Final History Vocab

Gladiator

A person trained to fight another person to the death for public entertainment

Patrician

In ancient Rome, a member of the privileged upper class.-an aristocrat, nobleman

Plebeians

the common people of ancient Rome( lower class)

Republic

A form of government in which the leaders are elected by citizens to represent the people

Senate

A group of 300 men elected to govern Rome in the Roman Republic.

Consul

one of two chief leaders in Rome

Tribune

an official in ancient Rome chosen by the plebeians to represent them

Dictator

a ruler with absolute power

Julius Caesar

100-44 B.C. Roman general who became the republic's dictator.(declared himself dictator for life)

Punic Wars

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

Caesar Augustus (Octavian)

Julius Caesar's grandnephew and adopted son, Octavian; Rome's first emperor

Pax Romana

A period of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire, it lasted 200 years

Colosseum

A large arena in Rome where gladiator contests and other games and sporting events were held.

Circus Maximus

a large Roman stadium primarily used for chariot races

Rule of Law

the idea that people should live by agreed-upon rules

Constitution

a set of basic laws

veto

to reject a bill and prevent it from becoming a law

Loess

Fine yellowish light silt deposited by wind and water. It constitutes the fertile soil of the Yellow River Valley in northern China. Because of the tiny needle-like shape of its particles, it can be easily shaped and used for underground structures (but vulnerable to earthquake)

clan

group of families with a common ancestor

Dynastic Cycle

the historical pattern of the rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties

feudalism

A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land

Confucius

(551-479 BCE) A Chinese philosopher known also as Kong Fuzi and created one of the most influential philosophies in Chinese history.

philosophy

A system of beliefs and values

Filial Piety

respect shown by children for their parents and elders

oracle bones

The earliest known Chinese writing is found on these from ritual activity of the Shang period.

characters

written symbols in writing systems such as that of the Chinese

calligraphy

art of beautiful handwriting

Laozi

Founder of Daoism

Daoism

A religion in China which emphasizes the removal from society and to become one with nature.

warlords

Military leaders who run a government

acupuncture

the practice of inserting fine needles through the skin at specific points to cure disease or relieve pain

Shi Huangdi

founder of the Qin dynasty and China's first emperor

legalism

A Chinese philosophy that was devoted to strengthen and expand the state through increased agricultural work and military service.

Great Wall of China

world's longest man made structure built to keep invaders from the north out of China, started by the Qin Dynasty, expanded by the Han Dynasty

North China Plain (Inner China)

a region in the Huang He River valley, where Chinese civilization began

Expansionism

A policy that calls for expanding a nation's boundaries.

Knossos Palace

Rooms for the royal family, banquet halls, Working areas for artisans, shrines

shrine

A place of worship that is often dedicated to a sacred object or person

Frescoes

watercolor paintings done on wet plaster

Trojan War

10 year war fought between the Mycenaean Greeks and the city of Troy

strait

A narrow passage of water connecting two large bodies of water

Homer

A Greek poet, author of the Iliad and the Odyssey

polis

A city-state in ancient Greece.

acropolis

Greek for "high city". The chief temples of the city were located here.

citizen

A person with certain rights and responsibilities in his or her country or community

monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Aristocracy

A government in which power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility

Oligarchy

a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.

Phalanx

Military formation employed by the Greeks that includes lines of soldiers with large spears

Sparta

Greek city-state that was ruled by an oligarchy, focused on military, used slaves for agriculture, discouraged the arts

Athens

A democratic Greek polis who accomplished many cultural achievements, and who were constantly at war with Sparta.

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

tyrant

a leader who held power through the use of force

legislature

A group of people who have the power to make laws

alliance

a joining together for some common purpose

Pericles

Athenian leader noted for advancing democracy in Athens and for ordering the construction of the Parthenon.

Direct Democracy

also called pure democracy, form of direct participation of citizens in democratic decision making

stipend

a regular and fixed amount of pay for work done or to help cover living or work expenses

jury

a body of citizens sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence presented in a court of law

Ostracism

deliberate social exclusion of individuals or groups

philosopher

a person who searches for wisdom or enlightenment

logic

rational thinking

rhetoric

the art of using language effectively and persuasively

Socrates

(470-399 BCE) An Athenian philosopher who thought that human beings could lead honest lives and that honor was far more important than wealth, fame, or other superficial attributes.

Plato

(430-347 BCE) Was a disciple of Socrates whose cornerstone of thought was his theory of Forms, in which there was another world of perfection.

Aristotle

A Greek Philosopher, taught Alexander the Great, started a famous school, studied with Plato

Parthenon

A large temple dedicated to the goddess Athena on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It was built in the 5th century BCE, during the Athenian golden age.

Tragedy

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

Comedy

A humorous work of drama

Herodotus

Greek Historian, considered the father of History. He came from a Greek community in Anatolia and traveled extensively, collecting information in western Asia and the Mediterranean lands.

Alexander the Great

son of Philip II; received military training in Macedonian army and was a student of Aristotle; great leader; conquered much land in Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia; goal was to conquer the known world

Philip II

Macedonian king who sought to unite Greece under his banner until his death or murder. He was succeeded by his son Alexander.

assassination

murder of a public figure, usually for political reasons

assimilate

(v.) to absorb fully or make one's own; to adopt as one's own; to adapt fully

Heliocentric

A model of the solar system in which Earth and the other planets revolve around the sun

Archimedes

(287-212 BCE) Greek mathematician and inventor. He wrote works on plane and solid geometry, arithmetic, and mechanics. He is best known for the lever and pulley.

Hippocrates

"Founder of Medicine" During the Golden Age in Greece he was a scientist that believed all diseases came from natural causes. He also had high ideals for physicians & an oath was made that is still used today.

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization made up of rules and procedures.

Han Dynasty

ruled China (most of the time) from 206 BC to 221 and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy

Liu Bang

helped overthrow Qin dynasty, 1st emperor of the Han dynasty, was born a peasant and worked way up to emperor

Confucianism

A philosophy taught by Confucius that emphasizes respect for the authority, a hierarchical society, and a strong moral code.

Industry

a business that manufactures a particular product

Irrigation

A way of supplying water to an area of land

Ironwork

Things made of iron

chain pump

irrigation tool for moving water uphill into the field of crops

wheelbarrow

a cart for carrying small loads

silk

a soft, light, and highly valued fabric developed in China

caligraphy

the art of fine handwriting

Astronomer

a person who studies planets and stars

solar eclipse

The blocking of sunlight to Earth that occurs when the moon is directly between the sun and Earth.

seismograph

a device that measures the strength of an earthquake

compass

an instrument that shows the direction of magnetic north

golden age

A period during which a society attains prosperity and cultural achievements.

Drill

a tool or machine with a pointed end for making holes

Roman Empire

Existed at the same time as the Han Dynasty

Members of his family

Replaced many of the kings of the Chinese kingdoms with . . .

socialism

A political philosophy based on principles of community decision making, social equality, and the avoidance of economic and social exclusion, with preference to community goals over individual ones.

laissez-faire

A policy of governmental non-interference in economic affairs.

Patrilineal

Descent through the male line in a family.

Armillary Sphere

a miniature representation of celestial objects in the sky, depicted as a series of rings centered around a globe.