Studied by 0 people
c. 550 BCE—330 bce
Reign of the Persian Achaemenid Empire; founded by Cyrus
539 bce
Persians defeat Babylonians
509-44 bce
Roman Republic
499-449 bce
Greco-Persian Wars
480-404 bce
Golden Age of Athens
431-404 bce
Peloponnesian War. Sparta wins, but all poleis are weakened
403-221 bce
Era of Warring States (China)
334 bce
Alexander invades Persia
323 bce
Alexander the Great dies
322-184 bce
Mauryan Dynasty
265 bce
Ashoka converts to Buddhism
264-146 bce
Punic Wars (Rome vs. Carthage)
221-206 bce
Qin Dynasty
206 bce -220 ce
Han Dynasty
141-87 bce
Reign of Han Wudi
44 bce
Julius Caesar assassinated
27 bce - 180 ce
Pax Romana
9-25 ce
Han dynasty in China overthrown, then restored
184 ce
Yellow Turban Rebellion
319-540 ce
Gupta Dynasty
476 ce
Fall of Western Roman Empire
Polis
A city-state in ancient Greece.
Persian Wars
Conflicts between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire, ranging from the Ionian Revolt (499-494 B.C.E.) through Darius's punitive expedition that failed at Marathon. Chronicled by Herodotus.
Battle of Marathon
(490 B.C.E.) Battle where the Persians who invaded Greece were defeated on the Plain of Marathon by an Athenian army.
Battle of Thermopylae
(480 B.C.E.) Battle in which Spartan king Leonidas and his army of 300 Spartans and other Greeks refused to surrender to the numerically superior Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae; they were annihilated to the man but allowed the other Greek forces to prepare for the Persian invasion.
Delian League
Alliance between Athens and many of its allied cities following the first attempted invasion of Persia into Greece. Caused a lot of wealth to flow into Athens and thus contributed to the Athenian "golden age."
Athens
A democratic Greek polis who accomplished many cultural achievements, and who were constantly at war with Sparta.
Democracy
government by the people
Citizen
a legal member of a country
Pericles
Athenian leader noted for advancing democracy in Athens and for ordering the construction of the Parthenon.
Sparta
Greek city-state that was ruled by an oligarchy, focused on military, used slaves for agriculture, discouraged the arts
Oligarchy
rule by a few
Hellenism
Myths and legends of the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. Part of Greek religion.
Polytheistic
Belief in many gods
Golden Age of Athens
a period of growth in ancient Athens in intellectual & and artistic learning, including drama, sculpture, poetry, philosophy, architecture, & science
philosophy
the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.
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
Greek philosopher. A pupil of Plato, the tutor of Alexander the Great, and the author of works on logic, metaphysics, ethics, natural sciences, politics, and poetics, he profoundly influenced Western thought. In his philosophical system, which led him to criticize what he saw as Plato's metaphysical excesses, theory follows empirical observation and logic, based on the syllogism, is the essential method of rational inquiry.
Tragedy and Comedy
two types of drama
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.
Pythagoras
A Greek philosopher and mathematician, this man was credited with the discovery that numbers are useful for more than counting physical things.
Pelopnnesian War
In 431 BC, Sparta vs Athens, lasted 25 years, Athens surrenders and Sparta wins.
Alexander the Great
Between 334 and 323 B.C.E. he conquered the Persian Empire, reached the Indus Valley, founded many Greek-style cities, and spread Greek culture across the Middle East.
Achaemenid Empire
First great Persian empire (558-330 B.C.E.), which began under Cyrus and reached its peak under Darius.
Shah
Persian word for king
Divine Right
Belief that a rulers authority comes directly from god.
Theocracy
A government controlled by religion
Cyrus the Great
A remarkable leader who managed to reunite he Persian Empire in a powerful kingdom. Under Cyrus, Persia began building an empire larger than any yet seen in the world
Satraps
Persian administrators, usually members of the royal family, who governed a satrapy.
Royal Spies
The king's Eyes and Ears; Formed under Cyrus the great, these individuals were spread throughout the Persian empire and reported any rebelliousness or dereliction to the king.
Royal Road
A road for the government use built by the ancient Persian ruler Darius which helped unite the empire
Persepolis
A complex of palaces, reception halls, and treasury buildings erected by the Persian kings Darius I and Xerxes in the Persian homeland
tributes
gifts given to those in power by people who have been defeated or who want protection
Darius
The third king of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. He ruled the empire at its peak. He organized the empire by dividing it into provinces and placing satraps to govern it. He organized a new uniform money system, along with making Aramaic the official language of the empire. He also worked on construction projects throughout the empire.
