World History 1 Vocab

Australopithecus

first to walk on two legs

Homo Habilis

(man of skill) first to make stone tools

Homo Erectus

(upright man) first to use fire; create spoken language

Neanderthals

first to hunt in groups; care for the sick; have ritual burials

Homo Sapiens

(wise man) first to create many tools; cave art

Seven Continents

North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, Africa

Four Oceans

Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean

Nile River Valley

in Egypt; provided water, travel, protection, fertile soil

Nile River

in Egypt; flows North while the wind blows South allowing travel in both directions; floods predictable

Pharaoh

what the ruler of Egypt was called; worshipped as a god

Theocracy

Egyptian government; the leader is worshipped as a god

Polytheism

belief in more than one god; Egyptians, Sumerians, Chinese, Aryans, Hindus, Buddhists, Greeks, Romans

Egyptian Pyramids

burial tombs for pharaohs and their bodies were mummified

Hieroglyphics

Egyptian written language; each symbol represents and idea

Middle Eastern Civilizations

Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Assyria, Phoenicians, Hebrews, Persians; located between Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Peninsula, Africa; centered around Tigris and Euphrates rivers; present day Iraq

Fertile Crescent

fertile soil; very good farmland; surrounding Tigris and Euphrates

Sumer

Middle Eastern Civilization; oldest civilization; city-states; used cuneiform

Cuneiform

first written language; each symbol represented an idea; triangular

Akkad

Sargon was ruler and created the first empire; conquered neighbors

Babylon

peak under rule of Hammurabi

Hammurabi's Code

first written law code created by Hammurabi; "an eye for an eye"; harsh

Hammurabi

ruler of Babylon; created Hammurabi's Code

Assyria

brutal warriors with sophisticated military; merciless conquerors; great builders

Phoenicians

shipbuilder, seafarers, traders; created first alphabet and each symbol resembles a sound; all over the Mediterranean Sea

Judaism

Abraham was founder; monotheistic; followed the 10 Commandments; Torah was their holy text; worshipped in temple/synagogue; still waiting for messiah; did not believe Jesus was Savior

Monotheism

belief in only one God; Jews, Christians, Muslims

10 Commandments

Moses received them from the top of a mountain from God; Christians and Jews followed them; laws of God

Persians

tolerant; bureaucracy; Cyrus the Great and Darius were the most famous rulers; Royal Road was their trade route and united empire; Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism

religion; fight of good and evil

Indus Vally

along Indus River; natural barriers protect it; strong central government; advanced city-planning and sewer system; little written records; caste system

Caste System

divided population by race and jobs

Mauryan Empire

along Ganges River; Asoka converts to Buddhism; tolerant

Asoka

ruler of Mauryan Empire who converted to Buddhism and put their beliefs on pillars throughout the empire

Gupta Empire

Golden Age of India; art, literature, and trade were important; mathematical inventions

Hinduism

polytheistic;1500 BCE; founded by Aryans; Upanishads and Vedas were sacred texts; caste system; four aims of life; dharma + karma \= moksha

Dharma

job or place in caste system of a person

Karma

result of good and bad deeds in previous or current life

Moksha

released from reincarnation cycle because reached enlightenment

Reincarnation

rebirth until reach enlightenment

Enlightenment

perfect understanding of everything

Buddhism

500 BCE; India; founded by Siddhartha Gautama "Buddha"; Perfection of Wisdom Sutra is holy text; NO caste system; 4 Noble Truths + Eightfold Path \= nirvana

Nirvana

release from reincarnation cycle by following 4 Noble Truths and Eightfold Path

Ancient China

centered around Huang He River; large population; isolated

Chinese Dynasties

Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song

Xia

first Chinese Dynasty

Shang

first Chinese Dynasty to leave written records

Zhou

developed Mandate of Heaven; Warring States period

Qin

built Great Wall of China to keep out Mongols (Qin Shi Huangdi); Legalist

Han

height of Chinese civilizations; invented paper, silk, civil service; Confucian

Tang

expand borders; invented porcelain; part of Golden Age of China

Song

invented paper money, moveable type, magnetic compass; explorers; other part of Golden Age of China

