Trading Empires Key Terms

Analects

A series about Confucianism written by Confucius' students.

Assembly

A ruling group of common people in Ancient Rome.

Confucianism

A philosophy created by Confucianism that emphasized ethical action and relationships that promoted ethical action.

Consuls

Two individuals chosen annually by the Assembly and Senate who led Rome during its republican period.

Crucifixion

A Roman Empire-era death penalty where the accused is sentenced to die by being nailed to a wooden cross. A person executed in this manner was crucified.

Daoism

A philosophy/religion that shunned rigid rites and social hierarchies in favor of doing nothing.

Democracy

In ancient Greece, rule by free adult male citizens. (The suffix cracy = rule; demos = people. Democracy = the people rule.)

Golden Age

A period of artistic, technological, scientific, and intellectual advancement.

Hellenism

A blend of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian cultures spread by Alexander the Great's conquests.

Inoculation

An early method of preventing major harm from disease by giving the patient a weaker (dead) strand of the disease before they are exposed to the active disease. In ancient India, they would give a person crushed smallpox scabs so that they wouldn't catch smallpox and die.

Legalism

A philosophy that states people naturally tended towards evil and needed a strict, authoritarian leader to control their behavior.

Messiah

A savior.

Monarchy

Rule by a law-bound individual. (The suffix archcy = rule; mono = one. Monarchy = one person rules.)

Oligarchy

Rule by a small group of elites. (The suffix archcy = rule; oligoi = few. Oligarchy = a few (select) people rule.)

Pax Romana

A period of peace in the Roman empire.

Pax Sinica

A period of peace in China during the Han Dynasty.

Philosophy

The study of knowledge. (Phil- = love; soph- = wisdom; so philosophy is literally "the love of wisdom".)

Polis

A Greek city-state.

Republic

A government led by elected representatives.

Senate

A ruling group of aristocrats in ancient Rome.

Silk Road

An interconnected overland trade network from China to the Roman empire.

Southern Indian Ocean-Trading Network

A sea-bound trade network stretching from China to Africa and the Middle East.

Sovereignty

The right for an area to be ruled by its people.

Twelve Tables of Rome

A series of easily understood Roman laws.

Tyranny

Absolute rule by an individual.

Xiongnu

Nomadic invaders from north of China, sometimes called the Huns.

Warring States Period

A 200-year period of war between Chinese states leading to government reform.