authority or governing law as right and justified.

Romulus

The legendary founder and first king of Rome.

Gladiator

A person forced to fight to the death for public entertainment.

Tribune

An official elected by the plebeians to protect their rights from patrician overreach.

Triumvirate

A political alliance or leadership group made up of three powerful individuals.

Patrician

A member of the wealthy, land-owning upper class in ancient Rome.

Plebeian

A member of the common population of Rome, including farmers, artisans, and merchants.

Mercenary

A soldier who fights for a foreign army solely for financial pay.

Consul

One of two powerful officials elected each year to command the army and run the government.

Senate

The powerful supreme council of ancient Rome, dominated by patricians.

Assembly

A gathering of Roman citizens that voted on laws and elected officials.

Dictator

A political leader given absolute power to make laws and command the army during a crisis.

Augustus

Rome's first emperor, who stabilized the empire and began the Pax Romana.

The Julian Emperors

The first dynasty of Roman emperors, all related to Julius Caesar.

The Good Emperors

A line of five capable, moderate emperors who ruled Rome during its peak prosperity.

Latins

The original inhabitants of the region around Rome who gave the Romans their language.

Etruscans

An advanced civilization north of Rome that heavily influenced early Roman culture and engineering.

Scipio Africanus

The Roman general who defeated Hannibal in the Second Punic War.

Hannibal

The brilliant Carthaginian general who invaded Italy using war elephants during the Punic Wars.

First Triumvirate

The unofficial political alliance between Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus.

Julius Caesar

The Roman general who became dictator for life, ending the Republic before being assassinated.

Brutus

A Roman senator who helped plan Caesar's assassination to save the Republic.

Octavian

Caesar’s adopted son who won the civil wars and became Augustus, the first emperor.

Second Triumvirate

The official alliance between Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus.

Mark Antony

A Roman general who allied with Cleopatra and fought Octavian for control of Rome.

Cicero

A famous Roman orator, philosopher, and politician who fiercely defended the Republic.

Constantine

The Roman emperor who legalized Christianity and moved the empire's capital to the east.

Germanic Peoples

Tribes from northern Europe whose migrations and invasions pressured the Roman borders.

Huns

A fierce nomadic people from central Asia who attacked Europe and forced Germanic tribes into Rome.

Attila

The powerful leader of the Huns who terrorized both the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.

Romulus Augustus

The last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, overthrown as a teenager.

Alps

The high mountain range to the north of Italy that provided a natural barrier against invasions.

Tiber River

The river in central Italy along which the city of Rome was founded.

The Pantheon

A famous domed temple in Rome built to honor all the Roman gods.

Colosseum

A massive stone amphitheater in Rome used for gladiator games and public spectacles.

Italy

The boot-shaped peninsula in southern Europe where the Roman civilization began.

Constantinople

The capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, built on the site of ancient Byzantium.

Eastern Empire

The Greek-speaking half of the Roman Empire that survived for another 1,000 years.

Western Empire

The Latin-speaking half of the Roman Empire that collapsed due to invasions and economic trouble.

Rome

The capital city of the Roman Republic and Empire.

Forum

The central public square in a Roman city used for marketplaces, assemblies, and business.

Jerusalem

A holy city in Judea that became a flashpoint for Roman rule and the birthplace of Christianity.

Punic Wars

A series of three devastating wars between Rome and Carthage for control of the Mediterranean.

Pax Romana

A 200-year period of relative peace, stability, and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire.

Feudalism

A political system where kings granted land to nobles in exchange for military loyalty and protection.

Parliament

A body of representatives that makes laws for a nation.

Peasant/Serf

A poor laborer who was legally bound to land owned by a noble and worked it for them.

King

The male ruler of a country, usually inheriting power by birth.