Confucianism

founder was Confucius; respect elders; social order; education is important; humans are good

Daoism

founder was Laozi; harmony with nature; inner peace; yin and yang; Dao was universal force and guides everything

Legalism

founder unknown; respect of laws; harsh punishments; censorship; humans are bad

Kush

below Egypt; used Nile; used iron

Ghana, Mali, Songhai

used Niger River; Gold-Salt trade; Timbuktu was trade and cultural center; many converted to Islam

Aksum

used Red Sea; below Egypt; converted to Christianity under Ezana's rule

Zimbabwe

SE Africa; used Indian Ocean; gold trade; disappeared mysteriously

Minoans

lived on island of Crete; famous for their alphabet

Mycenaeans

took over Minoans; defeated Tojans in Trojan War

Dorians

defeated Mycenaeans

Mt. Olympus

where Greek Gods lived

Gods

Zeus (Greek god of sky/storms), Hera (Greek goddess, Zeus' wife), Poseidon (Greek god of water), Athena (Greek goddess of war and intelligence), Mars (Roman god of agriculture and war), Aphrodite (Greek goddess of beauty and love)

Reasons for Trojan War

Trojan prince captured Helen of Troy; wanted access to key trade points

Key Events of Trojan War

Troy was heavily fortified and protected by walls; Greeks trick Trojans by using giant wooden horse

Outcome of Trojan War

city of Troy destroyed; Greeks win war

Reasons for Persian War

Persians want to conquer Mediterranean; Persians seek revenge for Ionian Revolt

Key Events of Persian War

Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis; Greeks won (they were outnumbered)

Outcome of Persian War

Athens becomes very powerful; Greek culture thrives and influences Western society

Peloponnesian War

Sparta and Athens become rivals and make different alliances

Delain League

alliances with Athens

Peloponnesian League

alliances with Sparta

Outcome of Peloponnesian War

Sparta wins but civil war weakens all of Greece; Democracy ends

Athens

M.A.T.D. (Monarchy, Aristocracy, Tyranny, Democracy); strong navy; trade based; artistic culture; women had less rights

Sparta

Oligarchy; strong army; agriculturally based; militaristic culture; women had more rights

Homer

epic poet; wrote "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad"

Aeshylus

wrote tragic plays

Sophocles

wrote tragic plays; "Oedipus" and "Antigone"

Horodotus

historian of Persian War

Thucydides

Historian of Peloponnesian War

Phidias

sculptor of Zeus, Athena, Parthenon

Archimedes

scientist/inventor; invented lever and the pulley

Hippocrates

Father of Medicine; created Hippocratic Oaht

Euclid

invented geometry

Pythagoras

mathematician; created Pythagorean Theorem

Socrates

philosopher; socratic method (questions); tutor of Plato

Plato

philosopher; founded the Academy; wrote the "Republic"; tutor of Aristotle

Aristotle

philosopher; tutor of Alexander the Great

Hellenistic Age

King Phillip II of Macedon conquered Greeks after Peloponnesian War; his son, Alexander the Great, expanded from Greece to India

Hellenistic Culture

combination of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian cultures

Alexander the Great

great military general; died mysteriously at 33; founded Alexandria in Egypt

Alexandria

learning, cultural, and trade center in Egypt; founded by Alexander the Great

Punic Wars

Rome vs. Carthage; fought over control of Mediterranean trade; series of three wars; Romans won; Carthage become province of Roman Empire

Rome

in Italy; strong army

Carthage

in Africa; strong navy (at first)

Roman Republic

500 BCE - 50 CE; small, Italian peninsula; representative democracy; Senate, Consuls, Assemblies, Tribunes; patricians and plebeians; income gap; 1/3 people lost land; inflation; civil war

Patricians

wealthy people of the Roman society

Plebeians

poor people of the Roman society

Tribunes

represented plebeians in government

Roman Empire

50 BCE - 476 CE; huge, all of Mediterranean Basin; absolute ruler; patricians and plebeians; army less loyal; civil wars; weak leaders; invasions