Xerxes
son of Darius; became Persian king. He vowed revenge on the Athenians. He invaded Greece with 180,000 troops in 480 B.C.
Zoroastrianism
A religion that developed in early Persia and stressed the fight between the forces of good and the forces of evil and how eventually the forces of good would prevail.
Magi
Priests of the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism who paid special attention to the stars.
Caravanserai
an inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa.
Qanat
A water management system that originated in Persia thousands of years ago. It provided water to people even in hilly, desert, hot, and arid areas (like Iran).
Tiber River
a river flowing southward from north-central Italy across the Latium plain, and into the Tyrrhenian Sea
Alps
Europe's Largest Mountain system
Mare Nostrum
a Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea meaning "Our Sea"
Republic
A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws.
Plebeians
the common people of ancient Rome
Patrician
In ancient Rome, a member of the privileged upper class.
Twelve Tables
Completed in 449 BCE, these civil laws developed by the Roman Republic following demands by plebeians.
Senate
A group of 300 men elected to govern Rome in the Roman Republic.
Consuls
Two officials from the patrician class were appointed each year of the Roman Republic to supervise the government and command the armies
Assemblies
The third part of Rome's government, who represented the common people and were the patricians and plebeians whose primary job was to elect the magistrates who ran the city of Rome. They could take part all their adult life.
Dictator
A ruler who has complete power over a country
Carthage
City located in present-day Tunisia, founded by Phoenicians ca. 800 B.C.E. It became a major commercial center and naval power in the western Mediterranean until defeated by the expanding Roman Republic in the third century B.C.E.
Punic Wars
A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 B.C.); resulted in the destruction of Carthage and Rome's dominance over the western Mediterranean.
Julius Caesar
100-44 B.C. Roman general who became the republic's dictator in 45 B.C.
Caesar Augustus
The great-nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar who emerged as sole ruler of the Roman state at the end of an extended period of civil war (r. 31 B.C.E.-14 C.E.).
Aquaducts
Structures built by the Romans to transport water
Coliseum
Roman arena for gladiator fights, mock battles, and entertainment
Bread and Circuses
A Roman bribery method of coping with class difference. Entertainment and food was offered to keep plebeians quiet without actually solving unemployment problems.
Pax Romana
A period of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire, lasting from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180.
Jesus Christ
A teacher and prophet whose life and teachings form the basis of Christianity. Christians believe Jesus to be Son of God.
Christianity
A monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior.
Monotheistic
Belief in one God
Martyr
A person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs
Constantine
(274 CE - 337 CE) Roman Emperor between 306 CE and 337 CE. He issued the Edict of Milan which outlawed the persecution of Christians. He also founded the city of Constantinople, the future capital of the Byzantine Empire.
Paterfamilias
the head of the family or household in Roman law -always male- and the only member to have full legal rights. This person had absolute power over his family, which extended to life and death.
Germanic Tribes
Nomadic groups that invaded the Roman Empire from the North and East. They caused the fall of Rome.
Huns
large nomadic group from northern Asia who invaded territories extending from China to Eastern Europe. They virtually lived on their horses, herding cattle, sheep, and horses as well as hunting.
Ganges River
Located in India, this river is considered sacred to Hindus and is used for spiritual cleansing, funeral rites, and other Hindu rituals.
Himalayas
The world's highest mountain range, forming the northern border of the Indian subcontinent.
Monsoon Winds
The seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia, blowing from the southwest in summer and from the northeast in winter. (in India and nearby lands) the season during which the southwest monsoon blows, commonly marked by heavy rains; rainy season. any wind that changes directions with the seasons
Patiliputra
Capital of the Mauryan Kingdom.
Also the capital city of the Gupta dynasty. Became the intellectual and cultural center of the empire
Chandragupta Maurya
founder of Maurya dynasty; established first empire in Indian subcontinent; first centralized government since Harappan civilization
Mauryan Empire
The first state to unify most of the Indian subcontinent. It was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 324 B.C.E. and survived until 184 B.C.E. From its capital at Pataliputra in the Ganges Valley it grew wealthy from taxes.
Sidhartha Gautama
founder of Buddhism, aka buddha
Buddhism
the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth
Noble Truths
life involves suffering, suffering originates in our desires, suffering stops if all desires stop, this state is achieved by the Eight Fold Path
Middle Way
A basic Buddhist teaching that rejects both the pleasures of sensual indulgence and the self-denial of asceticism, focusing instead on a practical approach to spiritual attainment.
Nirvana
The state of enlightenment for Buddhists.
Ashoka
Third ruler of the Mauryan Empire in India (r. 270-232 B.C.E.). He converted to Buddhism and broadcast his precepts on inscribed stones and pillars
Edicts
a command that is obeyed like a law
