Key Figures and Concepts in Ancient Civilizations

Muhammed

Islam's religious and political leader

Socrates

a Greek philosopher, whose method of teaching was asking questions that forced others to think

Homer

the greatest storyteller was a blind man, he composed epics. One of Homer's great epic poems is the 'Iliad', which is backed by the Trojan War

Solon

an Athenian politician, considered the first innovative lawmaker that set the ground for the creation of democracy

Darius

he was the King of Persia and he is known for his great building projects

Xerxes

the son of King Darius; he is best known for his invasions of Greece in the Persian Wars

Pericles

Leader of Greece; strengthened the Athenian democracy: paid officials so even the poor could serve; he built a commercial empire- built a great navy that would protect their shipping; built great buildings

Plato

greatest of Socrates' students; wrote the 'Republic'

Aristotle

student of Plato, dealt with the study of logic (human reasoning)

Hannibal

a mastermind behind the war, he was a 29-year-old Carthaginian general, known for his new tactics of attack in the Alps

Julius Caesar

Roman general and one of the greatest military leaders in history; he conquered most of Gaul and was named dictator for life in Rome. He was later murdered by a group of senators who opposed his enlarged powers

Pompey

he was a general and statesman of the Roman Republic

Augustus

1st emperor of Rome; he established the second triumvirate with Mark Anthony and Lepidus. He created the imperial system of administration, established new coinages, and encouraged trade

Justinian

a high-ranking Byzantine nobleman, who wanted to reign Rome's fading glory and recapture the west

Diocletian

a strong-willed army leader, became the new emperor

Constantine

Roman Emperor; first Roman emperor to profess Christianity

Scipio

a Roman general; played a major role in Rome's victory in the Second Punic Wars

Brutus

he was one of the leaders of the conspiracy that assassinated Julius Caesar

Hadrian

a Roman emperor who is known for his wall

Ezana

he was the ruler of Aksum when it reached its golden age

Phillip of Macedon

he was the father of Alexander the Great

Byzantine Empire

the continuation of the Roman Empire centered in Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages

Semitic religions

religions that were founded in Western Asia (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)

Mecca

the holiest of cities in Islam

Polytheism

the belief in more than one god

Monotheism

the belief in only one god

Punic Wars

the war between Rome and Carthage, this was the beginning of the long struggle known as the Punic Wars

Carthage

the world's largest sea power; Carthage feared that Rome would try to take Sicily; part of the Punic Wars

Mediterranean Sea

the sea that the would be able to trade and have communication with the rest of the empire

Peloponnesian War

fought between Sparta and Athens

Persian War

series of wars between Greek states and Persia, particularly two invasions of Greece by Persia

Golden age

a period of primordial peace, harmony, stability, and prosperity

Five Pillars of Islam

profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, pilgrimage

Ramadan

one of the most sacred timed for the Muslims

Haj

an Islamic pilgrimage the Muslims should make at least once during their life

Almsgiving

donate a fixed amount of their property to charity every year

Twelve tables

the laws created so that the slaves and other citizens would be able to see the display of laws

Hijrah

when Mohammed fled from his hometown of Mecca to a town called Medina

Delian League

an alliance of 140 Greek city-states; The Delian League was controlled by Athens. Members were forced to join and pay dues

Polis

the city-state that was the fundamental political unit in ancient Greece

Hellenism

the shared culture and values, and common ritualistic traditions

Migration

a permanent move from one country or region to another

Minoans

a sea-trading people who developed a civilization on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea during the Bronze Age

Plebeians

the common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population

Patricians

the wealthy landowners who held the most power

Parthenon

a Greek temple used to shelter a god's statue

Consuls

one of the two annually elected chief magistrates who jointly ruled the republic

Equites

the Businessmen of Rome

Pax Romana

a period of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman empire lasting from 27 BC to 180 AD

Battle of Salamis

a battle in the Greco-Persian Wars in which the Greek fleet defeated much larger Persian naval forces

Good emperors

Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius

Trojan War

a 10-year war between the Greeks and Trojans, ended with the destruction of Troy

Dynasty

a line of hereditary rulers of a country

Mosque

an Islamic temple

Aksum

largest trading empire in Africa

Ides of March

the date is in the middle of March and it is infamous for the assassination of Julius Caesar

Aqueducts

designed by Roman engineers to bring water into cities and towns

Greek Fire

a weapon used by the Greek Army, flammable

Sahara Desert

north African desert that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean east to the Red Sea and from the Mediterranean Sea south to the Sahel

Patriarch

the male head of a family or tribe

Phalanx

a body of troops or soldiers standing and moving close together in a formation

476 AD

when the Western Roman Empire fell

1453

when the Byzantine Empire fell

Athens

mainly focused on the arts, literature, and philosophy; democracy; navy; women had very limited rights

Sparta

military strong, started training boys at the age of 7 years old; oligarchy; army; women had tons of rights due to the fact that their husbands were away in the military

Greece Geography

Greece was a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides. Water had a major impact on its development. The sea was a way of transportation for the Greeks, as they had many skilled sailors. Sea travel also connected Greece with other societies, opening up to more trading with Greece and other city-states.