Humanities

Alliteration

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within close proximity in a line or passage.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Imagery

Descriptive language that creates visual representations in the reader's mind.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things by saying one is the other.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

Parallel Structure (Parallelism)

The use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same or similar in their construction.

Paradox

A statement that contradicts itself but may still hold some truth.

Personification

The attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities or inanimate objects.

Repetition

The action of repeating something that has already been said or written.

Rhyme

The occurrence of similar or identical sounds at the end of words.

Simile

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.

Mood

The atmosphere or emotional setting created by a piece of literary work.

Inference

A conclusion reached based on evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements.

Theme

The central topic, subject, or message within a literary work.

Tone

The author's attitude towards the subject matter or audience.

Deity

A god or goddess in a polytheistic religion.

Epic Hero

A character of noble birth with heroic attributes often faced with great challenges.

Epic Poetry

A lengthy narrative poem that typically recounts the adventures of an epic hero.

Epithet

A descriptive phrase expressing a quality or characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

Homeric/Epic Simile

A detailed comparison often running for several lines, used in epic poetry.

Hubris

Excessive pride or self-confidence, often leading to fatal consequences.

Muse

A source of inspiration, often personified as a goddess.

Neolithic Revolution

The transition from nomadic life to settled farming and the domestication of animals.

Bantu

A group of over 500 closely related languages spoken in Africa; also refers to the people who speak them.

Black Death

A devastating pandemic that struck Europe in the 14th century, killing millions.

Hammurabi

Ancient Babylonian king known for the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest written legal codes.

Hebrews

An ancient people who founded Judaism and were led by figures such as Abraham, Moses, and David.

Monotheism

The belief in a single, all-powerful god.

Cuneiform

A system of writing used in ancient Mesopotamia characterized by wedge-shaped marks.

Shi Huangdi

The first Emperor of China who unified the country and built portions of the Great Wall.

Mandate of Heaven

An ancient Chinese philosophical concept that justified the rule of the Emperor.

Chinese Dynastic Cycle

The historical pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties in China.

Confucianism

A philosophical system based on the teachings of Confucius emphasizing morality, social relationships, and justice.

Crusades

A series of religious wars sanctioned by the Latin Church in the medieval period.

Daoism

An ancient Chinese philosophy that advocates for living in harmony with the Dao, or the way of the universe.

Ancestor Worship

The religious practice of honoring deceased ancestors.

Hinduism

One of the world's oldest religions characterized by a variety of beliefs and practices including karma and dharma.

Hundred Years War

A series of conflicts from 1337 to 1453 between England and France.

Caste System

A hierarchical social stratification system prevalent in India, dividing society into classes.

Siddhartha Gautama

The founder of Buddhism who attained enlightenment and became known as the Buddha.

Buddhism

A religion and philosophy centered around the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.

Ashoka

An Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who promoted Buddhism and nonviolence.

Democracy

A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives.

Augustus Caesar

The first emperor of Rome, playing a critical role in transforming the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

Romanization

The spread of Roman culture and language throughout the empire.

Jesus

A central figure in Christianity, believed by Christians to be the Son of God.

Justinian

Byzantine Emperor known for his compilation of laws and ambitious building projects, including the Hagia Sophia.

Christianity

A monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Muhammad

The founder of Islam, regarded by Muslims as the last prophet of God.

Islam

A monotheistic religion that teaches submission to the will of Allah as revealed to Muhammad.

Sunni

The largest branch of Islam, believing in the legitimacy of the first four caliphs.

Shi’ite

A branch of Islam that holds that only the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his cousin and son-in-law Ali are the legitimate leaders.

Sufi

A mystical branch of Islam focused on spiritual closeness to God.

Cultural Borrowing

The process of adopting customs and ideas from one culture by another.

Buddhist Statues

Statues representing the Buddha, often used as objects of worship.

Buddhist Stupas

Mound-like structures containing Buddhist relics, used as a place of meditation.

Byzantine and Islamic Mosaics

Decorative artwork made of small pieces of colored glass or stone, prominent in Byzantine and Islamic culture.

Cave Paintings

Prehistoric art found in caves, depicting animals and human figures.

Discus Thrower

A famous ancient Greek sculpture representing an athlete in the act of throwing a discus.

Dome

A rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure.

Early Southeast Asian Art

Art created in Southeast Asia that reflects cultural diversity and religious influences.

Egyptian Pyramids

Massive structures built as tombs for pharaohs in ancient Egypt.

Grand Mosque at Mecca

The holiest site in Islam, housing the Kaaba and attracting millions of Muslim pilgrims annually.

Great Wall of China

An ancient series of walls and fortifications built to protect Chinese states from invasions.

Great Zimbabwe

A medieval city in southern Africa known for its impressive stone ruins.

Gregorian Chants

A form of plainchant used in liturgical music of the Roman Catholic Church.

Hagia Sophia

A former Greek Orthodox Christian basilica in Istanbul, later an imperial mosque, and now a museum.

Hindu Temples

Places of worship for followers of Hinduism, often rich in architecture and symbolism.

Islamic Calligraphy

Visual art form of writing, particularly in Arabic, revered in Islamic culture.

Islamic Call to Prayer

A public announcement for the daily prayers in Islam.

Minaret

A tall tower associated with a mosque, used to call Muslims to prayer.

Mosque

A place of worship for Muslims.

Olmec Heads

Colossal stone heads sculpted by the Olmec civilization in ancient Mexico.

Parthenon

A former temple on the Athenian Acropolis dedicated to the goddess Athena.

Pillars of Ashoka

Series of columns dispersed throughout the Indian subcontinent, inscribed with edicts from Emperor Ashoka.

Roman Architecture

A style of building that incorporates elements like arches, columns, and domes.

Terracotta Soldiers

Life-sized statues buried with China's first emperor, Shi Huangdi, to accompany him in the afterlife.

Ziggurat

A rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound built in ancient Mesopotamia.

Catharsis

The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

Chorus

A group of performers who comment on the main action of a play, often through song.

Tragedy

A dramatic genre that involves a serious subject, leading to the downfall of the main character.

Epic (Characteristics)

Plot centers around a Hero of high power

The Hero has supernatural powers

Vast Setting

Involves supernatural forces

Gilgamesh

An ancient Mesopotamian epic that chronicles the adventures of King Gilgamesh.

Oedipus

A tragic character in Greek mythology, known for unknowingly killing his father and marrying his mother.

Rumi Poetry

The works of Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet known for his spiritual and mystical themes.

Aristotle

An ancient Greek philosopher whose works influenced various fields of knowledge.

Confucianism

A system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by Confucius.

Islam

A monotheistic religion founded upon the teachings of Muhammad.

Judaism

One of the oldest monotheistic religions, centered on the covenant between God and the Hebrew people.

Legalism

A Chinese philosophy that relies heavily on clear laws and harsh punishments.

Plato

A student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle, known for his works on philosophy and political theory.

Socrates

An ancient Greek philosopher who is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy.

Zoroastrianism

An ancient monotheistic religion that emerged in Persia, founded by the prophet Zoroaster.

Mesopotamia

An ancient civilization located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers known for its innovations in writing and governance.

Byzantine

The eastern part of the Roman Empire that continued to exist after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Egyptian

An ancient civilization centered around the Nile River, famous for its pyramids and hieroglyphs.

Chinese

An ancient civilization known for its innovations in philosophy, governance, and technology.

Greek

An ancient civilization known for its contributions to philosophy, government, and the arts.