Humanities Classical Age - Classical States Vocab (copy)

Llama

Llama

Americas; Domesticated livestock and pack animal species used in the Ancient and Classical American Civilizations

Maya

Americas; Mayan Empire known by its ancient temples and glyphs; excelled at agriculture, pottery, writing, calendars and mathematics, and left behind architecture and symbolic artwork

City-States

Americas; Mayan civilization consisted of 40 city-states at its peak

Calendars

Americas; The ancient Maya developed one of the most accurate calendar systems in human history

Chichen Itza

Americas; Mayan temple that doubled as a calendar

Popol Vuh

Americas; Text recounting the mythology and history of the K'iche' Mayans

Moche

Americas; Pre-Incan civilization known for their ceramics, gold work, huacas/temples, and irrigation systems

Irrigation

Americas; Climate led to the development of irrigation system of canals diverting river water across the region

Warrior-Priests

Americas; Men who supervised the most important ceremonies in Moche society

Bloodletting

Americas; Ritualistic self cutting for major events such as births, marriages, burials, and building dedications

Teotihuacán

Americas; site of many of the most architecturally significant Moche pyramids; Huaca del Sol, Huaca de la Luna

Temple of the Feathered Serpent

Americas; third largest pyramid at Teotihuacan

Mochica Pottery

Americas; mold-made vessels with depictions of everyday Moche life

Dhow

China; ship used by the Chinese in maritime trade

Silk

China; major trade textile used by the Chinese to exchange for goods from other civilizations

Merchants

China; class looked down upon in early China due to profiting off of others' goods; contributed a lot to the economy

Mandate of Heaven

China; idea that a ruler is chosen by and must keep approval of the gods

Qin Dynasty

China; first dynasty of Imperial China; used legalism

Shi Huangdi

China; founder of the Qin dynasty; creator of the first unified Chinese empire

Great Wall of China

China; defensive wall built during the Qin dynasty to fend off invaders

Terra-cotta Warriors

China; collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Shi Huangdi buried in his tomb to protect him in the afterlife

Han Dynasty

China; second imperial dynasty of China; established by Liu Bang; expanded territory, centralized governmental authority, and created a bureaucracy (civil service, military, and censorate)

Emperor Wudi

China; Han emperor remembered for his military conquests

Trung Trac

China; Trưng sisters from Vietnam; rebelled against the first Chinese domination of Vietnam in 40 CE

Wang Mang

China; only emperor of the Xin Dynasty (later Han)

Empress Wu

China; first and only female emperor of China; Zhou Dynasty

Civil Service Exam

Han Dynasty; Exam to find the best candidates to staff the bureaucracy

Scholar Gentry Class

Han Dynasty; China's landowning families; wealth from land and privilege derived as government officials

Mathematics

India; Classical India introduced concept of 0 and the decimal system; advancements in trig, algebra; arithmetic

Indian Ocean Trade

India; Largest hubs of ancient international trade; linked Eurasian trade

Mauryan Empire

India; first pan-Indian empire known for its political unity and internal peace which encouraged the expansion of trade in India

Arthashastra

India; treatise on statecraft, political science, economic policy and military strategy; written by Chanakya

Ashoka

India; model ruler of the Mauryan empire; ruled with peace and respect (emphasis on dharma)

Gupta Empire

India; Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE; made contributions to the sciences of astronomy, mathematics, and metallurgy

Jatis

India; Caste System; Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya, Sudras, Untouchables

City-states/Polis

Greece/Hellenistic Empires; Created in Classical Greece as a result of geographic barriers; Athens (original rule) and Sparta (overtook Athens)

Olympic Games

Greece/Hellenistic Empires; Series of athletic competitions among representatives of the city-states of Ancient Greece

Athenian Democracy

Greece/Hellenistic Empires; Adult male citizens over the age of 20 had a duty to take part in voting

Greco-Perisan Wars

Greece/Hellenistic Empires; Series of conflicts between the Achaemenid Empire and Greek city-states; Darius of Persia subduing rebellious Greeks under his power for wealth, territory, power

Peloponnesian War

Greece/Hellenistic Empires; Ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta; Sparta wins and takes control

Alexander the Great

Greece/Hellenistic Empires; introduction of absolute monarchy; common language = Greek; conquered territory (Alexandria, Persia)

Hellenistic Era

Greece/Hellenistic Empires; time between Alexander the Great's death and the emergence of the Roman Empire

Alexandria

Greece/Hellenistic Empires; intellectual and cultural center of the Hellenistic age

Patricians

Rome; Roman upper class (only requirement is rich)

Plebians

Rome; Roman lower class (merchants, farmers, artisans, etc)

Republic

Rome; a government in which citizens elected representatives to rule on their behalf (Senate)

Roman Roads

Rome; 50000 miles; enables trade

Augustus

Rome; Caesar Augustus; first Roman emperor; encouraged marital stability and renewed religious practices

Pax Romana

Rome; period of peace between the Roman republic and empire

Expanding Citizenship

Rome; Roman citizenship granted automatically to every child born in a legal marriage of a Roman citizen

Slavery

Rome; performed manual labor, domestic services; highly skilled jobs and professions; worked on latifundia (ranches/estates)

Spartacus

Rome; slave and gladiator who led a rebellion against the Roman Republic

Twelve Tables

Rome; set of laws inscribed on 12 bronze tablets

Mercenaries

Rome; aka auxiliaries; not Roman citizens; specialised fighters for hire

Achaemenid Empire

Persia; ancient theocratic Persian empire; founded by Cyrus the Great; expanded on greatly by Darius I; collapse as a result of Darius III's loss to Alexander the Great

Satraps

Persia; provincial governors in the Achaemenid empire; similar to Medieval European nobles

Coins

Persia; Persian daric; used as currency; emphasized importance of the king as a warrior and leader for the Persians

Royal Road

Persia; ancient road rebuilt by the Persian king Darius the Great to facilitate long distance travel

Persepolis

Persia; heart of the Achaemenid Empire in government, trade, and new developments in science and the arts

Qanat

Persia; system for transporting water from an aquifer or water well to the surface

Sassanid

Africa; Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians/Neo-Persian Empire; last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests

Meroë

Africa; Wealthy ancient city on the east bank of the Nile of the Kingdom of Kush

Female Monarchs

Africa; Candaces of Meroe; queens of the Kingdom of Kush; ruled from the city of Meroe

Camel Caravans

Africa; trade with other civilizations

Deforestation

Africa; Kush Empire draining resources for trade

Axum

Africa; African kingdom known for its stone obelisks; wealthy with trade routes linking to the Roman Empire, Middle East, and India

Niger Valley Civilizations

Africa; city-based civilization; noteworthy for its lack of centralized state structures

Jenne-Jeno

Africa; major urban center in the Niger Valley civilizations; first significant grading crossroads in the region; iron smelting prominent

Christianity in Rome

Decline of Civs; 313 CE Emperor Constantine of Rome ended all persecution and declared toleration for Christianity

Buddhism in Han China

Decline of Civs; Mahayana Buddhism was introduced to China during the Han period; shaped Chinese civilization

Diocletian

Decline of Civs; commoner turned Roman emperor who made changes in the Roman military, financial system, administration, religion, architecture

Pollution & Epidemics

Decline of Civs; epidemics directly related to unsanitary conditions caused by human pollution and animal wastes

Yellow Turban Revolution

Decline of Civs; rebellion that led to the end of the Later Han dynasty; rise of warlords that divided the empire among them

Huns

Decline of Civs; nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe; invaded classical Rome, China, and India leading to their downfall