Unit 1: Foundations of Ancient Civilizations and Rome

Vocabulary study set covering major concepts from Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece, and Rome, including specific historical figures and governance styles.

Gregorian calendar

The calendar system most commonly used today as our current calendar system.

BCE

Before Common Era.

CE

Common Era.

BC

Before Christ.

AD

Anno Domini, meaning "Year of our Lord."

Primary Source

A firsthand account or record from the time period being studied.

Secondary Source

A secondhand account or record of a time period.

Era

A period of time with shared characteristics, such as the Civil War Era.

Paleolithic Era

Also known as the Old Stone Age; people used simple stone tools and survived by hunting animals and gathering plants.

Neolithic Era

Known as the New Stone Age; characterized by better tools, the beginning of farming, and raising animals for food.

Irrigation system

A system designed to bring water to crops so people could grow food more easily.

Fertile Crescent

Another name for Ancient Mesopotamia because the land was rich and good for farming and the area was shaped like a crescent moon.

Cuneiform

The first form of writing used by the Ancient Sumerians.

Pharaoh

The ruler of Egypt who was believed to be both a king and a god.

Ramses II

An Egyptian pharaoh known for his military strength and building huge monuments.

Nile River

The main source of water for Ancient Egypt, which helped people farm and survive.

Indus River

The main body of water near which most people in Ancient India lived because it provided water and good land for farming.

Hinduism

The main religion of India that started in that region.

Great Wall of China

A structure built mainly to protect China from invasions, especially from groups to the north.

Confucianism

A philosophy that focuses on respect, family, and keeping order in society.

Daoism (Taoism)

A philosophy that teaches people to live peacefully with nature.

Legalism

A philosophy based on the belief that strict laws are needed to control people.

Silk Road

A group of trade routes that connected China, the Middle East, and parts of Europe, used for trading goods like silk and spices.

Cultural Diffusion

The process where ideas and beliefs spread from one place to another, such as Buddhism spreading from India to China.

Han Dynasty

A period in China characterized by increased trade and a system where government jobs were earned by passing tests.

Peninsula

Land that is surrounded by water on three sides, such as Ancient Greece.

City-state

A city that acts like its own country with its own rules and government, common in Ancient Greece due to mountainous terrain.

Monarchy

A government where power is in the hands of one individual, usually a king.

Mount Olympus

A significant site in Ancient Greece believed to be the home of the Twelve Olympian Gods.

Alexander the Great

King of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon ($356-323$ BCE) and a student of Aristotle who is considered a great military commander.

Etruscans

The first true rulers of Ancient Rome.

Patricians

The wealthy, land-owning noble class in Rome who initially held all political power.

Plebeians

The commoners of Rome, including farmers, merchants, and artisans, who initially had little say in government.

Republic

A form of government where power resides in voting citizens and is exercised by elected representatives.

Punic War

A primary conflict ($264-241$ BC) between Rome and Carthage caused by imperial competition over the Mediterranean.

Julian calendar

A calendar created by Julius Caesar in $46$ BC which introduced the leap year.

Pax Romana

A long period of relative peace and stability established across the Mediterranean during Roman expansion.