Western Heritage exam 1

Neolithic Revolution  

Transition from nomadic hunter – gatherer society to settled, agricultural communities with domesticated animals

Effects of the Neolithic Revolution

Stable food supply

Population growth

Creation of villages and cities

Decline in women’s status

Mesopotamia

Land “Between Rivers” (Tigris and Euphrates)

They had city-states

Polytheism

the Belief of multiple Gods

Cuniform

Sumerians created this

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of art, literature, ideas and customs

Hammurabi’s Law of Code (How it was applied in society)

The standards of justice were based on social classes

Technological and cultural legacies of Mesopotamia:

Wheels

Cylinder seals

Molds to mass produce

Irrigation systems

Sails for Boats

Mesopotamian and Egyptian views of the God’s and the afterlife:

Mesopotamian:

• Religion is all about appeasing the Gods

• Negative view of the afterlife

Egyptians:

• Their religion was polytheistic

• They had creation stories

• Maat – What is right

• Positive view on the afterlife

Geographical advantage in Egypt views for the development of civilization

• “Black land” (Kemet) - which is the annual flooding of the Nile River

• “Red Land” - Deserts that provided protection and metal ores

Ma’at

“What is right”

Role of women in Egyptian society

• Officially barred from politics

• Legal equality with men

Hatshepsut

An Egypt Pharoh

Sea People

• Bands of foreign raiders (Pirates) from Aegean Sea area

• They cut off trade routes, creating political and economic distress

Difference between Mesopotamian and Hebrew stories about the creation of humanity

Mesopotamian – They were very violent and believed in killing each other to establish order, they also believed in multiple Gods

Hebrew – They were very orderly and reflected God’s image, they only believed in one God

Hebrew covenant with Yahweh –

• God promises land, prosperity, and protection

• People promised to worship Yahweh alone

Hebrew Laws

Differences from Mesopotamian laws

More equality among different social classes

More respect for women

No vicarious punishments

King David

Defeated the philistines

Established capital at Jerusalem

Created a centralized government with standing army

King Solomon

He built the Hebrew Temple

Phoenicians

Hebrew Alphabet

Assyrians Tactics

They asked for tribute

Besieged cities

Terrorize conquered peoples

Forced deportation

King Nebuchadnezzar II

He destroyed the Hebrew temple in 586 B.C.E

Polis

City

Citizens

Voting rights

Legal equality

Civic virtue

Arete

Means “Excellence”

Men can achieve it by battling, being Athletics, and giving wise advice

Women can achieve it by having sexual purity

Hoplite soldier

Part of the Hebrew Military, also known as Phalanx

Cyrus the Great

Founder of the Persian Empire

Conquests

Media

Lydia

Babylon

Zoroastrianism

A battle between good (Ahura Mazda) and evil

Motivated kings to bring order to the world

Cultural tolerance

Greco-Persian War/significance

Ionian Revolt (499-494 B.C.E)

Battle of Marathon (490 B.C.E)

Athenians outnumbered 2 to 1

Persia: 6,400

Athens: 192

Battle of Thermopylae (480 B.C.E)

King Leonidas of Sparta

7,000 Greeks vs. 10,000 Persian immortals and over 100,000 infantries

Persia’s defeat prevented it from expanding into Europe, ensuring that the Greeks, instead of Persians, would have a lasting influence on Western Civilization Archons

Archons

Duties: Administrative, Legal, and Religious

Draco

The Lawgiver

Created the first written law for Athens to replace oral law

Draconian – Law code imposed the death penalty for most crimes, even minor laws

Tyrant

A cruel and oppressive ruler

Pisistratus

Pericles

Direct Democracy

Peloponnesian War

The results were a Spartan victory

Significance

Weakening of the Greek City States

Decline of the Golden Age of Athens

How each civilization treated conquered people

Alexander the Great – With Kindness

Assyrians – Rudely

Persians – With Kindness

Babylonians – Rudely

Romulus and Remus

They are descendants of Aeneas

Has a connection to Greece

Patricians/Plebeians

Patricians – Wealthy Greek upper-class

Plebeians – Commoners

Patron-Client system

A system where someone (Patron) provides protection, or opportunities to a less powerful “Client” who will offer loyalty, and support back

Consuls

Two chief Executives, leading armies, and directing governments

Can only serve for one-year terms

Tribunes

Elected representatives of the common people who had power to veto actions of other officials to protect their right and ensure a balance of power within the government

Punic Wars

Major Participants:

The Roman Republic and the Phoenician Carthaginian Empire

Hannibal

The Battle of Cannae was a key engagement of the second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage, fought on August 2nd 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy