Unit 1: Introduction to Ancient Civilizations, Empires, and Greece

Vocabulary flashcards covering unit introduction topics including time structures, empire development, Ancient Greece, major Greek philosophers, culture, and the Hellenistic era.

Administrative Innovations

Changes in leadership and government structure, such as moving from a pharaoh to a king or utilizing deportations, trade, and organized military structures to maintain imperial control.

Garrisons

Groups of soldiers stationed in strategic areas to secure territory and maintain control over an empire.

AD (Anno Domini)

Latin phrase meaning 'Year of our Lord', used to mark years after the birth of Jesus Christ.

BC (Before Christ)

The system used to count years prior to the birth of Jesus Christ.

CE (Common Era)

A secular alternative term for AD used to measure years following the birth of Christ.

BCE (Before Common Era)

A secular alternative term for BC used to measure years prior to the Common Era.

Four Factors of Empire Development

The vital influences that shaped early empire development: climate change, migration, new technologies, and administrative innovation.

Phalanx

A Greek military tactical fighting formation that utilized affordable iron weapons.

Polis

A Greek city-state structured on two levels: an elevated acropolis containing temples and a main city below.

Acropolis

The elevated high city within a Greek polis containing temples built above the main city.

Monarchy

A system of government where absolute authority is held by a single ruler, such as a king or pharaoh.

Aristocracy

A system of government ruled by a wealthy landowning noble class.

Oligarchy

A system of government in which political power is held by a small group of wealthy men.

Helots

State-owned slaves in ancient Sparta who performed manual and agricultural labor.

Barbarians

The term used by ancient Greeks to describe non-Greeks and foreigners whom they looked down upon.

Peloponnesian War

The conflict fought between Athens and Sparta that ultimately resulted in Athenian defeat and decline.

Socrates

The first Greek philosopher, known as 'The Gadfly', an idealist who was sentenced to death by drinking hemlock.

Socratic Method

A method of philosophical inquiry that uses targeted questioning to eliminate nonsense and arrive at underlying truths.

Hemlock

The legal poison administered to Socrates to carry out his death sentence.

Plato

A Greek philosopher and student of Socrates who rejected democracy, founded the Academy, and wrote 'The Republic'.

The Republic

A foundational philosophical work written by Plato detailing his vision of an ideal society ruled by philosopher-kings.

Aristotle

A Greek realist philosopher, biologist, and tutor to Alexander the Great who promoted reason and established his own school.

Parthenon

A classic example of Greek architecture dedicated to the gods, designed with symmetry, balance, order, and exact perfection.

Tragedies

A genre of Greek theatrical plays that explored human suffering, performed with elaborate costumes and no background scenery.

Comedies

A genre of Greek theatrical plays that used humor to mock people and political figures.

Herodotus

Known as the 'Father of History', he gathered first-person accounts to record historical events.

Alexander the Great

Macedonian king born in Pella who was tutored by Aristotle, conquered vast territories across Greece, Asia, and Egypt, and established Alexandria before dying at age 32.

King Philip

King of Macedon and father of Alexander the Great who took control of Greece and envisioned conquering the Persian Empire.

Hellenistic Culture

A blended culture that emerged from Alexander the Great's conquests, combining Greek, Asian, Indian, and Persian languages, customs, art, and trade.

Pythagoras

An ancient scholar who made major contributions to the study of mathematics.

Aristarchus

A Hellenistic astronomer who studied the solar system.

Archimedes

A prominent Hellenistic scientist and mathematician known for his work in mechanics and science.