CEL 100

Sumerian King List

An ancient Sumerian text listing kings who supposedly ruled Mesopotamia, mixing historical rulers with legendary ones.

Gilgamesh

Legendary king of Uruk and the main character of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Royal Tombs of Ur

Elaborate royal graves from the ancient city of Ur, containing valuable objects and evidence of human sacrifice/retainers.

Hammurabi

King of Babylon who ruled roughly 1792–1750 BCE.

Babylon

Major ancient Mesopotamian city and later the center of the Babylonian Empire.

Atrahasis

Mesopotamian creation/flood story about a man named Atrahasis who survives a catastrophic flood sent by the gods.

Enuma Elish

Babylonian creation epic describing how the god Marduk defeats Tiamat and establishes cosmic order.

Code of Hammurabi

Collection of laws issued under Hammurabi, covering crimes, property, marriage, labor, and other social matters.

Narmer Palette

An Egyptian ceremonial object showing King Narmer wearing symbols associated with Upper and Lower Egypt.

Old Kingdom

Period of Egyptian history roughly 2686–2181 BCE, famous for the great pyramids.

Memphite Theology

Egyptian creation tradition centered on the god Ptah, who creates through thought and speech.

Tale of the Eloquent Peasant

Egyptian story about a poor peasant seeking justice after being robbed.

Chariot Kingdoms

Powerful kingdoms of the Late Bronze Age that used horse-drawn chariots as important military technology.

New Kingdom

Period when Egypt became a major military and imperial power.

Thutmose III

Egyptian pharaoh of the New Kingdom, famous for his military campaigns.

Ramses II

Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the 13th century BCE and was known for building projects and military campaigns.

Moses

Central figure in Exodus who leads the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery.

Passover & Exodus

Passover commemorates God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt; the Exodus is the Israelites' departure from Egypt.

Genesis 1–2

Genesis describes God creating the world and repeatedly declaring creation "good."

Iimage of God

Humans are described in Genesis 1 as being created in God's image.

The Fruit and the Fall

Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3, disobeying God's command.

Tower of Babel

Genesis 11 story in which humans build a tower reaching toward heaven; God confuses their language and scatters them.

Abraham

Ancestor of the Israelites with whom God establishes a covenant.

Jacob and Esau

Twin sons of Isaac. Jacob eventually receives the family blessing and becomes the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Joseph

Son of Jacob who is sold by his brothers, rises to power in Egypt, and eventually saves his family from famine.

Hittite Treaty Structure

A common format used in ancient treaties, especially treaties between a powerful king and a subordinate ruler.

Sinai Covenant

Covenant between God and Israel established at Mount Sinai after the Exodus.

Deuteronomy

Biblical book presenting Moses' teachings and Israel's covenant obligations before entering the Promised Land.

Catastrophe & Israel Settlement

Refers to the period of upheaval in the ancient Near East followed by the Israelites' settlement in Canaan.

Savior Judges

Leaders whom God raises up to rescue Israel from enemies. Examples include Deborah, Gideon, and Samson.

David

Israel's second major king, who establishes Jerusalem as his capital.

Solomon

David's son and successor who becomes king of Israel.

Naboth's Vineyard

Story in 1 Kings where King Ahab wants Naboth's vineyard. When Naboth refuses, Jezebel arranges his death so Ahab can take the land.

Healing of Naaman

Story of Naaman, a Syrian military commander with leprosy who is healed by the prophet Elisha after following Elisha's instructions.

Neo-Assyrian Empire

Powerful empire that dominated much of the Near East roughly 900–600 BCE.

Neo-Babylonian Empire

Empire centered in Babylon that dominated Mesopotamia after Assyria.

Persian Empire

Massive empire established by the Persians under Cyrus and his successors.

Cyrus

Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire.

Socrates

Athenian philosopher famous for questioning people's beliefs about morality, knowledge, and virtue.

Athens

Major Greek city-state known for democracy, philosophy, art, literature, and naval power.

Hoplite

Heavily armed Greek infantry soldier who fought in a tightly organized formation called a phalanx.

Sparta

Greek city-state famous for its military culture and highly disciplined society.

Great Rhetra

Traditional foundational constitution/law of Sparta, associated with Lycurgus.

Peloponnesian War

Major war between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies, 431–404 BCE.

Melian Dialogue

Passage from Thucydides describing Athens' interaction with the neutral island of Melos during the Peloponnesian War.

Plato writes Apology

Plato's account of Socrates' defense speech during his trial in Athens.

Plato's Republic

Plato's philosophical dialogue exploring justice, the ideal state, education, the soul, and philosophical knowledge.

Thrasymachus

Character in Plato's Republic who argues that justice is essentially the advantage of the stronger.

Cardinal virtues

Four major virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice.

Demiurge

In Plato's Timaeus, the divine "craftsman" who organizes the physical universe according to an intelligible model.

Aristotle's Prime Mover

Aristotle's ultimate explanation for motion/change: an eternal, unmoved source that causes motion without itself being moved.

Macedon

Kingdom north of the traditional Greek city-states.

Alexander's Anabasis

Anabasis means "going up/marching inland." Arrian's Anabasis of Alexander is a major ancient account of Alexander the Great's campaigns.

Cosmopolis

Literally "world-city." The idea that humanity should be understood as belonging to one universal community rather than only to an individual city-state.