Hellenistic World & The Civilization of Ancient Rome — Key Vocabulary Quiz 3

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Hellenistic era and the Roman Republic.

Hellenism

Spread of Greek culture across the Mediterranean and Near East, blending Greek with local traditions after Alexander’s conquests.

Hellenistic culture

Cosmopolitan fusion of Greek art, science, philosophy with Egyptian, Persian, and Mesopotamian elements.

Ptolemaic Egypt

Wealthy, stable Hellenistic kingdom centered in Alexandria; Greek rulers dynastically governed while preserving Egyptian culture.

Seleucid Asia

Vast but often unstable Hellenistic kingdom blending Greek and Persian traditions.

Antigonid Greece

Macedon-based Greek kingdom; politically weaker within the Hellenistic world.

phalanx

Military formation reformed by Philip II; sixteen rows deep with long sarissas.

sarissa

Long spear used by the Macedonian phalanx.

League of Corinth

Alliance of Greek city-states under Macedonian hegemony to unify Greece.

Alexander the Great

Macedonian king who conquered Persia and Egypt, extended to India, spreading Hellenistic culture.

son of Ammon

Egyptian title for Alexander, used to legitimize his rule as a divine pharaoh.

Hydaspes

Battle in the Indus Valley marking Alexander’s eastern campaign in India.

Alexandria

Egyptian city that became a leading cultural and intellectual hub of the Hellenistic world.

Aphrodite of Knidos

First monumental female nude in Greek art, signaling shifting ideas of beauty and modesty.

Praxiteles

Sculptor of the Aphrodite of Knidos; influential in redefining classical sculpture.

cosmopolis

World-city; interconnected urban centers across the Hellenistic world.

polis

Ancient Greek city-state; the traditional political unit replaced in part by cosmopolitan urban networks.

Stoicism

Philosophy stressing rational order, virtue, and tolerance within a cosmopolitan world.

Epicureanism

Philosophy valuing pleasure and tranquility, often through simple, moderate living.

Skepticism

Philosophical doubt about definite knowledge and truth.

mystery cults

Religious movements (e.g., Isis, Dionysus) offering personal meaning and syncretism with Greek religion.

Maccabean revolt

Jewish resistance to Hellenization under Hellenistic rule.

Aristarchus

Astronomer who proposed heliocentrism (Earth and planets orbit the Sun).

Eratosthenes

Geographer who calculated the Earth's circumference; advanced mathematics and geography.

Euclid

Mathematician known as the father of geometry.

Archimedes

Physicist/inventor; principles of leverage, screw, and specific gravity.

Herophilus

Physician who studied the brain as the nervous system’s center.

Erasistratus

Physician who studied the heart as a pump and vascular systems.

Theocritus

Poet known for pastoral poetry; influence on later literature.

Polybius

Historian who explained Rome’s constitutional development and imperial expansion.

Laocoön

Sculpture emblematic of dramatic realism and emotion in art.

Romulus and Remus

Founding myth of Rome; twin brothers raised by a wolf, symbolizing Rome’s origins.

Aeneas

Trojan hero linked to Rome’s founding; founder-myth bridging Troy and Rome.

Lucretia

Noblewoman whose death spurred the Roman republic’s revolt against monarchy.

mos maiorum

Unwritten ancestral code guiding Roman morals and public life.

pietas

Duty to gods, country, and family; core Roman virtue.

patria potestas

Father’s absolute authority within the Roman household.

Twelve Tables

Early Roman law code establishing basic rights and procedures (450 BCE).

Latin Right

Legal privileges granted to conquered peoples as part of Roman integration.

consul

One of two chief magistrates in the Roman Republic, sharing executive power.

Senate

Advisory/legislative body of aristocrats in the Roman Republic.

assemblies

Popular political bodies in Rome that elected magistrates and passed laws.

ancestor worship

Religious practice venerating ancestors; reinforced civic duty and family ties.